Texas BBQ

I have had BBQ all over Texas (LOVE BBQ), go to a couple of BBQ festivals per year where I get to sample everything, know quite a few people who compete in BBQ competitions etc... (though I have not been to Snow's), I smoke briskets a lot and have done two weekend cooking schools with Johnny Trigg and Myron Mixon over the years (though neither does a particularly "great" brisket) and I have only had Franklin's once. And perhaps I just got lucky and got that perfect brisket that day...but it was the best I have ever tasted. Was it miles ahead of some of the places that have popped up in the last 3-4 years and made Houston bbq so much better or a few people who I know who make a helluva brisket? No...but I don't think it was overrated at all and I went into it expecting to think it was overrated.

EDIT: I am also a huge fan of salt/pepper brisket vs. more complex rubs, etc so it could also be my particular taste in brisket

 

I personally think La Barbecue is better than Franklin's when it comes BBQ in the Austin area. The line isn't nearly as bad either. Less than an hour on most days.

 

Funny thing about La Barbecue is that it's run by a lady Mueller who is the sister of John Mueller. It was John Mueller's bbq skills that originally put them on the map until the usual crap happened with John Mueller and his sister kicked him out of the business. So what does she do? She goes and gets John Lewis who helped start up Franklin with Aaron Franklin and knows how to cook BBQ. But then he runs off to the the Carolinas to spread the gospel of Texas BBQ and she finds another lady (whom she marries) named Ali Clem to be the pitmaster. And that's where we're at... for a small operation that hasn't been around a lot, they've got one helluva history.

 

The hardest working woman in BBQ


For other related bbq videos this tiktok account is pretty nice

 

Didn't happen serially like that. Ally was there pretty much right after her brother left. I'm pretty sure Ally and Leanne knew each other before the BBQ joint. Secondly John Lewis was there with her brother also. Leanne wanted no part of the business but was stuck with it since all the debt was under her name.

All this being said, I am always thought La BBQ is better than Franklins.

 

Anyone tried Stockyard BBQ off Westheimer before? Yay? Nay?

 

Not great. Some good sides but there are way too many good places to go to these days so I would take a pass.

 

Of course they were there. They helped her start the restaurant. John Mueller was the pitmaster even though Lewis & Clem were there. That didn't last long as usual and when he became unreliable, he was kicked out and Lewis became the pitmaster. At that point Lewis didn't like the setup they were using to smoke the bbq, so he got rid of the pits and designed/built his own. Lewis was into competitive bbq even before that, but he wasn't the pitmaster there -- he was supposedly "learning" from John (haha). Once he became the main guy, Ali started training with him. When he left to do his own thing, Ali took over as pitmaster. They technically all were there from the beginning.

Next to Louie Mueller's, this is the place I'm sad I still haven't tried yet, but there's always "next year". From people I've talked to, they think the place is still underrated. When I went there a few years ago, I decided for some reason not to go, but I can't remember why. It may have been because it was too late and I didn't want to get "old" bbq. lol. I have nothing against people saying anything is better than Franklin, even if it's their own bbq, so don't take it that way. But since I can't try everybody's BBQ, I can only state #1 for me has been Franklin/Snow's for me in terms of brisket. Pick one and I'll take the other and probably won't be disappointed.

On a side note, I just found out Lewis ended up in South Carolina which I knew, but didn't know he worked with Rodney Scott there where Scott apparently cooked pig and he cooked beef. I think Lewis started his own gig out there after that. That must've been the holy land of bbq for that brief period those 2 were together.

She stopped working there? I know they re-opened, but is she not working for COVID reasons? If so, it's probably a good thing.

 

Whitfields on Brodie and Davis in Austin is AMAZING !

https://www.facebook.com/WhitfieldsATX

DD

 

Used to eat from there quite a bit. Not as good as the craft BBQ spots but not paying craft BBQ prices either. Their turkey and sides are good.

 

Ive got a 12lb prime brisket smoking right now. Lump charcoak and then Post oak and apple with a little mesquite mixed in.

 

Just started the coals for some ribs.

 

TX BBQ is a history of small moves teetering between perfection and heaven.

 

Those were probably the best ribs I've ever made.