John Mueller Black Box Barbecue

It stinks that this place is so far up north in Georgetown, but the quality of the BBQ hasn't changed in the move.  Still amazingly great brisket, ribs and sausage.  We were one of a few folks that were at the tail end of the day, and John didn't have enough meat for us all to make a large order - so he actually gave what brisket was left for us (strangers) to share family style as long as we bought a bunch of sides and drinks to go with it.  It was a kind thing to do to ensure that we all got a little taste and that one person didn't order it all and leave half a dozen of us with nothing.  Anyhow - go out and support this place - you'll love the BBQ. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wonderful the best in the west ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️the brisket was so moist and not a lot of fat The ribs were a little too cooked for me. The chopped beef was excellent Georgetown’s best BBQ More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Was looking for a dog friendly bbq stop and this checked all the boxes. Amazing brisket.

Reviewed on Yelp

The black box is by far the most underrated bbq I have ever had. It is freaking amazing. On a trip to Austin a few years ago I stumbled across JM's location. I dreamt about ever since. It took me 4 years to get back to Austin and the first thing I searched for was John Mueller's bbq. Under a new name at this location but the food is better than I remembered. So moist, so well seasoned.. even the turkey was flavorful, that's a testament to good cooking. Somehow a few pieces lasted our 5 hour drive and it was still delicious! This is worth everything you have to do to get there More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Living in Liberty Hill, we don't have bar-b-que in town at this time.  Hwy 29 in Bertram shut down a year ago or so.  At $20 a pound for brisket, this is the highest price I've seen.  However, the overall brisket, ribs, sausage, and sauce, are the best I've had to date in Texas.  One might call it a bit on the "dry" or "done" side, but for my taste, it was perfect.  No line on Friday afternoon just after 1:30.  Parked and walked up.  I'll be planning my trips to Georgetown to sync with their afternoon hours in the future. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Excellent brisket.  And the potato salad was great as well.  Will be coming back for more!

Reviewed on Yelp

Food was great & luckily there was a nice breeze under the shade trees. I accidentally left my purse & did not realize it until 2 hours later, but luckily they still had it when we called!

Reviewed on Facebook

Friendly staff and out of this world bbq

Reviewed on Facebook

Great food & love their shaded area to eat & visit. Will definitely be back!

Reviewed on Facebook

Blah blah blah blah blah... I’m bored so I thought I’d like myself

Reviewed on Facebook

We've eaten here several times and their bbq is excellent. I suggest you get their early because they run out of food quickly. I wish they could find a permanent location here is town so it's more readily available than just a food truck but we greatly appreciate them just being in town and offering great bbq. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I've been wanting for years to check out one of John Mueller's places, but he either shuts them down, or gets shut down, before I've been able to arrange a visit. I made this place the main obsession/destination when I took a few days off, and got there before noon on a weekday to check it out. Just to do a little TLDR...it was some great stuff, and I think the visit cured my squashaphobia.Tried a little of everything. Ribs, brisket, and the beef sausage. Cringed a little when I ordered the cheesy squash, but I think it's a city ordinance and John always talks about it when he's doing an interview, so...okay. John and a helper, both were really nice and even obliging when I mentioned I really only wanted a couple of ribs instead of a half pound. I got my tray and started rooting.The beef sausage was good, but even though I lik-a-da sausage, I've never had a beef version I wanted to take to prom. Don't get me wrong, the quality was there, and smoked right, I just prefer pork...it's a personal problem.Friends and non friends always roll their crossed eyes at me over brisket. I like brisket, and this was some really good stuff, seasoned, nice flavor char, moist stuff, and it's right up there as one of the best I think. But my main point of attack is always...ribs.Damn good ribs. Great flavor, pulled off the bone, crusty in the right places. Some of the best I've had in recent memory. Really good. Jeebers, those things were nice....which leaves the only thing left, the cheesy squash. Not a squash guy, I'm sure a lot of that is a texture thing, but never had the taste for it. First couple bites I was still a little unsure, then a couple more, couple more, and then, of course, it's gone. I really liked it, and it made me a little less racist towards squash in general.Not sure if the planets were all aligned that day or Mars was humping Venus or whatever, but it was good stuff. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food and awesome guys who are very friendly. The food is fresh and tastes really good. The brisket is some of the best brisket I've ever had. The spicy slaw is homemade, its not spicy spicy, and has excellent flavor. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Absolutely fabulous, superb gem. The best bbq we have ever had!

