Franklin BBQ Reviews

Great food and great service. Even while waiting in line. Gotta love it.

They had food but owner didnt wanted to sell it. Just to created the craz that they are super busy. The guy was really rude n was saying we wont serve u food. Bc u have to come 8am to get food or u wont get it even though we have food.

BBQ
Wonderful brisket. Met expectations which were very high. Pulled pork was also top notch. Everyone very friendly. Great experience.

Great food, great service, that's all you really need from any food place. But here you get a bit more. "The experience" of waiting in line for 4 hours in anticipation of what it's going to be like, meeting cool folks in line and creating memories to last a lifetime.

Queuing 4-5 hours for food seems insane to some. Austin is not shy of great food places. Some people queue for hours for concerts or sports tickets, others to get on a plane. Queuing for food may not be your thing, then don't come here.

But the brisket IS worth the wait. The service was awesome, very friendly staff (they chucked in some extras as we'd come such a long way).

Would I do it again? Probably not as the novelty factor would wear off, but I'd want to eat the food again for sure. We leave Austin with full bellies and never to forget memories.

Food is good. Very good. Me personally would never wait for any restaurant over 4 hrs for a meal. I dont care how good it is. My family wanted the "experience " of waiting this long so we did. They take way too long to take your order. They are very slow. If they were any faster no one would have to wait that long. Staff is really nice and cordial.

This is my favorite barbecue place in town! Get the briskit!

This famous BBQ joint only serves lunch, and only till it runs out usually well before 2pm. In fact, to avoid missing out, you should join the line and there will be a line by 10am (9am on weekends). Just treat it as a tailgating party: bring beer or mimosas to share and make friends. And yes, you do want the fatty brisket.

The type of food that's the reason we're in a pandemic....

It's as good as everyone says, probably better. The ribs and brisket, especially brisket, are just unreal. It's just on a whole other level. Definitely worth the wait. Never had anything like it. It's truly something special.The staff and service are soooo nice and friendly and helpful. Just the way I expected after reading his book. This is an experience you need to have.

Was not worth the wait. There are too many other BBQ places in Austin with better smoked meat than Franklin Barbecue. Any place that wants you to wait 4+ hours in line for food is not worth. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME

The best Beef Brisket I have tasted in my life ...... All the wait in the queue is all worth it..

Simply the best brisket you will have in your life. Worth making the trip on Saturday to try this beef ribs. Went there on a Saturday morning at 615 am in February and we were about 40th in line! Also highly recommend the pecan pie! A bucket list experience for any true bbq fans

Probably one of the best BBQ places in Austin, if your patient it has great rewards... expect to wait hours.

Texture of the meat is great! Personally I find the rubs on the brisket a bit too salty, hence one star off. But that's just my preference.

Best brisket in the world. I'm a KC native and there is no comparison!

Yes, it's expensive. And yes, it's worth it. Waited in line for 2 1/2 hours which is about average. Chairs are provided outside while waiting. You can cut the brisket with a fork. Ribs fall off the bone. Best bar-b-que I have ever eaten. Why he doesn't expand I'll never know.

All I have to say is that it melts in your mouth! We were surprisingly only in line for 25 mins which was awesome compared to the normal wait time. We got the brisket sandwich with a pint of potato salad and my goodness it was worth every penny! Franklins BBQ can take my money any day!

Worth the wait. I was skeptical at first, but that brisket is the truth.

Que was long as always but not to bad brisketand ribs to die for snags were very good staff excellent.

Saturdays 6:30. You'll be around the 9-10th person in line.
I do this often.

The Lord works in mysterious ways! Watched Aaron as a judge on BBQ Pitmasters. Finally made it to Austin. Found "Heaven" and the sign on the door said SOLD OUT!!! I went in hoping to get any kind of sample. We had driven from Cincinnati. Waitress said there may be some pulled pork left. The gentleman preparing the trays overheard me and was preparing a tray of ribs, brisket, turkey and sausage plus sides. Man, I'd give anything for that. He said, "this is your order" Couldn't tell if was the juice from the sausage or my tears on the tray. This is Heaven!!!!!

I'm just a big food junkie and street roddder and a pretty good cook.
Anybody who can BBQ and fab and weld his own smokers is my hero!!!
Heading to Phoenix and will be stopping by between Christmas and New year!!! I'll be wearing my Franklin BBQ T shirt.

The line was 4 hours on a Tue. Felt like nothing though. I was #3 in line. Met some nice people beside me in line and chatted it up most of the time sharing BBQ cook stories. 1st beer was cracked at 8-830AM and made the time go by even faster. The thing that amazed me was that despite how 'chaotic' the whole process is, and as much as a line-up would annoy a business, everyone was treated like gold. No one was short with you, in fact everyone was super nice and treated you like a valued guest. I can't re-iterate this enough. The 'line' is simply part of their business. Places in super high demand tend to take customers a bit for granted -- not here. Aaron moved thru the dining room soon after opening, got to talk a few minutes and didn't feel rushed. We were former Austinites who had moved away in 2003 and talked about then vs now. All in all a 5/5, A++ experience that exceeded already high expectations.

