Got to the counter, and there was no brisket, and no pork steak. 
We got some pork ribs to go and hit the road.Instead of heading right back to Elgin, we detoured over to Taylor to see what they had to offer. We hit Louie Mueller's, who had a line about 5-7 patrons deep. We got a quick sample, and ordered a pound of moist and a beef rib to go. We made the trip over to Taylor Cafe, with Mr. Mares ever present, and ordered a pound of moist and 2 pork ribs to go.
In a short 30 minutes, we were back home and ready for the head-to-head battle. Louie's brisket was thinly sliced, had a very good flavor and a nice bark. Vencil's was cut much thicker, had a flavor very similar to LM, and was a bit more tender. Overall, both were outstanding and deserve praise. I would give the side-by-side victory to Taylor Cafe, but that is more of a nod to them than a knock on LM. Both were very good, and would be welcome at any future BBQ competition I happen to host.
The pork ribs from TC were good, but seemed to be missing a bark. They were still very tasty and tender, but they do get dinged for the exterior. The beef rib from LM was just outstanding. It weighed in at over a pound, and was home to a very thick and tasty piece of meat. It was tender and had a very textured and crunchy bark. I have tried beef ribs numerous times here at home, but never can I come close to this quality. I feel that some of it has to do with the cuts of the rib, as my selection from HEB never have anywhere close to this amount of meat on them. I need a butcher around here that can cut ribs like this.
I will say that I was sad to miss out on some Snow's brisket. I didn't expect them to be out, as my recent trips there had experienced no queue, and meat was plentiful. I'm not sure if they have adjusted their meat levels, or my last few trips were just anomalies. But, if it wasn't for their lack of brisket, I would not have gotten to do the Taylor showdown at my home.
If you find yourself in Taylor with a bit of BBQ craving, I recommend you try out both Louie Mueller's and Taylor Cafe. When you visit them, they will be strikingly different in atmosphere, but amazingly both will be home to some outstanding BBQ. You can't go wrong with either one, but since they are just 2 blocks apart, you can experience them both side by side.