Reviewed on Facebook

We walked to John Mueller's today for brisket and sausage and it was beyond amazing. The brisket is as good as any of the top joints in the state. The sausage and sauce are best in the state. We drank Lone Star from the communal cooler and ended it with Lindt chocolates.  The beer and Swiss chocolates were complimentary with out brisket and sausage.  John stopped by to talk and could not be nicer.  I have been to all of the name spots and none better. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Hidden gem in Georgetown!

Reviewed on Facebook

Best BBQ in Texas!! John Mueller BEST COOK.. Have been to a ton BBQ places. John is the Best!! A must go to place at the Black Box!!

Reviewed on Facebook

John Mueller is still doing his dad and grandpa proud!

Reviewed on Facebook

Great Q ! The Mueller legacy lives on in GTown. Great brisket in the Texas tradition. Outstanding potato salad as well, the best we've had in all the BBQ joints we have tried. New building in the works, but don't shy away from the trailer or you'll kick yourself. Grab a Big Red as well. Brisket and Big Red...what's better?! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I wouldn't normally buy dinner before breakfast but this place sells out so fast that you have to bolt into town and grab it early. We consider it a victory to get in line and load up on this awesome bbq. Worth it every time.   We're on a mission to find the best bbq in Texas and haven't found anything, anywhere that beats Black Box. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Been waiting years to try them out. Won’t wait that long for round two!! Absolutely delicious!

Reviewed on Facebook

The connection between John and BBQ go way back as most know but at Thanksgiving a family member had ordered a smoked turkey from him and ill admit it was the best turkey i ever had. So here we are today for Christmas. He sales out everday he's open so that should say enough about his Q. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Texas has a lot of terrific bbq. This place is by far the best. You eat bbq for the meat and this guy can deliver. Brisket, beef ribs and all the rest. Take some time to walk around the scenic and beautiful Georgetown square afterward and walk it off a bit. Excellent shopping and music on almost every side. I'd like to see him design a better sauce and maybe a few more or different sides. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Speaks to you like family. Great Brisket. Great conversation if you know who he is. I use to eat at his spot on S. 1st.

