JMueller BBQ - a Comidablog outing

It was cold outside and we haven't posted in five months.  What better time to get some BBQ and eat outdoors?

I was a huge fan of the original John Mueller BBQ on Manor Rd, and it was incredibly disappointing when it closed in 2005.  In September 2011 John Mueller made his triumphant return to Austin with the arrival of JMueller BBQ on South 1st and Elizabeth.  His return did not disappoint.

I made the long trip from NW Austin with my wife to enjoy some BBQ with TRE.

The wife and I ordered 1/2 lb of moist brisket, a link of beef sausage, a pint of potato salad (the best potato salad I've ever eaten), and we got a side of chipotle cole slaw.  TRE had a side of baked squash.  Everything was great.  The moist brisket is my absolute favorite brisket in Austin.  The brisket is covered in a generous amount of coarse black pepper that John Mueller expertly smokes into a wonderful "bark".  It's exactly what you would expect from someone with John's experience and pedigree.

TRE ordered a fatty brisket sandwich that looked great then and still looks good now.  I get hungry every time I see the photo.

JMueller BBQ - The spread

JMueller BBQ - meat close up

JMueller BBQ - Better picture of the fatty part of the brisket

JMueller BBQ - brisket sandwich

It took all the mental fortitude I had to not eat what was left of our brisket when I was already full.  The three of us sat knowing a meat coma was headed our way, so we left before we passed out in the cold.  I was happy, wife was happy, and TRE was happy.

John Mueller has gotten a lot of press recently with Texas Monthly featuring him and Aaron Franklin. It is well deserved and I wish him the best of luck and hope he is smoking meat in Austin for a long time to come.

JMueller BBQ is open W-Su at 10:30AM, and like all great BBQ places, closes when they sell out of meat.

Bartlett's - Austin, TX

I've been wanting to eat at Bartlett's for about 14 years (it used to be Houston's).  Within the past five or six years I had read (probably on austin.food) that they have the best prime rib in Austin.  Having never had prime rib, but always wanting to try it Bartlett's was a logical choice for my wishlist.  We happened to go, without even thinking about it, the Saturday before Valentine's Day.  The restaurant was very crowded and despite a reservation I made online we weren't seated until about 20 minutes after our scheduled time.  The one plus to our timing was that we were able to order from the prix-fixe menu.  We both ordered the prime rib.

The meal started with a salad.  This may in fact be the best restaurant salad I've eaten.  It had lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, and a very tasty house dressing.  The lettuce and carrots were fresh and crisp, and the tomatoes were flavorful and juicy.  I would go back to just eat this salad as a meal.  I ordered the prime rib medium rare, and once again I fell victim to my hunger and began eating before I took a picture.

The plate came with a baked potato, with butter, bacon, sour cream, and chives (loaded) as well as a cup of au jus for dipping.  I'll be honest, I didn't really know what to expect when I ordered prime rib, but what arrived was excellent.  It was fattier than I expected it to be, but of course that only made it taste better.  Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, it didn't need anything else.  The prime rib was a welcome change from regular steaks and I look forward to ordering it again.

We don't eat a lot of desserts.  Firstly I don't really like sweets and secondly, desserts aren't very healthy.  Because we ordered from the prix-fixe menu we had dessert.

As desserts go I'm sure this was good, but  just can't get excited about sweet stuff.  This was a brownie with nuts and caramel with ice cream on top.  I would have rather had another cut of prime rib.

Bartlett's was a great choice and had terrific food.  On a non-food note, our waiter did a good job of making sure other servers were taking care of us when he was dealing with another table of his that was difficult.  I'm looking forward to trying more of their menu.