Miller's Smokehouse in Belton is moving on up

Dirk Miller, owner & pitmaster of Miller's Smokehouse in Belton. (Photo ©Michael Ainsworth/ Texas BBQ Posse)

We got a chance to visit Saturday with one of our favorite pitmasters in the state, Dirk Miller of Miller's Smokehouse in Belton. Posse member Marshall Cooper & I first visited Miller's in early 2012, after Texas Monthly BBQ editor Daniel Vaughn tweeted about a promising little joint in Belton. It quickly became one of our favorite BBQ places in the state.

Our group of four caught up on all the BBQ news with Dirk, including their move down the street to a much larger space. On our first trip to Miller's four and a half years ago, you walked into a tiny dining room, which has expanded twice since then into a 1600 sq. ft. restaurant. Only 14 months after our first visit, Miller's was named to Texas Monthly's top 50 BBQ joints. Their growing reputation and success since then has been a credit to the Miller family's pursuit of BBQ and dining excellence.

The new restaurant, located a block and a half south on Penelope St., is 7000 sq. ft. and will feature five 1000-gallon indoor smokers. Dirk has the new smokers lined up outside the current building so they will be well-seasoned before the move, which is expected in December. Also, Miller's is now open seven days a week, a rarity in the barbecue business.

I often get the question from co-workers and friends, "I'm heading to Austin the weekend, where's the best BBQ there?" I tell them to pull off I-35 when they get to Belton, then drive a couple of minutes to Miller's Smokehouse. You won't find trendy two-hour lines there, just some of the best BBQ in the entire state. And if he's around, you'll probably get to talk barbecue with one of the top pitmasters in Texas.

Miller's Smokehouse, 208 N Penelope, Belton, 254-939-5500. Open Sun-Thurs 11am until the meat runs out, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm or until the meat runs out.

Work continues on Miller Smokehouse's new location at the corner of Penelope & Central in downtown Belton.
(Photo ©Michael Ainsworth/ Texas BBQ Posse)

Three of Miller Smokehouse's five new 1000-gallon smokers are seasoned beside the current restaurant. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/ Texas BBQ Posse)

A very tasty Texas BBQ day: Breakfast at Snow's, lunch at Louie Mueller and dinner at Miller's Smokehouse

Legendary Snow's BBQ pitmaster  Tootsie Tomanetz. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

The Posse took it's long overdue 5th anniversary barbecue tour Saturday.

Dubbed the Central Texas Legends Tour by Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins, it came 5 years and 5 months after our very first trip in November 2009.

It was a one-day roundtrip dash from Dallas, covering 390 miles in about 13 hours. We ate at 3 joints and stopped at a fourth to pay homage to one of the state's cooking legends.

A lot has changed since the Posse first started touring. And some things haven't. One of those is the experience -- both food and atmosphere --  at Snow's BBQ in Lexington, our first stop.

Seated outside near the pits, watching owner Kerry Bexley and pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz work, we ate what has become our standard brisket breakfast there, a slice of moist beef with just a couple drops of sauce, surrounded by a slice of folded white bread.

Nothing against Franklin Barbecue in Austin or Pecan Lodge in Dallas, but several of the 8 Posse members on the trip agreed that if they were forced to pick only one joint in the state to recommend for the complete Texas barbecue experience, it would be Snow's.

The cows mooing at the nearby auction yard, the small-town feel, including the old, rusted storage tank across the street, help make Snow's unique.

To photograph some people, Posse member Daniel Goncalves set up his portable lights in front of the tank.

What attracted him to that backdrop?

"The rust. The texture. The rivets. Everything," he said. "It just goes with barbecue."

Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

From Lexington, we drove about 40 miles to Taylor and Louie Mueller Barbecue.

Louie's grandson, Wayne, runs the place now. He talked about the changing dynamic of Texas barbecue. As joints in urban areas get better, that puts more pressure on out-of-the-way places like his to continually improve.

"People aren't going to come out here for just O.K. barbecue," he said.

Among the items we ordered was the giant beef rib. For some of us, it was the single best bite of barbecue we had all day.

Making his first trip with the Posse, Robert Sullivan thought so.  He didn't hesitate when Wilkins asked him to pose with the bone in his mouth.

Later, Posse member Mark Vamos took the same bone home for his dog, Henry, who also posed with the bone.

Man and dog. Dog and man. Sometimes, as you can see from the accompanying photos, it's hard to tell the difference.

Robert Sullivan & Henry the Dog show their appreciation for a delicious Louie Mueller beef rib bone.
(Photos @Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse, left, and Mark Vamos)

After Mueller's, we drove a couple blocks to the Taylor Cafe, run by Vencil Mares. In his 91st year of life, most of them spent cooking barbecue, Mares was seated in his usual spot near the end of one counter. Goncalves interviewed him while the rest of us had a drink.

