Yes, more than the day promised, still, behold the glory of Mueller's BBQ!

Every weekend in high-school, my dad would take me to Louie Mueller's BBQ in Taylor, Texas. I was going through and over some rough spots and Louie Mueller's became a retreat at the end of the week where my father and I grew closer. Being able to eat in the spot my dad did when he was my age was surreal; that is a good word to describe Louie Mueller's, surreal. The air is hearty and flavorful,the people genuine and kind, the food continues to shatter whatever bar has been set and the decor is a charming character, all itself.

Louie Mueller's is known for their signature brisket and beef short ribs, with a pepper heavy dry rub. Now, their brisket is top notch, but I've always been a rib man. These short ribs are as much of an experience as they are a food; perhaps that's a strong additive to the surrealism of visiting this legendary hallmark of BBQ dynasty. The way the pepper hugs and guards the outside of these beef ribs is remarkable. It is in breaking through the exterior crust of spice, which will make you work just enough in getting your prize, that you will find the joyous fruits (meats) of your labor - A tender bite of red, making one wonder how the meat inside can retain it's flavor and juiciness when the crust has been scarred and blackened in such a way. It is an experience unlike any other found in the BBQ world. There is no way I was leaving the BBQ fest without a rack.

Yes, these things are pulled from some prehistoric alpha predator, over four pounds of meat, three bones! Now for some money shots of that beautiful crust. Keep an eye out for the burnt ends on one of these clubs! Crunchy, tender, emotionally-moving all in one bite!

Truly, wield the ribs of a giant to vanquish your hunger!

It is with all this being said, that for this Texan, visiting Louie Mueller's is more than a trip to a BBQ joint or journey to satisfy hunger, but an opportunity to see old friends. For more info on Wayne's BBQ rub, wood used and technique along with some back story on the Louie Mueller legacy: http://www.texasmonthly.com/eat-my-words/tmbbqfest-%E2%80%9C23-pitmasters-23-days%E2%80%9D-louie-mueller-bbq http://www.tmbbq.com/interview-wayne-mueller-of-louie-mueller-barbecue/ Louie Mueller's BBB: 206 W Second Street Taylor, TX 76574

And here we go. TMBBQ Fest

Foodie blog baptism by fire:The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival.

Alright, so this started as an attempt by yours truly to tackle two birds with stone by taking my dad, cousin and amigo (All BBQ nuts.) out for father's day/birthday presents and also get to sample some of Texas' best 'Que. I DON'T PUT BBQ SAUCE ON BBQ. We made the mistake of going for general admission which started at 1:00pm instead of 12:00pm and (Also didn't include a free shirt.). There were two lines, one for people who have checked in and received their wrist bands and the other line which was right next to first line, for those poor saps (Us) who had only printed out tickets. By the time we received our wristbands and complimentary bag, including a fan and review booklet, Franklin Barbeque was already completely removed from the possibility of sampling. The line was never less than an hour for samples in the entirety of our three hour visit. This left us with the other big 3:"Louie Mueller's BBQ" (Possibly the greatest food, ever! Ever.), "Pecan Lodge", and "Snow's". After baptizing the the festival with a visit to Louie Mueller's-

Besides Mr. Mueller, Jason Tedford and the two amigos above were manning the pits. I didn't see pit-boss Tony White or Chris Ramers on this go-around. Ms. Sandy Llamas was leading the serving team. -We split up. Mi amigo, Connor and I took the upstairs of the festival and my father and cousin, the downstairs. Connor and I started with Pecan Lodge, or what we thought was Pecan Lodge, we lucked into the Snow's BBQ line which we expected to be much longer than the 10 minute wait it was. "Snow's" BBQ rundown:Opened in 2003. Pitmaster is a kindly woman, named Tootsie Tomanetz. Wood an method used, Post oak; indirect-heat pit (brisket);direct-heat (everything else). Arrive no later than nine in the morning if you want to order from the full menu. Open only on Saturday. Snow's served us a sampling of brisket(duh), sausage, and some pork ribs.

I personally didn't try the sausage, as sausage in general isn't my thing. Connor complemented it in the highest. The pork ribs were fatty and lacked a real smoked flavor. The brisket was very moist, but had no bark on it all (a staple of Texas 'Que) and lacked any hard smoked flavor, just like the pork ribs. Maybe all the good BBQ was given to the VIP's or maybe we just got there too late or maybe Snow's just had an off day, either way, not the best. Moving forward, we took to Connor's hometown favorite whom he hadn't tried, "Pecan Lodge." Pecan Lodge rundown: Opened in 2010. Pitmaster is a gentleman named Justin Fourton. Wood and method used Mesquite; indirect-heat pit. All Pecan Lodge was sampling was their brisket.

