Franklin BBQ Review

It's expensive all things considered, but it's also the best barbecue you will get. You should probably try it at least once.

The brisket (and to a lesser extent the ribs) are where it's at.

Insane lines. Never got served. I went a couple blocks to a permanent food truck and got a wonderful sausage and beef sandwich

Google how dare you insult this place with 5 stars. Unlike any BBQ on the planet

Fantastic brisket. Ribs are good. Sausage had a bit too much gristle / connective tissue for my taste.

Local beer on tap or can.

Good deserts. Love the lemon chess pie.

Best barbecue in Austin, but it's an incredibly long wait. On weekdays, you would need to show up by 8 am and wait in line to be guaranteed food at noon. Good luck on weekends. You would need to arrive before 5:30 am and wait in line until noon. It's much easier to pre order online the month before!!

The best barbecue I've ever had. Brisket was fantastic and the ribs literally fell off the bone.

Come for the brisket, stay for the beef ribs. Skip the sides, you came here to eat meat. Get there early (around 7). Go get yourself some breakfast tacos and some beer and enjoy the line.

Yes, you will wait in line, but pack a cooler and folding chairs and treat it like tailgating. We got to meet great people while waiting in line - and as others have said, it is all about the experience. They have fantastic and friendly service, and the food (especially the brisket) is totally worth it. The ribs were also amazing - and grab a pie!

Outstanding location for bbq. visited fri evening i think. the service here is attentive. the bill was reasonable i would say. food is like a restaurant in louisville i liked.

My buddy treated me to a Franklin's brisket with all the sides for my birthday. What a treat! Highly recommended and look at possibly ordering well in advance to avoid a wait.

Chopped beef!!! Ribs!!!! Yum mm mm, definitely worth the wait get here before they sell out of certain things or you have to pay the price of watching others around you eat sweet delicious Meats could not have. Hurry up!! And feast!!

Totally worth the wait. Wouldnt order the lean brisket again though..fatty is where at!

Great friendly staff, hanging in there on a busy Sunday. As always, well worth the wait.

Amazing food, super long wait, but totally worth it

Best BBQ in Texas for sure. Worth the line. Wait goes quicker than you think. Got there at 6:15am on a saturday and was about the 20th person in line.

We had a pulled pork and a brisket sandwich, both a great deal for the price. So delicious and loaded with meat! Love the pickles. Be prepared to wait, but so worth it!

so wake up early and find you way to this line because its one worth waiting in. the longer you wait the hungrier you get and sweeter that first bit of beef is.

We housed 8 out of 10lbs of meat! The beef ribs are ENORMOUS and the brisket just falls apart it's so tender.

I love this place. It's certainly worth the wait if you want the famous food.

It s worth it. The hype is all real: the wait is very long, the morning is very early, the line moves kind of slowly but it is worth it 100 times over. Best brisket I ve ever had after growing up in Texas and beef ribs that are truly God s gift to us all. Doors open at 11 but they ll start coming down the line to let you know about how long the wait will be around 9:30 and if they foresee that anything will run out before you get inside. Everything is excellent but the brisket, ribs, and sausage stand out in particular. Line up by 8 if you want to eat around noon. We got there at 9 and ended up sitting down to eat at 1:15. This is an absolute Austin bucket list item!

The hype is very real. The universe rewards those who are patient. The 3 am drive from Dallas Tx to get in line early was worth it.

Crazy long wait, but that's part of the ambiance of the place! They have a coffee bar trailer set up at the back of the very small parking lot that sells drinks and pastries. Tasty but expensive.

I went this past summer to pickup lunch for my husband (as a special treat). Since it is a 3 hour wait to be guaranteed brisket (if you're one of the first 20 people) he has never been. I'm a vegetarian and they didnt have anything I could eat other then desserts. He said it was DELIOUS! ...but that Terrys Blacks BBQ on Barton Springs is very close to being as good just without the crazy wait times! ;)

The best experience ever. Got to taste the best BBQ in town! Would def come back next time im in austin, if im lucky.

One of the longest waits in line you could find. The food is phenomenal, especially the brisket. I wasn't a big fan of the sausage but everything else was outstanding.

I cant believe how good the brisket was. This was super moist, the bark was extremely flavorful. Best brisket I've ever had and it wasn't even close. Fortunately for me we were able to get the food catered, so we didn't have to wait! Huzzah!

Yes, there is a long wait but worth it at least once. Not much else to complain abput besides the wait. Best brisket cut right in front of you and served in a great atmospere.

Reportedly the best barbecue in the country. It's damn good, but perhaps not worth the 3 hour wait in line. The brisket and ribs are the things to try, for sure.

Come an hour before opening friends and lawn chairs, or put in a "to go" reservation online a month or so out to save the wait.

There is no better Brisket than at Franklin's! Get there early, they run out!

