Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 10/10 and Yes. This is the institution who has captured my love of BBQ like no other and still reigns supreme as the best I have ever had. In all honesty, the entire trip was built on the slightly traitorous optimism that someone might actually be able to knock them off as the best of the best, but no such fantasy ended up existing or coming true over the course of our tour. I had wondered for years if they would still be able to deliver on my memory of that first transcendent brisket experience I had with them all the way back in 2021 and then again in 2023, and was only too happy to have the chance to try them again, this time with my two pit hardened taste veterans that I brought with me on the trip. As a fun side note, my Dad actually decided to join for the Texas leg of the tour, as he had never been to the state before and was all too curious to experience Franklins after years of listening to me rant about them. With that in mind, I wanted to make sure we had the first meats and cuts of the day, so we went to bed early the night before and rolled up to get in line bright and early at 7 AM.

We got in line and got to check off the bucket list of being the 1st at Franklin’s, at the low cost of being here 4 hours before they opened. Around 8 AM, we had about 15 people behind us, as I noticed the first doors of the day open. The Franklin’s team members had started eating breakfast together at the end of the patio around 8:10, with the staff starting to come alive inside the restaurant as well. While we waited, we met a group from Arizona right behind us in line (by only 3 minutes) who worked at/owned Caldwell County BBQ at the original location. They were super friendly and had some overlap with our tour as well, so I added them to my list to check out next time I’m in Phoenix. Anyway, back to Franklins. While waiting in line in the perfectly shaded western facing patio, you get to save your legs and feet by using the free patio chairs that Franklins has available for the early faithful that have arrived long before opening. It’s crazy that after almost 20 years, there is still thus much fan devotion and following, with the lines dramatically already beating Interstellar. Right at 9, music started coming through the speakers and the staff was cleaned up from breakfast and in full swing for setting up service. Bathrooms officially open up inside (the outdoor porta potties are always open) as well if they are needed. Around 10ish, we had a team member come by and take our pre-order who then went down the line to everyone else, which is how they gage when they will sell out for the day. From the first interaction to the last, the customer service of the team members was fantastic and creates a super friendly and enthusiastic environment, getting you pumped for the feast soon to come. Right at 11, they unlocked the entrance and we made our way through the hallowed door way. We then gleefully placed our order and grabbed a table in the main dinning area.

From the first bite, it was apparent to everyone at the table that Franklins brisket is still in a category of its own, with everyone having their own internal come to God moments respectively. The second and third bites only continued to confirm our beliefs, that this is truly the best brisket on the planet even after all these years of searching and smoking. This sentiment was then immediately echoed by everyone regarding the ribs, as not a single member of the tour could name a better one they had ever had. This led the group to basically agree in unison, that it was almost criminally unfair that they can make the best brisket and ribs of our lives both under the same roof, so for any law enforcement reading this, please disregard or at least go easy on them when it comes to sentencing. In terms of the rest of the meal, the Texas Trinity was officially completed by a delicious jalapeno cheddar sausage, which was only slightly outdone by its Garlic & Black Pepper counterpart. The sides were a perfect addition to the meats and both the coleslaw and potato salad were some of the best we had on the entire trip. When it comes to Texas BBQ, they still hold the crown as the best of the best.

Overall, it was a super memorable experience to not only be first in line, but also have my Dad join me for his first taste of Texas BBQ, of whom I have probably unfairly ruined for life for any brisket or ribs he has after this (sorry not sorry). There is clearly a reason that Franklin has been so universally sought after for his craft and knowledge, and why he has been able to put out a Masterclass series, 3 books of BBQ mastery, and a full PBS TV show as well. Aaron being all to willing to share his secrets and never once having even an ounce of an ego about it, is just one reason of many as to why he is still the top of his craft and beloved by his devoted fan base. Retaining his title as the King of all BBQ, Franklins continues to be the holy land for any brisket or rib disciples and needs to be on every enthusiasts list as their number one destination to visit

Date Visited: 5/14/2026

Address: 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 7:00 AM. Open at 11:00 AM

Owner: Aaron & Stacy Franklin (Husband & Wife)

