Taylor Cafe

TAYLOR: Taylor Café
101 N. Main
Taylor, TX 76574
512-352-2828
Open M-F 10-10, Sat-Sun 10-11

This joint is more of a bar that serves decent BBQ. The ramshackle wooden building lies in the shadow of the concrete bridge spanning the railroad tracks in the middle of town. Walking through the screen door, I received the proverbial simultaneous head turn of every patron at the bar, all of whom were over 50. I ordered a plate of brisket and ribs and a cold one. Beers here are only $1.75 which is cheap for a Dallasite, and a paper menu on the wall reminded those who cannot add what the total cost should be for any amount of beers ordered, up to 20. The 'cue camed out sauced. I pried some clean brisket from the bottom of the pile, and it had little flavor beyond the well defined and impressively smoky crust. The fat was well rendered making it moist and tender, but it needed more flavor. The ribs were almost too tender, falling of the bone into a heap. It was hard to separate the taste of the sauce from the meat, but the crust had an intense smoke flavor much like the brisket. Also like the brisket, the flavor disappeared with the crust.

Rating ***