Franklin BBQ Reviews

Oh My Gosh this is the best barbecue you will ever eat hands down. Bring a book and a fully charged phone and you will be happy waiting in the 4 hour line. The fatty brisket is to die for and the ribs are equally amazing. Please do yourself a favor and go here. You will not regret standing in line. It s actually awesome because you can make some awesome friends.

Worth the wait! Best brisket and ribs we have ever had. The staff is amazing and extremely helpful.

Great bbq, I think I may enjoy la bbq slightly better

Believe the hype.
But bring a book.

We waited for 3 hours to get the food. Definitely worth it! The beef ribs are amazing!!!!! I can say it's the best I have ever had. The sausages are a must have too. Lots of people arrived at 6am to wait it open. We were in the guest line from 10:45am and got food at 1:50pm. And I saw the notice "all food are sold out" at 2:00pm. Feel so lucky.

One word and everyone knows what you are talking about. Franklin. I have been to Franklin a half dozen times now since it first opened. This review has been in the works for a very long time. There has been only one time since the initial visit that the brisket was not amazing. Franklin's off day is still better than most barbecue places' good day. The restaurant opens at 11 am, but I got there at 10 am. I was hoping the line was short because it was a Thursday. Boy it was wrong. It was about 30 people deep when I got there.

When I finally got to the counter, I ordered two slices of moist brisket, two pork ribs, and a link of sausage. Aaron was behind the counter taking orders and slicing the meats. He is very personable and can carry a conversation with you for a while. He always thanks you for coming in. The prices on their plates have gone up since I had been there. Getting the two meat plate used to be the better deal. The times I ordered by the pound, I spent more than I needed and had too much food. This time I felt like I ordered the perfect amount of food. The brisket was excellent. It is definitely the best brisket I have ever had. It has a nice bark, and the meat is so tender with a good smoke ring. Aaron uses certified angus beef. Using a higher quality cut goes a long ways and it shows. The fat renders better in a quality brisket. I sometimes dip the brisket in the espresso sauce. The espresso sauce is thick and velvety but yet so smooth. The ribs just fall apart which are also excellent. I know a good rib is supposed to have a little give on the bone, but who cares? If the meat falls off the bone, it is cooked right in my opinion. The sausage is very good as well. I do not think he makes his own sausage, but the casing does have a nice pop to it. I have had the pulled pork in the past which I have enjoyed. I think the pulled pork I smoke is a little bit better. I have also tried the turkey which is good, but turkey is not my thing.

When it comes to barbecue of late, I avoid the sides. I have gotten sides in the past here because it came with the combo plates. The coleslaw is my favorite side here. It is not heavy on mayonnaise and taste fresh. Franklin has a sandwich called the Tipsy Texan. It has to best sandwich in the world. In between two buns are chopped beef, sliced sausage, and coleslaw. What a great combination! It is messy, but it is so f-ing good. The beans are not bad and have bits of brisket in it. I am not a fan of their potato salad. It is mustard based which I do not like.

Franklin is a must for anyone who likes barbecue. It is barbecue bliss. You think you know what good barbecue is and then when you eat at Franklin, your whole world changes. You then start to look for places that serves better barbecue. At this point, I have yet to find anything better. My search continues. If you have not tried Franklin, definitely try it. It is worth standing in line at least once. I would love to eat at Franklin more, but I just do not have enough time to stand in line. Someone want to save me a spot?

Every single morsel was amazing. Some places have 1 item that makes a name for them. Franklin's does every meat well. Brisket, Pork, Turkey, Sausage were juicy, perfectly smoked, and we'll worth the hour wait. Going during the week and you can still get in and get what you want.

Delicious, you have to do it once, but is it really worth the 3 hour wait? I think no. I'd do Micklethwait up the street over Franklin any day. But they're still tasty.

Great place, should visit here if your around here. Great food great service. Family loved this place

Line was almost 2 hours on a Wednesday afternoon. Unable to wait that long

Never come here because you'll ruin every other BBQ spot you end up at. Expect a line, but know that line is for a reason.

