Franklin BBQ Reviews

Third times a charm, got to meet and take picture with the man himself Aaron Franklin!

Definitely try to pre order so you don't have the crazy wait! Some of the best Austin BBQ but plan ahead!

The line is very long, but it doesn't matter. Franklin Barbecue is incredibly good. Show up early, bust out a chair (cause it'll be awhile), and make some friends in line. The food is well worth it.

I never understood why a restaurant list its hours as open until 4PM but only cooks enough food to last until 1:30. We drove over 200 miles to eat here but were told they were out of everything except sausage and chopped beef after we were standing in line for 15 minutes.

COME ON GUYS!! COOK SOME MEAT!!

I traveled 8 hours from Tamaulipas, I queued for 4 hours and the truth was a very good experience, the staff was very friendly, and the food was very tasty everything was excellent, the only thing is that Aaron was not when I visited but everything was great

Expect to wait - it's all part of the experience and it is absolutely worth it. We went to four barbeque places on our trip to Dallas and Austin and Franklin's was by far the best. We tried brisket, pork ribs, and pork butt and they were all moist, perfectly seasoned, and melted in our mouths. Staff was super friendly, provided chairs for us while we sat in line, checked in often to offer water and drinks, even showed us the smokers in back. They went down the line early morning to ask for orders to make sure they could tell you when you'd be served, and when they would run out of each meat. There is a reason this place is so highly regarded, and it lived up to all expectations and more!

Went here around 1 PM and was 2 people behind the last person guaranteed food. It was a rainy and cold day, but the welcoming nature of the Franklin Barbecue crew was heartwarming. After about a 2 hour wait, I ordered around $50 worth of meat (luckily they had some left) and the guy only charged me $10 for the whole plate! The food itself was amazing, definitely worth the wait.

My first time experience eating Franklin's was excellent. We ordered our food ahead of our curbside pick up day and the process went smoothly. We loved every meat they offered. We'll be going back for more soon!

4.5 average...Really? Just cannot see giving Franlin Barbecue anything less than a 5. Would give it a 6 if I could. I have eaten BBQ all over the US. And with the exception of the ribs at Arthur Bryants in KC, this is the best BBQ - hands down in the US.

Wait in line? Get over it, make friends with your fellow BBQ fans, bring a flask of something, send out lots of tweets, text, get caught up on email. It is worth the wait. Note, I have arrived many times after noon and although the line is longish, we still get our Q. You just get served earlier if you show up early. Enjoy!

Their briskets are so good, I'm planning a US trip just to have more brisket.

I came all the way from Phoenix AZ to try out their meat because the reviews. I have to honestly say that the brisket and pork ribs are very good, but the sausage is horrible and salty.

We came at about 12:20PM and wait for 40 minutes. That's not too bad. They are not the best BBQ I've ever had, but I will come back for the brisket and ribs in I visit Austin again.

Waited 3.5 hours for brisket & sausage. They sale until out. Ran out of pulled pork & turkey early, ribs at 1:50. It was good, but not sure I'd wait that long again. Sold out of everything at 2:45. We were treated very nice. Kept us in water, & even gave us a sample chopped brisket sandwich.

Good BBQ, but NOT worth the hype and wait. It's good BBQ but not amazingly to die for. The line is far too long to waste your morning for a plate of food. Try other locations that are more efficient in running their lines

Well I went back recently, my wait was not that long. However it was still 1 hour +, the brisket is really where it's at, currently it's $20 a pound up from it's $13 a pound in 2011. The food is good, it really is, just the brisket everything else seemed so so to me. I'm not a fan of their sides. The service is great though, I did realize this time that the line takes so long because people still haven't decided what they were going to order out of the 5 types of meat that is offered after standing in line for 3 hours..... not really sure what is going on there. I still believe that the line could be run more efficiently, but then the hype would die...

Texas BBQ: My friends and I arrived at 10:30am to stand in line for this Austin landmark's fair.

Perhaps it was the length of time in the line, but the food did not meet my expectations. With that said, the food was still quite good!

Franklin is certainly more convenient than Smitty's in Lockhart... But Smitty's is still the BBQ king in my book.

