McKinney’s Hutchins BBQ, already the best in far North Dallas, snags acclaimed pitmaster John Mueller for reopening team

Hutchins BBQ, already the best BBQ restaurant in far North Dallas, reopens Tuesday, August 31, after a fire led to an eight-month closure. And the best may have gotten even better.

Brothers Tim and Trey Hutchins say they’ve brought on talented ‘cue expert John Mueller as the new pitmaster at their family-owned business.

“The number one question we’ve been asked this year is, ‘When will the McKinney location reopen?’,” said Tim Hutchins in a press release announcing the reopening “We give thanks every day that our customers stuck with us during the wait, some making the trek to our Frisco location to keep supporting this passion of ours. When McKinney reopens, they’ll be pleasantly surprised to find the exact same restaurant they loved before, but with an even better team.”

You probably recognize Mueller’s name. He’s the grandson of Texas BBQ scion Louie Mueller but also carved out his own success at smokehouses including Louie Mueller BBQ and his own place in Taylor, Texas.

Mueller, an award-winning barbeque craftsman, contacted the Hutchins brothers about teaming up. “Growing up in a BBQ family, I knew about Hutchins and respected their reputation in the industry,” said Mueller. “I’ve owned BBQ businesses for 30 years. I’m ready to not own anymore but keep doing what I love.”

“Sometimes referred to as the Dark Prince of Texas BBQ, Mueller looks forward to showing the industry that he’s not the bad boy he’s made out to be. His extensive career in the BBQ business has included cooking at Louie Mueller Barbecue, John Mueller’s B-B-Q, JMueller BBQ, John Mueller Meat Co., Black Box Barbecue and Granger City Brewing,” the announcement said.

“John is considered one of the best pitmasters in the country, even though he claims he’s just a cook,” said Trey Hutchins. “So when John reached out about working together, it was no-brainer for us. It’s really cool working with someone who shares the same love and passion for building fires and smoking meat. I know we can learn from each other, have fun along the way, and become better as a result.”

Mueller’s tweaking menus at both Hutchins locations – McKinney and Frisco – adding sausage specials such as Peach Habanero, Blueberry Maple and a Hot Gut. Check out the menu here.

photo: Hutchins BBQ