Taylor Travel Guide

It's a great little town to walk around and check out all the little shops. If you are in the market to open a retail store, this might be the place for you. Lots of real estate available for sale or lease. I'm betting this place is going to be a boom town as Austin population continues to move away from the hectic traffic to the bedroom community. Best prices I've found in the central Texas area. Seriously.

The fact that there are four VT members living in Taylor and that there are tips both surprised me but then I was totally dumbfounded by the fact that none of the tips mentions Louie Mueller Barbecue. This 60-year-old establishment has been highly praised by sources from the Texas Monthly magazine to the James Beard Foundation. It has even been featured on the Food Channel. Texas Monthly calls it one of the five best in Texas and the James Beard Award came in 2006. If you were not forewarned to stop there, I can understand that you might pass it by but if you are traveling east of Austin on TX Hwy 79, you probably know something about the area or you are deliberately looking for Louie Mueller. The primary reason that you might pass it by is that the building which houses it is not particularly impressive. It looked like a movie theater to me but I was told that it was formerly a gymnasium. On the other hand, if the weather is mild enough for you to be driving with your windows, or top, down, you will almost have to stop. The aroma is pervasive and alluring. Louie opened his barbecue shop in another location in 1949 and moved to the current location in 1959. His son Bobby succeeded Louie as manager/owner in 1974, so there is a lot of family tradition, history, and secrets in this delightful place. The menu is taped to the wall. Don't be put off by that or that you may have to wait in line when you go there. The line moves pretty quickly and if you are waiting in line you just may get handed a bitesize free sample to whet your appetite.
FYI: In Taylor, TX, Mueller is pronounced Miller.
I just recently heard that Bobby passed away last fall at the age of 69 but I did not hear of any changes in the operation. I guess that I need to go back to Texas and eat some more barbecue.

Favorite Dish: Their sausage is homemade and they offer all types of traditional barbecue; i.e., pork and beef ribs, brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, plus steaks and chicken. I think that the sliced brisket is my favorite. The sides are very good but they could be a bit more imaginative. The only sides that I have seen were pinto beans, cole slaw, and potato salad. You order a la carte and specify the quantity, such as number of slices, weight, or volume.