XL Cover Story: The eatin's just begun

A look at the three most well-known names in Central Texas barbecue

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
May 6, 2004

   More: 20+ Barbecue Joints | Main Story: The eatin's just begun

• Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
   Llano, 604 West Young St.
   (325) 247-5713

Visually, it was like London of the 1940s, when fog swirled around the pedestrians, obscuring the view. The difference was this fog came with the smell of a campfire, and there was an audible sizzle from the fat dripping on the flames.

That's what it's like to stand in line at Cooper's, the acclaimed barbecue joint in Llano. There may be eight large pits outside the door, but that's not enough to keep a line from frequently running all the way to the end of the building.

That's because it can take time to order at the pit, where the pitmaster offers to dip the thick pork chop in sauce -- his suggestion. He also recommends the jalapeņo sausage, a firm-textured, spicy link.

After selecting the meat, diners carry it inside where they can pick up cole slaw, potato salad, dill pickles or cobbler and pay for it at the end of a cafeteria-style line.

At Cooper's, the beans are free on a side table in the dining room, as is the sauce for the barbecue.

Finding room wherever they can, patrons sit at picnic tables topped with big plastic jugs of jalapeņos, loaves of white bread and rolls of paper towels.

At the height of the lunch hour, the crowd runs from a high-school baseball team to hunters from Dallas and well-dressed, white-haired women.

On the plate, the pork chop -- one of the most popular items -- was huge, although a fair amount of bone and fat remained as well. The brisket was tender and juicy, but it, too, retained a large amount of fat.

The beef ribs, with a well-seasoned, highly salty exterior, were the most balanced of the meats in terms of fat, tenderness and taste.

Watching the diners relish the meat, it was easy to understand why they were willing to walk through a fog to get it.

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• Louie Mueller Barbeque
  Taylor, 206 W. Second St.
  (512) 352-6206

It was a steak on a stick.

A gray, dry bone protruded from one end of a hunk of charred meat that was so moist and tender under that black crust that it was hard to believe it had spent hours over an oak fire.

But the smoky flavor that penetrated to the heart of these big beef ribs confirmed the cooking method. It's ribs like these that helped make Louie Mueller one of the top 25 barbecue joints in the world, according to Steven Raichlen's "The Barbecue! Bible."

And it's ribs like these that make you wonder whether Gourmet magazine knows anything about the finer points of Texas barbecue. In its October 2001 issue, Gourmet praised other Mueller offerings, but ended with a warning: "Skip the ribs."

Photo by Laura Skelding/AA-S There's no doubt Louie Mueller is a place of smoke. Posted business cards soon turn yellow.

Puh-leeez.

That's the last thing a bunch of barbecue fans were skipping on a recent Friday at lunchtime as they dined in the cavernous space that is dark with use and age.

In fact, this place -- founded in 1946 by Louie Mueller and now owned by his son, Bobby -- is so smoked that all but the newest business cards tacked to the wall have turned a well-done brown.

Besides those ribs, diners were enjoying other smoked meats, including the tender brisket and the spicy, all-beef jalapeņo sausage.

Their meats had been placed on trays covered with white paper, along with optional sides such as the potato salad and peppery cole slaw that are proudly made there without sugar.

The homemade goodness is abundant, and it's not surprising that the barbecue joint usually sells out before closing time.

So, if you have a hankering for the best beef ribs around, go early to Taylor. Louie's legacy will make you glad you did.

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Photo by Matt Rourke/AA-S Smoked, not sauced, is how Roy Perez, assistant manager of Kreuz Market in Lockhart, makes his meat -- and meat's about the only thing you can get.

• Kreuz Market
  Lockhart, 619 N. Colorado St.
  (512) 398-2361

White bread or crackers?

That query -- the biggest question dealing with sides or condiments in this meal -- underscores the basic nature of this century-old barbecue joint in Lockhart.

At Kreuz Market, it's all about the meat.

In fact, owner Richard Schmidt feels so strongly about the virtues of smoke as flavoring that he doesn't even put any barbecue sauce on the tables.

