Davis Grocery and Bar-B-Q

Excellent !! The brisket was on point, moist and tender and the sausage was the best ever. They put plenty on your plate! Customer service was awesome!

Had the treat of eating there while visiting family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We ate a lot of bar-​b-​q in a two week visit and Mr. Davis has the best ever. I am already looking forward to another trip to Texas just have dinner there again!

What can I say? Mr. Davis is a barbecue rock star! I took one of our Thanksgiving turkeys to him to smoke (the 20lb one). I had brined it for 2 days along with a smaller bird. I roasted the smaller one in oven with rosemary and other herbs and spices. It was good but guess which turkey was by far the most popular. Mr. Davis put his foot in it! Awesome, juicy, smokey, delicious. I’m taking all my meat to him to smoke from now on. At $ 1.25 a pound to smoke any meat u can’t beat it. Xmas will see a brisket and two chickens smoked by him (buy the untrimmed brisket at HEB, not the trimmed one or u will get schooled).
Of course I had a brisket sandwich when I dropped off my turkey. So good! And the sauce, excellent. As I write this I am grilling chicken and using Mr. Davis’ sauce. Ask for xtra sauce for sure. Enjoy!

Mouth watering mutton best in the state! If you ever pass through Taylor you must stop here to try the mutton. Their secret come-​back sauce only adds to the flavor. Wonderful Christian Family environment to eat in. Feels like home.

I had lunch here today. I must say, it was really delicious. I had the combo plate with the spicy sausages and fatty brisket with honey baked beans and potato salad with pickles and onions. I was so full by the time I finished, it was ridiculous. I am in Taylor monthly for work and have already decided that this is my place to come for great que. The atmosphere is comfy and friendly. I am glad I came.

I really enjoy the great food yet small-​town friendliness you’ll find here. Highly recommended.

We came here as alternative to Louis Mueller who had a ridicously long line moving at snails pace. Davis Grocery and BBQ was just plain bland. I would not classify the place a TX BBQ.

I’m a native of Taylor but have lived in Arizona for the last 29 years. My wife and I were in town for a niece’s wedding and we wanted to try the barbecued mutton since my wife is from New Zealand and was raised on lamb and mutton. We arrived at 5:30pm on a Friday evening and were the only customers. My wife got the mutton and brisket combo plate and I had the brisket and sausage combo. As per other reviewers the mutton was fatty, tasty, but way too fatty. When I ordered the sausage the server asked if I wanted regular or spicy. I asked for spicy and don’t know if he gave me regular by mistake or that the spicy just wasn’t. It was tasty but not what I would call spicy. The brisket was average at best, which was disappointing since that’s what I look forward to most in Taylor barbecue. The brisket served at the wedding reception the next night was all done by a family friend and it was better than Davis’, and the friend was not a chef or caterer, just someone who knows how to cook good barbecue. Looking at other reviews, other people have obviously enjoyed this place, but not us. You can get better barbecue elsewhere in Taylor.

I think Davis’ bbq is better than Louis Mueller’s, whose rubs are often too spicy for kids or out-​of-​state visitors. Davis’ brisket is amazing, tender with a nice smoke. The sausage — oh my word, there’s no other word than «heavenly.» Davis’ beats Taylor Café hands down in ever regard, and it’s only a matter of time before the Food Network vans abandon Mueller’s parking lot and head to Davis’ instead.

Good ribs and sausage. Nice atmosphere, friendly service. Definitely a good experience in a town with a lot of BBQ options. Sometimes the famous ones are over-​rated and the smaller businesses truly deliver.

Incredible food. I was on business in Taylor for a week and this was by far the most satisfying BBQ I had during my stay. All the other places, including the famous Louie Mueller, were great but Davis Grocery had something the others didn’t. Will make the drive over and over again just for the Central Texas gem.
The style of cooking is definitely backyard barbeque but he does it so well. It almost appears amateurish at first (seeing the meat being kept warm in a giant slow cooker and the trimming of the ribs) but he knows exactly what he’s doing and it’s evident in the first bite. And it’s a great representation of the cooking style of this region.
I found it refreshing that Mr. Davis didn’t rush me through the line like all the other places but instead he took his time with my order and made sure he was giving me the best cuts of meat.
Must try: Mutton-​fatty but the flavor is out of this world
Spicy Sausage-​not hot spicy but flavorful spicy. Good black pepper taste. Brisket– the lean brisket was a little tougher than I like but the flavor was still amazing. A must try for fans of bark.

