Franklin BBQ Reviews

Definitely worth the wait in line. Definitely worth the hype.

Every good thing you ve heard is true. Worth the three hour wait in line. No need to bring a chair they are provided. Sun protection is recommended and stay hydrated. You can go in for drinks at any time. Someone came out periodically to tell us how much food was remaining or to know what we would be ordering. BBQ was the best I ever tasted. Three sauces to choose from but not needed. Don t eat breakfast before hand. You will get more food than you can eat. Can t wait to go again.

The best tasting barbecue I've ever eaten in my life.

The brisket with fat is the definitely the best I have ever had, skip the pork ribs, IMHO, ribs should have BBQ sauce not rubbed in spices. Go for the beef ribs instead.

Franklin Barbeque was our (the wife and I) food introduction to Austin, and it set the very high food standard that we would expect during our vacation.

After braving the line with my wife for a couple hours, we we're a couple of the last people to be served. By the time we got up there only some sides, sausage, brisket and pulled pork was left, and they just created a plate for the both of us to eat. We must have looked like savages. At one point I looked over at my wife, only to be surprised she was keeping up with me!

In line, we met the friendliest people and had great conversations the entire time. It was also great that you could have a beer while waiting.

We thoroughly enjoyed Franklin's. It's worth it at least once to go despite the crazy line.

I just didn't understand all of the hype for Franklins. That is, until I tried it. I'm a pretty picky food eater, and am not the biggest fan of BBQ. Yes, I'm from Texas, so go ahead and shun me. The point is that this place is phenomenal. I see why people wait in line for hours now.

This place deserves 100 stars just the love that is put in the food here is exactly what makes this place stick out!

I went there in September of 2014. I waited 4 hours in line and I ordered the Brisket. It was very good, but honestly...it wasn't worth waiting 4 hours in line for.

Freaking awesome BBQ! Lives up to its reputation! Got lucky and only had to wait about 40 minutes in line.

Most tender/soft brisket ever,really rips off the bone. flavor is just decent. Sausage is ok, ribs were just decent. Brisket is good but definitely not worth the long wait.

The brisket lives up to the Hype. This brisket could being peace to the middle east. It could calm down lil Kim, the rocket man. It could solve sonmanh problems. When aliens invade like independence day, forget Will Smith, give em some of this brisket. If this doesn't convince aliens we're good, nothing will.

This brisket will change your life.

I simply cannot understand the hype of this place. I literally waited for hours under the hot sun for the chance to try their famous food and simply cannot understand why countless others will subject themselves to the same wait day after day. Don't get me wrong, their meat is juicy, tender, and delicious, but it does not warrant the wait or the hype especially with the abundant alternatives that east Austin has to offer let alone the greater Austin area. They say that hunger is the best spice, so fasting and waiting in anticipation for this famous BBQ should have made it taste like a slice of heaven. I should not have gotten the same satisfaction as getting BBQ from your local Rudy's (which is the standard for all of my competent BBQ) where I could have gone in, ate, and left in less than an hr.

Come here if you don't mind waiting, come here if you don't mind following hype, don't come here expecting food far better than any others in town that would warrant the latter two.

I wasn't able to try their food but I'm assuming it was good. I just didn't have the time to stand in the mile long line. The parking situation is also limited. I will come back with my next time.

Lifetime achievement award. Turkey amaze. Brisket amaze. Ribs amaze. Sides were also great quality. I d have waited twice as long. Only had to wait 45 minutes total.

Well worth the wait in line. Show up early because they sell out quick.

First of all, the line is not that bad, we got there about 8:45 on a friday and we were eating at 12. The line is actually part of the fun, and the customer service they treat you with in line is great.

Second, the food is worth it. If you love bbq or if you don't (my wife) the food is really good. Best, most tender brisket, ribs and turkey I have ever had and I don't eat turkey. Great beer selection.

The thing that surprised me most is the customer service. Everyone that works there was super nice and helpful. I can't imagine seeing that many tourist in a day and not hate people.

Get there early, bring some cards, a full battery on your phone and some friends and you will enjoy this place!

I dont think ive had fresh and hot Franklins yet (you can place a bulk order ahead online), but even still, the best brisket ive had so far. I also liked their beans and potato salad too.

Yes, I did wake up early to wait in line. Sounds crazy and I would not do it if I hadn't heard from a friend who grew up here how great it is. Well I was not disappointed. I would do it again! Ribs were great and I love the smoked brisket. A place to remember!

Amazing food and customer service.
I don't like ribs, but I loved theirs, I could have just eaten those and been good, and I really don't like ribs.
When we were leaving an employee noticed that we had quite a bit of carry out. We explained we brought a cooler and would be buying ice. Well she went and filled a bag of ice for us from their machine. To me that is excellent customer service.
We also brought camping chairs, because long wait times, and downloaded something to watch on our tablets. Really great experience. Would do it again.