Granted, he now offers beans (still no potato salad or cole slaw, though) and a small lineup of sides that includes cheese, onions, tomatoes, avocados, jalapeņos and pickles, but this is dining at its carnivorous best.

The meat is ordered at the pit, where it is sliced, weighed, priced, paid for and placed on sheets of butcher paper (with the white bread or saltines). The paper is twisted at the two corners so the meal can easily be carried to the table, where one sheet serves as a platter and the others as plates.

While there are plastic knives available to help with the slicing, don't look for any forks. This is a hands-on experience.

The finger-lickin' qualities readily become apparent as lean beef shoulder, tender pork ribs and juicy sausage are devoured, all permeated with the smoke of a post oak fire.

The new digs -- and new pit -- may not have the historic ambience of the old place, which became the focus of a family dispute a few years ago, but the meat still tastes as great.

It just proves it's not where you make Texas barbecue that counts. It's how you smoke it.

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These are by no means all the barbecue joints in Central Texas, but here are 20 more savory places for meat imbued with smoke:

• Artz Rib House. Can't beat the baby back ribs, especially when paired with live music. 2330 S. Lamar Blvd.; 442-8283.

Photo by Ha Lam for AA-S Want your baby back ribs? Go to Artz Rib House on South Lamar Boulevard.

• Bert's Bar-B-Q. The family has been smokin' for more than 30 years. 3563 Far West Blvd., No. 109; 345-2378. Also 610 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; 474-2613.

• Black's. Unlike rival Kreuz's, there are plenty of sides for the meat. 215 N. Main St., Lockhart; (512) 398-2712.

• County Line on the Lake. The most upscale of the barbecue joints. On water's edge. 5204 RM 2222; 346-3664.

• County Line on the Hill. In terms of meat, the twin of the place on the lake. 6500 W. Bee Cave Road; 327-1742.

• Donn's Texas BBQ. Tucked behind the Albertson's at the Y in Oak Hill. 7001 Oak Meadow Drive; 288-4060.

• Green Mesquite BBQ & More. A lot more than barbecue here. 1400 Barton Springs Road; 479-0485. Also 7010 Texas 71 W.; 288-8300.

• Iron Works. Historic joint with porch seating overlooking Waller Creek. 100 Red River; 478-4855.

• John Mueller's Barbecue. Juicy meat from the grandson of Taylor's barbecue legend. 1917 Manor Road; 236-0283.

• Pok-e-Jo's. Tasty home-style sides accent the meat. 1603 W. Fifth St.; 320-1541.

• Railroad B-B-Q. Combine good barbecue with a gardening trip to Marbridge Farms. FM 1626, Manchaca; 282-3288.

• Ruby's Barbeque. Tender meat and wide choice of sides near the University of Texas. 512 W. 29th St.; 477-1651.

• Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q. Good 'cue overcomes bad country shtick. 2451 Capital of Texas Highway; 329-5554. Also 11570 Research Blvd., 418-9898; 2400 N. Interstate 35, Round Rock, (512) 244-2936.

• Salt Lick. Best overall barbecue experience in rustic setting. RM 1826, Driftwood; (512) 858-4959.

Photo by Kelly West/AA-S Try the ribs, brisket and sausage at Sam's. If you want something different, there's mutton.

• Salt Lick 360. Same good meat as the original. 3801 N. Capital of Texas Highway; 328-4957.

• Sam's Bar-B-Que. One of the few places for barbecued mutton, which is smoked over an oak fire like the other tasty meats. 2000 E. 12th St.; 478-0378.

• Slab Shack. Small spot that has grown in popularity. 11501 Manchaca Road; 282-0614.

• Southside Market & BBQ. Known for the "Elgin hot sausage," which isn't as spicy as it once was. 1212 U.S. 290 W., Elgin; (512) 281-4650.

• Stubb's Bar-B-Que. A music venue with tasty meat. 801 Red River St.; 480-8341.

• Texas Rib Kings. They could call it the Chicken King, too, with the moist, tender poultry that augments the ribs. 9012 Research Blvd., 451-7427.