Awesome BBQ. I had the spicy sausage. It was some of the best sausage I’ve had in years. Great family atmosphere. Mr Davis was present and made for great lunch conversation. He was very knowledgeable in the history of the area. He has grew up in the area and he is very active in it’s growth and well being. I will definitely be going back for sausage and what Mr Davis called «come back sause.» Great food and Great people.

The service with a smile and genuine-​ness is worth coming here for. You will feel welcome the second you step in. They don’t forget you either and ask about family.
They load the sandwiches up with plenty of meat. Sometimes too much for me. The pork steak and brisket sandwiches are hard to beat. I haven’t had the mutton but I hear it’s the best.

Great, off the beaten path stop. The grocery is tucked a bit off the main road and very simple. The kind of place where they smoke a few briskets and make some sides at 4 am and keep it all warm in a huge crock pot by the cash register. Brisket was very good, though I wouldn’t say it ranks in the top 5 or anything. The sauce has a nice vinegar kick. Ranch style beans are nice and spicy. Sweet, cool potato salad, basic mustard and mayo. Other than the very nice service, the calling card here for me is the mutton. Not many places do it and Davis is the best I’ve had. The smoke enhances the best aspects of the meat and tones down odd aspects. Perfect. Very close to 5 stars just for the mutton alone, but the rest is just very good and not exceptional. Nice folks, clean spot, great food. Worth a drive, especially if you like lamb/​mutton.

Love the brisket, hands down one of the best in town…

Mmm… MUTTON. I came here on a brisket tour of the area but the guy in front of me was getting a plate of a meat with an unusual, glistening fat like nothing I’ve seen on brisket. Was it mutton? Why yes, and would you like a taste? Indeed I would!
The stuff was ethereal… none of that gamy taste and none of the burned skanky fat I’ve experienced elsewhere, just magnificent Texas BBQ with the interesting twist of a lamb-​y goodness. As a bonus, when slicing up a pound he plucked out the bones before weighing… how good is that?
I also tried the brisket and it was great, but the mutton is in the stratosphere. Don’t leave Taylor without it.

This place is great. It’s not better than the others, its just as good and different. I don’t like to say a place had the best BBQ because there are so many that are great around these parts of Texas. Ok to start, I have never had Mutton Chops… WOW! These mutton chops are amazing. What a different flavor of meat. Lucky for me I ate with 3 others and they ordered a little of every meat this place has. BUT… YOU NEED TO GET THERE EARLIER IN THE DAY!!! sorry but we got the very last piece of four wonderful bites of brisket, and people kept coming in and had to get the other choices. I also got a hot link of sausage that had that nice snap when you bite into it and had a good smoked sausage flavor to it. Also had a couple of huge pork ribs that had a lot of meat on em and where cooked just right. Meat came off with out a pull and was very juicy. They use a dry rub and you put one of the best BBQ sauces I have had at a BBQ place as much as you want. My wife had the same as I and loved it all as well. My dad had the white side of the chicken that I got to taste and it was cooked to perfection. Juicy tender and had great smoky flavor throughout. Mom had the dark side of the chicken and it was the other half and had the same greatness through out. Good food. Good times. Servers where very nice and talked to us about the history and the food. Even knew some of our friends that are there a lot. Go check this place out. O and don’t forget the huge portion of homemade banana pudding. Good stuff.

They best barbecue in Taylor! James Davis smokes his brisket for 18 hours, his ribs for 5, and it shows. You don’t need sauce to enjoy his food.
His ribs are the best I tried in Texas: meaty, tender, smokey. And I tried all of the BBQ joints in Lockhard, Elgin and Taylor.

