My wife's grandfather (Gus Brieger) built a large number of those old frame houses all over Taylor starting about 1904. When I started going out with her, she took me down to Louie Mueller's and also the Taylor Cafe in 1967 (it really was segregated then). Her mom used to have her Thanksgiving & Christmas turkeys smoked there. Great eats. Now I'm gonna have to run over there and get a few pounds of brisket to bring home in Round Rock.
I specifically took a trip out to Taylor when I came into town for the Xmas holiday just to visit Louie Mueller's. Damn good BBQ. Jalapeno sausage and HUGE beef ribs were the highlights. Didn't even bother with sides...it was all about the meat. Moist brisket was peppered greatness as always. Pork ribs were just OK on my trip.
I hit up Cooper's in Llano a few weeks ago. That and Louie Mueller's were the only two BBQ joints I hadn't visited in all of Central Texas. Seriously. I had a post on 'Around Austin' last year about a BBQ road-tour of Central Texas that my buddies and I did as a bachelor party. Anyway... I found Cooper's to be a novel idea with the open pits and variety of meats... but overall, I wasn't that pleased. Everything was way too greasy and fatty. Like dripping in grease. I like my meat with fat (don't get me wrong), but only enough to accent the flavor of the meat. I don't particularly like to take big bites of fat. Don't give me the 'it was probably just your cut of meat' crap. My favorite is still City Market in Luling. Luling BBQ wasn't great. Black's wasn't great. Kreuz's wasn't great. The Elgin places weren't all that great. Unfortunately I have yet to hit up Louie Mueller's in Taylor. Soon. I don't mean to hijak the thread because I know this has been discussed ad-nauseum... but having visited all those places it really makes me appreciate Rudy's which is high quality given the convenience of their locations...
I concur with what brisket concurred with Gak. You didn't get the chopped beef sandwich did you? Seriously, if you went to Cooper's and didn't get the chop, then you haven't been to Cooper's.
If any of y'all are ever in San Marcos, give Woody's a try. All they have is the usual stuff, but it is damn good. I would go so far to say as they have the best brisket I've ever eaten. It's very tender and the smoke ring and crust is done perfectly. My girlfriend knows the new owners and they are very nice people too, so go check them out. They have a website coming online soon as well. It's not hard to find and just a few miles off 35. Take Wonderworld Rd. exit and head west. When you come to T intersection, take left at light. It's about a mile, maybe one and a half on your left. Very clean inside and about the same pricewise as all the other joints.
You misunderstood my post. If you've read the entire thread then you know how I feel about chopped beef sandwiches. When I say "if you didn't get the chop, you haven't been to Cooper's," I'm referring to a pork chop. While it is not one of the holy trinity of Texas barbecue, it is something that Cooper's does especially well, and I'd go so far as to call it their signature offering. I'm not going to say that every trip to Cooper's has been a home run for me, but when it is on, it is tough to beat, especially the chop. I put City Market in Luling right up there with Cooper's, but honestly, I have had mediocre experiences there as well, especially lately. Barbecue is something that is very difficult to do at the highest level all day every day, and it seems to me that the best places aren't as good as they used to be since growing in popularity. Whether they are coasting on reputation or just can't maintain the quality with the increased production, I can't say. It's disappointing when you go far out of your way, hoping for an out of this world experience, only to come away with an inferior experience. It's also interesting that you really enjoyed Smitty's. It was on my list of places to try, so my wife and I headed over there about a year ago. It was probably the worst barbecue experience I've had at any of the legendary establishments. The brisket had no flavor and was dried out. The pork ribs were the consistency of beef jerky. The sausage was a greasy explosion once you were able to penetrate the tough leathery casing. It was simply awful.
Just saw a BBQ show on the Food Channel yesterday that had about 10 minutes of Louie Mueller's Good stuff. Mrs.Sco enjoyed seeing Bobby & his wife Trish, a Fightin' Taylor Duck classmate of hers.
The one thing we can all agree on: The beautiful thing about living in these parts is our ability to carry on this debate... And I will fully admit, my claims / opinions on many of these places are based on a single trip. I've only been to Cooper's once and it is entirely possible that they had an off day or I just got unlucky with the cuts of meat I selected. I still stand by my statements on Rudy's. 1/4 Extra Moist, 1/4 Turkey.... yum....
to each his own. stuck, you're right in that maybe you caught an off day. part of the reason i appreciate que so much is because its not easy to make great. every place, including the best ones, are going to have their off days. thats why i dont judge a place on just one visit. but if you like rudy's, thats what matters, stick with it. but it is fast food and really shouldn't be mentioned in the same conversation as the other places you mentioned, that's all. and turkey is not bbq.
I practically grew up on Mueller's and it's still my favorite joint around, but I get the chance to run around and try the local places on occasion. I wandered out to Lockhart and tried Blacks (I had already made it to Kreuz's on a previous trip) and I was seriously underwhelmed. Brisket was dry and had little flavor while the sausage (beef/pig mix?) was tough and just generally greasy. Best part was the sauce. Please tell me this was the exception. Cooper's is probably my favorite brisket ever. Warmed up in the oven a day after with Southside hot sauce... probably the best thing ever.