Had the most amazing BBQ I have ever had. I got in line on a Wednesday around 10:30. I was eating lunch by 12:15. I would suggest getting there early because the line takes a bit and the food sells out really quickly. The portion size is by the pound. I say try a little bit of everything its totally worth it. I tried the ribs, brisket, and sausage. I can not understand how someone is able to pack that much flavor into meat. It wasn't really the sauce on it either, the flavor was smoke into the meat. Such a great place, go with an appetite!

Waited in line for three hours and it was worth it! Fantastic brisket and super staff.

In A Nutshell:

*Took two days to finally crack the very, very, very long line and enter the establishment.
*The two meats that stood out to our group was the BRISKET and the RIBS. They were definitely worth the wait.

Overall, be warned you need to get there around 7:30am-8am to be guaranteed entry.

I was the first on line =), and every minute was worth it... Thanks guys

Me and my wife came to Texas for my 24th birthday, Franklin's was a must! We waited in line for about 3 hours, but it was worth every second. The brisket is a must, and so is everything else on their menu, no lie literally everything was amazing! Also they gave us a free pecan pie!

Franklin's. 5 star brisket and other bbq, 3 star for the line process, 4 star because they run out, 3 star bc they ran out last time I was there! But it is the heritage stop, the place to take your guests and friends from out of town and overseas, the place to spend some time hanging around on a day with good weather. 5 star peeps, 5 star resilience and fortitude from '17 fire. 5 star catering.

What can I say, Franklin is by far the best bbq that I have had and I've had a lot of Texas bbq. I've been enjoying their bbq since they were a tiny trailer on the side of 35. I still think it's worth the wait, though the wait is a little out of hand these days (I've had the pleasure of doing the pre-order on my last few visits). The owner Aaron and his wife are still so nice and humble even with their new fame and visits from the president.

The brisket and ribs are my melt in your mouth favorites, but all the meats are great and the Tipsy Texan is also a great choice if you want to go the sandwich route. The only thing that could be better is the sides, but we are all really there for the meat..so does it matter? If you have any room leftover at the end of your meal try one of the mini pies they sell. They are sweet bonus. My pro tip: Get some friends, get some chairs, a breakfast taco and coffee and make a morning/afternoon of it.

Ordered the brisket to be picked up, cooked at home. Best brisket that I have ever tried.

GET THERE EARLY or Risk no BBQ

We arrived at 1:00pm and the line was still out the door and across the front entrance. By 2:00 we were at the door but were told there was a chance we wouldn't be able to have any BBQ. We got in as the second to last group. They go into end of day mode and put together a plate based on the number of people eating. They gave a very large portion (enough for the 3 of us with leftovers) and a good price to boot. BBQ was very good, a little more pecan smoke on the sausage but overall we were all very happy with the quality of the food.

Hands down best BBQ in Austin. Yes, there's a line, but make an event out of it: take chairs and drinks for while you wait. Before noon? So?

Incredible food. There will always be a wait, though.

Great BBQ and friendly staff. Brisket was fantastic. I had lean, moist, and burnt ends, all were top notch.

Long wait...brisket is great. Bring something to sit on and an umbrella for shade and something to pass the time.

OK, this is the best BBQ ever - take it from me, worth the wait in line,.MMMMMmmmmm

Drove all the way out from Central California to try it after seeing all the videos and it was well worth the trip! I had the brisket and it was perfect!

Loved the food, but the bbq sauce was amazing. Visiting and had to come by to try it.

They are not lying when they say arrive at 7am to get in line!!! But it was worth the wait and I am in love with Franklin's BBQ!!

May sound crazy but I am a vegetarian who encourages her husband to eat meat. He enjoyed the brisket and said the sausage was too gristly for his taste. I love BBQ sauce so I enjoyed the white bread with their variety of 3 sauces. The potato salad was okay; egg, potato and cut up sandwich dill pickle rounds. I preferred the slaw with a mayo style dressing. The pies are good too, can't go wrong there. I liked the lemon chess pie.

Waiting for more than two hours is worth eating
I keep thinking about it even after coming to Korea

Food and service is outstanding i.e. stands out among the many BBQ restaurants in Austin or Texas. Brisket was like none I've had. Tender, juicy, flavorful, robust bark with just the right amount of smokiness and seasoning.
The wait in line was easy. Staff members were friendly, helpful, and informative. Water and restrooms were always available. Offered chairs to the first (longest wait) in line.
Overall, it was a very pleasant wait and well worth the great food.

