Muck 'N Dave's BBQ

AUSTIN: Muck 'N Dave's BBQ
1603 South Congress
Austin, TX 78704
Phone ?
Open ?

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2010: There's a stretch of South Congress in Austin where you can stop in at various trailers and get some fried avocado as an appetizer, some tacos for your main course, and cupcake to finish it all off. A few weeks ago a new trailer joined the mix, and I was there for their third day of business. Muck 'N Daves serves sausage, ribs and brisket along with a few side choices. The meats are smoked on a mixture of fruit and hard woods, then stored, foil wrapped, in a warmer inside the trailer. Once Muck takes your order and money, Dave doles out the goods, and they smelled great.



I went for a tasting of their ribs and brisket, and this is a place where you can get a nice sampling of meat without the need to purchase sides. I took my first bite form the picture perfect baby back rib and got a mouthful of flavor. There was adequate smoke coupled by a powerful rub. The rub created a sweet beef jerky like flavor which detracted a bit from the smokiness, but I admire them for really bringing the bold flavors. The meat needed quite a tug to get off the bone, and even then I couldn't get a clean release. The brisket was also undercooked and took some effort to pull apart. While also smokey, the meat was treated with the same sweet rub as the ribs. This created an odd flavor, and the heaviness of the rub didn't allow a good crust to form. There was also a line of poorly rendered fat left on the edge that was tough to chew. Overall, the brisket did have a decent flavor, which was helped by their unique mustard based sauce, that may have a had a hint of horseradish.

Given the fact that they just opened, I think they deserve a return trip since it's obvious that these folks really care about what they're doing. I just hope I know when to stop by next time I'm in town. Muck, Dave...if your out there, can you let us know your hours? How about a phone number?

Rating ***