Franklin BBQ Reviews

The only thing that tops Franklin's BBQ is the staff's attitude and passion for delivering a great experience. I'll be back with more friends soon.

Brisket melts in your mouth. We tried a bit of everything and I don't have anything bad to say about any of it. 10 of 10 will do again

A must stop whenever in town and always worth the wait.

The BBQ is great and the line is usually fun. Made a few friends while waiting. I highly recommend that you experience it for yourself at least once.

The wait wasn't too bad, they had everything, delicious bbq, and Franklin was there.

I live in Little Rock but Franklins is a great reason to go to Austin and see my family always a greatly change with my family!

The best barbecue you don't have to drive an hour for. Now, you may have to stand in a line about that long but it is worth it. Once I got a pound of all "bark" (the black, crust on the outside of the brisket). I refer to that as my bbq crack meal. SO. FREAKIN'. GOOD. I'm giving the service a happy face because the people really are nice even though the lines are so long.

Long lines for their world famous bbq, but it's well worth the wait!

Very tasty Brisket, is the wait in line worth it - yes! Compared to all the other places around Austin they consistently have a very good product and their sauces are made with love. A do not miss place if you like BBQ.

If you find yourself stuck between Salt Lick or Franklin, go for Franklin. If you're looking to stuff your face in and dribble everything down with an awesome peach cobbler dessert, go for Salt Lick. You really can't go wrong with either one. Just choose the best wait tine you can endure. Good luck

Totally worth the wait. Show up early and join the tailgate in line!

Don't understand the long lines. The barbecue is average. For good barbecue I prefer Rudys, Meyers in Elgin or Smittys in Lockhart.

Arrived at 530 on a Sunday, we were the first in line. The next group arrived at 6 and from then on the line steadily grew until they opened at 11. It didn't seem that long of a wait. Anyone that waits in line for Franklin's is social and excited to be there, we had a great time just waiting. Your reward for waiting is top notch BBQ. We had the ribs, brisket, turkey, and sausage. The brisket was tender and juicy, the ribs melted off the bone.

Great BBQ and new friends in the line
What more can you ask for!

I have been all across this great state of Texas and have had my fair share of BBQ. While I have had great BBQ at other places, Franklin's is the best of the best. Go early, stand (sit) in line, drink some beer, meet some new folks and then enjoy the best brisket in the world.

Incredible BBQ. As many other reviews mention, get there at least 2-3x hours before opening to get a spot in line. Otherwise--you will have to endure a mouth watering wait.

If you have a group, recommend taking turns to wait in line and explore the neighborhood around Franklin's a bit.

Totally lives up to the hype. So far, the best bbq I've had in Austin, and I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best meals.

With each return visit/order I am repeatedly pleased and amazed by the consistency of delicious barbeque, my hands down favorite is their unbeatable succulent brisket. EVERY TIME! Franklin!

I came from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to visit this restaurant It's the best in the world

Greatest BBQ in the world! Waited 5 hours to eat but would have waited 24 hours for the brisket and turkey. Can't wait to go back again

This was a bucket list experience that now shifts to regular rotation in our list of favorites. We did curbside pickup today due to COVID restrictions and Franklin's has their pickup process down to a science. I encourage you to order in advance and get home quick to eat the food. Speaking of food, the brisket lives up to the billing as one of, if not THE best in the business. My kids loved the pork ribs and the chopped beef for sammiches. We will be back and now I can say what all the fuss is about. Definitely worth it.

My daughter and I were at 5:30 to guarantee us a really good place. Time went extremely fast thanks to all the nice people in the queue and the friendly staff. It was worth all the wait. The food was wonderfully good. As my daughter said. "-I want to do this again!"

I had heard that the wait to get lunch at Franklin would be a few hours on any day. While this is true, it is definitely worth it! This is by far the best BBQ in Austin and anywhere else I've been! Franklin himself chops brisket and keeps conversation with all customers He even suggested what cuts for me to try that day! Definitely worth it!

THE BEST FOOD I'VE EVER HAD. I waited from 5am till 11am. 1st in line and Id do it every day if I was a local. I've never met nicer people that work there. Y'all are simply amazing! Thank you for what you all do.

Great BBQ is not hard to find in Texas! Amazing BBQ is! That's why I'm totally in love with Franklin! The brisket is amazing, and the staff is wonderful. The sides are a little boring so disappointing. I didn't really enjoy the bourbon banana pudding pie, and tasted absolutely no bourbon. But who goes to a BBQ place to eat sides and deserts! It's all about the meat

Great food and friendly people! Arrived at 1:45 and got lucky, didn't even have to wait. Missed out on the ribs, they ran out.

Google says the wait is typically 15 minutes, but be warned - it s more like 45 min - 2 hours (or more!). You can buy beer / wine while you wait in line, but plan accordingly.

I love this place. People are nice and their brisket is the best

I love this place. You can't beat the pulled pork quesadillas.