Greatest brisket in the world, after looking through the website I found that you can order take away in advance! Friendly staff and Aaron even took time to talk while he was tending the pits.

I would give 5 stars only if I dont have to wait for 5 hours to get the brisket and last piece of beef ribs. This place is totally overrated. Food: 4 stars (good brisket but the beef ribs is overpriced); Place: 2 stars (you have to wait in the line with the flies) and it is getting worse during rain and cold weather; Services: 3 stars (the staff were friendly and did some survey about your order and greeting us however the guy who cut the meat wouldnt want to separate the wrap if you order more than one due to busy line. So I give 3 stars in average for this famous bbq restaurant. Fyi, when I went there around 7 AM there was a long line already since the first group arrived at 4 AM!! It means they waited for 7 hours to get the meal at 11 AM. OMG. If you dont want long line try Interstellar BBQ :)

I came in at 12:30 On a Tuesday in October and was told that I was on the expected not to be fed part of the line. I decided to risk it and wait. As I was getting closer to the front of the line I was told they ran out of pulled pork and ribs. I mostly came in for the brisket so I was fine with it. Finally ordered, had enough brisket and sausage and everything was delicious. The beans were really good too.. we end up eating at 1:45. overall was a great experience. I was soo glad that I risked it.

Absolutely insane. Do yourself a favour and order 2 weeks in advance or you ll sit in a line for hours. Brisket was the best I ve ever had by a wide margin but the beef ribs and pulled pork was sneaky good. You ll have to preorder 5lbs so be prepared for some serious meat sweats.

Best beef brisket I've ever had. Talking with the foodies in line for 3 hours was great. A must for every bbq fan.

Long line and wait was worth it. Their BBQ is great loved their brisket and sausage. It goes well with the sauce!

The best Barbeque I've ever had! Get here at 9 or 10 with beer and a chair for the wait and eat by 1:30. Well worth the wait. The brisket is a must and get at least half of it fatty. (It's amazing)

Hey, it's good bbq, but do you really need to stand in line that long? Probably not. Drive to Lockhart and get good bbq there. However, if you do want Franklin's and don't want to stand in line, try to go around 12:30/1 and take a chance on getting a sandwich at least. Or, plan ahead and order online a few weeks ahead--you can pick up your bbq and eat it at home!

They're closed on Mondays! Definitely don't get there at 7am on Monday and wait 3+ hours before you realize theyre closed. Hahaha but the wait was worth it

Such a fun experience. Expect 3-4+ hour waits, but the line is half the fun. Awesome atmosphere and just an overall great time. Get there before 7am to ensure you get to sample all the offerings.

Yes, we waited for 4 1/2 hours on a 35 degree morning. Yes, we would do it again. The line is part of the fun!

One of the places where everyone should go for the experience. We were fortunate for the less than 2 hour wait on a slower day, but the staff would periodically check in with the folks in line to estimate the orders to let us know what will still be available by the time we get to order and to remind us that drinks are open to order directly at the counter.
Waiting in line was interesting with other crazy like minded folks.
I won't spend too much time talking about the food, as there are enough reviews about it. I will say though, the brisket was softer than the potato salad.

It's worth the wait! Brisket is amazing. Turkey is surprisingly good. Haven't gotten there early enough for the ribs. They close the doors when they sell out.

Awesome bar-b-q flavors. Not enough tables inside. It's definitely a long wait if you're near the lunch hour timeframe but worth the wait.

Great ribs brisket and sausage! Outstanding! Great service and atitude! We will be back!

It was the BEST BBQ in Texas! Well anywhere really. Thanks Austin for the great experience. If anyone ever ask if it s worth the wait in line. The answer is YES without a doubt. The customer service was great very friendly!

