How we’ve never made it out to Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor in the last 31 years of being in Austin is mindblowing, but stranger things have happened… We’re stuffed full of Louie Mueller Barbecue, wondering when we’ll get to come back next.

This truly is a cathedral and hallowed ground of Texas Barbecue. Louie Mueller Barbecue opened in 1949, and for those of you keeping score, this joint has been on the Texas Monthly list every time it has come out which is 8 (that’s correct, eight times) including a 1973 Texas Monthly article titled The World’s Best Barbecue Is in Taylor, Texas. Or Is It Lockhart?

The menu changes regularly. Check for specials! — The menu changes regularly so make sure to check for specials.

In the article, Griffin Smith Jr. writes “Louie Mueller’s in Taylor probably serves the best all-around barbecue dinner in Texas. Successor to a meat market which now stands on its own as a restaurant specializing only in barbecue, …in a big, high-ceilinged, aromatic barn of a room in downtown Taylor.” We are happy to agree, and say, not a lot has changed since 1973.

Wayne Mueller, the current owner and pitmaster, is the third generation of Muellers to run the joint and grandson of founder Louie Mueller. But running a hugely revered BBQ joint doesn’t come without its pitfalls and drama. The sauce runs deep in the Mueller family’s veins. Other family members have opened smokehouses and become BBQ famous in their own right including John Mueller’s Barbecue and La Barbecue, both previously listed in the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints and are located in Austin. Find out more about that on the Brisketbus's Family Food Feud Tour.

We’re not sure there’s something we can add about Mueller’s that hasn’t been said already, seein’ as it’s one of the most reviewed BBQ joints in Texas, but here’s our quick take. The moist brisket was sublime with every bite melting into a blissful mouthful, tender and juicy, with a smokiness and flavorful crust that you’ll need to savor.

If they still got ‘em, do yourself a flavor and don’t miss the burnt ends. Unfortunately Louie Mueller Barbecue was out of all their sausages on the day we visited, so we will be back to try the jalapeno cheddar sausage, but if it’s anything like the brisket, we are going to have high expectations.

We weren’t all that impressed with the sides, but here it’s all about the meat.

*Hours as of 4/30/2025, check ahead to ensure accuracy

Louie Mueller Barbecue: 'Cue so good, it’ll fry your mind like a "Don’t Do Drugs" Commercial

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