I have to say that this place really does have the best brisket in the entire world. I wait in the line every time in Austin and will not even travel to Austin on Mondays because they are closed that day. The line can be long but it is worth the wait. Absolutely the best Barbeque I have ever had.

Needless to say, there is some amazing barbeque being made here. Hours may be spent waiting on line to get some of it, but you can also order ahead of time on their website (minumum of 5 lbs of meat though). I loved their sides as well. The slaw and potato salad were tangy and paired excellently with the fatty and juicy meats we were eating. They give you pickles, onions, and white bread to go with your meal. Highly recommend coming here and eating their amazing food.

My brother and I bought 5 pounds of meat to skip the line. I don't think I'd have waited for hours, especially with so many other great options in Austin, but it's tempting.

We never made to to the food, the wait was over an hour. We were told that by the time we got to the front, there wouldn't be much of a selection left. Not worth waiting for for a chance to eat. So many other places with great BBQ. Maybe someday when they decide to make more food, we'll try again.

Sure, you have to wait a long time, but I had so much fun waiting that it added to my experience. We played cards and met the people in line with us. Some of them joined us for a card game. Other people played washers. Franklin's made the restrooms accessible to us. It was a wonderful Austin experience, topped off by delicious barbecue. We tried a little of everything, and while it was all good, the brisket was my favorite.

As others have noted the whole thing is an experience, from getting there at 7am to having chairs provided to the tailgate-like atmosphere in line to the incredible (and I mean seriously f***ing incredible) product. People were cracking beers and great conversation in line by 8am. I met some nice folks from all over the world (Italy and Japan) and all over the country, mixed in with plenty of Austinites too. Dont eat breakfast before coming here. I came just to try the brisket and ribs, but I ended up just getting some of everything. I was full all day and didnt have to eat again until lunch the next afternoon. Thanks, Aaron and team, for an amazing experience. The staff was all incredibly friendly and conversational, and they even showed me around the smoker when I finished my meal.

Everything I was expecting and more. Covid made things a little awkward, but we got our pickup sorted, grabbed some local lager and headed to Zilker park. Perfect day.

Food is great and the service too considering covid restrictions so the line is unbelievably long just to pickup the food. Order days in advance to even order ribs and sausage, and forget about the brisket because its sold out right now.

Food is great, but not better than Terry Blacks and has a very very long wait. It's not worth it.

The holy Grail of bbq. Waited 3 hours, and it was completely worth it. 10/5 stars. Believe the hype.

I pre-ordered ALOT of brisket, pork and sausage for pickup. The online process was very easy. We arrived at our scheduled pick up time and there were only 2-3 other people waiting.. The slicing and packaging process took 15-20 min. They do warn you about this but it seems like a really long time when you are waiting for Franklin's BBQ. Once we got back to our office the BBQ was AMAZING! The hype is real.

Everything good, very very good. But have wait too long time.

Not worth the wait, particularly if you schedule a pick up order. We've literally been waiting for half an hour in the parking lot and...no BBQ. Don't understand the point of ordering ahead of time if the wait is that long - beyond unacceptable. No matter how good the BBQ is, we already have a sour taste in our mouth.

Very well worth the wait just didn't get a chance to see the pits

The meats were good, however the potato salad wasn't the best!

I had the Texas Tipsy. Huge Burger. Lots of slaw. I left satisfied, other than the line that is.

Great BBQ, but I am not waiting for 3 hours in a line for anything...so we did the pre-order pick up a month in advance and waited 10 minutes!

Phenomenal bbq...I've never had brisket this tender - ever!! Loved the sausage, pulled pork, and chopped beef too...even the turkey was crazy good (and I usually avoid)!!

What else can be said that hasn't already been stated about this Texas BBQ institution. It is worth the wait. The most tender BBQ in America by my vote

Amazing experience. The best brisket I've ever had by an enormous margin. I'm not sure what to even do with my life now because every time I go to eat bbq I just wish it was Franklin's. Also the turkey was so delicious I wish I had gotten another pound of it. The line was fun when you bring some beers and get there early and try to be friendly and chat with people. Definitely worth it.

Not sure. They open at 11 and was sold out of sausage, pork, and ribs by 1130. So my guess it's pretty good.

Over a 4.75 hour wait. $55 meal. And I would do it again any day. The food was delicious. My party reached at 7:15 and we're served food after 12:30. The food is remarkable. The brisket is by far the bread winner, with the ribs in a close second. Highly recommend coming early, drinking all morning, and gorging. Loved it. The staff were excellent as well. I'll never go to Austin and not come back here.

I was a skeptic but most definitely the best brisket I've ever tasted. Also the staff was incredibly friendly and pretty good looking.

I've been coming to this place for years now and I ain't stopping. The food is the best!!!

