Franklin BBQ Reviews

There is a reason this is a legendary establishment. Every cut of meat is at least among the best in its class. Enjoy the meat by itself before adding sauce. It came without sauce because it is juicy enough on its own! Try the pies as well. Nothing compliments the tangy salty cuts as much as a wonderfully sweet desert from a local bakery like Cake and Spoon! Any amount of waiting is worth it for this wonderful BBQ.

They gave me one very juicy brisket slice. The rest of slices were hard and not juicy at all.

They put the juicy one in front of everything else so it looked okay in the beginning. I don't know if they did it intentionally. I waited two and half hours to get mediocre slices. That's sad.

The best barbeque ever. Had a 2 hour wait but it was well worth it.

Worth the wait. Be prepared to wake up extremely early if you want BBQ but it is worth it. The brisket is amazing.

Franklin BBQ is delicious and worth the wait. Everything was great.

It may be cliche to say now, but this seriously is the best bbq in austin. You'll have to wait. For hours even. But I mean it when I say it's 100% worth it. I like to get the tipsy texan (a gigantic sandwich) to eat there then several pounds to take home. The brisket and pulled pork are my top choices. The sausage I could leave behind. And the turkey and ribs are definitely above average as well. I wouldn't bother with the sides, they're nothing special because they don't have to be. You'll get three different sauces, my favorite is the dark espresso one. Aaron Franklin hand cuts each piece of meat you order and chats you up with a smile. Coming from a person who hates waiting 15 minutes for a table, the sometimes 3 hour line is a good deal. I just finished eating leftover bbq as I type this.

Got there at 9am on a Tuesday and was eating by 12:30pm. Staff was very friendly and helpful and the food was great.

Simply the best. Try ordering in advance for monthly pick ups to avoid the crowd!

Smelled good. Line was too long though; I couldn't wait 2 hours. I was happy walking down the street to Micklethwait's.

Yummy! But food sells out quickly sometimes even before they open.

Arrived at 8:15 in the morning, the line was not too long, but was told they wouldn't have enough food by the time we would have made it through the line. Which would have been around 2:30. Franklins needs to adjust to higher volumes.

Absolutely the best BBQ! The brisket is incredible. Get there early - sells out quickly and a line starts way before they open.

They take care of you while in line and don't rush your order. The food is as good as you've heard.

Absolutely delicious! Magical, I would say. Our 3 year old, who never wants to eat anything, enjoyed two adult sized helpings of the brisket. That's high praise.

The brisket comes half moist and half lean. The lean brisket is well flavored and not too dry; can still be cut without a knife. That being said, the moist brisket is over the top amazing. Same flavor as the lean, but with much more marbling. Some of the pieces just fall apart when you pick it up: it is that soft.

People were in line at 6am just to get some Brisket. They should buy another location. There is a very little limited number of parking places.

Favorite Texas BBQ and place to take out of state guests

Fantastic, meat had the perfect smoke flavor. I understand why people wait in line for the barbeque.

It has nice food but not to much space so its very likely you wont find a table to eat

Hands down the best brisket and beef ribs I've ever had in my life. I was so moist you can eat it without teeth! Totally worth the 5 hour wait!

What else can be said about Franklin BBQ. Simply the best BBQ I've ever had. I've lived in several places in the south over the last 40+ years and seek out BBQ wherever I go. Franklin is by far the best. Second best, while extraordinary good, isn't even in the same league. Not sure how they do it ( I'm sure I'm not only in that). Many try to replicate and do a great job, but Franklin is Franklin.

Had the Brisket, Ribs, Sausage, Turkey, and sides. Brisket and turkey were my favorite. Both were very juicy, had great flavor, and brisket fell apart. Ribs were very good as well. Sausage could use a little help. Potato Salad had a strong mustard flavor which is different from what I'm used to but still enjoyed it. Make sure you eat it as soon as you can while warm.

We only waited 2 hours, and it was worth twice that. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and the food was amazing. This was a bucket list dining experience, and I will be coming back to Austin judt for this.

