Franklin BBQ Reviews

Good beer, great service, fantastic food! Thanks for a great experience!!!

OK so looooong wait. We got there at 7:15 in the morning and were the 6th group in line, should note that the do sell out daily... from what I understand usually around 1 pm, during the week you are probably safe getting there around 8. On to the food itself. I do not have words. The best and most tender brisket I have ever consumed. Do not miss the turkey, which may overshadow the brisket for some. Take you appetite, leave wondering how you will ever eat BBQ anywhere else.

The brisket was flaking apart with my fork. GREAT BBQ!

The best, hands down.
I almost decided against going, but I'm so happy I did.
Got in line on a Tuesday at 10:30am (half hour before opening), and I had my food a little after 12:00pm. I hear you can wait 4-5 hours on a Saturday.
Completely worth it, just the smell alone when you finally make it inside.
I had the Tipsy Texan sandwich, a half pound of incredible moist brisket, and pinto beans. The staff is really great. A woman walks through the line with a cooler of beer for sale and takes the meat count. The counter staff is professional and friendly.

Brisket was lacking flavor and a little dry.... Heard such great things about it... very disappointed in the hype.

Amazing BBQ! Thank you Franklin! Be sure to go before 130, if you want a full menu as they sell out daily. Highly recommended for any and all BBQ lovers. We both got the pulled pork sandwich (~$7) and it was the best I have had in Austin, possibly the country. The couple sitting next to us offered some of their turkey and it was delicious, possibly the best i have ever had. Very juicy. I will be back for sure!!

An absolute must if you re going to spend any amount of time in Austin. There s a reason people line up for this food.

I never got inside, I've tried twice! I'll be back tho

Stay in line. It's worth it. If you only get one thing get the brisket. But if you only get one thing you're not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Over eat. You might never get back. Considering how much fat you may consume, you might not even make it out of the restaurant if you have preexisting health issues. Best BBQ in Austin.

Best bbq in austin. Huge line to get it. Be prepared to wait for hours. They do have chairsfor ppl who are standing in line. Go early and should get what you want.

The hype is real. Waiting in line was fun, the people were all very friendly. I wont say that the ribs and pulled pork were the best I ever had, but the brisket really was the best I have ever had by a large margin. Seriously, it was meat candy. Just melt in your mouth. I went because it is a Texas bucket list item. But I would go back and wait 5 hours just because it was so good.

Always wanted to go there finally in Austin and was greeted by a Sold Out sign

Brisket clearly sets the bar for Texas BBQ!!! Friendly staff as well.

Quite simple preps for the beef brisket..
Just labor and fire..
The line of people is awesome..
Gotta start at early brunch ended at late lunch..
Great stuff..

I m not sure where to begin but to say the 6 hours of waiting was so worth it. It s a must try, must have, etc. the texture in the meats was just on point, you just can t beat it. I d recommend it 10/10! The man knows what he s doing! P.s. I have to give it to the staff with friendliness and smiles all around never felt like I was pressured but relaxed, thank y all!

Totally worth the hype! Food is great, service is SUPERIOR. Or maybe that's the food too. Can't decide. I'm so full.

very nice restaurant with good services and food! Will come again.

Well worth the 1.5 hour wait. Simply the best brisket I have had in my life. The pork ribs are just way too good. Definitely go on Thursday of you don't want to wait too long, but you still have to be there within at least 30 mins of opening time. They will more than likely run out of food before closing, so be early and be patient.

The best smoked brisket in Texas (and probably the world). Also amazing ribs. Good online ordering system as well.

Just another 5 star review. This place is has the best brisket

We showed up at 7am on a Saturday in August and got our food at 12:16. We were early enough to get a spot in line under the covered walkway. Overall the wait was ok, but I'm not sure I'll wait that long for BBQ again. Make sure you bring your own chairs if you want to sit comfortably.

