Legendary Pitmasters Who Put Texas Barbecue on the Food Map
The Muellers
Louie
In 1949, Louie founded the now nationally renowned Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, later to become known as “the cathedral of smoke.”
Bobby
Louie turned over the cathedral gloves and tongs to his son Bobby in 1974.
Wayne and John (Bobby’s sons)
Wayne is upholding his grandfather’s cherished barbecue legacy today. Shortly after taking the helm at Louie Mueller Barbecue, he became the first man in Texas to win a James Beard American Classics award for his smoked meats.
Hardworking, sarcastic, and dubbed the “dark prince of barbecue” by Texas Monthly, John ran several barbecue restaurants in the Austin area, including the Black Box barbecue truck in Georgetown in 2017. He died in 2021 at age 52.
LeAnn (Bobby’s daughter)
LeAnn co-owns the critically acclaimed La Barbecue restaurant in Austin.
Mueller’s Barbecue was recently listed in Esquire’s ‘100 restaurants America can’t afford to lose.’
Aaron Franklin
Aaron briefly worked for John Mueller in 2006 before opening Franklin Barbecue in east Austin. His restaurant has been celebrated by everyone from Jimmy Kimmel to Anthony Bourdain to President Obama. Aaron received a James Beard Award for Best Chef and was inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame for 2020.
The Blacks
Edgar, Sr.
In the early 1930s, Edgar founded a meat market and slaughterhouse in Lockhart that became one of the longest family-run barbecue restaurants in Texas. Today, Black’s Barbecue has four locations, including one in Austin.
Edgar, Jr. (1925-2017) and Norma Jean
Carrying on the family tradition, Edgar and Norma Jean took over ownership of Black’s Barbecue.
Terry (Edgar Black Jr.’s son)
Kent and Candy (Edgar Black Jr.’s son and his wife)
Kent ran a law practice in Lockhart while helping out with the family business along with his wife Candy until his parents retired and he bought the restaurant.
Eric Lenderman (Candy’s son)
Eric took over operations of the New Braunfels location in 2009.
Barrett Black (Kent’s son)
Barrett is a fourth generation pitmaster at the Lockhart location.
Michael and Mark (Terry’s twin sons)
Michael and Mark worked at the Lockhart location before striking out on their own and founding Terry Black’s Barbecue in Austin.
The Mikeskas
John Mikeskas (mee-KESS-kahs)
John was a Czech immigrant and farmer residing near Taylor, who organized a “beef club” in the 1920s. Members of several families shared a cow by dividing the various cuts of meat. His club was the first step to an enduring legacy that earned him and his descendants the title First Family of Barbecue. His remarkable heritage now includes nine children, 34 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Rudy (John’s son)
Rudy moved away from the raw-meat business and opened a barbecue restaurant and catering business. His brothers also carried on the family tradition, with Mike opening a Mikeska’s Bar-B-Q in Smithville, Jerry starting one in Columbus, Louis in Temple, Maurice in El Campo, and finally Clem in Temple.
The Coopers and Wootans
Known as the “Home of the Big Chop,” Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que opened in Mason in 1953 under George Cooper’s leadership.
Cooper’s son Tommy opened a location in Llano but passed away in a car accident in 1979.
Terry Wootan took over the Llano joint a few years later and went on to open five more locations in partnership with Tommy’s son Barry.