Mueller and Clem faced a lot of pushback as if they had done something horrible by running the restaurant. They also did not get the proper respect because of their gender—even though, in her eyes, Chef Clem (in addition to being Chef Mueller’s wife) is one of the best brisket cooks. Eventually, things turned around as people started to recognize their abilities. la Barbecue became highly ranked in all Texas barbecue lists as the lines to get a taste became longer and longer. It took hard work and consistency to get to where they are now. Their brisket starts with a cold smoke the day before. On
When her father suddenly passed away at 69, she returned to Texas. Due to some family issues, she had to take over Louie Mueller Barbecue, which was being run by her brother Wayne. She decided to rename it la Barbecue (with the first two characters in lowercase) for three reasons. First, they were her initials. Second, the lowercase was meant as a feminized barbecue. The third and final reason was that, by not putting her name on it, she could prove she could stand on her own merits, even as the baby sister. “I didn’t need to use my parents’ last name to be successful,” she says. Despite the great branding, it was anything but smooth sailing in the beginning. The business was in debt, and Chefs
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