AMAZING!!! Waited in line for an hour, but it was so worth it! Pork Ribs were so tender and fell right off the bone. Great flavor. Brisket was moist and cut perfectly for size. Sausage could use a little heat when served but was still delicious. Definitely going to return!

Yes, expect to wait 2-3 hours. People actually get in line at 6am for an 11am lunch. That being said, the line is BYOB, they sell beer/drinks once they open, and the food was unbelievable! Think of it like being at the bar, having a drink and making friends while waiting for the best BBQ known to man. They were out of pulled pork when we finally got up there (they let you know in line if they expect there to be some when you get counter) but had some ribs, sausage and brisket. Also had turkey which I didn't get. All sides were great. Do yourself a favor, grab a 6 pack, get in line, spend the morning make some friends and have some nationally renowned BBQ!

Virus has really shut this place down. Order way in advance if you want brisket. We ordered that morning and only chopped beef sandwiches and sausage links were available. Still great food!

This icon of Austin has the best bbq I have ever tasted. I never gotten into brisket bbq until I moved to Austin. Then I tasted Franklin's...brisket in a whole new level. Tender and juicy.

Tipsy Texan is a great sandwich and is usually still available until close.

Legendary. Finally made it. Not sure what needs to be said... it's as good as you've heard.

It's worth the 20 hour drive from Michigan just to come here.

Waited in long a long time to eat here and everything was very good!

Delicious and worth the wait! So they come by and let you know how far along you are in line, they take down a tally of what amounts of what you want and make sure they have enough. In total, it s magical.

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 avalible way before they open. Fair warning, eating here is Thanksgiving x10. The food coma is so real!

I'll admit, there are few places that I'll willingly wait in a 2 hour line for food. Salt Lick is one. Franklin's is the other. Both of these places have the whole BYOB thing in common (which helps), but Franklin's somehow pulls ahead. There's something about drinking at 8am that makes you feel young again (and then instantly older as you realize you can no longer handle it). The owner was there and he took the time to take a picture with my husband and even discuss how they prepare their meats. The sides weren't my favorite but the actual bbq itself was well worth the wait.

Best Brisket and best Pork Ribs I ve ever had. NEVER thought I d wait in line for 4hrs for anything. Life altering.

Amazing BBQ that is absolutely worth the wait, especially if you go with friends and make a morning of it. I really enjoyed the pork ribs and pulled pork.

This place is known for its brisket but honestly its okay, the flavor isn't all that but the meat is very tender and juicy ill give it that. What is really worth the wait is the ribs. They are amazing. Best pork ribs I have ever had.The only bad thing about this visit was we didn't get any ribs. The woman taking orders said I was the last for guaranteed ribs. I ordered 2 racks. The lady in front of me did not mention ribs at all but when we got to the butcher she took the last 2 racks. That really pissed me off because that was the only reason I went this morning. Franklins has the best ribs in Texas and I traveled far for them. If you order something the first time stick to it because it might affect people behind you negatively. My day was ruined. I hope that lady drops her ribs on her way home.

The brisket is excellent but the lines are terrible. Your best chances of getting a short line are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and occasionally Sundays at around 2 pm. If you know a large group that wants barbecue, you can preorder between 5 and 30 pound of barbecue about a month in advance for pickup without a wait. See the website.

The best barbecue hands down super friendly staff and it's such a great experience

Got in line at 730 on a Saturday and ate around 1. I ate a beef rib, brisket, a sausage link and the bourbon banana pie. I was disappointed with the pie, but Franklin doesn't make it so I won't hold it against them.

I cook and eat a lot of barbecue and I feel qualified to say Franklin brisket is one of a kind. Some reviews compared Franklin to Rudy's. That's plain ignorant. If I lived in Austin I'd wait in line at least once a month for that beef. It's perfect.

There is no better smoked beef brisket anywhere. Consistently the best there is. Cooked slowly with all-wood smoke. The absolute pinnacle of central Texas barbecue. If you like smoked brisket, this is what it should taste like. Waiting in line is an international tailgate party every time.