Franklin is the best barbecue in the state, scratch that country, scratch that world, hands down. There is nothing better than waking up early on a Saturday morning and waiting in line with people from all over the world before diving into the world's best barbecue. It's best to go with a few people, bring a cooler of beer for the wait, and splitting a little bit (or a lot) of everything on the menu.

Showed up at 11:40, it was pouring rain, but we got our food around 1:30. It was delicious. Highly recommend it. Got half a pound of brisket, & potato salad. Nomz

Flew in to stand in line at Franklin's. Let's just say it was well worth the wait. Brisket, Turkey, Pulled Pork, and Ribs are outstanding. Even though we stood in line for 1.5 hours we were still able to try everything we wanted. Friendly staff, great food, great conversations in line with other customers.

Omg!!! Franklin Barbecue Rocks!!! Yes, wait in line and dont be late or you will miss out on some amazing smoked meat!!! The wait for us was we worth it especially when you get to met the man your self!!! Love love love the entire experience.

Yes the wait is worth it, yes it's 3-4 hours before you get food ( started waiting at 815 on a Wednesday). Treat it like a morning camping session and it's pretty bearable. Brisket is more tender and flavorful than the salt lick's, turkey surprisingly was much more flavorful than expected.

We noted you can reserve meat a month ahead of time; that may be the path for our bbq fix going forward.

Best Brisket , friendly staff , worth waiting 2 hours ! Be there early

The BEST BBQ in Austin. All UT fans aren't real UT fans until they tried Franklin's

The lines are terrible! For food pick up in your car had to wait 2 hrs in line...

Must be preplanned. A long wait. But meats are moist and seasoned well. Sides are flavorful.

This place is amazing. I waited in line for over a hour. I talked to people while waiting who said they go every Sunday because it's worth the wait time. They were right! Just be patient and you'll be glad you came also.

It was everything I dreamed it would be!!! Even the pie was off the hook!!!!

Horrible experience. Placed an order a day in advance and still waited an hour in the parking lot. The guy putting our food in the trunk dropped it in and didn t even tell us. If you re gonna do curbside please make sure you re courteous to those who take the time to wait. Don t do curbside.

We drive from San Antonio, pre-order online and have fun in Austin eating this awesome BBQ on a picnic bench at Barton Springs Park or Metro Park. Between Franklin and LA Barbecue you can not go wrong as they are the best places to eat BBQ Beef in Austin. Great portions, and Franklin does a great job with the selection of cuts on the Brisket, so you get a sample from start to end with each pound ordered. Also, you get sauce, pickles onions and *Bread. Highly recommended.

You can either stand in line for a long time or utilize preorder and show up at the appointed time. Damn good barbeque. Pork ribs and brisket are great by themselves or with the barbeque sauce. Sausage is really good too. The coleslaw and potato salad are just okay.

Want to wait in a line for a while for arguably the best bbq in Austin? If your answer is yes then come here. Great barbeque obviously, would do once or maybe even twice, but then go somewhere else, I say, if you want to bring a lawn chair and set it up and drink for the day do it somewhere else other than a line, I dunno, like zilker, a pool, it's Austin ya'll..

Get 5-6 people together and order the takeout, have to do it a month in advance and there is a $100 minimum, but take that somewhere that is fun with your lawn chair and beer and party it up.

IS THERE A HIGHER THAN 5 STAR OPTION?! I NEED IT!
Waited in line for 8 hours and dont even care.
AWEMAZINGGGGGGGGGGG. OMG I am glad I dont live in Austin I would be here daily just wasting my hours sitting in line.
If you dont go to Austin and get this place you shouldnt even be in Austin.

24 hours later and I'm still in the wow zone from their BBQ. An outing to what is probably the best brisket in the city/ state/ country/ world / planet is not for the faint of heart. For a weekday plan on getting in line by 9 am for opening at 11. Another option is to order ahead but the first opening was two months out.

