Mija barbecue series Photo by Julia Batsel
Craft Beer & Texican BBQ are a great couple
The hearty wood aromas of Mija Barbecue whet the appetite of craft beer drinkers at Ash & Ember Brewing in Cedar Hill. The BBQ brisket, pulled pork tacos and other creative smoked meat offerings are the perfect accompaniments to the locally brewed craft beer. Mija, or nickname, is a family business for Ryan Siegler and his wife Bailey.
Ryan, a Midlothian native who graduated from MHS in 2007, moved to Cedar Hill three years ago with Bailey and their two young daughters. He spent years in the restaurant business as a manager for Starbucks, Ascension Coffee Co., and other companies, but his passion was meat smoking. Ryan’s hobby of smoking meat for family birthdays and other events quickly gained fans.
“I love serving food to people, and I’m passionate about it. I’ve put a lot of time and effort into what I serve, ”said Ryan. “People always said, ‘you should sell this,’ so in 2018 I decided to start a catering side business and run bigger events. After organizing several successful events for 60-70 people from our house, I asked my friend Johnny Herrera to help with the growing business. “
“We started experimenting with pulled pork BBQ tacos, which were so delicious that they opened up a whole new area of creativity. We combine Tex-Mex with BBQ to make our ‘Authentic Texican’, ”he added.
From the food truck to moving in Ash & Ember
After Ryan decided it was time to take his side business to another level, Ryan considered buying a food truck for pop-up events. Instead, the opportunity arose to support Ash & Ember, a Cedar Hill brewery that opened in June 2020. Ryan had approached Tim Martin, a friend of MHS who co-owns the brewery with Brian Krajcirovic, about holding monthly pop-up events in their parking lot. Instead, Tim invited her to come in.
Ryan Siegler
This invitation proved to be a timely step for both companies and has developed into Mija adding a regular meal service to the brewery’s craft beer range. During the pandemic, Dallas County’s restrictions only allowed the new brewery to offer crows and growlers for customer pickup. By adding a food service four days a week, Ash & Ember Brewing was soon able to open its spacious new location (initially with limited capacity) in accordance with TABC restaurant regulations.
Anniversary of the ashes and embers brewing
When Ash & Ember Brewing celebrated its one-year anniversary in June, Mija Barbecue was there to prepare a special three-course anniversary brewer dinner for the occasion.
“We were told that as many people now come for the food as for the beer,” said Pitmaster Ryan.
The Mija Barbecue Menu at Ash & Ember offers brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and pork belly sandwiches for $ 10 or two-sided combinations for $ 13. Grilled cheese sandwich with kettle chips ($ 6), brisket grill cheese, or pulled pork grill cheese ($ 9).
Holt photo
My favorites are Mijas Tacos, and I like them all including the sliced brisket taco, the Dallas-style brisket taco, the pulled pork taco, and their latest creation, a brisket birria taco. It consists of chopped brisket, onion, and cheese on a warm flour tortilla served with a side of beef broth for dipping. All tacos are $ 6 and a two-sided taco plate is $ 15.
Further menu items
They also serve quesadillas, and a variety of BBQ meats, from brisket to pulled pork and beef sausage, can be purchased by the pound.
Side dishes include mac and cheese, potato salad, elote (Mija’s take on Mexican street corn), and charro beans. Large 16 oz. Containers are available to purchase to take with you with your grill. Pies from Bailey, who also bakes for the 1846 Coffee Company, are very popular with Ash & Embers customers. Bailey’s famous Bourbon Pecan Pie or Oatmeal Stout Chocolate Pie are available for $ 4 each.
Mija Barbecue now serves the brewery’s customers with delicious tacos, sandwiches and other favorite dishes on Wednesdays and Thursdays (4 pm-10pm), Fridays (1 pm-11pm) and Saturdays (12 pm-11pm) Co. is located at 226 Texas Street in Cedar Hill. For more information, call 972-637-3450.
[ad_1]
