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Wi-Fi in a barbecue joint? What's next? Tofu in the chili?
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 I saw something horrifying the other day at Louie Mueller's Barbecue in Taylor that proves the end is near.
A handmade sign on the reach-in refrigerator where they keep the cole slaw and the tater salad says, "Wireless Internet Access Available Throughout the Restaurant."
Wireless Internet hookup in an old-fashioned Texas barbecue place with grease on the walls? That's not a good fit. That's like having a minister in a whorehouse.
Why would anyone want to work on the computer and eat barbecue at the same time? It would take talent. A good set of teeth wouldn't be enough. You'd need one of those Bob Dylan harmonica holders to secure your rib so you could gnaw and type at the same time.
But to me, it's disturbing. Techies, may the smoke from the pit make your browser go limp.
If Louie Mueller's were one of those half-baked barbecue places like you see in the strip malls, I wouldn't pay much attention to the co-existence of Wi-Fi and hot guts. But it's not. This is one of the premiere barbecue joints in the state of Texas with all of the right stuff. Taylor Meat Co. calendar on the wall, check. Business cards attached to the wall that turned brown from the smoke, check. Your clothes that smell like meat when you leave, check.
Internet Explorer and brisket plate, check.
Owner Bobby Mueller says he put in wireless about a year ago because of all the customers who come in and work on their computers over lunch.
"We get a lot of people that, you know, lug their computer around with 'em, and that gives 'em a chance to get something done with their lunch instead of having to rush through it and get back," said Mueller, who is not a computer geek. "We have a lot of people from Dell come in here, and it's just more of a convenience for them."
The good news? Barbecue sauce spilled on the keyboard could lead to the invention of the disposable laptop.
Amazingly, Mueller hasn't had any complaints.
"Some people get a kick out of it because of the way the place looks, and then they see that wireless Internet on there that gives them a couple of laughs," he said. "But most of them have been pretty receptive to it."
Here's my favorite part. Louie Mueller's doesn't have air conditioning. So these computer nerds will sometimes work in their cars in the restaurant parking lot. They pick up the Wi-Fi connection by parking next to the screened-in porch.
"They'll pull up next to the screen out there," Mueller said. "They can run the air conditioning in their car and not come in here and sweat in the summertime."
Hey, nerdy boy, can't stand the heat? Eat at Starbucks. Oh, that's right, they don't have real food at Starbucks. Have a virtual lunch.
I guess we can say that the reason for the hole in the ozone layer in Williamson County is all those yuppies running their vehicles in Louie Mueller's parking lot so they can go online without having to tough it out without air conditioning.
John Kelso's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 445-3606 or [email protected].
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 I saw something horrifying the other day at Louie Mueller's Barbecue in Taylor that proves the end is near.
A handmade sign on the reach-in refrigerator where they keep the cole slaw and the tater salad says, "Wireless Internet Access Available Throughout the Restaurant."
Wireless Internet hookup in an old-fashioned Texas barbecue place with grease on the walls? That's not a good fit. That's like having a minister in a whorehouse.
Why would anyone want to work on the computer and eat barbecue at the same time? It would take talent. A good set of teeth wouldn't be enough. You'd need one of those Bob Dylan harmonica holders to secure your rib so you could gnaw and type at the same time.
But to me, it's disturbing. Techies, may the smoke from the pit make your browser go limp.
If Louie Mueller's were one of those half-baked barbecue places like you see in the strip malls, I wouldn't pay much attention to the co-existence of Wi-Fi and hot guts. But it's not. This is one of the premiere barbecue joints in the state of Texas with all of the right stuff. Taylor Meat Co. calendar on the wall, check. Business cards attached to the wall that turned brown from the smoke, check. Your clothes that smell like meat when you leave, check.
Internet Explorer and brisket plate, check.
Owner Bobby Mueller says he put in wireless about a year ago because of all the customers who come in and work on their computers over lunch.
"We get a lot of people that, you know, lug their computer around with 'em, and that gives 'em a chance to get something done with their lunch instead of having to rush through it and get back," said Mueller, who is not a computer geek. "We have a lot of people from Dell come in here, and it's just more of a convenience for them."
The good news? Barbecue sauce spilled on the keyboard could lead to the invention of the disposable laptop.
Amazingly, Mueller hasn't had any complaints.
"Some people get a kick out of it because of the way the place looks, and then they see that wireless Internet on there that gives them a couple of laughs," he said. "But most of them have been pretty receptive to it."
Here's my favorite part. Louie Mueller's doesn't have air conditioning. So these computer nerds will sometimes work in their cars in the restaurant parking lot. They pick up the Wi-Fi connection by parking next to the screened-in porch.
"They'll pull up next to the screen out there," Mueller said. "They can run the air conditioning in their car and not come in here and sweat in the summertime."
Hey, nerdy boy, can't stand the heat? Eat at Starbucks. Oh, that's right, they don't have real food at Starbucks. Have a virtual lunch.
I guess we can say that the reason for the hole in the ozone layer in Williamson County is all those yuppies running their vehicles in Louie Mueller's parking lot so they can go online without having to tough it out without air conditioning.
John Kelso's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 445-3606 or [email protected].