One of Texas best places to go for BBQ. You need to get there early because by around 1 or 2 pm, they are usually sold out. The line is crazy, but just a testament that people will line up for the food here. We spent a little over an hour in line, and some of the food was sold out, but what we did get to eat was absolutely delicious, no doubt, worth the wait.

Delicious, but you have to go very early ... They line up early and they only open from 11am to 3pm, I recommend it but you have to go early

Voted best barbecue in the US and for good reason. Be prepared to show up 3 hours before opening to insure a place in line where you'll still get served.

Beautiful, romantic setting with amazing service and excellent food. A favorite for special occasions.

I will be short. Arguably the best meal I have had in my entire life. The Brisket is better than any steak I have ever had. Well worth the wait in line.

Best Brisket I've ever had. Literally falling apart and terrificialy juicy. Curbside Pickup was painless.

The brisket is BY FAR the best there is. Imagine perfection as you wait in line for it; Then, be prepared to have your expectations exceeded. The only question here is: Is it worth the wait? If you are into smoked meat, the answer is emphatically and unequivocally "Yes!" Everything else (turkey, beef rib, sides) was good... but did I mention the brisket?

Really enjoyed my stay in Austin, especially a Fijian having my first bbq experience at Franklin Barbecue. The smell of smoke and the meats.....Wow. Service and food - loved it.

Very friendly work staff, even let me see the BBQ rigs

Definitely one of the best BBQ resturants, if not the best, in the world. Waiting in the line is part of the experience and totally worth it. Be ready to wait in the pine and i am sure you will feel it fly quickly. People would normally come in after 6 am. I tried the brisket (fatty side is awesome and lean side is flavorful - i recommend ordering both sides), beef ribs (deliciousness at its best) and turkey (is alright). Regarding desserts, key lime tart and Texas pecan pie were delicious. Apple pie, which was the special dessert of the day, was great.

Average bbq and totally not worth the Hype. We ordered a month in advance for pick up and was very disappointed.

This place is so well design. I must confess I hate the concept a little. The whole stand in line for infinite hours to maybe get what you went for. But, at the same time is one of the many ways it makes this place so special and also doesn't pair with a regular food chain, because it's not. Food is always amazing, personnel is amazing, people there in general are amazing. We honestly go to Austin just to eat here.

Every time I have been there, there is a head chef that comes out and talks to people in line, and drinks and pie are available way before they open. Fair warning, eating here is Thanksgiving. The food coma is so real!

The best brisket of my life. The pie was good as well.

Some of the best Barbecue in the US, the owner is one of the nicest down to earth guys in the world!!!!

It's true, the brisket is amazing! If you can make it to the pie, you're a rock star.

Definitely worth the wait. Wake up early, bring a chair, sunblock, your favorite beverage and plan on getting to know your line neighbors. The ribs, brisquit and turkey are the bomb.

The best BBQ (I've had) ever (in my existence). Yes, the wait was long but the reward is great. Meat comes off right off the ribs, briskets are tender and moist and the sausages are flavorful. A friend of mine recommended to get the turkey and that did not disappoint.

A tip: if you want something to keep you warm while waiting in line, you can get coffee from Purple Bean, next to the Victory Grille (3 blocks east).

Awesome BBQ...get here early ...long line up 30min wait

Some of the best BBQ these Cajuns have ever had! Due to their COVID procedures we ordered the day before and pick up the next day..... HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! We had the chopped beef sandwich, quart of chopped brisket, Cole slaw and it was perfect for this family of 6 to eat on a picnic lunch at Zilker Park just down the road.

Brisket is amazing! The pork ribs were probably the best I have ever had. The bbq sauce isn't the best, but you dont need with bbq this good.

Average BBQ for Texas. It's nothing special but they sure as hell got their marketing right. Make you wait and serve limited amounts of meat per day. A good BBQ place runs out of their next day's meat. A lot of BBQ places I go to have days worth of meat going or getting started the day before, they do not here apparently.