I am BBQ connoisseur. I have had them all. And this place doesn t live up to the hype. You can go to Rudy s and get better BBQ than this.

Only drive through order in advance. Could not get beef ribs or brisket :(
Did not order soon enough. Pork ribs were great nice and smokey. Pulled pork was not dry. Potato salad mustardy, clown slaw is a winner, peppery and very good.

Plan on getting in line by 9. It is worth the wait. brisket is on a different level. Also don't skip dessert, the banana bourbon pie was great.

We'll worth the way it should be on everyone's bucket list "Franklin"

I tried everything on menu and everything was good. Yup. It's that good.

World's best brisket. People say a lot of things melt in your mouth but they are liars, you can feel the juices and fats of the fatty brisket melt over your tongue as you take each bite.

Arrived at 8 am on a Saturday and ate about 1pm. Worth the wait but it might be a good idea to arrive even earlier as there was a risk of several things running out by the time we got to the counter. Luckily they had everything but it was slightly nerve-wracking. Overall great experience and definitely worth a visit.

Ordered: Brisket (fatty & lean), Turkey, Sausage, Pork Ribs, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Pinto Beans.

Aaron was cool as hell! He gave my buddy and I a tour of the new building and told us about the whole place. Of course the food was great!

If you didn't know this place is NOT open at moment. it caught fire during hurricane. may have to wait a month or so before they open again.

They're great at line management, but really you need to get there EARLY to get anything other than brisket. It was good but pretty darn hot in line!

Franklins is definitely worth the wait. Go grab yourself a 12 pack, bring a chair, and relax as the time flys.

Fantastic! My first time here, I got there to wait in line at 630 and it was well worth the wait. The brisket is the best I ever had and I've tried brisket at alot of BBQ places. The sausage, pork ribs and Turkey are great as well but I came primarily for the brisket and it didn't disappoint. Will definitely have to come back again.

This is the best barbecue in Austin TX! You have to get there 2 hours early, because they run out by noon everyday, but it is worth the wait! The meat is tender, juicy and oh so tasty. The staff are just fun people who love what they do. If you are in Austin, this is a must!

I don't need to wait in line for 4 hours to know that it's bogus.

It is a wonderful place to tailgait for bbq, get there early and bring beer to drink!

Worth all the hype. My new benchmark to judge all other bbq against.

Haven't got to eat if here yet. We opted out. People say the barbecue here is the best, but the line is down the sidewalk and the day we came, the temperature was in the 100s. Will come back in the fall.

Best Bbq ever well worth the drive from SA to Austin. The drive up service was great.

Franklin has the best brisket, period. Salt Lick doesn't compare.

This place is worth the wait. It delivers on the hype. Skip breakfast and get there around 9 AM when the weather is nice. Bring friends and a small cooler of beer while you wait for the doors to open at 11 AM. I really can't think of anything else I'd gladly wait two hours for besides this brisket. You will be happy you did.

Franklin's brisket is made with patience and love. For 18 hours they smoke it, turning it into something otherwordly. Words cannot describe the flavor and texture. If there ever were a perfectly cooked brisket, this is it.

This joint can only feed people for a few hours because they care about the quality of their barbecue and you can't possibly make enough brisket of this caliber in a scaled-up, higher volume restaurant which is open all day long, seven days a week.

The ribs are pretty damn good too so get some of those. But load up on the brisket-- it's the star of the show. Oh, and the grillmasters and the dudes behind the counter are all pretty nice guys. Loved this place.

We arrived the Sunday before they were on their week long closure for summer vacation. We arrived around 10:20 and ordered by 1:10. They had brisket, sausage and pies left when we got there. The brisket and sausage are amazing. Really liked the pecan pie and the banana pie. Is it worth the wait? I say without a doubt. Being from Texas, the wait in the heat was nothing unusual. They have chairs people can use. We were at the end of the parking lot and they told us we would be in by 2:30 so we were in early. Being at the end of the line they passed out some free sandwiches which was nice and they were delicious. Plenty of free water as well. If you love BBQ, this is the place to go!

The brisket is the best ever. Get in line by 8am to make it through the door.

Wow, awesome brisket and sausage! Be sure to line up early though - they sell out in a couple hours!

JUST GO- get there early enjoy the ritual of it all.
Its the best bbq in the world period.............
I've had all different types of bbq from Carolina to Memphis and Kansas so on so on etc etc. Honestly I have traveled the globe eating all types of food and I consider my palate quite developed. It's just something all foodies should experience

Ok so you have to wait on line and you don't even know if you will get served before they run out but man is it worth the wait. Best ribs in the world.

