Louie Mueller in Houston

Delayed but not forgotten: Legendary Texas barbecue joint changes plans for Houston location

One of Texas’ most-iconic barbecue joints still has plans to open in Houston, but its focus has shifted to a different part of the city.

Wayne Mueller tells CultureMap that he still plans to open a Houston-area location of Louie Mueller Barbecue — his family’s James Beard Award-winning barbecue joint in Taylor, Texas, that’s a perennial member of the Texas Monthly list of the state’s top 50 barbecue joints — but he’s decided to move away from the EaDo and Second Ward locations he has been contemplating since 2014.

“I’m looking further west now. I’m going to follow the center of population density as it moves west. I think that’s where the promised land is going to be,” Mueller said during Sunday’s fifth annual Houston Barbecue Festival. “I’m looking in the Energy Corridor and a little bit further west than that.”

If nothing else, the crowds that flocked to Mueller’s stand at the festival, even with 25 of the Houston-area’s finest barbecue joints in attendance, demonstrated that Houstonians are still interested in having a local outpost of Louie Mueller’s signature pepper-crusted brisket and beef ribs. On Sunday, Mueller delivered two of the festival’s best bites by serving those beef ribs on a Fluff Bake Bar croissant alongside smoked lamb chops with a sweet and spicy glaze.

Seeking property in west Houston would allow Mueller to buy enough land for a restaurant and sufficient parking, which has proven to be too difficult to obtain inside the loop, he said. He returns to Houston in two weeks to scout for the right spot. Ideally, the Houston outpost would debut by the end of 2018, Mueller added.

“With any luck, we’ll find something. I haven’t given up hope,” Mueller said. “This is the promised land. It absolutely is. It’s my home away from home. It’s where I want to be. I’m dedicated to that, and I’ll make it happen.”

The waiting may be the hardest part, but if it means daily access to that beef rib-filled croissant, the delays will have been well worth the payoff.

Louie Mueller Barbecue owner Wayne Mueller and Fluff Bake Bar chef-owner Rebecca Masson.

Houston Barbecue Festival Wayne Mueller Louie Mueller Rebecca Masson Fluff Bake Bar

Photo by Eric Sandler

Louie Mueller Barbecue owner Wayne Mueller and Fluff Bake Bar chef-owner Rebecca Masson.

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cheers to that

Texas bourbon named one of 2024's top 10 whiskies

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey

Still Austin Whiskey Co./Facebook

Now if only we could snag a bottle...as a Christmas gift, of course.

Three cheers for Still Austin Whiskey Co.! The distillery's Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate'sTop 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024.

Every year, Whisky Advocate's expert panelists rank hundreds of whiskies based on their quality, availability, value for the price, and "X-factor," meaning an excitement-inducing component like a unique flavor or an innovative idea. An international panel also reviews contenders through several blind taste tests without knowing each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price.

The magazine ranked Still Austin's five-year Red Corn Bourbon No. 7 on the list with a prestigious score of 94 points. The Red Corn whiskey, which was released in June 2024, has mash bill consisting of 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley.

According to panelist Shane English, tasting notes start big and bold with cracked pepper, dusty leather, and cocktail cherries, before moving on to a palate of chile pepper, caramel, and buttery cornbread.

"Each sip is electric — the pepper gives this whiskey a zing balanced by poundcake and glazed doughnuts," English said. "Charred oak fades to chocolate, coffee, and pecan pie on the finish."

Still Austin had the only Texas product on the list, which was fitting given the brand's recent boasting that it could match any Kentucky Bourbon. As a game day stunt when the Texas Longhorns played the Kentucky Wildcats in November, Still Austin refilled empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles with its own Cask Strength Bourbon for just $1.

When the brand isn't playfully antagonizing Kentucky fans, its Red Corn Bourbon sells for a retail price of $85 per 750-milliliter bottle, falling nearly in the middle of the price category out of all 20 bourbons on the list, with eight others priced for less.

For additional context, none of the top five bourbons fall under a $100 price tag. In fact, the most expensive bottle on the 2024 list is the Angel's Envy 2023 Cask Strength Port Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon, which ranked No. 12 and retails for $230 per bottle.

"Our top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your attention. Each whisky on the list stands out for its superb taste, representing the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings," said executive editor David Fleming in a release. "This list features whiskies offering exceptional value, leaders in their respective styles, and superbly made expressions that are well worth seeking out."

Whiskey Advocate's 2024 Whiskey of the Year is Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Cask Strength Scotch Single Malt, which earned 95 points and retails for $165 a bottle.

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