I struggled with this rating. It should be a 4.5 star. The brisket is both tender and flavorful as expected. Not the best ever but very good. The sausages were delicious and spicy. However the ribs had too much pepper which just overwhelmed the flavor. Really good but I think I liked Terry Black's a little better. On the plus side, ordering during covid was great - it's ready within a 30 minute window (mine was within 10 minutes). Recommended to try at least once as long as you don't have to wait hours.

One of the highest rated Barbecue in Austin. Line usually starts around 7:00 am on weekends and if you decide it to reach there after 9:00 am, its most likely that they will run out of meat. So after 4 hours of waiting, we finally got some food. they keep some lawn chairs, but you have to be there before 8:00 am atleast. Their Briskets are a must to try. They were out of turkey, but heard from the staff and people in queue that its the best. Although locals say that its not worth to stand in queue for 4 hours as there are lot of good bbq places around. I just felt its a bit hyped too. So if you have plenty of time in Austin, do visit this place. We got a chance to meet Franklin himself. I hope this helps.

Until someone proves me wrong,there isn't a better brisket on this earth!!

AMAZING bbq. Definitely worth the wait. The burnt ends might be literally the best thing I've ever eaten. Make sure to get there early like 7 or 8 in the morning. You'll have a great time tailgating the line. Bring some beers and cards and meet new people. Also know what your order is going to be because they'll come around and ask.

Lastly don't forget to check out the food truck behind the restaurant for some really good breakfast tacos.

The wait:

We arrived at 720am on a Saturday and our party of 4 got our food at 1240. We were there first group out of the shade so there were many 50-60 people in front of us. The first person lined up at 0515am.
The restaurant officially opens at 11am, but opened around 8-9am to provide free ice water, let people use the bathroom, and purchase drinks (soda, beer) and gifts (shirts, hats, books, etc.)

The food:

After 5+ hours in the 100 degree Texas heat, the beef ribs still blew me away. It was the most tender beef ribs I've ever had. I deboned the whole rib with the back of my plastic spoon. The brisket was tender and cooked to perfection, but the pork ribs were too salty. I also did not like any of the 3 bbq sauces they had. Sides were ok, nothing to write home about.

The conclusion:
Some say waiting in line adds to the experience, but I'll leave that up to you. I felt like La bbq had better brisket and way better pork ribs. We pre ordered there and got our food in 10mins with a place to eat in the shade. Terry blacks had way more option for side dishes. But if you want the best beef ribs, you can't beat Franklin bbq.

The BEST BBQ I have ever eaten. All the food was flavorful and memorable. I typical douse my BBQ with salt, pepper and BBQ sauce once I tasted it, but I didnt dare do so with this meal. We waited for 3 hrs to eat, but once you start eating the 3 hr wait just melted away. Order of precedence of what sold out first, Pulled pork, pork ribs, and then the turkey. Get there early if you want any of those items. They were sold out by 230pm.( They open at 1100!!). If only they would expand to San Antonio.

Best bbq ever. Period the end. You will not find better bbq any where.

This business has great reviews from many chefs on YouTube.

Brisket is great. Try anything I hear its all good.

I've eaten a fair amount of brisket in my time and Franklin's is the best. I won't try to describe it because I would do it no justice. If you've never had it and you like BBQ you won't regret waiting a few or more hours for the experience. It's totally worth it. Not to mention that Mr. Franklin is one of the nicest guys in the business, and he's there worrying most days even with all the fame and success. Class act.

I expected the long wait in line as this was my 4th attempt to try this place. I have been turned away in the past due to sold out meat. That made my anticipation greater. When we were finally able to try the food, I was a bit disappointed in the brisket. It was smoked well and juicy, it just didn't have much flavor. I expected a comparable brisket to the likes of Lockhart in Dallas. The rest of the meats were good, but I came for the brisket.

The best brisket I've ever had in my life! Have been driving up from San Antonio with my son at the end of every summer for the last 5 years.

Excellent place to eat if you like BBQ, it should be noted that the rows are huge and you should consider arriving early, as for the meat I have very specific opinions of each thing I ordered, the brisket seemed excellent in its cooking, very soft although it may have lacked some flavor, but in general it is very rich, I did not like the pulled pork because it lacked flavor, I found it very dry, the pork ribs are excellent, very soft and juicy, the beef ribs are very tasty , the sausages were very dry and unfortunately they were not what I expected, in general terms this place is recommended for all those who like BBQ and for those who know about the preparations and what it entails to prepare the different types of meat we tend to be somewhat critical, I hope my opinion can be helpful ...

This place has moved locations but is still absolutely amazing and you probably still going to have to wait in line. Well worth it. The brisket is amazing!

Ordered ahead and picked up briskets, sausages and ribs. Everything was so delicious.