Maybe not worth to stay 5 hours waiting freezing outside or raining, but the brisket and ribs were just amazing. If you can go on good weather and maybe take some games, it will be a better experience than mine.

They absolutely lived up to the reputation. I'd happily wait an hour or more for a lunch like that again. The brisket was great, as expected, but the turkey was a wonderful surprise.

I went there last year ,good and tasty beef ,sauces are awesome ,very very busy place with great service ,one of the best bbq place in Austin ,no doubt about it !

Whoever Al thinks he is, he is an idiot. This is the best BBQ in Texas! Everything is incredible! Meat is incredibly tender and perfectly smoked. Worth any wait! The owners are some of the nicest people I have ever met!

Went here for private event, finally got to try it. It was very good BBQ but not transcendent or anything. Glad I had it but also glad I didn't wait in line.

Love all the Bbq choices good meat, the only complaint is the lines.

The best BBQ I've ever had. Freakishly good. How does he do that? Definitely worth the wait. Got in line at 11 and got the food around 1.

This place is worth the wait. The best brisket I ve had in my life.

Easily the best brisket I've had. Ribs and sausage were both perfectly done. The sauces aren't even needed to enjoy the food, but do add something a little different.

Best brisket ever. Melts in your mouth. Perfectly seasoned. Worth the 4 hour wait! Enjoyed it today on my 40th birthday!

Best BBQ ive ever had.. Salt Lick is great but Franklin's is the spot you must go to .. PS get there early!!!

If you can endure the wait, the pay off is delicious.

Go, wait, start to think you'll go somewhere else, dont, then be amazed by the beautiful tastes of immaculate bbq

long wait, bring entertainment or be prepared to entertain yourself. but that brisket is worth the wait. I'm a dedicated carnivore and that is the best I've ever had. I don't know how it could be made better .

The best bbq. Came from MN to try and was beyond all expectations. Staff was the best. We will be back.

Typically don't like barbecue, but I really recommend trying this place!

Although we remain a Rudy's family, this was a VERY close 2nd - actually a 1.5. lol. The service was good, even with a wait. You make an appt, drive up with your number and they bring it to your trunk. Very safe and convenient. We purchased the brisket and the sausage. Both were cooked very nicely. We have been here for 25 years and this was our first time having Franklin's. Was totally worth a try.

Long line but, well worth it and met some really cool and funny people especially this guy from Germany and his family. Got there at 930 and ate about 2. Brisket and ribs were up there with the very best. Sausage and sauce were good just not the best. Staff was great. I highly suggest it and cannot wait to go back.

As good as advertised. Came on a Friday @ 8am and didn't eat til 1:30.

I'll call this place "infamous" because they have a line every day for their BBQ. When they run out, they close. It is very tasty and the portions are large. But is it worth waiting 3 hours in line? And why is there a line in anyway? Inquiring minds want to know. They have built up the mystique by purposely cooking limited supplies, creating anxiety and the fear of not getting any BBQ today causing an artificial demand in people's minds. Let's get real, people. There are probably a hundred places in Austin to get BBQ. You don't have to wait in line for it. Yes it did give it a high rating because it is good, but there are a dozen other places around easily just as good.

Only a 45 min wait on a Sunday at 1pm! Surprised there's even food left.

Great food. Get there early and be prepared to hang out for a bit.

We waited in line for an hour but it was well worth it!!!! I had the brisket and hubby had the pork and we had potato salad and it was the best!!

Believe the hype. It is the BEST barbecue that I have ever had. I went around 12 on a Tuesday and waited about an hour and a half. The people in line were friendly. You can go get drinks and use the restrooms then get back in line.

Unable to eat at this facility because they only had carry-out. So we went elsewhere.

I LOVE Franklin! And to be honest, I love the waiting part. My husband is a big sports fanatic, but I'm a big food fanatic. We both love tailgating and waiting in line at Franklin is basically just that -- tailgating! Except, I don't have to go to a game when I'm drunk and tired, I get to eat BBQ!

Our last experience was great! Some girlfriends and I went on Wednesday morning around 10AM. The line was already way past the parking lot, but we were prepared with our coolers of wine and chairs. In fact, if you weren't prepared, Franklin has chairs and umbrellas for you to use while you wait. Since we were planning on drinking and waiting, we Lyfted there, which was another great idea because the parking is very limited. Once the restaurant opened, the line moved along rather quickly with people taking your order to ensure there will be enough BBQ. They let you know if you're not likely to get BBQ so you don't have to wait in line even longer only to be rejected. Midway through our wait, they brought out samples of their brisket sandwiches, which kept our motivation up (and we were 3 roses in...)

Then we make it to the front of the line. The brisket, a must. Ribs, sausage, and some turkey (I really like turkey). Now, I will be honest, I'm pretty sure everything was delicious! But...I was also starving and drunk when we finally got food (around 1 PM).

