Louie Mueller Barbecue
Taylor's cathedral of smoke. James Beard honored.
Louie Mueller Barbecue is a barbecue restaurant in Austin, Texas.
Louie Mueller Barbecue has operated out of the same gymnasium-turned-barbecue-hall in Taylor since 1949, its walls coated in decades of smoke residue that read like the rings of a tree. Third-generation pitmaster Wayne Mueller carries the family standard, and the restaurant received a James Beard America's Classics Award in 2006, cementing its place in the American barbecue canon.
Walking in is like entering a smoke-stained time capsule. The brisket has a bark that is nearly black and a smoke flavor that penetrates all the way to the center of the slice — depth that only decades of the same pits can produce. The beef ribs are massive and magnificent, and the jalapeño sausage carries a peppery, garlicky snap. This is the place that shaped the modern Austin barbecue revolution — Aaron Franklin's primary influence, still cooking the way it always has.
- Style: Central Texas Style
- Price: $$
- Neighborhood: Taylor
- Serving since 1949
What to order
- Brisket
- Beef Ribs
- Jalapeño Sausage
How it scores — 9.3/10 overall
Visiting
- Address: 206 W 2nd St, Taylor, TX 76574
- Phone: (512) 352-6206
- Website: https://louiemuellerbarbecue.com
Hours: Mon–Sat 10am until sold out
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