The flavor is good but it's the lower end of recommendable barbecue places in Texas. The wait takes away from that, but the portion size is on par with other bbq places and not like boutique bbq places that have no flavor to go with their small portions and cost $80.

Their prices are on par with other bbq joints. It's just overrated. Drive an hour to lockhart instead if you want the best of the best.

Got in line around 7:20 am for the 11:30 open. Totally worth it, but we read up and came prepared. We ordered a little bit of everything, but wished we had done more brisket. Next time I am in Austin I will definitely go back (if I have the time to wait).

This is the must go to BBQ place In Austin. Franklin barbecue is probably the most well-known barbecue place forpeople coming from out of town. Highly recommend getting there really early to get in line as If you are about 60 people deep in line they might run out of brisket which is what Franklin is known for. My only suggestion is to get small portions as you fill up quickly.

Worth the wait. If you want to be sure you'll be able to try everything on the menu then get there at 6am

This place is way overrated. I stood in line for about 2-3 hours for okay BBQ. It's an experience I guess.

I waited in line 1 hour for barbeque (in 2010 mind you) I could have gotten at a couple of other places in town. Its not about the Q. There's nothing I could find wrong with it. In fact, my ribs were downright outstanding. But 1 hour outside in Austin in July? Sorry Frank, I'd rather go to J.W. Mueller, La Barbeque, or even Rudys , where odds are I could be headed back to the office within the hour.

Excellent BBQ. However, it's not so good to wait 4 hours or more in line for. If you're going to do that, you're better off driving to Lockhart and making a day trip out of your BBQ dining experience in a city that is home to THREE of the best BBQ joints in all of TX.

Franklin's BBQ is very good, ignoring the line. The brisket is supremely moist and delicious. I'd recommend the moist always over the lean. I am personally not a fan of the three sauces they provide, all vinegar based. Thankfully they are just offered and not bathed in the sauce before you buy.

Sides? Why bother with sides when there's so much good meat! The pulled pork is very good, albeit a little dry. The ribs are excellent, and fall right off the bone. Sausage is meh, I've yet to find any restaurant that makes a sausage so good that I'd have it over a good brisket.

Probably the best barbecue place I have been to in this country. Beware of the long line though. Very friendly and courteous staff. The place provides folding chairs and umbrellas, (though limited) for people in the line. Always a good idea to take your own. Do not forget to pack water. Wait time for us was around 5 hours.

Best BBQ EVER! Completely worth the 3 hour wait. I got there on a Friday, 20 minutes before it opened 10:40 and finally had food130-2. The staff are so friendly and caring. I was able to get brisket., a fig and blue cheese sausage, a Cracked Pepper and garlic sausage, pulled pork and the Tipsy Texan. Evening was amazing! The vinegar sauce was my favorite.

It's simple, really, Gandhi for peace, Michael Jordan for basketball, Aaron Franklin for barbecue.

I traveled from Southern California to enjoy some of Franklin's barbecue.

In the far reaches of the back of my mind, I had a "I mean, really?" moment. (Like 0.000001% of a thought.) Today, I laugh at that fraction of a moment of stupidity.

I think I found Jesus in my brisket.

Finally pulled the trigger on Franklin's, and it was worth it. Mind you, I didn't wait in the line (don't tell me it doesn't count, I've got better things to do with my hours); I ordered online weeks after of time, minimum of five pounds, pick it up out back in the original trailer. Price is great, pulled pork and sausage were divine, regular and vinegar sauces were amazing (but that espresso sauce was unfortunate)... And the brisket was everything that I could have imagined it to possibly be. Totally worth it, totally worth what is said and written and imagined. Thanks doesn't cover it, really, so I just want to say that I appreciate the opportunity to buy and eat that brisket. I just spent 20 seconds thinking about it again...