Our last stop was Miller's Smokehouse in Belton. Wilkins and Marshall Cooper discovered this joint for the Posse in 2012. Every time we've stopped since, there seem to be more and more smokers operating. And we learned on this trip that the joint's largest smoker yet is under construction.

Miller's only serves ribs on Fridays and Saturdays so we made sure we ordered some. Several of us thought these were the best pork ribs -- nice and savory, not too sweet -- we ate all day. And there was tough competition.

A sad note: On this trip, we learned that Snow's pitmaster Hershel Tomanetz, Tootsie's son, recently underwent surgery for a brain tumor. More treatment is ahead.

Get well, Hershel.

Central Texas Legends BBQ Tour 2015

Snow’s BBQ, 516 Main St, Lexington, 979-773-4640. Open Sat. 8am–12pm or until the meat runs out. Website: www.snowsbbq.com

Louie Mueller Barbecue, 206 W Second St, Taylor, (512) 352-6206. Open Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm. Website: http://www.louiemuellerbarbecue.com

Drop in & say hi to BBQ legend Vencil Mares, 90, at Taylor Cafe, 101 N Main St., Taylor, 512-352-8475. Open daily 9am-10pm.

Miller’s Smokehouse, 208 N Penelope, Belton, 254-939-5500. Open Tues-Thurs 10:30am-6:30pm, Fri and Sat 10:30am-9pm or until the meat runs out. Website: www.wildmillers.com

Owner Vencil Mares holds court at the Taylor Cafe.. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

Photo opportunity with pitmasters Kerry Bexley & Tootsie Tomanetz at Snow's BBQ. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Brisket, pork spare ribs & BBQ pork steak at Snow's BBQ. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Snows BBQ owner & pitmaster Kerry Bexley with son and future pitmaster Colby, 15. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

Louie Mueller Barbecue owner & pitmaster Wayne Mueller. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

Beef rib, smoked turkey and jalapeño beef sausage at Louie Mueller Barbecue. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Miller's Smokehouse, Belton, Texas. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

Posse members (L-R) at Snow's BBQ: Bruce Tomaso, James Taylor, Gary Jacobson, Robert Sullivan, Jim Rossman, Mark Vamos & Chris Wilkins. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

Killen's in Pearland might just be the best BBQ joint in Texas

Customers wait for the 11am opening of Killen's BBQ in Pearland on Saturday morning. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Even before we had finished eating at Killen's Barbecue in Pearland on Saturday, the great debate began.

"When you factor everything in, this is the best barbecue place in Texas," declared Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins.

We ate brisket, pork ribs, pork belly, beef ribs, turkey and sausage. Everything was excellent -- moist, flavorful and nicely cooked.

On a scouting mission in May, Posse member Jim Rossman called the food at Killen's, which opened in a permanent location early this year, "spectacular." Allison Cook, the restaurant critic at the Houston Chronicle recently gave the joint that newspaper's highest rating, four stars. We wouldn't argue.

Wilkins also pointed out that on a warm, humid, rainy Gulf Coast morning, we were sitting comfortably inside an air conditioned restaurant. Trailer joints, charming as they can be, lose some attraction when it's very hot or very cold or raining.

There were six Posse members on our 35-hour, 610-mile barbecue tour to the Houston area. While a couple of us agreed with Wilkins about Killen's, a couple others urged more restraint before making such a declaration.

We continued our debate on the drive back to Dallas. Each of us rated, in no particular order, our five favorite places, joints that we'd drive across the state to visit, or recommend to good friends to do the same.

Three places made everyone's list: Killen's, la Barbecue in Austin and Pecan Lodge in Dallas.

Four other places received mentions, but weren't unanimous: Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor and Miller's Smokehouse in Belton.

Franklin, run by now-celebrity pit master Aaron Franklin, is often mentioned as the best place in the state, but it made only three Posse members' lists. Daniel Goncalves said he would never recommend to anyone that they go there because of the long lines.

Every meat we tasted at Killen's BBQ was perfectly cooked. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) 

Phil Lamb, who included Franklin on his list, noted the barbecue renaissance in Texas.

"It is an important factor that enough people caught up to Franklin that you don't have to put them on your must-go-to list," Lamb said.

And Wilkins, so adamant in his initial support of Killen's, came up with a different No.1 when he altered his criteria a bit.

"If there's one place in the world I would send someone so they would understand Texas barbecue, it would be Snow's on a Saturday morning," he said.

Let the great barbecue debate continue.