#1 in Texas Monthly for a reason! Take folding chairs, and beer coolers and sunscreen because you will be standing in line for awhile, but once you get past that you have to stand in line for like 3 hours and just embrace it, the line itself is kinda fun and totally part of the experience! Best brisket I've ever had and totally worth the wait. Never really had anything else, but I hear it's all good!

Magical brisket, just melts in your mouth! Great flavor, BBQ sauce is vinegar based. Come early, be ready to wait in a LONG line. Arrive after 2pm, probably not going to get much if anything as the good stuff runs out around then..

Couldn't get in. Supposed to be great but line was huge. We were there 45 mins before closing and "last man" guy was in line already.

The spicy meat and yummy sandwiches are guaranteed there, I die for 'Tipsy Texan'! However, you will get bored quickly if you eat there too often.

I waited for 2 hours but totally worth it. The bbq sauce was amazing. My kids favorite was chopped beef sandwich.

I managed 8 classic Central Texas joints in 4 days: Franklin, Louie Mueller, Cranky Franks, Smitty's, Blacks, Kreuz, City Market, and Harmons. Not surprisingly, Franklin Barbecue is at the top of the list. What can one say that hasn't already been said a million times before? The moist brisket is a thing of art and beauty that's unsurpassed on every front. The bark is wonderful meat candy with exactly the right amount of Texas Rub. Smoke amount is excellent. The juice in every piece simply made my heart skip a beat. Sausages were fantastic, as were the pork ribs. The turkey is the hidden and surprising gem; with a deep smoke flavor and perfect rub. Let me say this as well, because it's important: The staff and service at Franklin's is top notch. Considering how many people come through those doors everyday, and amount of work everyone there has to do, it's a real testimony to Aaron and the entire staff that the service and kindness is the only thing better than the barbecue. Overall rankings:

1st place: Franklin Barbecue, Austin
2nd place: Cranky Franks, Fredericksburg
3rd place: Harmons, Cibolo
4th place: Blacks, Lockhart
5th place: Louie Mueller, Taylor
6th place: Kreuz, Lockhart
7th place: Smittys, Lockhart
8th place: City Market, Luling

Brisket is absolutely the best. I have tried everything here and I would just stick to the brisket. Love it

The meat was delicious and the curbside pickup was easy. However, with tax/tip, it cost around $100 for 3lbs of meat. It was underwhelming for the price point.

Can't provide opinion. Line starts at 7am. We got there at 9:30 and they informed us we probably will not get food.

Brisket is to die for. It melts. Sauces should be labeled for novices. Top 5 smoked meat experience I've ever had.

This place was incredible and one of the best places I ate when on a BBQ road trip with a buddy of mine. Waiting in line for 3 and a half hours and it was worth the wait. Waiting is part of the experience and get ready to meet new people.

I wanted to love it, but I didn't
This was my first visit to Franklin, so I was expecting a miracle, but it didn't live up to all the hype. To avoid the lines I pre-ordered. With the 5 lb minimum pre-order limit, I got some of everything: brisket, ribs, pulled port, turkey, sausage. The brisket was tender and moist.... really quite greasy. Everything was SOOOOO salty that i had a hard time enjoying it. I also ordered cole slaw and potato salad. These sides were average at best. Both were so vinegary that I needed the white bread to cut the intensity. Admittedly, I am not a BBQ connoisseur, nor am I a foodie in general, so maybe there were subtleties that i missed, but the salt and vinegar were so NOT subtle that I won't make any special effort to return. Instead I'll try out some of the other places with shorter lines, I imagine their BBQ will taste just as pleasing to my untrained BBQ taste buds.
The staff that filled my order was great though!

The brisket was top rate. You've got to try this place. The line was continual and they open at 11 and serve until meat runs out. They ran out at 12:45. The owner served his own beef to each person and had conversation with us that was fun. They served Dublin, Texas Dr. Pepper, I'm giving this a 4.75 out of 5 for two reasons. I believe the sides need to be vamped up a little. Also the onions were cut too thin and dried out. Second, their choice of sausage seemed to be lacking spice flavor, not cook smoke flavor of course. Excellent food excelent brisket. Try it. It's part of the Austin experience.

I waited a very long time. No shade provided. This is the kind of place where the owner is the rockstar and the customers are the peasants. The food was above average but not great. The prices are in line with the downtown location (very pricey). I have had better BBQ in different places with less wait and better quality. To each it's own, it was an experience and shall not be relived.

Friday: 6:40 arrival #13 in line. Oh mah gerd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow.

Best BBQ we ve ever eaten! The Brisket and Turkey Breast are definite winners. Turkey best runs out early. So need to queue to get some.
Well worth the wait, bring beers and meet new people. The best part was the queue! Photos @precisepix

Welcome to the temple of barbeque. U less you have ordered your meal to pick up with some days of advance, get ready to a long queue.
Barbeque is amazing, what would you expect from the emperor of barbeque?

