The Taste of Texas Legend

Franklin absolutely lived up to the hype for me. The brisket is the must-order. Super tender, smoky, and rich without feeling like it needs anything added to it. Watching it get sliced right before the tray comes together also makes the whole experience feel a little more special. That said, the ribs were probably my favorite thing I ate. Really tender, smoky, messy in exactly the way good barbecue should be. The sausage was another easy yes, and I liked having the potato salad, slaw, pickles, onions and white bread alongside everything because you definitely need something to break up all that meat. The place itself is casual, busy and completely unfussy. You’re not coming here for a fancy dining room — you’re coming for barbecue, and it feels like everyone in the room knows exactly why they’re there. Would I wait for it again? Annoyingly… yes.

Brother and I came to Austin to eat and Franklin was our first stop. Didn’t have time to wait so we pre ordered the minimum five pounds of meat. Ended up finding some people to share with and none of the food was wasted. Can’t imagine brisket getting any better than this. Moist, tender, melt in your mouth perfection. Ribs may have been the best I’ve had as well. Pulled pork was nothing special until we put their vinegar bbq sauce on it and it was delicious. Sausage was good, but not great. Turkey was tender and very flavorful. Key lime tart was decent. The only side we tried was the potato salad which was refreshing as it had a nice mustard flavor. If you like bbq this is a must try. I can only assume that the people who talk bad about this place either don’t know bbq or just like to be mean.

Excellent restaurant! The food was fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. The beef brisket was absolutely amazing—tender, flavorful, and one of the highlights of the meal. The service was outstanding, and the staff were friendly, professional, and very attentive. The atmosphere was welcoming and enjoyable. Everything exceeded my expectations, and I would definitely come back again. Highly recommended!

Franklin Barbecue feels like a place where the anticipation is part of the experience. The line outside can be long, but once you get inside and smell the smoke from the pits, it makes sense why people wait. The atmosphere is casual, loud, and full of barbecue fans comparing trays before they sit down. I ordered the brisket, ribs, sausage, and potato salad. The brisket was the clear highlight, with a smoky bark and tender slices that barely needed sauce. The ribs had a rich flavor and a little chew, while the sausage added a peppery snap. The potato salad was simple and creamy, which worked well against the heavier meat. This is the kind of barbecue meal that feels memorable because it is straightforward and done really well. Nothing feels overly fancy, but every bite tastes like it took time.

Absolutely best BBQ I have ever had. I preordered ahead since I knew the lines would be crazy but yes absolutely I think that was the best decision I have ever made. If you don’t like waiting in line like me and want to try everything on the menu go ahead and preorder the family style bbq. You get half a pound of everything. Absolutely worth it.

OMG why did we went so long to go here. Oh yeah , the long lines on the weekends. Went on Wednesday, got in line at 10am, the line moved quickly when they opened at 11am. Took about 20 minutes to the counter. Excellent friendly and attentive service from start to finish. Hands down best brisket!!! So tender and flavourful!!! Same for the turkey and ribs too!! No knife needed, it’s all so tender! The sausage had a nice snap! The awesomeness of the meat doesn’t need any sauce, it’s so delicious without it although the sauce is good. Next visit, we’ll skip the side dishes and desserts. Tried the potato salad and coleslaw and didn’t care for either. They have a nice merchandise space while in line inside. We picked a couple of bbq sauce bottles for $4.00 each and a hat for $27.

Not wanting to stand in line for hours was top priority, so we placed a to-go order and ate at one of the two benches by the to-go trailer in back. There was a 5 pound meat minimum so it ain't cheap to do it that way. No sides ordered, so I can't review those, but the meats were all top notch. Best brisket, turkey, and jalapeno cheddar sausage that we tried on a BBQ mecca type trip to Austin and Lockhart, TX. The flavor of each item was rich and delicious. The sleeper of the meats was the shredded beef brisket. That on a sandwich (bread provided) with the pickles and jalapeno and the espresso bbq sauce was phenomenal. They need to sell the espresso sauce in the bottle like the other sauce flavors.

Well worth the wait! I was truly floored and shocked by how amazing the meat was: Lean Brisket, Moist Brisket, Pork Rib, and Smoked Turkey. I come from West Coast and I usually try to avoid non-Corned Beef Brisket in even the trendiest foodie BBQ place as dry and unappealing. But my positive experience at Franklin's with send me down the gastronomic rabbit hole to find how to produce brisket half as good and still beat every West Coast BBQ place I've sampled. The line just 20min after opening was already down the block on a sweltering 94 humid June Friday, and I ended up waiting a full 2 hours. The Franklin's staff was amazingly kind to those on line: they distributed water cups and frozen otter pops that really revived me. The also would come through the line giving warnings where in the line people were at risk of arriving at the front after certain cuts like brisket could be sold out. Luckily despite the conservative warnings the supply lasted through my Line and eating time; but the thoughtfulness was appreciated. The quality of the meat was so good, I would have still been satisfied if only the smoked turkey had been available. The smoked turkey was the biggest surprise as I was expecting best-ever brisket but no expectations of the Turkey being so deliciously unique. I was solo and managed to finish 60% of a "two slices moist, two slices lean, 1 pork ribs and 1 slice Turkey. No sides, and two Lone Star beer cans". Imo that was a perfect order under any circumstances. To create the big distinction in texture and flavor between the lean and moist brisket cuts was also very educational. Tldr: worth the hype, but may leave you terrified you will never again have as good a meat again.

Arrived at 8AM with about 40 people in-front of us. Let me tell you the 3 and a half hour wait was well worth it!!! My dad and I are BBQ enthusiast and have some competition experience and after my dad’s first bite of the Beef Rib he said, “I don’t know how it could get any better than that!” I have heard the hype of Franklin’s for YEARS and it surpassed all my expectations! Brisket was the best I have ever had, Beef Rib was the same. Pork ribs blew my mind with the tenderness. Turkey was outstanding. Sausage was amazing. I do have to say that the sides are nothing special, just your typical BBQ sides. Stand-out were the beans for me, the rest I could do without. Toured the pits after, very friendly staff. I would recommend everyone to go to Franklin’s BBQ and waiting in the long line before anywhere else! 10/10, will be back!

We arrived around 12:15 and the line was wrapped! By the time we got to the counter it was 1:35. We were the last ones to actually get pulled pork because they ran out. That is the longest weve ever waited for bbq, BUT SO WORTH IT! I do not ever order brisket because it’s usually disappointing, dry and bland. However, this brisket was none of those things. It was everything a brisket should be!!! The other meats were delicious as well. The banana pie was incredible, the crust tasted almost like a cookie crumble. The potato salad is more of a mustard base, and cole slaw isn’t too wet but I filled up on everything else and didn’t eat much of it. After we finished eating, we even got a tour of the smokers! They are on a rotation, always smoking brisket and rotating staff to keep watch over it, and they use post oak wood. The staff were all so precious and friendly. My family thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would totally stand in line again :D