We visited Franklin's on a rainy Wednesday morning. We arrived at 930 and ate at noon. The ribs, pulled pork and brisket were delicious. The staff was almost the best part. Even though they see hundreds of customers, they don't seem to take any of it for granted. They were kind and down to earth. They were happy to give a quick tour of the smoker area in the back.

Amazing ribs and food. The line is always huge but worth it.

I arrived at 7:45 and was probably number 25 in line. I didn't get served until 12:45 as a result.

But it was absolutely worth it. They came out and started asking what people would be ordering which was really nice so you knew what to expect by the time you got up to the register.

I got the brisket, pork, sausage, beans, slaw, potato salad. The meats were each the best I've ever had in their respective categories, easily. Even days later when I microwaved the pork it was still the most tender juicy pork I've ever had.

The beans and slaw were great, a little plain, but that's what you expect when the mains are the star of the show. The potato salad was meh but I'm rarely a potato salad fan. The espresso sauce was my favorite

Every body there was extremely personable and friendly. The pitmaster there was happily walking people back into the smoker room, talking about the process, answering questions, and just letting us geek out

All in all a wonderful experience

The line out front was long in the morning, but once inside and food ordered the experience was great. I think they have the best brisket in Austin, and their sausage was great.

Amazing. Actually truly worth the hype. Expensive to boot, but it really is some of the best brisket ever.

The food is great, it's 5 star food. I took off 2 stars because they don't bother to hire more people or do something to make the service faster. If the wait was 30 min. I would give them 9 stars.

OMG!!!!! A religious experience!!! Certainly lived up to its reputation!!! Doesn't get any better.

Get there early. People complain about the wait, i thought it was well worth it.

Best brisket ever. Ribs and sausage were very good. The beans were also good.

Definitely worth the wait! Arrive early and bring a chair to wait in line. Delicious!!! Awesome bbq meats! Great pies!

Really awesome food. Hell of a wait, well worth it. Not sure if it s the best I ve tried but damnit the brisket is tasty.

Honestly? I found it overrated. The bbq sauces were too faddish; do we really need an espresso based bbq sauce? The grease from my pork ribs and brisket soaked through the butcher paper. I also had one sausage link not shown. Don't get me wrong, the meats LOOKED fantastic. Taste just didn't hold up. Not sure that I'd wait over 90 minutes in line again for the food. The staff are SUPER friendly and helpful.

I have been wanting to try Franklin s for a long time. The barbecue lived up to its expectations. It was definitely some of the best ribs I have ever had. What I was really surprised by was the customer service though. I was trying to put in an online order for a bachelor party and I messed up the order and didn t notice it in time to change it. I contacted one of the employees in a last-minute effort to make it right and the lady was extremely helpful and fixed my mistake. Franklin s doesn t only have great barbecue. They also have great customer service.

One of the highlights on our Austin trip and an early birthday lunch for our son. Our favorites were the mouth watering brisket and the turkey! We put in an order a week ahead of our visit to pick up to-go, (heads up pick up orders a 5lb. meat mininmum and are strictly to-go!) the staff was the so genuine and friendly and happy to see us. That line looked crazy, maybe on another visit, we'll go for the full experience and tailgate prior to our BBQ lunch. The lemon chess pie and key lime pie from The Cake and Spoon were just what we needed to complete our Franklin's meal.

TLDR: The hype is real. If you don't want to wait in line, order at least week in advance, but get ready to feast, a 5lb meat minimum needs to be met to start your order. Bring your friends and plan for a picnic, we ate ours at Zilker Park!

For that advertised with first class brisket, it is only average. Was disappointed with the brisket. Fowl and catfish were delicious. Nice staff

Only allowed to order 3 lbs or more, which is very inconvenient. Also, their website (which is the only way to get their food throught at this time) forces you to pay at least 10% gratuity, for a pick up order! Was excited to try them out but I changed my mind.

Uh
..delicious. worth the wait? Not sure anything is worth a 4 hr wait but the bbq is bomb.

This place NEVER disappoints! We usually try to take our family when they visit from out of town and they ALWAYS enjoy it. When my MIL and her husband visited in July we had chosen to order ahead of time (2 weeks in advance with a 5 lb minimum) and that was a really pleasant experience, as we then took it to Zilker park to enjoy. The potato salad is my favorite of all time and every meat option is delicious.

