Is Franklin Barbecue's 5 Hour Wait Really Worth It?
Is it worth the wait?
Franklin Barbecue, the most iconic Austin restaurant, former food trailer, and THE talk of the town when it comes to barbecue. Any time this place is mentioned, the discussion on whether or not it is worth the long wait always comes up.
I first experienced Franklin Barbecue September of 2019, to celebrate my 30th birthday, and I can confidently tell you if it is or is not worth the wait…
…BUT I would not be a very smart journalist if I told you right off the bat, now would I? ; ] Read on!
The Man, The Myth, The Brisket
Aaron Franklin only cooked 20 briskets before he opened his barbecue trailer in 2009. This year marks the FOURTEENTH year (as of 2023) in business and every single day he’s open for business, he’s selling out of brisket. Franklin and his crew is now smoking about 2,000 pounds of brisket A DAY… that’s JUST IN BRISKET! From running the restaurant, build the barbecue pits, maintaining, and keeping the whole place together, Franklin is a busy, busy man.
The FrankLINE
Now, the line length is going to depend on several things: the day, the time, the weather, and if any holidays are near.
If it’s a Monday, the line will be nonexistent, because they are closed. If we’re talking about getting there before they open, from Tuesday to Thursday, if the weather is decent, you will probably be looking at a three to four hour wait. Friday to Sunday, it will be a five hour wait.
MY UPDATE (1/18/2020):
My experience: My fiancé and I showed up on a Thursday morning around 6:45AM and were the third and fourth people in line (well, until our soon to be future friend, Tony, came in late meeting up with the group in front of us.. What up @thebeardandthebbq?!) We brought our own chairs but once the restaurant opens at 8am, then they provide you with some if needed. Since we were so early, we were under a covered part of the walkway so we were out of the sun, which can be a concern if you show up too late. It didn’t take long until we were chatting up our neighbors and found out that they came to Austin from AUSTRALIA! Tony and Dean both are BBQ aficionados and pitmasters that came to the states for a BBQ competition in Kansas City and then headed to have an Austin food experience. We spent four hours together which only really felt like one because of how much fun we were having.
Dean, Jared (my fiancé), myself, and Tony!
Doors Open At 8AM
So, at 8AM, you are allowed to go inside, grab a drink (even a beer), buy some Franklin merchandise, or use the restroom. There are chairs available for you to borrow while sitting in line as well at this time.
Soon after, a Franklin Barbecue employee walks through the line, asking what you’re going to be purchasing so they can let the people in the line know when they run out of certain things and they can decide if they want to wait any longer for something that won’t be available. In my experience, this gentleman was so nice, asking everyone what time they came into the line, where they are from, etc.
10:59 AM HAS COME!!!
Finally, I’ve been dreaming of this moment, it’s 10:59AM, the doors open, and we were led inside to the restaurant, straight to the counter. The people behind that counter were just as friendly and pleasant as the first employee we met. They asked the same types of questions, about where we are from and how long we had to wait, it was nice to not feel rushed when we spent so much time waiting for this experience.
We watched the man behind the counter slice the brisket and got a taste of burnt ends, which was a preview of what was to come and I was EXCITED!
The FOOD
We ordered:
2 pounds of Sliced Brisket (mixed) [$25/pound*]
1 pound of Pork Ribs [$22/pound*]
half pound of Pulled Pork [$22/pound*]
half a pound of Sliced Turkey [$19/pound*]
and a Sausage Link [$19/pound || $4/link*].
Regarding the sides, we ordered Pinto Beans [$10/quart*], Potato Salad [$3/single scoop], Coleslaw [$6/pint*], a Mini Pecan Pie/Tart [$6*], and a Mini Key Lime Pie/Tart [$6*].
A lot of food, yes, but we wanted to make sure we had a lot of leftovers and some food to share with my fiance’s coworkers (best coworker ever, yeah? HAHAHA)
Brisket + Ribs
Good luck finding better brisket. That’s truly all I think I need to say… but you came here to read, so let me continue.
There is definitely brisket that’s almost as good as this, just not THIS good. Each piece was so consistent, perfectly moist, and with the most flavorful and robust bark I have ever had.
I don’t think I’ve ever had ribs even close to how delicious these pork ribs were. The meat falls right off of the bone, it’s truly hard to give words to fully explain the meat surrounding these organ protectors.
Other Meats [Pulled Pork/Turkey/Sausage]
The rest of the meats were decent, they were not mind-blowing, honestly. The pulled pork was flavorful and moist, the turkey was incredibly moist, and the beef and pork sausage was moist but pretty average in comparison to the rest of the tray.
Sides
I’m sorry but how can sides shine when you have these preposterously delicious meats? The pinto beans had brisket in them, so that was a win. The potato salad was very basic and very mustardy. The coleslaw was a nice crunch among ALL of the chewy, softer foods from this meal.
Dessert
Get every pie/tart. Well, at least the Key Lime and the Bourbon Banana. These little treats pack a huge punch of flavor and decadence!
[* prices as of 12/13/2019]
Preorders
Can you order Franklin Barbecue without dealing with a wait and knowing you will receive what you want?! YES! Preordering is available through HERE.
Preorders become available 6 weeks in advance
Minimum order is 5 pounds of meat, up to 20 pounds of meat.
Preorders are TO GO only.
You can order Sliced Hot Meats, Unsliced Whole Hot Meats, Chilled Brisket or Turkey, sides, or desserts.
* C O N C L U S I O N *
Franklin Barbecue deserves its reputation.
The line is worth it.
You get to meet new people and bond over barbecue.
You get THE FRANKLIN EXPERIENCE in the FrankLINE!
Tips
Get there early.
Bring breakfast tacos. [Enough for your line neighbors if you want to make friends!]
Bring your own chair.
Bring mimosas, beer, seltzers!
Order mainly meat, trust me.
Order extra food so you have a lot to take home.
No sauce is needed, seriously.
* Bonus * Pit Tour!
Like I mentioned before, we sat in line next to some guys who really knew their smoked meats and they ended up talking someone into giving us a tour of the pits. First off, holy cow, it’s HOT in there!
The Franklin Barbecue pitmasters are smoking over 700,000 pounds of meat a year… INSANE.
The smokers were already closed, so we didn’t get a peek inside of one but just being in that iconic room, was enough for me to witness. The smokers had horseshoes welded on top and from that room, you had the view of the Texas State Capitol.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my incredible, smokey, food coma-inducing, Franklin experience. I also hope that this has encouraged you to go check out the line and I especially hope that I get to sit next to you in the ‘Frankline’ and we share stories, drinks, and smoked meats together!
Cheers!