Everything you've heard is right on and even cooler. It's a must stop place for any BBQ lover. The Mecca of its realm. Get here now!

the bbq is good, but overrated. the biggest asset to this place is the long line. you figure out why once you get to the front, one guy serving cuts, taking his sweet time. its like the nightclub that is empty inside, but people line up outside because there is a line, once people catch on they will stop waiting 2 hours for decent bbq.

not comparing food quality, but any other bbq joint in town would get through this line in 15 minutes. not worth the wait, pass or make someone wait in line for you if you really have to go.

Franklin s opens at 11am. I heard there could be a long line. I showed up at 9:50am and the line was long. They said where I was in line it would be a 1/1:30pm eating time and they ran out of ribs before they even opened at 11am....Everyone in the line was basically from out of town...This place is a tourist trap. No BBQ is worth waiting that long for it. What a gimmick.

Love their barbeque! Order ahead, it's much easier than standing in line forever, especially at the end of the day. You may not make it inside before they run out.

Small place, you have to do a long line to enter but actually I don't understand why because the food in general is OK, nothing special, too fatty in general compared with other Texas bbqs. I only highlight the ribs.

Awesome bbq. Very worth the wait if you have a day to kill.

During the pandemic, the to go order online was really easy to do. You can pick 2 days ahead time slots pretty easily. Ordered brisket, pork ribs and sausage. All of them were amazing!

We got curbside pickup after ordering a few days in advance and it was perfect!!!

On par with salt lick and not a 45 minute drive out of Austin.

Though I should mention it's definitely different than Salt Lick

Got here at 7:45 on a Sunday and they had spare chairs, sun umbrellas, and water to help you through the heat. Perfect start. These are limited in supply, so don't rely on it if you can't get there early enough. Next up was the 4.5 hours until I got to sit down and eat. Was it worth it? Without a doubt, the answer is overwhelmingly "Yesssss"

The brisket lived up to the amazing hype and the ribs were perfection. Would I do this again? Maybe not, as 4.5 hours is a long time to wait, but I am glad I did it once. Luckily today was my travel day at the flight doesn't take off until late in the afternoon, so I had time to kill.

Very greasy, average barbecue fare - I was lucky I attended a business event with a small line but I'd be honestly downright pissed if I waited for 2-3 hours for this. Like Pinks in LA, Franklin's more of an experience to report that you waited for food than the food itself. In a blind taste test with Rudy's, it would be hard to tell the difference. With so many other BBQ joints in Austin that can manage a line of customers, I'm at a loss why this is so highly ranked. I should mention that the guys serving were really friendly and enthusiastic but I was expecting so much more from the food.

Get yourself at least a couple of burnt end nuggets. Best piece of meat I've ever eaten.

I attended Franklin Barbecue on a hot day and luckily only had to wait about an hour. What's that? It's crazy to wait an hour? Yeah, probably. They serve pretty awesome barbecue, so by the time I left, I kind of wasn't so angry about the wait. Would I do it often? No. That said, the food is better than good and the prices are very reasonable.

3 hour wait isn t a surprise. It was worth every minute

Of course this place will get a good review but let me elaborate. Yes the brisket is amazing but everyone knows that. What needs to be pointed out is that although you wait 4+ hours the experience is unforgettable. What you need to keep in mind is that you have to be open and talk to strangers next to you because you now share something in common. If you can manage that, you will have that much more of a great time. Don't forget to take chairs, umbrellas (for the summer sun) and beer. And make sure you take extras so you can share.

I didn t go in and try the brisket, but the food truck it was delicious. The best breakfast tacos I ve had in Austin yet!

I ordered from Franklin BBQ a few weeks in advance and needed to wait about 15 minutes to pick up our order once we arrived. If you order to go, you are not allowed to eat on their outdoor tables, which I think if fair. They recommended we use the tables at a nearby park that is ~5 minutes away. The ribs were well above average and the brisket was the best I've ever eaten.

Worth the wait and some. If you're in Austin and have the time, this is a must.

Always like paying a visit here when I am in the area.