Go deep into the smoke-stained barbecue country of central Texas as I talk to two legendary pitmasters in a town that almost has more great BBQ joints than people— Taylor, Texas.
Sky Full of Bacon 03: The Last Brisket Show from Michael Gebert on Vimeo.
Taylor, Texas is a small town still just far enough from Austin to feel like the middle of nowhere, rather than a suburb of somewhere. But when it comes to barbecue, Taylor is a big somewhere in its own right— home to three of Texas’ most famous barbecue temples as well as an annual BBQ festival. I visit two of these barbecue meccas and find them incredibly evocative of Texas’ past. A former basketball court turned meat emporium, Louie Mueller’s is the most smoke-stained place I’ve ever seen in my life. While Taylor Cafe, once a rowdy and potentially dangerous cowboy bar, is calmer today, but full of memories as related by 84-year-old owner Vencil Mares. It runs 13 minutes.
Louie Mueller Barbeque
206 W. Second
Taylor, TX
512-352-6206
website
Taylor Cafe
101 N. Main
Taylor, TX
512-352-2828
My LTHForum post on visiting Taylor (and other BBQ meccas)
Hill Country BBQ tour by Bill Daley in the Chicago Tribune
Vencil Mares’ recipe for slow-cooked beans
The best guidebook to Texas barbecue joints is this cookbook by Robb Walsh, which is actually more history than cookbook; here’s a new book that will be out in a few days and looks promising.
About Sky Full of Bacon
Sky Full of Bacon 02: Duck School
Sky Full of Bacon 01: How Local Can You Go?
Please feel free to comment here or to email me here.
(Oh, and why is a Chicago food podcast doing a segment from Texas? Because I’m a Chicago food podcaster, but the podcast is about anything that interests me. And hopefully you, too.)
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August 28th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Great stuff, yet again, Mike. Really well edited. The payoff at the end where you finally see the food was great.
August 30th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Thanks for emotionally putting me right back in some of my favorite culinary establishments anywhere. The vibe of these culinary treasures in Taylor is priceless.
If I recall correctly, I sprayed and slightly injured my lady sitting across the table with Mueller’s glorious sausage juice right in the ol’ eyeball. I didn’t have to take her to the hospital that time, thank goodness. I really need to be more careful when I eat at such incredible places.
Beautiful pace of shooting; really captures the feeling of both these great BBQ museums.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Very well done. We hit all three of the famous BBQ’s in Lockhart, TX a few years ago; wish we’d known of Taylor!
Look for you at the Tailgate Party.
Mike Meier
September 8th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
[…] If you haven’t seen the podcast, click here. […]
September 11th, 2008 at 2:17 am
Chiming in late but fantastic work, Mike Gorgeous shots, great music and full-sentence interviews! Truly a pleasure to watch.
June 17th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
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