Reviewed on Facebook

The Dark Prince of Texas BBQ they call him, John Mueller is back, not in east Austin or on the top of some new mega tower but instead 30 something miles north, in a dirt lot just adjacent to the historic and very Texas town square of decidedly un-hip Georgetown TX . .Ive been lucky enough to have become acquainted with this man's work and legacy somewhat, do to family migration to the area over the past half a decade and my corresponding time spent down in these parts.  I've been lucky enough to sample from both this man's direct output, specifically from his last eponymous food trailer in Austin proper, as well as get a literally taste of his place in the storied Mueller family bbq legacy from trying the, at the time recently rechristened and now pretty much universally venerated La Barbecue a few weeks after he and his sister unceremoniously split and he exited that venue, and even got to go to the literal source the patriarchs, John's fathers legendary spot out in Tyler, where it all started, and continues to churn out great BBQ to this day.  All of those spots instantly qualified amongst the best bbq experiences I have ever had, but this latest chapter in a life story will more than a few rounds of redemption already cashed in just might top them all!     The man apparently earned his dark sheep status for numerous reasons, but presumably not the least of them being that he breaks with the traditional of monastic-level patience followed by his old man and siblings when smoking the meat and taking a punk rock approach to things, turning up the heat, and (gasp!) quickening the process by hours, and messing around and moving  abusing the meat continuously the entire time!  The resulting BBQ is thus clocked in an intense and exceedingly thick pitch black  "bark" or "crust" way more pronounced and harder than the central Texas norm.  Beneath that near armor-like crust surprisingly, the mad genius has found away to keep the meat miraculously juicy despite this brutal and rapid-fire treatment.  The brisket, the star of the show for me is  so moist that it practically melts before it even hits your mouth, and then dissolves deliciously the second it does.  The house specialty, the ginormous beef rib, was a close second, a bit chewier and gamier but to delicious effect.  A dry style beef sausage, of the Tex-Czech tradition and a juicy than the norm Turkey breast all also impressed.  Both sides sampled  were excellent, the mustard based potato salad a delicious paradigm of the regional standard, but of particular note was the indigenous cheesy squash, pretty much just what it sounds but in the tastiest way possible, and as such currently my all time favorite BBQ side.   While I was pleasantly surprised that this bounty of bbq goodness was still available too us at the relatively late Texas hour of 11:30am on a recent Sunday and they were only sold out of one dish, I was nonetheless crestfallen that said dish was a most intriguing jalapeño boudin sausage, suggesting a delicious representation of the long intertwined history between Texas and Louisiana interpreted by a Texas legend.        Hopefully I will get another chance to visit this classic central Texas dirt lot establishment, but realize that it may be well be fleeting and appreciate the one chance I did get there as a potential delicious one-off.   While its a pleasant surprise to find this OG Austin legend emerge in this conservative leaning suburb, one that is apparently a bit historically resistant to food trailers,  knowing this man's backstory its not at all surprising for him to do something surprising.  Also while one can hope that this incarnation will prove more long lasting than his last few, one must accept that life is change and it is important to enjoy things while you can. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We drive all the way from college station and stay the night in Georgetown just so we can get some amazing bbq before we drive back home to Arlington. Best bbq and we have eaten at all the top places. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Super delicious brisket. Like it fell from heaven! The sandwich is almost as big as my head! And be sure to try their WORLD FAMOUS cheesy squash- it’s pretty good too!

Reviewed on Facebook

Traveling through Austin, we hoped to hit a couple  BBQ joints but no luck- they were sold out 10 minutes after opening their doors at 11am. We continued north on I35 and John Mueller in Georgetown looked like an easy spot to stop...and they had good reviews on Yelp. The guys were super friendly and gave us a generous sample of the beef brisket- which was outstanding. Our family (four adults and one child) ordered a  1/2 lb of the brisket and 1 lb of the pork ribs, cole slaw and potato salad. Everything was delicious. Very little fat from the brisket and the ribs were moist, tender, and flavorful. The sauce, included on the side, should be bottled and sold...perfectly savory - not too sweet, right amount of tang- they got it right! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The best bbq I’ve ever had!

Reviewed on Facebook

Just spectacular. Had some brisket stew. So simple and so delicious. I wish I could get in town more often.

Reviewed on Facebook

If you're expecting low-and-slow brisket here, forget it. John Mueller, known as the "Dark Prince of Barbecue," in the words of Texas Monthly BBQ guy Daniel Vaughn, "arrives at the pits at 2:45 a. m., and lights a fire big enough to abuse briskets into submission." I got the second cut of brisket, in a sandwich, when the charming trailer across from Founder's Park in Georgetown opened. It was crusty, peppery and tasty, but a bit dry. That said, Mueller's sauce was so good I could drink it by itself. And it gave the brisket the touch of moisture it lacked. With the sauce, it was old-school OMG perfection. But the real star was the jalapeno boudin sausage. I should've ordered a second link. I didn't order any sides, except the white bread, pickles, onions and jalapenos that come, usually gratis (the case here) at most BBQ joints. With a Dr. Pepper to wash it down, my satisfying meal came to $14 prior to modest tip, and worth well more than that. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