My friend and I went this past weekend for the first time. I had folding
chairs in my car, so we sat on those. Franklin BBQ actually had folding chairs for their guests under the building. We got into line about 5:30 and were about 8th and 9th in line. After waiting for a bit, employees came out and told us that we'd have access to the bathroom and to beverages while we were waiting. Aaron Franklin came out a bit later and took pictures with guests who wanted to take a pictures with him. Another employee came out to ask us what we wanted and to tell us approximately what time we'd be able to get into the store based off of our place in line. Since we were so close to the front, we got in right at 11 and had no problem finding a seat. I ordered half a pound of brisket and half a pound of pork ribs, and my friend ordered 1/4 pound of brisket and 1/4 pound of turkey. The brisket was to die for, but the turkey and ribs were just good. ALL of the employees here were very nice. The co-owner came around to greet everyone, and made sure no one from further back in the line tried to grab a table (there aren't many tables inside, and are only about 3 picnic tables outside). A large family who was there spilled their whole tray and most of their ribs fell on the floor. Instead of making the family lose their money, the owner came out and replaced their ribs, which i thought was very nice. i got full quickly and took the rest to go. Overall, I'd say the food was pretty good, but nothing I'd wait five hours for again. Their hospitality was superb, and I had a great time in their restaurant.

The hype is real. The brisket, turkey and ribs were amazing. I'm just don't think it's worth the wait in line for this great food. Another highlight for us was the incredibly delicious pies provided by Cake & Spoon.

With curbside only, this worked out so well. We ordered 3 days in advance and arrived at our scheduled half hour. The contactless check in and delivery were very well done.
The brisket and turkey were phenomenal. Perfectly seasoned and delicious

Busy curbside pickup today. Took a little longer than last week but the staff is hustling. Looks like alot of people are getting bbq for holiday wknd

Got there at 8:20am and got my food 2pm. This is a normal thing so go early and wait (pretty worth the experience). Bring a chair and a friend cause its gonna be a long one. They do provide chairs and umbrellas but they only have so many to accommodate so if you're late, bring your own. Parking was surprisingly easy. Theres a lot to park in.

If lining up at ten in the morning for barbecue was a rite of passage, the line at Franklin Barbecue would probably be just as long. Admittedly, there's nothing fun having to get in line early before you end up in the cut side of the line, except maybe not getting cut from the line. And while it's true that waiting for up to an hour can be excruciating, you can alleviate yourself with cheap entertainment and thoughts of the meat you're about to ingest. It's worth doing at least once for a taste of what is considered by some the best barbecue Austin can get you. The barbecue gods smile upon thee.

The experience is half the charm of this place. We got there at 8:30am and we were still pretty far down the line. The people are all friendly and it's just a nice atmosphere. Right around opening they came out and gave samples of sausage while we waited. We ordered a ton of food because... Well we just waited 4 hours in line, go big or go home. While checking out we ran into Franklin himself! We got to take a picture with him and he was super friendly! I would definitely go again just for the experience!

Absolutely fabulous, some of best brisket I have ever eaten, well worth the wait in line we had to stand in for about an hour

Great BBQ but will not wait in line for two hours ever again.

Waited in line for 4 hours knowing full well what I was in for. That should say enough. Then I ate it. There's a reason it is so packed. Best brisket in the world.

Was very disappointed! We traveled very far , got thr & spent well over a bill only to get dry ribs & tuff brisket! Not to mention my husband stayed in that long ass line for 2hrs

No need for comments. It's as good as everyone states it is! All about the brisket!

The best BBQ I've had in Texas. That should say something...

Most brisket comes from cows. This brisket comes from unicorns.

Amazing brisket and really friendly staff! Definitely a well deserved reputation

I made the pilgrimage to Franklin BBQ from Minnesota for my 40th birthday. The BBQ here really is as good as they say!

I had the brisket, pork ribs and sausage. Both the brisket and ribs were incredible, cooked to perfection and the seasoning was outstanding. Who would have thought a simple salt and pepper rub could be sooooo good?!

I really liked the sausage but my wife did not care for it at all. The sides were also good.

I got in line on a Tuesday morning at 8:30 and was toward the front. I went the week after Thanksgiving and am told that is a slow time for them. If you are there during the peak tourist season you may want to try and get there earlier as I am told they run out of meats early.

This was hands down the best BBQ restaurant I have ever been too! We will for-sure be back!