What to order:


Must haves: the brisket, ribs, and turkey. These were the best I ve ever had without question. The pulled pork and sausage were also extremely good, but didn t blow me away in the same manner.

The line was long but you ll have access to their bathroom starting around 8am and legend coffee, which is in the parking lot and opens around the same time. I recommend bringing some to do to pass the time, but it really does go by quick.

Brisket was great, ribs were awesome and turkey was my least favorite

Waited from 8am on a Tuesday and was within the first 10 customers. Seated by 11.30am. The brisket is the best thing here! Get the fatty part and youll sleep easy. The rest were OK. Tip - grab a chair from under the stairs while waiting and bring something to do.

Edit: the tarts are also amazing! I got the pecan pie and the banana bourbon made by cake and spoon. Very underrated but amazingly tasty!

As advertised. Not sure how they keep it from drying out over hours of travel but it stayed fresh longer than expected. Very impressive Turkey, best I've ever had by far.

The best brisket you'll have. Turkey is delicious, too. Everything is great. Consistently delicious! The people are fantastic, too. Be prepared to wait hours (bring chairs, sunscreen, lots to drink, great friends) and you'll have a fantastic experience.

We arrived at 7:30am on cold Saturday in January, 21 degrees that morning. 16 people ahead of us in line. The staff at Franklin Barbecue was incredibly welcoming and they kept us warm during our wait. The "line" was half the experience and our time passed quickly talking with our fellow BBQ goers. There was also a coffee vendor onsite that started serving at 8am. The door opened at 11, we were eating at 11:30. I got 1/2 pound moist brisket, 1 lb pork ribs, & 1 link of sausage. I was stuffed after all that, to say the least. The food was worth the wait and then some, and if you are reading this review you don't need me to describe it to you.

Worth the wait. Get here as early as you can! Amazing ribs and brisket.

World's best barbecue. Just wish there wasn't a 4 hour wait.

Don't be late!! Standing in line is half the experience , having a conversation with others that enjoy BBQ

Saw the line outside...turned rite around and went somewer else.... Cant be that dam good....

Came for the brisket, left wanting more ribs. Don't skimp on them, they're the real star. Everything was perfect though.

Words cannot describe.....just amazing. Totally worth the wait in the line!!!

Best meat I ever had - and I had a lot! The brisket alone is something to die fir and the wait is totally worth it!

We waited for 5hrs but it was indeed the most succulent BBQ I've ever had. A few words of advice, order online and pick up in person ;)

A favorite spot for quality bbq. service is excellent even when they are busy. i'll return family next time. menu is like a place in san francisco i liked.

The greatest ribs and brisket ever tasted, even while we waited for hours. We arrived and stood in line since 8:30 am. The line was already past their building and into the parking lot. Friendly people waiting in line from different places all going for the same experience.
You'll drool in anticipation and hopefully strike up a conversation with other food and bbq appreciative people. Turkey is good, sausages are great, but the Brisket and ribs will transport you back to the first time you were taken by the hand and lovingly but sternly plowed by your lover. The flavors and senses awakened will leave you biting your bottom lip, until another flavor explosion occurs and leaves you moist, breathless, and glistening with satisfaction.
Take a chance!! Make the drive, stand in line, Worth it!!!

Not worth the hype at all! The meat was so salty and the bbq sauce was a vinegar base which does not go well with salty meat. I could not taste any smoke at all. The potato salad was very bland. We tried the ribs, brisket and turkey and they all taste the same, salty. This is one of the worse bbq I've ever had. The best part of the meal was the bread slices they give you. The bread was very fresh. Don't believe the hype!

Always crowded, but with good reason. No one takes meat more seriously. Incredibly friendly staff and absolutely incredible food. Worth the hype, but don't expect a quick lunch.

Waiting in. line for three hours was worth it. The brisket and the pork ribs......simply delicious... Best BBQ in the state of Texas...

Beans are worth their weight in gold alone. A must try