At the end of the street, after passing several faded storefronts, and right before the old railyard, was Taylor Cafe.

Taylor Cafe is less of a cafe, and more of a bar. Inside are stools that surround a central “bartender” area where the food and drink are served. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, the inside was a bit dark, and the only customers there were a few guys having some beers.

We sat down on the stools near the bar, and after looking at the menu posted on the wall, decided to get a 1/2 lb. of brisket, one sausage link, and a couple pork ribs. While we were waiting for our food, the waitress gave us a signed copy of the local newspaper, dated several years ago. I asked her who the signature belonged to, and she told us that it was Vencil Mares, the owner of the Taylor Cafe.

The instant we got our food, we did our usual visual inspection. At first sight, it didn’t look amazing. The smoke ring on the brisket was not very defined, but the meat did appear to be sufficiently moist. The sausage looked like any other sausage we saw on the trip, except it was plentiful; although we had asked for one link, the portion we received looked like it was from at least 1.5 links. The ribs looked unexciting.

Then came the taste test. The brisket. At first bite, I found the flavor practically overwhelming, and I even felt it was a bit too salty. I had made the mistake of taking a small bite of just the exterior fat-laced crust. My next bite, I made sure to get a good portion of the interior meat, and that proved to be wise. The moist, succulent meat complemented the nicely smoked, salty exterior. Just enough of the smokiness of the post-oak had penetrated into the interior of brisket, so the beefy flavor was still retained, and at the same time the savory rub and the smokiness of the exterior elevated the brisket’s overall flavor profile. The texture was remarkable as well. The brisket managed to be tender without being overly greasy, and it had a slightly crunchy crust, or bark. It didn’t exactly melt in my mouth, but instead provided a satisfying, leisurely chew that yielded in a few bites. At this point, it was clear that the brisket at Taylor Cafe was head and shoulders above any brisket we had sampled on the trip, and by extension, the best brisket we’ve ever had in our lives.

As for the rest of the food, the sausage was good, but not spectacular. The sausage had a peppery, coarse grind, and a slight snap to the casing. It wasn’t overly greasy, as sausages tend to be, but the flavor came across as being a bit too subtle, possibly because it was overshadowed by the brisket’s perfection. And to be honest, I don’t remember how the ribs were at all.

While we ate, we chatted a bit with the waitress. She told us how Vencil Mares, the 85-year-old owner and pitmaster, gets in at 5-6 a.m. every day they’re open to get the pit ready. We learned that Vencil gained his experience by working at Southside Market in Elgin. She mentioned how folks from all over come to sample the ‘cue after it made national news as being the best brisket in Texas several years ago. She took us to the back and showed us the kitchen and the BBQ pit, then she took us to meet the man himself, Vencil Mares. We chatted with Vencil a bit, and when he learned that Joe was from NYC, he brought up Danny Meyer and how Danny had asked for his brisket recipe so he could use it in his NYC restaurant Blue Smoke. After a little more ‘cue talk, we thanked Vencil for his time, and for making the best brisket we had ever eaten.