A trailer parked on a scenic lot in downtown Georgetown with long, shaded, family-style tables. Country music (the good old kind) playing and a television turned to Sports Center. The very best brisket I've ever had. It was my first visit to Black Box. As a native Texan, I've had brisket hundreds of times. It's almost like a commodity for me. Some is a little tastier, better smoked, etc. But for the most part, relatively the same. The entire fabric of my reality has been torn apart with this trip. Will I ever be able to visit Rudy's again? I've heard others talk about life-changing BBQ, but now I've experienced it. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

AMAZING. I’m a Texan born and raised, so I’ve had a lot of BBQ. Super tender brisket that falls apart to the touch. Had a guy in training cutting the brisket, and could hear him being given directions by another staff, and she was super nice about it! It’s nice to see they treat their employees good. The potato salad is awesome and super flavorful. The only thing I’d change is the sauce. It just doesn’t add enough flavor for me, so I’ll skip it next time. But over all: you HAVE to go here if you love BBQ More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Beef ribs are in Georgetown!  Coming soon to a real brick & mortar restaurant!

Reviewed on Yelp

John Mueller Black Box Barbecue Was best stop on are Texas BBQ journey. Definitely need the brisket and the ribs and that cheesy squash again soon. It was an honor to meet John at his pit.. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

The pork ribs were fall off the bone, and the brisket was as moist as a rainy day. There's nothing better that some brisket on a football Sunday.

Reviewed on Yelp

This is on my top 10 BBQ places I like different and this is different Great job on the food

Reviewed on Yelp

Food is always the best ! Tried the tomato and cucumber salad today ~ it was delish !

Reviewed on Facebook

Very delicious, nice customers service, Very friendly Staff, highly recommended this place!!!

Reviewed on Facebook

Hands. Down. The. Best. BBQ. Sandwich. EVER. We found this little gem late on a Sunday afternoon on our way home from Austin.  They were already sold out of potato salad, but we were able to get the brisket sandwich (which we took to The Grape Creek Vineyards owner's club to eat) and we were wild about it.  Juicy, succulent, perfectly done Texas brisket.  This beats everything we've had from Lockhart, Austin, Fort Worth, San Antonio.  Can hardly wait to hit Georgetown again and gorge on this wonder of SoTX BBQ! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing BBQ. I've reviewed the brisket and beef rib before at this location and at the old John Mueller Meat Company, still amazing. Easily #1 in the state, top 5 or 10 in the nation. The bark on the meat is unlike anything else, better than Louies, La Barbeque or Franklin's. The jalapeno boudin, cheesy squash, potato salad are perfection. Pity they are only open 4 days out of the week. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Beef/BBQ - 5 Stars (turkey too)Sauce - 3 StarsSides - 4 StarsThe actual bbq here is fantastic and as good as the best in Austin. The atmosphere is very nice too for eating outside (only outside, it's a food truck). The sauce left something to be desired though but good beef shouldn't need it. Lastly, we got the cheesy squash and the potato salad. The squash was a bit oily and I wasn't a huge fan. The potato salad was nice though. Overall, I would still recommend this place because where it really matters, the meat, they are fantastic at. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Went on Sunday and it was delicious. No fancy frills or spices. Just salt pepper and the meat flavor. Staff was great and polite even though it was hot and they were working. If you want fancy rubs and exotic sauces this is not the place for you but if you enjoy tried and true Texas BBQ the way it was done from day one this is the place for you. Beef ribs are a must as are the Brisket and sausage. And if you want a lighter fare get the Turkey its peppery and juicy. Please nobody get offended all this is in my humble opinion. John Mueller and your staff keep doing what your doing its working. Hope to be back soon. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I’ve been coming here every week since they opened. The staff, Justin, John, Shelby, Preston and Carlos etc are all some of the nicest people in Georgetown.

Reviewed on Facebook

Just simply outstanding. I've had everything so far but the beef ribs and man it's the best. The brisket is hands down the best I've ever had. I am currently munching down on some boudin and turkey and it's just like biting into heaven. I think a shed a tear when they gave me a brisket sample today while I was waiting for my order. More...

Reviewed on Facebook