Houston Redemption BBQ Tour

Friday 6/27
7:45am: Leave Dallas

10:30am: CorkScrew BBQ, 24930 Budde Rd., Spring, 832-592-1184. Open Tues-Sat 11am-til the meat runs out. Website: http://www.corkscrewbbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

1pm: Virgie's Bar-B-Que, 5535 Gessner Dr., Houston, 713-466-6525. Open Tues 11am-2pm, Wed-Fri 11am-6:30pm, Sat 11am-5:30pm. Website: http://www.virgiesbbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

3pm: Brooks' Place, 18020 FM 529, Cypress, 832-893-1682. Open Wed-Sun 11am-til the meat runs out. Website: Website: http://www.brooksplacebbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

7:10pm: Detroit Tigers @ Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park.

Overnight in Houston, Club Quarters Houston hotel

Saturday 6/28
10:30am: Killen's BBQ, 3613 E. Broadway, Pearland, 281-485-2272. Open Tues-Sun 11am-until they run out of meat. Website: http://www.killensbarbecue.com

1pm: Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack, 4529 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, 713-748-4227. Open Mon-Sat 11am-8pm. Website: http://www.raysbbqshack.com

3pm: Brisket House, 5775 Woodway, Houston, 281-888-0331. Open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-6pm. Website: http://thebriskethouse.com

4:00pm: Head back to Dallas

The Posse enjoys an incredible spread of smoked meat at Killen's BBQ. L-R: Phil Lamb, Tom Fox, Daniel Goncalves, Jim Rossman, Gary Jacobson & Chris Wilkins. (Photo by Bryan Norton)

Soft on gassers? Not so says Posse member Bruce Tomaso.....

Snow's BBQ pit boss Tootsie Tomanetz tends the pits as the sun rises over Lexington. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

By Bruce Tomaso/Texas BBQ Posse

Gary Jacobson is a friend of mine. He’s a gifted writer, an extraordinary journalist with a sharp wit and a sharper mind.

And he knows his barbecue. He’s been riding with the Posse longer than just about any of us.

So it pains me to say this:

On the subject of gas-fired smokers, Gary Jacobson is full of gas.

A few days ago, he wrote on this blog that “perhaps we have mellowed a bit” on the question of whether meat cooked with gas is worthy of consideration alongside true, wood-smoked Texas barbecue.

“We're just not as militant about using wood as we once were,” he said.

I still haven’t figured out how to leave a comment on this damned blog, even though I’ve been contributing to it, off and on, for a couple of years now.

If I had, Gary and his pro-propane pals would have read this comment from me:

“Speak for yourself, homes.”

I like my gas fireplace at home, because I don’t have to clean out ashes and I can turn it off when I leave.

I like my barbecue cooked with wood, because that’s the way you do it.

Gary’s flawed conclusion was based on Posse visits to a couple of joints that cook with gas and turn out good food. (He actually wrote “damn good” food, a difference that may not be worth quibbling over, even though he’s wrong. It was good.)

Here’s what I say: Scroll back to the top of this page and see what’s written there, plain as a hickory log. The mission of the Texas BBQ Posse, its very raison d’ être, is to travel the state “in search of the greatest smoked meats.”

It says nothing about “good.”

Is it possible to turn out decent barbecue using the same fuel that powers forklifts, Zambonis, and hot air balloons?

I guess it is.

Is it possible to turn out world-class barbecue on a gasser? Divinely inspired barbecue? Smoky, flavorful, perfectly crafted barbecue? The kind that conjures up daily lines at the doors of Franklin, La Barbecue, Pecan Lodge and Hutchins? The kind that devotees gladly drive hundreds of miles to enjoy at Snow’s in Lexington, or Louie Mueller in Taylor, or Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton?

If so, I’ve yet to find it. Until I do, I remain as militant as ever.

In the meantime, I’ll regard my friend Gary’s lapse in judgment as evidence that sometimes even brilliant people can be spectacularly wrong. (Want more evidence? Check out this video.)

Check out our Heart of Texas BBQ Tour story in today's Dallas Morning News

Here's the lede page from our Heart of Texas BBQ Tour story in Sunday's Dallas Morning News Travel section.

This was the Posse's 14th barbecue tour since we started following the smoke in November 2009. The Heart of Texas BBQ Tour covered 318 miles over ten hours on a recent Friday.

Chick here to see the online package from the tour on dallasnews.com, including Gary Jacobson's story, a slideshow featuring our four tour stops and a video by original Posse member David Guzman.

