So... I went vegan.

And that's the end of that!

Louie Mueller

Today was Monday and I was reaching the end of my Austin BBQ Adventures. The plan today was to try and hit all the big name BBQ joints outside of Austin all in one hit. The big one today was Louie Mueller, famous for his BBQ since 1949 and now run by his son Wayne Mueller. I jumped in the mustang with no sense of urgency and set my gps for the town of Taylor, about an hours drive from Austin. The journey was fun as always while I listened to my favorite tunes very loudly while driving a little too fast in my red beast. I made it to Louie Muellers around 10:30am, nekminut they didn't open till 11am. I walked around the sleepy little town and I noticed that Louie Muellers seemed to follow a trend of some of the other BBQ places I had been to in remote towns - someone opens up a little BBQ shop in a small town then all of sudden becomes famous and outgrows the whole town.

Franklin BBQ

Franklin BBQ, today is quite possibly one of the most famous BBQ joint's in Texas. It has sold out of BBQ everyday since it's brick and mortar store opened over three years ago. To say I was excited was an understatement and after a failed attempt several days ago I was sure as hell not going to miss it again. My alarm went off at 6am and I managed to organise my life, get in my shiny red mustang and hurl it to Franklins. It was 7am when I arrived and there was already around 30 people in the line in front of me. The guy at the front had been there since 5am. That is so awesome, who the hell lines up 6 hours before a restaurant even opens? I love the culture of BBQ in Texas, everyone has an opinion, everyone has their favourite place, everyone loves a certain cut of brisket, everyone just wants to have a good time and everyone agrees Franklin is the best.

Snow's BBQ

My alarm was set for 7am and as soon as it went off I bounced up, showered and jumped in my Mustang. I was headed for Lexington, about an hour north east of Austin Texas. I was headed for Snow's BBQ. The famous BBQ joint that only opened on Saturday. I was told that I better get there before 11am before they sell out of everything! The ride was awesome, lots of utes and huge trucks and open roads for me to plant my foot and feel the mustang power beneath me. Once I hit the country the winding roads were a joy to navigate and it was hard to stay within the speed limit. Before I knew it I was in the cute cosy town of Lexington.

Mustangs, Muellers and BBQ

Today is Sunday and it's 7:00am in the morning. I am sitting in the line for Franklins BBQ in Austin as I write this. Hopefully the blog post for this restaurant won't be too far away. The reason I mention this is Friday morning I tried to make it to Franklins BBQ, they open their doors at 11am in the morning and close when they sell out (and the sell out everyday). When I arrived at 9:45am on the Friday I was already too late, they told me to go home. I couldn't believe it!! How can a restaurant tell you to go home before they are even open!? This place was business! I was with my friend I had met in Austin, Kristiana, a local Austinit who was excited about my own BBQ Adventure and was keen to join in and so we set of to go find somewhere else that would satiate our BBQ disappointment.

America

The plane was landed like a Boss and I was already salivating at the thought of slow cooked goodness. I had to be patient as getting through customs and finding the hotel would take a while. The plane ride had been great, I had an exit row and could stretch out. I even managed to get a little sleep in between drinking the plane out of bourbon and coke (not really dad, but really). The first step onto American soil was super exciting, I could instantly see some of my favourite fast food stalls in the airport and could almost hear my arteries protesting at the thought. Customs was painless but when I mentioned a BBQ tour he did seem to think I was a bit crazy, clearly not a thing done here by tourists!?

It Begins...

It's midnight on a Tuesday here in Adelaide and in a few hours I will be on a plane to the USA flying into the heart of Dallas, Texas. It was two years ago today I was there and the first things I did when I landing in 2012 was eat Texas BBQ. My life has changed ever since that moment. Forever feeling like meat has been missing something, that meat hadn't been cooked slow enough, that meat had not been smoked with real Hickory. The feeling you get when the meat falls apart in your fingers. I am going to look for it, and I am going to find it. I am so excited!!!!