Louie Mueller Barbeque • Taylor

Louie Mueller Barbeque • Taylor

Written by Beth Wade Monday, 07 January 2008

Barbecue is arguably the cuisine of choice in Texas, and Louie Mueller [pronounced Miller] is home to some of the best in Central Texas. The food at Louie Mueller Barbeque has been keeping people coming back for nearly 50 years.

The aroma of barbecue coming from the kitchen draws in customers. Regular diners line up each day to eat Mueller’s famous ribs, both pork and beef ($8.99 a pound), which do not disappoint. The pieces of meat are large; one beef rib can make up a serving.

Mueller’s restaurant on Second Street is located on the west side of downtown Taylor. The front of the building is red brick and rustic.

Inside, the walls are covered in old business cards, darkened by smoke and age. On one side of the room stands a table with iced tea and lemonade ($1.10) for customers to serve their own beverages. Soft drinks are available in bottles and cans ($1.10).

Before becoming Louie Mueller’s, the restaurant was once a grocery store and served as a women’s basketball court in 1923. Louie Mueller started the business as a food store and later began barbecuing meat and selling it in the alley behind his store.

Bobby Mueller purchased the restaurant from his father in 1974 and added potato salad and coleslaw to the menu. Bobby runs the restaurant and comes in to prepare and pit cook the barbecue.

A departure from other restaurants that drench their meat in sauce to add flavor, the brisket ($9.95 a pound) is tender, peppery and so juicy there was no need to add barbecue sauce. The mild sauce is available in bottles on the table, and is thin with a pepper flavor.

Sausage ($2 a link) served mild, jalapeño and chipotle, is made with 100 percent beef and no fillers. All of the sausage is handmade in small batches.

Lunch is served on butcher paper on a tray, with white bread and sides in Styrofoam bowls. Everything is served á la carte, allowing customers to create their own plate and spend as much or as little as they want. Sides are sold separately($1.25 for a single serving).

Turkey breast ($8.99 a pound), pork loin ($8.99 a pound) and half chicken ($4.50) are excellent selections for those who want white meat. The half chicken is also known as a fryer, an old butcher term Bobby prefers.

The mustard-based potato salad recipe came from Bobby’s mother-in-law. The salad is creamy and a great balance to the spice of the main course. Chips are also available.

The smoked flavor of the meat is echoed in the beans. Along with beans, coleslaw is a staple in most barbecue joints. The slaw recipe, also taken from his mother-in-law, has a distinct flavor. If there is room at the end of the meal, ice cream in a cup or cone and fudge bars are available for a dollar.

The large dining room and kitchen are in one room with a counter separating the spaces. In the winter months, the large room is heated with space heaters intermingled with the tables.

Louie Mueller Barbeque has been featured on the Food Network’s “Diners,” “Drive-ins and Dives” and on the Travel Channel’s “Epicurious.”

From Past to Present

• 1946 – Louie Mueller opens Louie Mueller Food Store.
• 1949 – He begins selling barbecued meat in back alley.
• 1959 – Mueller moves his business to its current location.
• 1974 – Bobby Mueller takes over and expands menu items.
• 2006 – Mueller’s receives the James Beard Award in the American Classics Category.

Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Louie Mueller Barbeque, 206 W. Second St., Taylor, 352-6206, www.louiemuellerbarbeque.com