I've been to many of the oldest and finest Q joints in Texas. Franklin and Pecan Lodge are still on the agenda but those are quite newer. Anyhow, the Mueller name is infamously associated with BBQ. Not only in Texas but nationwide.
After being turned away at Franklin, I was told by a reliable source to head over to JMueller BBQ. It'd been open roughly a year now but has received amazing reviews. I decided yes and my backup plan was Stiles. I got to JMueller only to discover...it was now La Barbeque. Without going into the semantics, John was ousted and his sister LeeAnn took over. This was a remarkably easy transition considering who was manning the pit. John Lewis. Former Franklin pitboss. Not only being mentored by Franklin (who use to work under Mueller) Lewis also learned from Mueller.
When I arrived, they were already out of pulled pork. No biggie to me because I focus on brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. I barely made it in time for the brisket and sausage. I ordered a 1/4 lb. of brisket from the end. Burnt ends were perfect. The amount of fat rang true. I also picked up 2 ribs though Lewis gave me one extra. These had a slightly sweet favor and glistened on the surface. The meat came off the bone with about as much resistance as Santa Anna's army at San Jacinto. And lastly...ah the sausage. Hand made. Hot gut. Grease running down my hand. Perfect flavor with a healthy mix of spice and cheese. The snap wasn't perfect but good enough. All washed down with a Big Red. The BBQ sauces both sweet and tangy were soaked up with a piece of bread. Not bad.
All in all, among the best. Daniel Vaughn brought Anthony Bourdain here when it was still under Mueller and although I didn't eat the Q being put out then, I can imagine nothing or very little change to the method took place when Mueller was dismissed. To those complaining about price...get over it. It's BBQ and done well. If you want a McRib...head to McDonald's.
If you can't get through Franklin's door...do yourself a favor, come here first. Or second. Always have a BBQ backup plan. Always.