Brisket: the best I've ever had
Ribs: Fantastic
Sausage: Good / above average
Turkey: above average (love that is very peppery)
Sauce: slightly above average

We have not been yet, We made plans doing my visit to Austin, We had my 89 year old mother, Mom can't stand a long time. May next time, I hear nothing but great things about the food and LONG Lines. WELL worth the wait.

This place gets a 4 simply on brisket alone. It was extra, extra tender. It melts in your mouth like butter. I'm from Houston, so I have had better all the way around. The place is super busy which is great for business, and I stood in line for around 2hr. The wait, and the food just didn't add up to a five.

Wonderful BBQ, wonderful people, wonderful place. Came in from Fort Worth and it was worth it.

Without a doubt the best brisket, beef ribs, and turkey I've ever had. The pork ribs were a little too peppery, and honestly I liked Salt Lick's better. The sausage and turkey were both okay, and the sauces were pretty good though they rarely touched the meat.

Ordered the 3lb minimum, Brisket, Ribs, and Pulled Pork.
Brisket is carefully trimmed of all the non rendering fats and bad cuts. Then it's coated heavily with mustard, salt, pepper and smoked with texas post oak. The result is a fully rendered, delicate, and neutral tasting meat.
I tasted the salt and pepper with a slight hint of vanilla smoke from the post oak. But don't worry, you get 3 different sauces on the side to satisfy any preference. A light vinaigrette, a tangy medium sauce(my fav), and a caramelized dark sauce.
The Pulled pork and Ribs are prepared and seasoned similarly to the Brisket. The main difference is the texture of the meat. The pulled pork being the leanest and grainiest, which pairs best with the bread and sauce. Brisket is more fatty with more dimensions, also pairing well with the bread. The Ribs were my favorite because they had the most complexity, texture, and layers of flavor.
I took 1 star off, because most of Brisket was a little dry. I understand it's difficult to BBQ a huge piece of meat and if I mixed the fatty and lean Brisket together and put it in a sandwich it would have melted harmoniously. However, I expected a little more, after spending over $100. If you ever had sous vide meats, this will taste like beef jerky in comparison, a very good beef jerky though!
Kudos to the new covid ordering system, got my order in 15 minutes!

Hands down, the best brisket I have ever tasted. Well worth the wait!

Definitely the best brisket - a true artisan at work. Turkey also outstanding. Ribs better than most. Stick to the brisket for real meat candy though. Skip the sauces for best flavor for meat. Enjoy the reason that beautiful smoke ring exists. Don't forget to bring a chair - happy eating!

Fall-off-the-bone ribs!!! Great sauce! Worth the long wait!!!

As of Friday June 12th 2020. They have a 3 Pound minimum order on anything. You can t just order some chili, you have to order 3 pounds of chili or 3 pounds of brisket. Some people live or travel alone and can t eat 3 pounds of chili. :(

Franklin's is always on point, and yes it is worth the wait. On our most recent visit on a Saturday the first people in line said they got there at 6am, we got there at 6:45 and there were about fifty or so ahead of us.
We bring chairs, a cooler full of beverages and spend the wait socializing.
There is a coffee trailer in back and tasty breakfast trailers down the street.

If you haven't heard about Franklin Barbecue, you have been missing out. Controversially seen as the best barbecue in Austin (if not in Texas) this is must have. Don't think you can just swing by though, lines to get an order in start early and they stay open until they run out for the day which could be within hours. Go early and expect to wait at least an hour and a half to indulge in this exclusive meat. I would recommend the brisket which may very well be the best I have ever had.

You haven't lived till you tasted the brisket,the only problem it's closed at 3:00 pm

WOW this is the best BBQ ever I heard about this place on yahoo and I came all the way from Georgia just to try it and it was worth the trip and the long wait in line I definitely will be coming back in the future.

Finally made it to Franklin! Got here super early on a Sunday morning (read: 7am). Thankfully the weather was perfect. The thunderstorms had stopped the night before and it was pleasant in the shade. Thank goodness for those loaner chairs! After a 4 hour wait, I was treated to some of the best brisket I've ever had in my life. Previously, the best I'd ever had was at Louis Mueller's. Is it worth the 4 hour wait? Well, it's definitely an experience and worth experiencing at least once.