Leaving Tastebuds Speechless [Mum Foods]

Culinary Cultures Meld Together

Words by Deven Wilson | Edits Ashley Bowling

Using the tasty lens of his heritage and summers spent sampling smoked meats in delis across Queens, Geoff Ellis is blazing a new path for barbecue in East Austin.

Initially, Geoff, owner of Mum Foods, was set on being a fine dining chef. However, as a student at Texas State, he found success in smoking meats and baking breads for farmers’ markets around town. “I couldn’t believe that in the barbecue capital of the world, nobody sells meat by the pound at farmers’ markets,” Geoff explains.

After favorable outcomes at the markets, the entrepreneurial young chef set his sights on creating a hybrid concept of Jewish and Texan barbecue. He set off slow cooking brisket in a means that blended both of these traditional methods. His gamble won “Best Pastrami in Texas” from Texas Monthly and cemented his concept as more than a college experiment. Sam Hellman-Mass, a owner of Suerte, was blown away by Geoff’s pastrami and offered up his space on Manor Road, a mini house on the East Side Cafe grounds. This migration to East Austin allowed Mum Foods to taste brick-and-mortar for the first time and led them to their current spot on Manor.

While riding the wave of positive reviews, Geoff set out to foster a communal space to contrast the endless lines outside many other hyped barbecue joints. “For me, delis are New York’s barbecue joints, and they are community-driven places,” Geoff elaborates. They unite people through a shared love for what’s behind the counter. Today, Windsor Park residents turn out for Mum Foods in droves, raising their communal spirit thanks to this barbecue joint and deli. Every third Friday of the month, Mum Foods offers their take on the tradition of Shabbat, where challah bread is broken between neighbors. “I’m not super religious,” Geoff contextualizes, “but I connect to my Jewish heritage through food.”

Any doubts about whether Jewish and Texan barbecue can mix instantly vanish the second a slice of their brisket melts on your tongue. Fall-off-the-bone is too rigid a description for their tender and delicate takes on classic cuts. The Rachel, a pastrami sandwich, instantly transports patrons to the Big Apple with one bite, while their Matzo Ball Soup is a balm for the soul. Words will simply fail to accurately convey what your taste buds must experience after ordering from their counter menu. Even the egg cream, an unfamiliar concoction for many, consisting of milk, soda water, and chocolate syrup, is a distinctive experience that requires several returns.

Contact:
5811 Manor Rd.
mumfoodsatx.com
@mumfoodsatx