Friday, April 2, 2010

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 ***

4 comments:

chef salas said...

i went there today after reading your review. and i liked it. i think that with time they could become the best in austin. i told the owner "noah" about your review and he said that you caught him a month after he opened. upon talking with him i could tell that he wasnt as bbq savvy as you are or know much about bbq. he takes his advice from some kid. "i thought that was a little odd" be oh well. thanks for all the great post that you make. i read every review that you post. cant wait for the next.

Kris said...

Being a new business, the hours have been shifting a bit. But as of right now, the trailer is open Tuesday through Sunday 11am to 8pm with extended hours for First Thursday. If we run out of meat before 8pm, we close early. Hope to see you come back soon!

cj said...

Muck-N-Daves Tele# is 512.555.1212.
I hear they deliver now and are catering. Yum...Yum...The Muck Sauce is awesome! The potato sauce is wonderful,as is the coleslaw.
They also have a web site up now complete with menu, etc.

Anonymous said...

Sun-Thu 11-8
Fri-Sat 11-9
Closed Mondays

We deliver to all of 78704!
Tele #: (512)590-3387

DISCLAIMER:

Each joint is judged on the essence of Texas 'cue...sliced brisket and pork ribs. Sausage is only considered if house made. Sauce is good, but good meat needs no adornment to satisfy. Each review can only be based on specific cuts of meat on that particular day. Finally, if the place fries up catfish or serves a caesar salad, then chances are they aren't paying enough attention to the pits, so we mostly steered clear.

-THE PROPHETS OF SMOKED MEAT