Franklin Barbecue: Austin's Premier Destination for Mouthwatering BBQ

THIS is why I picked Austin for this leg of my trip! While there can be up to a 3 hr wait, only about a dozen people were in line when I arrived (40 min before opening). I saw in an interview once, Aaron said winter is a good time to come to minimize the wait. I got 1/4 pound of everything and both sausage styles. This was hands down the best bbq I've had! I got to chatting with Taylor who gave me great info on the place as well as other recommendations for while I'm in town. She also hooked up a behind the scenes tour with one of the pit crew, Mattie. He is an awesome dude and I greatly appreciated his time! While it was all delicious, my top 3 on the plate: the jalapeño sausage, the turkey, and of course the brisket (in that order). Props to Theo on the smoked sausages! Highly recommend! (And hopefully i spelled everyone's names correctly ha). IG: That1GuyTravels

Not wanting to stand in line for hours was top priority, so we placed a to-go order and ate at one of the two benches by the to-go trailer in back. There was a 5 pound meat minimum so it ain't cheap to do it that way. No sides ordered, so I can't review those, but the meats were all top notch. Best brisket, turkey, and jalapeno cheddar sausage that we tried on a BBQ mecca type trip to Austin and Lockhart, TX. The flavor of each item was rich and delicious. The sleeper of the meats was the shredded beef brisket. That on a sandwich (bread provided) with the pickles and jalapeno and the espresso bbq sauce was phenomenal. They need to sell the espresso sauce in the bottle like the other sauce flavors.

Brisket was good. Cheddar Jalapeno sausage was good. Pork ribs were the best I've ever had in my entire 50yrs of being alive!! Pulled pork was just okay. The beans were really good, but the other sides were just okay.

Was in Austin for work and got a chance to try Franklin. Really wanted to see if it was worth the hype. I arrived around noon on a Thursday and it took 1h10 to get my food. Be prepared to wait. Seems like if you arrive after 1:30, wait is shorter. The brisket was amazing, very tender, not dry. Sausage was great, a lot of flavors. Bbq sauce were great as well. The spicy one was my favorite, just the right amount of spice (not too spicy). Sides were good/ok. Nothing special. Special mention to the key lime pie. Yummy! Worth trying at least once imho!

Arrived Friday am around 9:45. Brought our chairs and started waiting. A staff member was selling local beer so I tried the large which was very tasty. Around 11 the line started to move and then another staff member came out to the line and informed how long the wait is based on your approximate position, ours was 2 hours. She also took a soft order prepping your expectations like how much 2 ribs weigh, how much brisket you might like etc. The wait is long but ultimately worth it. The BBQ is awesome so juicy and flavorful. All in all a must try.

Been on my bucket list for a while. Everything it is cracked up to be. Brisket was fantastic. The beef rib was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by the pork rib! Maybe not what they are known for, but it was delicious! Everyone was amazingly friendly and helpful. One of the staff even offered us a tour of the pit room to see where all the magic happens. Those smokers are something! Had a great time in line as well. Lot's of friendly customers to keep you company while you wait.

Group of 10 of us went. We got 5lbs of brisket, 12 ribs, 4 links of sausage and we ate it all. It was amazing!! The ribs were on par with the best I've ever had if not the best. The brisket was absolutely perfect. We got there at about 12:45 on a Sunday and waited about an hour to order. Periodically someone came through the line to ask what we were planning to order and giving a status on what was still available. Next time I hope to try the turkey and maybe some of the desserts. Thanks Franklin!

We've experienced Franklin a couple times before -- once during COVID for a to go order and once when we won a private dinner experience through a blood donation (still one of the coolest wins ever, unfortunately we didn't win this year, lol). This time, we were actually on our way to try a different BBQ spot when we noticed there was no line?? It was only 30 minutes before opening. This was right before the big freeze at the end of January, so everyone was huddled inside the patio trying to stay warm, but the vibes were still laid back and friendly. One thing we absolutely LOVE about Franklin is how they handle the wait. Doors are open before service starts, you can use the restroom, even grab drinks while you wait. That alone is elite level hospitality in the BBQ world. They also had someone walking around asking what people were thinking of ordering so they could gauge inventory, which is genius and helps manage expectations before you even get to the counter. Service was super friendly across the board. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there and wanted to make sure guests were taken care of. What we ordered: * Turkey - Moist and lightly seasoned, letting the meat shine. Simple and done right. * Beef Rib - Massive, tender, incredible smoke and bark. Surprisingly needed a little extra salt (yes, I said it ), but once we added it? WOW. * Brisket - We didn't think it would taste that different from the beef rib, but texturally it absolutely was. Melt-in-your-mouth tender with beautiful bark and the perfect level of seasoning. * Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage - Great snap, LOVED the gouda flavor * Pork Ribs - Fall-off-the-bone tender, smoky, and honestly some of the best we've had. We grabbed some bubbles (basically prosecco) while waiting and a Roadhouse beer. Alcohol prices are on the higher side, but the convenience of being able to sip while you wait, especially since we stopped in last minute, makes it worth it. We did forget to order the sausage initially, but it was super easy to walk over to the drink counter and add it without standing in the full line again. Also appreciate the free bread, pickles, onions, and sauce setup. It's the little things. Only slight hiccup: when it was time to line up for opening, they ask guests to honor the order of arrival. Unfortunately, people are people and not everyone follows the honor system. But that's not on the staff, they can only do so much. Overall, incredible food, thoughtful hospitality, and a super smooth experience even on a cold morning right before a freeze. Franklin continues to live up to the hype, and we'd absolutely go back.