Pitmaster IndexWayne Mueller
Pitmaster & Owner
Wayne Mueller
Louie Mueller Barbecue30+ years activeTaylor, TX
Signature:Brisket with a near-black bark and smoke penetration that goes all the way through — the product of decades-seasoned pits
Wayne Mueller is the third-generation pitmaster at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, carrying on the tradition started by his grandfather Louie in 1949. Wayne took over the operation from his father Bobby and has maintained the exacting standards that earned the restaurant a James Beard America's Classics Award in 2006. He is widely credited as one of Aaron Franklin's primary influences — Franklin has said that Louie Mueller is where he learned what great brisket should taste like.
Technique
Post-oak offset smokers in a building that has absorbed 75 years of smoke. The pits themselves are part of the flavor. Traditional salt-and-pepper rub, long rest.
Recognition
- James Beard America's Classics Award (2006)
- Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints (multiple years)
Influences
Louie Mueller (grandfather)Bobby Mueller (father)Taylor, TX German butcher tradition