I had never heard of this place before the day I was driving into Taylor, just looking for a place to eat. I started to go to the taco place down the street, but their taco selection was lacking, so I decided to keep going. I could smell the BBQ from the road, so I pulled up the minivan and parked by the nondescript, warehouse-​style building and led my family through the large wooden double doors into the concrete-​floored building.
The man who was there (not sure if it was James or Danny) was friendly as family, right off the bat. He offered my kids samples of the sausage, which they all enjoyed. We got brisket and sausage, with white bread and sauce and a few drinks from the grocery-​store area. They couldn’t break a hundred, but we had a checkbook so it was no big deal.
We sat in the fast-​food-​style booths toward the street-​facing side of the grocery. The kids, who had loved their samples of the sausage, decided it was too spicy so we made some trades, because everyone (even the baby) loved the brisket.
So yeah. Good BBQ. With so many good places closer in, I doubt I’ll be driving to Taylor for it any time soon, but I know I’ve got a place to eat next time I’m in town.

Wow. The BBQ Gods have spoken, Davis Grocery & BBQ is the BEST BBQ I’ve ever had — — hands down. Yeah, I said it, THE BEST. Forget Salt Lick, Sam’s, Franklin’s, or Louie’s (in Taylor). These guys are just down right phenomenal.
It was Divine Intervention that led me to Davis Grocery & BBQ, which is operated by brothers James and Danny Davis. I found their flawless reviews on Unilocal and made my way over on a Friday evening. I walked in and the first thing I said to them was: «oh shoot, are you guys cash only??» James (who also happens to be a Preacher) said they take cash and checks only, no cc’s. For an instant I thought I was doomed w/​only $ 3 in my pocket, I knew I didn’t have my checkbook with me. I told them I would be right back Low and behold after sifting frantically through my glove department — holy cow — I found a brand new book of checks! It was so unexpected, how did those get there? Divine Intervention.
The building looks small from the outside but it’s quite roomy inside with several picnic tables and plenty of grocery items along the pantry walls. But it’s the large oval cooker on the counter where all the magic’s at. They open it up and it’s like looking into a pot of gold from the Pirates of the Caribbean, all that smoky BBQ goodness. James then said to me: «are you ready to get hooked? Because it’s gonna happen, you’re gonna get hooked…» I was like «Lord I’m ready for the BBQ Promise Land!!».
The Lamb Ribs were off the wall, best I’ve ever had, good quality meat and so smoky. Same with the Beef & Pork Ribs — — wow. But we’re not done yet — — the brisket was oh so tender and juicy, it’s also the best ever, and the Morgan Sausage is cooked and smoked to perfection. Most BBQ places I’ve been to have a couple of exceptional meats while the rest is average, but everything here is excellent — which is why I think they’re top notch. You can get meat by the pound or in a combo plate w/​poto salad + beans. The poto salad comes out of a bucket yet it’s very good quality, and the icing on the cake is their awesome BBQ sauce. It’s slightly sweet and tangy, with some smoky flavor — — and it’s so darn good you can sip it with a straw — — that’s what I did.
Yeah, I know BBQ is all about the meat, but a good sauce is icing on the cake. It’s a bonus, and who doesn’t love bonuses? Another big plus — — their prices are extremely reasonable. 3 meat plate w/​2 sides for $ 9.50, and that’s way-​way cheaper than the local Taylor competition (Louie). The customer service here was also impeccable, they aim to please.
Some of the locals told me they usually run out of BBQ since they’re so popular, especially on Saturday evenings, but if you call ahead they’ll let you know. James said his sister makes a killer sweet potato pie (my fave!) and peach cobbler, they’ll have some out soon for the holiday season. I stake my reputation and palate that the Davis Brothers have a great thing going on here — — it’s the best BBQ I’ve ever had. Meat is exceptional quality, smoked and cooked to perfection, a great small town Texas experience.
They are two of the most down to earth and genuine people you will ever meet, we had a lot of fun just talking about stuff and how James said the Lord led him to do this work. The Davis Brothers just want to make you happy so you leave with a smile, and on this Friday evening I drove the whole way home w/​a smoky smile. This place really is BBQ Heaven.