Of course there are ways to bypass the line. You can order ahead if you have a big order and just pick it up. However, I feel like to really enjoy Franklin, you need to wait in line, chat up the people in front and behind you, drink rose all day, and then eat 10 lbs of BBQ. I actually highly recommending the waiting in line. Otherwise, like the other reviews said, Austin is a great destination for excellent BBQ. There are a lot of delicious BBQ places around and although Franklin is a top contender, if you're not looking for a wait, there are other strong contenders.

It's well worth the 2.5-3 hr wait time if you've never had Franklin's barbecue before.

You might have to wait for awhile, but it will be well worth it. Just be aware, if they run out, they run out! You will stand in line, so be prepared.

Wow ... Just wow. Didn't expect barbeque to be that done. Well executed and well done.

Bring a cooler and a good attitude. The line will go by quickly, and it's worth the wait!! This place really lives up to all the hype! The brisket is truly on a whole different level from any brisket that I've had in Austin. Everything else is delicious and worth trying, but that brisket is something special. To answer your question, Yes you will want to get extra for the next day!

This place was amazing, ribs were on point. Juicy and tender. Very impressed.

For those visiting and short on time. If you order online a week or two before your visit there is a truck in the back with a small wait time. You only wait for your order to be sliced (20mins) and you have to order a minimum of 5 lbs.

Bring a vegan here and convert them, theyll thank you for life.

Excellent brisket. I don't really need to say anymore. Best brisket I've ever eaten and if you like brisket you have to try it from Franklin's. I also had ribs, Turkey and sausage. The ribs were good as well, but the brisket was amazing. We got in line a few minutes before 8am on Wednesday morning and were 15th in line in mid January. It was drizzling outside and hazy so I think that helped keep the line down a little.

Waiting in line is part of the fun, it's basically like tailgating with a bunch of people that enjoy good BBQ. The doors opened a little after 8am so we could start buying beer and merchandise. I bought both... The t-shirt prices are a little high, but they are really nice & soft.

The experience was great and they graciously showed us the smokers and walked through the process. Everyone was really nice and it was a great time with great food. Also, don't forget to get a pecan pie to go.. There is no way you can eat it while you are there because you are so stuffed from the BBQ. If you skip through the review, the only thing you really need to know is to go here for EXCELLENT BRISKET.

Amazing!!! Every single time! Get the brisket. You won't regret it.

Well there is not much more that I can add that hasn't been said a few thousand times but I will try... It's the best most consistent BBQ and provides a reference point for everything else. I won't wait in the line, so luckily I can get vendors to take me to dinner there and have an unlimited bar tab

Other than the long line, which we had been warned about, this place was a treat. The barbecue ribs are awesome. Worth the trip to Austin just for those alone!

Very delicious barbecue and recommended. On the tip we came through our guide. The only drawback was the long wait of about 1.5 hours. But we gladly accepted this. Staff is very friendly and hard-working. Thank you very much!

Fantastic BBQ. Waiting in line is part of the experience. Totally worth it!

Waited for 6 hours as I was told that Texas BBQ is a ritual worth trying. Tried the beef ribs (Saturday only), pork ribs, and beef brisket and was not disappointed! All the hype happened to hold up, this really was amongst the best meals I've ever had! The tenderness and flavour of the meat are something to behold.

Juiciest, most delicious pulled pork I've ever shoved in my pie hole, and the espresso barbecue sauce is the best invention of this century. Get there early, like 10:30am-early; otherwise, Franklin will run out of meat and you'll go away hungry. They've said once they finishing building their new brick pit, selling out of meat won't be a problem anymore. Oh, and I hated potato salad until I tried Franklin's.

Really the best BBQ I have ever eaten! (By cons 2 hours of waiting)

Yes, it s THAT GOOD and worth arriving there at 6:30 in the morning to wait on line for four hours to sample some of the best barbecue anywhere. Word to the wise: if you are hankering to sample your first choices of this world-renowned barbecue, you really need to get there around 8am or 8:30am. The restaurant opens at 11:00 and closes when they run out of food. However, they do open early to proffer beer and Franklin merch to the folks waiting on line. However strange it sounds to be drinking beer early in the morning, it s part of the social ritual that one experiences while waiting on line with dozens of other excited barbecue lovers. The line is an experience in and of itself and Franklin s even offers beach chairs to sit on while you wait on the line.

I sampled lots of different meats and they were all spectacular, but the brisket and the ribs... wow, nirvana! Go here once in your life, you ll be glad you invested the time.

Oh, and did I mention that the staff there are super-friendly and the vibe is terrific?

Wagyu beef at its best. I would give it five stars, but I feel the meat is a bit over seasoned. Not by much though.
I also feel that there are as good or better placed to have Bar-B-Que in Texas as well as Austin. Franklin has gotten the best PR in the world and that's why he is considered the best.
TOP FIVE IN THE STATE, TOP 10 IN THE WORLD. 2017 now I feel it's overrated, the line is a fashion trend. There are better options without the wait