The food is 5 stars. The wait is truly awful. If you cant pre order, I can recommend several other great BBQ places in the city...

I got a 5lb pre-orderan vacuum sealed so getting in line was not an option, nor my preference. It was a rainy day and the line at 10am was about 50 people deep and they open at 11am. They do live up to their reputation! Going through security screen at the airport was fun! Expect delay.

It lives up to all the hype. Long wait - grab some friends & some beers, and it'll be a fun time. Friendly at the counter - they'll give samples if you ask! Lean brisket was delicious - enough fat to have flavor and incredible texture.

Amazing Service and Great food! We were super lucky to get some extra servings of sausages at closing hour.

Absolute best bbq on the planet hands down!

Get there at 6:30 to be one of the first people inside and get the moist/fatty brisket. You won't be disappointed.

Overrated place. Don't go here. Waited in line for an hour and a half, just to be told they were out of... everything. This place is a joke. How do you run a business without enough food to feed your customers!!!! Will never come back here and hope that people will realize that you can get more value for your money and time literally anywhere else!!

The best BBQ I have ever eaten, everything was absolutely delicious. Melted in your mouth, was all juicy. The line is the only obstacle.

Franklin's makes very good bbq, especially the brisket. Having said that, I've had better. The "better" was still in Texas (San Antonio), so don't throw the heresy flag. This could also just be a preference thing - Coke vs Pepsi, Boxers vs Briefs, Cake vs Pie (Pie, duh?). My preference went with the bbq in San Antonio because it had more mesquite smoke flavor. I couldn't really taste much smoke flavor at Franklin's; it had a nice smoke ring and was very juicy and tender - just no flavor. I also preferred the sauce in SA.
If Franklin's had been my only taste of Texas bbq, I'd have been pleased, but not overwhelmed. For me, I prefer more smoke flavor. No heresy here.

Line aside which you really can't complain about before you should know your going to wait when you get there... the bbq was meh, average at best. How this gets number one one the Texas top 50 is beyond me there are far better places such as blacks or heims.

I am Texas born and raised, have had BBQ all over the country, and nothing comes close to the BBQ wizardry of Aaron Franklin. Best brisket and ribs I have ever eaten. Great slaw too. You need a friend like Gary G who was #1 in line at 5:40 AM to hold a place for you. Go here!

Definitely the best brisket I've ever had! Very delicious and mouthwatering. Brought a cooler of beer and friends and the wait flew by really fast. Got there about 8ish and ate around 11:30ish. If you want the shady areas around the building then you'll have to get there around 7am. Otherwise bring sunscreen!

Hands down the best BBQ I have ever had, and likely the best YOU will ever have. Period, end of story. A few things:
1) If you even like BBQ it is 100% worth the wait. Bring a chair, some brews, and just prepare to relax. I can imagine hating the wait if I wasn't properly prepared to wait in line.
2) Their service is insanely good. I've been to a lot of really great places that has this "we can be jerks because you're here for the food" complex. Not Franklin BBQ, friendly staff, willing to answer questions, etc.
3) Brisket is the best ever (make sure you try both moist AND lean), but THE BEEF RIBS ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD. Last I checked they only served them on Saturdays, but they are ridiculous.
4) Anyone who gives this anything under 5 stars is either a hater or doesn't appreciate BBQ. Yes the wait is long, you already know that going in. And yes you can go to another place, wait less time, and get ALMOST as good BBQ. But it's the best, and obviously this many people cannot be wrong.

Literally the best meat I've ever eaten. We ordered takeout ahead of time and avoided the line. They provided free soft drinks while we waited for our order. We got a pound of each meat and loved them all so much I couldn't pick a favorite if you put a gun to my head. If you are in Austin do not leave without eating here!!!

I live in texas and it was the best bbq that I have ever had. The brisket melts in your mouth. Definitely worth the wait.

Me and my family were in line on a Saturday at 0550 and it was worth every second of the wait. I recommend everyone experience the wait once if your going to eat this heavenly food!!! Just makes you appreciate it so much more!!! BTW we were 10, 11, and 12 in line that morning. If you ever have the luck to get in line next to Gary the Governor tell him the girls from Oklahoma said Hello!!!