Franklin Barbeque is good bbq. I would say it s overrated but it s the experience and not just the bbq when you go here. If you are visiting and the weather is nice I would give it a try.

okay! My name is Katy and I have two kids. We went here and we all had food but I didn t have enough money. So they wouldn t let me leave so I had to leave my kids here and go to the bank! Eugh!!!

I'm not a barbecue person, but I figured if there was good BBQ anywhere in the nation it'd have to be in Texas. We got there around 8:30, opens up at 11, there were about... 70 people in front of us? The people in front of us got the last of the pulled pork by the time we had gotten up there.

We almost didn't go on our trip because I mean, is any BBQ really worth a 4 hour wait? Our airbnb host explained that waiting for Franklin's is an experience, people bring chairs, they drink alcohol and just hang out. He was right, the wait didn't feel like 4 hours at all (maybe 3.5, instead), no but really -- it's actually a pretty fun wait. The employees come out to say hi and check-in as well, I chatted with one of them about the Cuba trip I'd just gotten back from as he said he lived there for a few years.

The food? Well, it was the best BBQ I've ever had but still not a BBQ person. Don't waste your time with the turkey, go for the brisket and ribs. The ribs basically fall of the bone, it was amazing. The brisket, what can I say? Wow.

You have to wait a very long time but the food was some of the best bbq I have ever had!

Awesome but a bit overrated. Wouldn t queue there for another 1.5 hours. Worth going if there is no wait.

Words cannot describe how amazing this bbq is! Granted as the other reviews have said it was a long wait ,about four hours. However I would highly recommend it if you're going to be visiting the Austin area. I would do it all over again!

The best I've had in brisquet and pork and beef ribs!

Unparalleled brisket, I don't care that I have to wait 2 hours I could not give it less than a perfect score on all fronts. It's that damn good.

Amazing and worth the wait! I've been a couple times and everything is great but the brisket is amazing.

You cannot achieve higher levels of brisket mastery. Simple and just done right.

This place has earned its reputation as some of the best barbeque in the world. The line was outrageous and totally worth it.

Mediocre! Ordered curbside and upon arrival order was out in less than 10 minutes. Ordered ribs, brisket, sausage and sides. They all were tasteless, flavorless and bland! Ordered for a group of people and not one person liked any of the food. Three stars because the ribs and brisket was tender. This just can't be the best bbq in Austin.

So good! Bring your camp chairs and an ice chest full of drinks and the line is more like a social gathering than a place to wait. You will make "line friends"

Waiting in cue wasn t so difficult. If you re early enough, you ll get a chair. Also they start selling beers for pre-barbecue game. If you re going alone, prepare for something to do. A book is the best choice.

Wasn t too impressed by the meat to be honest but still it s pretty good.

Show up early and leave happy. Franklin is the best you'll find.

Decent amount of Food at a great price. Certainly was overhyped from my perspective. Line was incredibly long as well. The BBQ sauces were not good either.

Basically a huge wait for average food.

Worth the 4-hour lineup for some of the most amazing BBQ I ve ever tasted.

Line was long, took 5 hrs to get in. But food was well worth the wait. Best brisket I've ever had, and ribs were amazing.

Excellent bbq. Cooked perfectly. Little peppery for my taste but overall some of the best TX bbq I've had.

I was in line around 1PM & by the time I ordered they had sold out on the brisket, reason why I gave it 4 stars as well as the wait time. Ended up getting the chopped beef sandwich & it was delicious, the meat was very juicy & tender. Definitely worth the wait just for that, the potato salad & beans were not as great but still good. Will return one day when I have nothing to do so I can try the brisket.

This place is beyond 5 stars. The brisket here is serious something you can never get at other places. The lean brisket is very tender, but the fatty brisket just melts right in your mouth!! The pork ribs are so tender as well!!

I went on a Thursday, arrived around 8am, I was the 5th group in line. It was during rainy season so people probably showed up later than usual. It s always pretty cool to chat with the people in line and see all the people around the world traveling to Austin just to have this bbq!

The staffs are the nicest, they give you chairs in sit on when you are lining up. They are always there if you have any questions.

First time back since fire. Got on line at 8a and had a great time with family. Great compadre with out of town people.

BBQ was excellent, of course. Brisket was perfect as were the ribs. Cutter worked with me to get just the right mix of "eat here"and "to go" portions.

Cashier tried real hard to get me to try the pie. Next time I'll get some to go!

What can you say that hasn t already been said. The line was not insane (I arrived 10:30 on a Tuesday) met some really nice folks while waiting and was sitting down to eat about 12:30. It was a pretty painless wait and was rewarded with finely crafted smoked meats. Staff is efficient and really nice.