Thought long and hard about this review. First the line/wait. I got there around 10:30 it took about 21/2 hours to get food but I got to try everything. The wait wasn't bad at all. It seemed to be a lot faster then it was. It helped I had good line mates. Shout out to New York, Seattle and Australia.
Now the reason you wait the food. The meats were all perfect. I tried them all. Just what I expected from a James Beard winning pit master.
Now the reason I couldn't give them 5 stars. Was the sides. Coleslaw was ok at best. Pinto beans were good not great. Potato salad was just bad. Real bad. It tasted like old mustard. Bad old mustard. I expected more from a James Beard winning chef.
Would I do it again... NO. The meat was great but there is a lot of very good BBQ joints in Austin without a 2 hours wait and have great sides. At the same time I'm glad I did once. You should do it just once.

We did an online preorder of fatty brisket, lean brisket and ribs along with some sides and hand pies. The fatty brisket was by far the best I've ever had, and even the lean brisket was damn good. The fatty brisket was super rich, so you may not need much. The vinegar based sauce cut that down well though.

Tasty food. Showed up at 2:15, waited 30 minutes and received a huge pile of mixed meats. They were trying to get rid of that days meat. Super yummy

Ha ha ha - do I even need to give them a review? Who doesn't already know how awesome their BBQ is? Lines around the building, so get there early! Once it's gone, it's gone!

Bottom line, worth the wait. Get drunk, bring a chair. I recommend the fatty brisket over LEAN always! Is it the best I don't know. Its up there I been everywhere.

Was it worth the 5 hour wait on a Tuesday morning you ask? Maybe. I noticed a lot of locals here (whom don't come very often) would actually buy things by the pounds to take home - which is why an hour before they open, someone walks out and gets an estimate of what people are ordering as it opens from 11am til they run out of food.

For me the two things that I loved the most here was the brisket. Moist - even the lean cut. The ribs were too peppery and one-noted. Sausage was standard. The second - the espresso BBQ sauce. It's a touch liquidy but has such a nice mild coffee flavor. If I were visiting ever again, I'd just come close to closing just to pick up some more sauce - and perhaps some brisket if they have any.

There are so many people in the line, it s best to line up early on holidays
I heard the uber driver said that it was open at 11 o'clock and some people went to line up at 7am

Because I want to eat all kinds of meat, I ordered 1/3 pound each
It was a pity that the ribs were gone at that time

The shredded chicken and sausage are a bit too salty
The pork steak is super delicious, tender and bite
Not in vain, we lined up for 40 minutes

I've gotta tell ya, this place isn't just food, but an experience that is only unique to Texas. While waiting in the four hour line I met such incredible people and had the most meaningful conversations. The place is smaller, but its not about the looks. The person cutting our meat wanted to start a conversation, and know where we are from. The BBQ was expensive, but the best I've ever had in my life. It truly is an experience and is what Austin needs. I bring all my friends from Virginia here. Is it worth the 5 hour drive? pretty much. Is the food worth the wait? 100%.

the wait can be long but it s worth every second! try the brisket for sure.

The wait is long but it's definitely worth it. Definitely a Texas staple. Feel free to bring snacks, board games, drinks, and friends to hold you over while you wait

The waiting was horrible, and the brisket was good but not great. The smoke ring was bitter. The service was inefficient, and the food was overpriced.

Just made it in on time but they were out of ribs but they still found some meat for us to devour. Very friendly staff which is huge for me. It was our first time and we already plan on going back.

The most amazing BBQ in the world hands down! Must go must have!

True to form, very long lineup....well worth the wait. The best BBQ I have tastd so far.

Lives up to the height 100%! The espresso BBQ sauce is so good with the brisket. Get a little of everything but the Brisket is what you should order the most of. Worth the wait and worth the money.

Franklin's BBQ is an Austin experience. Bring your friends and booze to wait outside for the dinning room to open. We got in line at 9:30 to reach the counter at 11:40 and get food. Sauce options are good. Brisket is masterfully done. Nice rub on the ribs. With allot of BBQ options in Austin, I would visit here for the experience and know that the food will be good.

Get here early, like 05:30, bring a chair and some beers. You won't regret it!!!

Arrived at 10:30. Waited for 3 hours in the queue. The ribs were delicious.

Everything its reputed to be and more, brisket was etherial in my mouth

Over priced but great meats. The sides are marginal, but the meats make up for it. We arrived on a Friday around 7:30 am and was pretty close to the front of the line.

Good but not necessarily worth the price. COVID pickup was quick and seamless at our 11:30 times it. The brisket s fat was rendered perfectly. Sausage was not salty (IMO) and didn t require anything to cut it, however the casing lacked a good snap and was it bit hard to bite off.

Overall would come back but would try other places first at the prices they are charging.

What can I say that hasn t been said before? They are accommodating of gluten allergies, and their brisket is to drive for.

Their take away process these days can be hectic for them to manage, so check you have everything before you drive away.

There's a reason it's considered the best BBQ in America. Words can't express how good it is.

Definitely worth the wait. Possibly the best brisket that I ever ate.

This is by far the worst experience I have ever had at a bbq restaurant. Terrible customer service, long lines and only one cashier for the meats. Avoid!

Food is great but be prepared to sit for +45 minutes for a curbside order. They clearly do not have their stuff in order. Not doing this again

I definitely will cry when i get the chance to taste it...100% sure about it...!!!