BBQ Trail - Central Texas

[Stuck_At_Work]

The Rudy's thread prompted me to post this...

My friends and I recently did a 'Tour de BBQ' through Central Texas. We did some internet research in advance and I had kept my Texas BBQ issue of Texas Monthly from a few years back.

We hit up 9 or 10 different BBQ joints along the way. We did Elgin, Lockhart, Luling, Taylor, and everything in between.

We rated each place on variety of meats, quality of meats, sauce (if any), and environment.

1. Luling City Market was AMAZING! It was by far the best of all the places we tried.
2. Louie Muellers in Taylor had closed by the time we arrived because they had sold out of meat - pretty impressive.
3. I didn't realize how good beef sausage was. It is hard to eat any other kinda sausage now.
4. I wasn't impressed with a lot of the other famous BBQ joints we visited.
5. There was a hole in the wall we tried down the street from Louie Muellers in Taylor that had some of the best brisket I've ever had - but I can't remember the name of the place.
6. A lot of these places don't believe in BBQ sauce. They think it masks the taste of the meat. I'm a believer in sauce. I think good sauce can enhance the flavor.

In summary, most of these places had better BBQ than you can find in Austin. If you haven't taken the short drive to Luling City Market, you really need to.

P.S. Yes - we were all pretty sick afterwards - but it was well worth it.

 

[GakFoo]

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[utexas_61]

is city market and luling bbq the same thing? i am going to be in luling in about 4 hours. where should i eat at?

 

[FAST FRED]

Clem Mikeska's BBQ is just down the street to the east from Louie Mueller's in Taylor, I believe.

 

[GakFoo]

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[Stuck_At_Work]

Yep - Mikeska's was the place with really good brisket.

Luling City Market is where to eat! I was not so impressed with Luling BBQ although it has recieved good reviews.

 

[utexas_61]

can you actually eat at city market? it said on a website dont expect to find forks and plates there. what does that mean?

 

[Traffic]

meat served on butcher paper, iirc. you use your hands.

City Market is the best bbq I've ever had.

 

[Benson32]

isnt luling city market in houston? not really a short drive from austin.

 

[utexas_61]

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[Benson32]

nevermind, i found the location in luling. good deal, i will try it soon.

 

[GakFoo]

plenty of room to eat there. they just don't have forks.

walk in and go to the back -- the pit is in the back room. if there is a line don't hold the door open to the pit room while you wait in line, they'll yell at you

order meat, pickles and onions there and they'll throw it onto butcher paper for you with bread. take it to your table then get beans, coke/beer etc at the counter in the middle of the store. they will have a box of plastic knives there but no forks. i would pay $100 for a rack of their ribs right now.

luling city market in houston is totally unrelated to city market in luling.

 

[Stuck_At_Work]

Damn am I suddenly in the mood for some City Market BBQ with some of that mustardy sauce.....

 

[TheSheriffIsNEAR]

 

[utexas_61]

i went there monday afternoon on my way to San Antonio. they were out of brisket

i went there today. it was closed

i ate at luling bbq instead

 

[bigg78]

we had the same issue when we went to Mueller's in Taylor. So, we went to Taylor Cafe which I thought was awesome. Talk about a hole in the wall ! $1 lonestar beers, menu written on the wall, old guy that came out to tell us a joke and make sure the food was good...we had an awesome time there and the food was delicious. Great beef sausage.

 

[GakFoo]

that old guy is vencil and he owns the place and he has been cooking 'que in that spot for well over 50 years.

that guy and that spot are seriously old school and i don't mind driving there for lunch from austin one bit.

one day i was in court in the morning so i was still in slacks, dress shirt and tie when i showed up and ordered my 'que and miller high life. he knew i had made a trek to get there. he walked over without saying a word, pulled out some old copies of the taylor press with him on the cover with a headline of "bbq legend," signed them, handed them to me and my friend with a smile, and walked off. i still have it in my office.

then he persoanlly brought us plates of sausage, and brisket that he said he smoked for 16 hours. incredible.

 

[huge]

i like walking through the smoke room at city market. your clothes smell like cue for hours after....and you only spend about 45 seconds in the room.