Heart of Texas BBQ Tour

• 9am:  Leave Dallas
• 10:30am:  Wright’s Bar-B-Q, 123 Martin Luther King Jr Hwy (Hwy 14), Mexia, 254-562-9042. Open Tue-Sat 10am-6pm.
• 11:30am:  Kirby's Barbeque, 4592 Hwy. 14 S, Mexia, 254-562-5076. Open: Wed-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-3pm. 
• 1:30pm:  Whup's Boomerang Bar-B-Q, 1203 Bennett St., Marlin, 254-883-5770. Open Thurs-Sat 10am-8pm.    
• 3 pm:  Miller's Smokehouse, 208 N Penelope, Belton, 254-939-5500. Open Tues-Thurs 10:30am-6:30pm, Fri and Sat 10:30am-9pm or until the meat runs out.  
• 7 pm:  Arrive back in Dallas

Video: The Posse's Heart of Texas BBQ Tour

Here's a video from our recent Heart of Texas BBQ Tour. This piece was shot and produced by David Guzman, Dallas Morning News video whiz and an original member of the Posse.

Gary Jacobson's tour story will be in Sunday's Dallas Morning News Travel section, so be sure and check that out.

Heart of Texas BBQ Tour

• 9am:  Leave Dallas
• 10:30am:  Wright’s Bar-B-Q, 123 Martin Luther King Jr Hwy (Hwy 14), Mexia, 254-562-9042. Open Tue-Sat 10am-6pm.
• 11:30am:  Kirby's Barbeque, 4592 Hwy. 14 S, Mexia, 254-562-5076. Open: Wed-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-3pm.  
• 1:30pm:  Whup's Boomerang Bar-B-Q, 1203 Bennett St., Marlin, 254-883-5770. Open Thurs-Sat 10am-8pm.      
• 3 pm:  Miller's Smokehouse, 208 N Penelope, Belton, 254-939-5500. Open Tues-Thurs 10:30am-6:30pm, Fri and Sat 10:30am-9pm or until the meat runs out.  
• 7 pm:  Arrive back in Dallas

Total trip: 10 hours, 318 miles

At Miller's Smokehouse in Belton, expansion means same great barbecue and now a bar, too

Pitmaster and owner Dirk Miller stands outside Miller's Smokehouse in Belton. (Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

On the looks-like scale, Dirk Miller is closer to Kris Kringle than Tom Cruise.

But the owner of Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton was channeling Cruise from Risky Business when we visited last week during our Heart of Texas BBQ Tour.

For Miller, too, the dream is always the same:

He awakes and the sun is shining through his windows, meaning it’s 8 a.m., meaning he overslept, meaning he didn’t get the pits fired by the required 2 or 3 a.m., meaning disaster for his barbecue joint.

 “And I think, well, there won’t be ribs and brisket today,” Miller said.

The Posse has been high on Miller’s since co-founder Chris Wilkins and Marshall Cooper went there in early 2012. Wilkins declared the meats he tasted “nothing short of sensational.”

Other Posse members, on their own, have confirmed Wilkins’ view. But this was our first visit as a group.

Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ first timers - Miller's Smokehouse in Belton

Brisket sits on the pit at Miller's Smokehouse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

You never forget your first time. That applies to visiting great barbecue joints as well.

Our first trip 14 months ago to Miller's Smokehouse in Belton was one of those unforgettable journeys.

The visit was so inspiring that I couldn't wait to get home and write about Miller's. The lede was as follows:

"Every now and then you hit the motherlode on the Texas BBQ trail. For every 20 mediocre BBQ joints, there's one good one. For every 50 good ones, there's one great one. You can add Miller's Smokehouse in Belton to the list of great ones."

BBQ Signs of Our Times is back

Country Kitchen, Lampasas. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

A Posse rule of thumb: The cooler the sign, the better the barbecue. Nine times out of ten this has proved true.

BBQ Signs of our Times is back once again,with some memorable signs from our last trip to the Hill Country and points in between. This is our seventh blog post on classic BBQ signs. You can use the search box in the upper right of the Posse blog homepage if you'd like to see some other sign posts, just search "BBQ Signs of Our TImes".

If you happen to see a cool sign while you're out on the Texas BBQ Trail, please snap a photo and keep us in mind. If you're a fan of our Texas BBQ Posse Facebook page, you can upload a photo for us to include on a future BBQ signs blog post.

Miller's Smokehouse in Belton, one of the best-kept secrets in Texas BBQ

Dirk Miller chats with a customer outside Miller's Smokehouse in downtown Belton. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins) 

One of the best-kept secrets in Texas BBQ is located just a stone's throw from Interstate 35 in downtown Belton.

The next time you're speeding down the freeway on your way to stand in line for two hours to get BBQ in Austin, you might want to take the Main Street exit in Belton to 208 N Penelope St., the home of Miller's Smokehouse.

I dropped in for a late lunch at Miller's on my way to Austin on Friday. This was my third visit there and it was quite good the first time Marshall Cooper and I visited a year ago. It was exceptional on Friday.