Restaurant Review: Mum Foods Smokehouse and Delicatessen

When it comes to cuisines with time-intensive meats, everyone knows Texas barbecue and the Jewish deli are separate categories. What Mum Foods presupposes is, maybe they aren't?

Taken separately, each side of the Mum Foods Smokehouse and Delicatessen continuum would stand on its own as a fantastic example of each genre in its own right. Taken together, they're a one-stop shop for smoky goodness, packed with flavor and made with care.

Formerly an operation mainly serving farmers' markets, Mum Foods now sits in a boxy yet inviting structure on the far end of Manor Road, serving lunch five days a week while still showing up at the markets on the weekend. Near the ordering counter, a chalkboard lists the barbecue options while butcher paper announces the "Nosh."

Cutting right to the chase, the Rachel is an absolute revelation of a sandwich. Mum's much-lauded pastrami sits on griddled sourdough rye, topped with slaw, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing. The combo is a knockout. The meat stands on its own (and can be purchased as such), but the crunch of the bread and the creaminess of the accoutrement makes this one of the best sandwiches in the city.

Staying on the deli side, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches on rye are available with simply mustard or in a Reuben style complete with Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. The homemade bread shines, as does the meat. Don't sleep on the corned beef. It features a fatty edge we've come to expect from barbecue brisket, making this tender cut even more so. The chicken salad sandwich on brioche is fresh and bright, with hot sauce adding just a little extra kick.

The sides give Mum Foods room to play. Matzo ball soup has a lot to live up to on the deli menu, and it certainly does. The broth is full-flavored, the matzo ball firm, with bits of smoked chicken to round things out. Collard greens are spicy and forthright, while the pimento cheese and kettle chips are adventurous. The house-made salt & vinegar chips are a big swing, but don't quite connect. Still, the cheese is more than enough to please fans.

Treating Mum Foods as a straight-up BBQ joint is a fine approach as well. The brisket is firm and flavorful, and the ribs have a sweetness that takes them out of the more traditional zone but places them squarely in tasty territory. Paired with potato salad, any combination thereof will make a Central Texan proud. If there's any room left in a diner's stomach, the New York-style cheesecake is a nice way to end things, and a cup of coffee from the Talisman Coffee near the entrance offers a much-needed pick me up after a nap-inducing meal.

With their similar cuts of meat and low-and-slow cooking methods, the combination of Jewish delicatessen fare with traditional Texas barbecue makes all the sense in the world. Mum Foods marries the two with delicious precision. Top-notch ingredients, handmade everything, and commitment to quality make Mum Foods a must-visit for hungry Austinites.

Mum Foods Smokehouse and Delicatessen

5811 Manor Rd., 512/270-8021
Wed.-Sun., 11am 'til sold out; Mon.-Tue., closed
mumfoodsatx.com