Might move to austin after this cathartic experience. Believe the hype

The barbecue was phenomenal and the staff was great and personable. Will be coming here again soon. Get there at 7am if you want a good spot in line on the weekend.

My life changed today when Franklins Barbecue touched my lips. My co worker Landon had brought in his 5 day leftover from this god blessed BBQ joint. Even being 5 days old and eating the leftover cold it was still the best BBQ I have ever consumed in my existence. This BBQ made me realize that miracles do exist, that there is still good in this world as long as franklins is serving it s world class BBQ. After I had finished the leftover I sat in silence and even shed a few tears, realizing that what I had just ate was not only food but was art. To those who prepared this wonderful BBQ y all are not only chefs but are god s chosen disciples to spread joy to his people. Just to eat this magnificent BBQ once more I would do some pretty sketchy stuff not going to lie, it was honestly that amazing that I can t even find words to describe how amazing it was. AND THATS JUST THE LEFT OVERS. I can t imagine how I would have felt if I had it just out the smoker. Can t wait to try the real deal and be blessed with the ever delicious Franklins BBQ.

This was a tough one to rank on service, but I decided to downgrade it because of this: It's a ridiculously long wait in line, and they run out of food. Maybe not "service" per se, but it's the only category I could pick to reflect the problem. Now don't get me wrong, the food is outstanding. It's among the top few best barbecue places I've ever eaten. Really delicious, and therein lies the problem. It's ridiculously popular, with people showing up to line up before opening time at 11, and they serve until they run out. What this means is that you don't want to show up here for a late lunch. Be one of the early people and enjoy your great meal while you feel sorry for the hundreds standing in line watching you eat.

If you want the best brisket you have ever eaten, wait in line at franklins for 3 hours. If you are satisfied with average brisket, then by all means go to Rudy's and walk right in.

We went here on a Wednesday. We got in line at 9 and we ate a little after 1230. They had chairs for people to use and sit in, coffee and beer in the line to buy while you wait. If you are looking for good texas Bar-B-Q then they have it here. Food was tender and moist and had a good flavor to it.

I've never been here but just wanted to drop my two cents because everyone keeps hyping it up and calling it "legendary" or "iconic". Please! This place hasn't even been around that long for it to have that status. It's just word of mouth by the hipsters from in and out of town that has this place booming. I bet there's nothing special about them. If you want to get some BBQ in the central Texas area, head down to Lockhart where you have families battling to be the best or out to Elgin if you're into sausage. There's also Cooper's old time in Llano or recently new in downtown Austin and can't say much but Salt Lick bbq has been around in Austin since I was a little boy. Don't fall for the hype and buy into that high end bbq, go to the real spots.

Overrated. Not worth the standing in line waiting. There are other better BBQ place here in Austin plus surrounding area...

Whether it's worth the wait is obviously subjective to how much you like BBQ. If you're at all into that type of food, I think thinks definitely worth the wait. We showed up at 11am on a Sunday, and waited about 2 hours to eat. When we got in, they were out of everything except sausage pulled pork and brisket. We got all three and each tried it. The brisket is out of this world. Easily the best thing they have. The pulled pork was insane as well. Such incredible flavor. I wasn't a fan of the sausage. Beans were not my style, but everyone else really liked them. Everyone there was incredibly kind, they gave us tons of updates on wait time and food availability, and we made new friends in the line! Awesome time overall and totally worth it.

My top 5 spots to eat in Austin. Best BBQ I've had. The waiting isn't great, but you can make a morning of it. Worth the 3 hour line.

Ordered ahead... Got a bit of everything with any of the wait. Love the barbecue.

It's worth the hype. If you don't want to wait in line, pre-ordering is the way to go. Took less than 5 minutes for us to check in and leave with our food at 11 AM on a Saturday.

Franklin's cooks up the best BBQ I have ever eaten, but they had a fire in the smoking shed. The restaurant was not damaged and may reopen early October 2017. Smoke shed might take until after Thanksgiving to be rebuilt.

Hunger Marketing!!! waste too much time!!! Not delicious!!!

Best BBQ in Texas. Be prepared for a long wait though. Bring some beers for the line and you'll be fine.

Yeah, it's true. It's all true and you should go do it no matter what. Sure, 4.5 hours is a bit ridiculous if you think about it, but it's so good. There isn't anywhere like it and Aaron cuts the meat for you there. He's smiling, cracking jokes, and started as a small business. Love it.

Franklin Barbecue is a must visit when you're in Austin. Every time I've been in Austin I've made sure to a lot time to stop by.
They do get a very long line, but I've only been there on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Their brisket is the best brisket I've ever had. Everything their is delicious! I never knew how amazing turkey could be. Do yourself a favor and order a little of everything when you visit!

Really awesome BBQ place. Line is longer, wait is forever but it worth it. Above expectation delicious meat . Portions and price is really really worth it. For meat lovers this is must. This is one of the top BBQ place in the world.

The brisket is awesome, never tried someting similar