So worth the 3 hour wait. Never though I would wait that long for any kind of food, but Franklin's BBQ was so delicious!! The staff was so friendly and estimated the time we would be ordering our food exactly!

We arrived at 9:30 and got seated at 12:30, just as they warned us and it all was worth the wait. The staff does a great job of keeping you informed, visiting with you and selling you beer and other beverages while you wait.
I'm so full I suspect I will not eat for the remainder of the day, including my flight back to Seattle.
We were in line so long that we befriended the couple behind us, in from Colorado and ended up sharing a table.
Other folks I talked to, including a woman who professed to live across the street says the trick is to arrive at 8:00 and get seated by 11:30.....who know. Might try that next time!

Ohhhh HELL YEAH!
Pre-ordering is the way to go!
Best brisket EVER!
E V E R !

Is it amazing? Yes. Is it worth the wait? Maybe just once.

Ok. I stood in line and was rewarded with some of Texas best bbq as I fully expected. The experience alone was worth the wait, then the meat was the icing on the cake. Do yourself a favor and experience a true Texas original!

Actually had fun waiting in line talking with people for about 3 hours. Food was pretty good. The ribs were my favorite and I am normally brisket person. Sides could of been better

Some of the best BBQ I've had in my life. Awesome to see that Franklin has upgraded to brick & mortar and can acommodate more business now (although they still sell out by 1 pm on Saturdays). I've you haven't gone, stop reading this, go get a cooler of beer and head over to Franklin BBQ for the happiest meat coma of your life.

Best brisket I've ever had! Juicy with just the right amount of spice! Get there VERY EARLY. It's worth the wait in line. Plus they have extra chairs to sit outside in the early morning hours (hint 530am good time to get there). Pack a cooler or grab some Java. Do NOT miss out.

Best of best!! Easy process ordering and picking up. Drove all the way from Chicago to try. it was 200% worth it.

FOR ALL YOU JERKS that are rating Franklin BBQ 1 or 2 stars SIMPLY because YOU CHOSE to wait in line for 4 hours....that is nobody's fault but YOUR OWN. PERIOD.

Don't give a company, that tries its hardest to please its patrons, a bad rating, because your the idiot that made your own decision to wait in line. Anyone that comes to Franklin knows, there will be a wait. If you dont think food is worth a 4 hours wait, DON'T STAND IN LINE FOR 4 HOURS.

If you have ever been to a waterpark, theme park and waiting in line for an hour for a 35 second ride, this is no different, only you get to sit in chairs, listen to great austin music, drink beer on the street and enjoy an hour long lunch.

You people need to get a life.

The best bar-b-que in Austin. Get there early so you don't miss it!

Personally, I would not wait in line again for Franklin. Not worth it! Grab a few of your close friends and place a pre-order. The quality of the brisket was perfect! It was soft and juicy. However, the seasoning was a bit too salty for me. As for customer service, the staff here was wonderful!

We came at 11am and it took us more than two hours to get into. The line is huge a bit overpriced too comparing to other great BBQ places around

Fabulous food. We ordered the Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and sausage. Great pickup service. Must order ahead on line. Take out only during Covid-19. Anyone who is visiting Austin this is the place to be for BBQ.

Great food. We arrived early early and were told to wear a mask in an empty parking lot. Mask tyranny earns low ratings.

The first people in line got there at 4:00 am ..they estimated we might not get served until 2:45...love brisket and the experience but the "waiting is the hardest part"

only tried to go there for one time at 11AM, and gave up for too long line. However, all of my friends give positive feedback

Tip! Show up around 1:30 or 2 on a weekend. The line will be shorter and you might only get chopped brisket. And if you are lucky they might have solid piece of brisket. You have to take your chances since they regularly run out of meat. But sometimes you might get lucky.

Worth the wait, believe the hype. wont eat for days before returning lol

Well worth the wait. Go early for the best selection, they run out quick.