I've never thought to check my 'fearless critic guide', but I was curious what it said about BBQ. Best Brisket: 1. Kreuz 2. House Park 3. Louie Mueller's 4. Smitty's 5. Rudy's Rated on Overall Experience: 1. SaltLick 2. Kreuz 3. Smitty's 4. Saltlick 360 (ok... just lost serious credibility) 5. Louie Mueller's 6. Rudy's 7. House Park 8. Cooper's 9. Sam's 10. Ruby's 11. Black's 12. Artz's Rib House 13. Hill's Cafe 14. Stubb's 15. Green Mesquite 19. Iron Works 22. Bert's 23. Ben's Longbranch 24. County Line 25. Chisolm Trail 26 Scholtz 27. The Pitt (This is a list of all the one's I've visited. The Elgin places are not listed. If you are curious about the missing ones, just let me know...)
Louie M's is the ******* ****. I went in there in my younger days when I had an earring and I guarantee someone spit in my food. That's freaking allsome.
LIST OF HONORS CONTINUES FOR LOUIE MUELLER BARBECUE, NAMED “OFFICIAL BEST BARBECUE IN TEXAS- 2008” (TAYLOR, TX) Media World USA, producers of the “Official Best of” television travel series is proud to announce that they have awarded Louie Mueller Barbecue with the title “Official Best Barbecue” in the state of Texas – 2008. “This was one of those categories (Best Barbecue) in which there was a clear winner”, according to Official Best of Executive producer Brett Allen. “Louie Mueller Barbecue has a national reputation for being the best in its field. Being a recipient of the James Beard Award and having been profiled on national television programs such as the Food Network and Travel Channel are testaments to their standing. They've built a loyal following over decades by providing the very best and we wish to recognize that”, said Mr. Allen. The “Official Best Of ”provides television and web viewers with the official best places to visit in each featured state. “Official Best Of” candidates are selected from recommendations of their full-time research team and nominations on their web site (www.OfficialBestOf.com). The team scours print, online travel resources and guest reviews to determine which nominees will be named as a “best of”. Solicitations by state attractions for inclusion in the “Official Best Of” are not accepted. Louie Mueller Barbecue has been ranked as one of Texas’ best barbecue restaurants in travel guides, magazines and newspapers across the country. In 2006, Louie Mueller Barbecue was the recipient of the James Beard Award in the “American Classics” division followed in 2007 by a national exposure on the Food Network’s “Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins”. “On behalf of the entire staff, I am deeply honored and humbled by this award. To be recognized as the Official Best Barbecue in Texas goes beyond my wildest expectations, particularly since there are so many great barbecue restaurants in Texas” said Bobby Mueller, owner of Louie Mueller Barbecue. “This distinction would certainly have made my father (Louie Mueller) proud. His philosophy was to provide each guest quality barbecue in a unique dining atmosphere, a commitment we strive to continue today. In a real and primal sense, this award is rooted in that commitment. Because at end of the day, there’s no one we appreciate more than our guests. Without them, we wouldn’t be here”, said Mr. Mueller. “OFFICIAL BEST OF” ON-LOCATION SHOOT SCHEDULED The “Official Best Of” Texas program will be shooting footage at Louie Mueller Barbecue this Friday, January 25, 2008 between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon. The final segment, along with 11 other recipients of the Official Best Of Texas award, will be produced into a half-hour television special titled “The Official Best of Texas - 2008” which will air in three Texas markets during February 2008. DALLAS : Feb. 9 Sat 1:00 p.m. NBC Ch. 5 HOUSTON Feb.14 Thur 8:00 p.m. Comcast Ch. 17 AUSTIN : Feb. 21 Thur 8:00 p.m. Time Warner Ch. 10 The Louie Mueller Barbecue segment will also appear on the “Official Best Of” web site (www.OfficialBestOf.com). Visitors to the site can click on “Texas” and see the twominute video along with a direct link to Louie Mueller Barbecue’s web site (www.louiemuellerbarbeque.com). The segment will also be placed onThe Link andThe Link For more information on Louie Mueller Barbecue or the scheduled program shoot, please contact Wayne Mueller at (713) 962-8342 or email at wayne@iammkt.com. For more information on the Official Best Of Texas award, contact Executive producer Brett Allen at 1-800-889-9656 or email brett@officialbestof.com.
Stuck At Work: House Park is some seriously underrated BBQ. I never understand why it doesn't get more love on these boards. Plus I don't have to travel 30 miles to get it.
It is really unfair to rate a BBQ place on one or two trips, especially if they are out of beef. The timing of the cooking is important-they expect a certain amount of business, and might get more or less. The smaller the place, the more likely there could be a problem in this regard. If you show up at 3 p.m., it really wouldn't be surprising for the beef to be somewhat dried out. I eat lunch late to avoid crowds, but this can be a problem at BBQ places. As for my own experience in Lockhart, Smitty's was so good I thought I could die right then and there and be happy, and when I went to Kreuz's it wasn't very notable. But I have only been to each one once since they split up a few years ago. I'll try them both again. Don't recall anything but great experiences at Louie Mueller's in Taylor.
stuck, i'd like to see the full list (or at least the ones in the middle that are missing if the whole list is too long)
I know which book Stuck is referring to and it essentially rates every restaruant in Austin. It is a pretty good book, but I don't necessarily like its bbq ratings. Here is pretty good rating site. Although I agree wtih most of its overall ratings (esp. having City Market of Luling at the top), I don't like the fact that he does weight his data (i.e. brisket should have a higher rating than sides). His full listing is at the bottom under "follow this link to the big list" [/url] www.texasbbqreview.com/
thats a cool link jellydonuts, thanks for posting it. i've been to all the ones on the central texas region list except for a couple. gotta get up to schoepf's and its rankings are spot on. the rankings on that fearless critic's list are are in large part a joke.
BBQ Review: Go to Taylor Cafe and then post some stuff..... How can they miss out on that. I agree Luling City Market is the best, but come on, try it, it is greatness.