Wow, a brisket sample was all Pecan Lodge needed to hand out, this stuff was awesome! Some of the best and most unique brisket I've ever had. Most central Texas/hill country BBQ uses a strong, whole peppercorn and salt rub, giving the bark a lot of bite. A word from Wayne Mueller of the dynastic Louie Mueller's and Serious Eats: http://www.texasmonthly.com/eat-my-words/tmbbqfest-%E2%80%9C23-pitmasters-23-days%E2%80%9D-louie-mueller-bbq http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/10/grilling-texas-style-beef-short-ribs.html Pecan Lodge's brisket however, was much less heavy on pepper and but had an incredibly rich smoky flavor. By far the leanest samples handed out at the festival - making it all the more impressive how much flavor they carried. Next, Connor and I decided to try "La Barbeque". La Barbeque is run by Wayne Mueller's sister, LeAnn Mueller. Full rundown: Opened in 2012. Pitmaster is a man named John Lewis, who used to work the pits at Franklin Barbeque. Wood and method used: Post oak; indirect-heat pit. La Barbeque was handing out samples of beef short ribs and brisket. You can see the building of bones under construction on the table.

Beef short ribs:

Definitely a similar flavor profile to Louie Mueller's BBQ (Duh right, siblings). The Bark of those shorts ribs will get you every time, very heavy on the pepper. The flavor was excellent for both the brisket and the beef ribs. One critique would be on the smoke level of the meats, it just wasn't quite as much as I would have preferred. The flavor was great, but the post oak-richness wasn't as present as I was hoping. All in all though, still easily top 5 in Texas, maybe top 3. While in line for La Barbeque, Connor an I were informed by a very pretty gal that the air-bus trailer down the way was serving free original cocktails. So, in order to cleanse our pallet and enjoy a refreshing break, we headed to said air-bus for beverages. Once again, as has been the case since I was 13, I wasn't carded. By this time Connor was getting hungry (Long lines, small amount of food, Connor's a beast) so we began sampling some places with no lines. Among those were "Tyler's Barbeque", "Killen's Barbeque","Cousin's Bar-B-Q" "Hutchins BBQ". Dad and Steven also visited "Black's Barbeque" and "Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que" (Llano). We didn't snag photo's of the stands for these BBQ joints, but for a basic rundown ordering: Tyler's Barbeque was very mediocre. The brisket lack crust and smokiness. Killen's Barbeque was handing out huge samples of brisket and sausage. It was good, but nothing spectacular. Cousin's Bar-B-Q was very similar to Pecan Lodge in flavor profile, with a very rich smokiness coming through. The brisket was a little fattier and had little bark, but still delicious. I didn't try their sausage. Hutchins BBQ had the 2nd best brisket of the show (Behind Pecan Lodge)! Wow, where has this place been all my life? Here's a specific rundown:Opened in 1978 (At their current location since 1991). Pitmaster is Tim Hutchins (since 1999). Wood and Method used: Pecan, hickory, and mesquite; indirect-heat pit. This place had that classic, central Texas pepper bark park I love so much on their brisket! It was moist, without being too fatty, with a deep post oak flavor and definitely the sleeper hit of the trip! Black's Barbeque" and "Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que" (Llano)will not receive concrete ratings, as I didn't try them. Dad and my cousin Steven didn't speak highly of either. Myself and Connor decided Louie Mueller's was the most fitting place give the benediction for the completion of this pilgrimage. Wayne Mueller is one of the kindest men I've had the honor of meeting; he is a skilled pitmaster and a true friend. Despite how busy the Louie Mueller pit was (And always is) Wayne made time for friends and fans stopping by, to shoot the breeze, ask how-to questions and immortalize the moment with a photo.

For the full photo review Louie Mueller's beef ribs as well as the rest of the odds and ends left over from the festival, check back later today. Joints covered today listings: Snows:516 Main. Lexington, TX 78947 Pecan Lodge:2702 Main St. Dallas, TX 75226 La Barbeque:900 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX, 78702 Tyler's Barbeque:2014 Paramount Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79109 Cousin's Bar-B-Q:910 S. Crowley Rd. Ste #1 Crowley, TX 76036 Hutchins BBQ:1301 N Tennessee St, McKinney, TX 75069