Website: https://franklinbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened food truck in 2009, opened the current brick and mortar location in 2011

Number of People in Line: 0 at 7 AM (First in line baby!!!), then 6 at 7:03, and then 2 more at 7:41, 19 people behind us at 8:45, 29 at 9:15, at 10:25 it was at 56, by 10:35 it was at 72, and finally by opening they were over 100 deep

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $210.59 with tip. Ordered 1.5 lbs of brisket, full rack of ribs, 1/2 lb of pulled pork, 1 garlic pepper sausage, 1 jalapeno cheddar sausage for the mains, and then a side order of the coleslaw and the potato salad, with 4 beers.

Type of Wood: Post Oak

Type of Smoker: Custom built wood-fired offset smokers

Type of Seasoning: Salt & pepper for beef, other blends for other meats

Best Dish: Brisket

Best Sauce: Original

Best Side: Coleslaw

Interior Description: Small seating area, with the line wrapping around the outside of the dining room on the right side. You order your meats cafeteria style, slide down to pay, and then grab a table either inside, or on one of the exterior picnic tables. Not a big area at all, with seating inside for about 45-50. It has a minimalist interior, with corrugated metal ceilings, wood tables with red leather chairs, and only a few photos aligning the walls for decoration to go along with their wall of merch, that while simple, delivers a super cozy almost BBQ diner feel to it. Again, the focus here is on the meats, but the customer service and ambiance are top notch

Pro Tip: If you don’t feel like waiting in line, you can place an order ahead of time and pick it up, but I believe the minimum order is 5 lbs. If you do get there early and want to earn your order by waiting in line, they provide folding chairs for you to use or feel free to bring our own. If you also like to make it a little bit of a tailgate, similar to ourselves, feel free to bring your own beers or beverages to sip while you wait, with Franklins opening up drink orders starting at 9:00 AM (beer included). Order at least a minimum 1 lb of brisket and at least a half rack (ideally a full) of the ribs

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 10/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: For the full pound, they gave us some lean and fatty cut, making sure everyone at least got a slice of each. In terms of the appearance, it was perfectly trimmed and it had a smaller 1/4 to 1/2 inch of red ring to the entire brisket, whose flavors once again instantly delivered as the best I’ve ever had. It had the perfect blend of smokiness, as well as seasoning, with just the right amount of pepper that comes through in each bite, and is truly is the definition of balanced. Whether it was a lean or fatty cut, the slices were perfectly rendered, balanced in its seasoning, and had the exact right amount of post oak smoke coming through in each mouthful. This all created a bark that was second to none on our entire trip and delivered a fantastic salty and peppery crunch, which was a perfect accent to the insanely tender and juicy meat itself, which was literally melting in our mouths. Franklin is still delivering the best of the best for smoked meats and it was an instantly unanimous decision by the group that it was better than Interstellar’s (and every other brisket the rest of our trip for that matter as well). This is the must order anytime you’re going to be coming through and still reigns as the champ until it is been dethroned. We will continue to make the pilgrimage for years to come, as this is still the Holy Grail of brisket and once again delivered 10/10 for flavors and the experience

Pork Spare Ribs 

0/10 Ranking: 9.5/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, light brush of BBQ sauce

Description: Peppery and tangy are the best way to describe these ribs. They were perfectly cooked yet again, and were just to the point fall off the bone, but with good structural integrity and a nice tenderness to the. The sauce is obviously a breakaway from typical Texas barbecue, but with a massive pepper blend mixed in, it is a really nice compliment and an enjoyable little tangy addition which helped cut the meat richness beautifully. Still probably at minimum a top three or top two rib of any that I’ve ever had and worth an immediate order once again. Just do yourself a favor and order a full rack of them, as they keep great for leftovers (if there are any) as well

Pulled Pork

0/10 Ranking: 9.25 to 9.5/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, in-house pork seasoning blend

Description: A very juicy pulled pork, that had a peppery finish similar to the ribs. For its mixture, it had nice red meat pieces, blended in with good chunks of bark as well. No sauce needed here, as it’s solid on its own. It was very pepper forward and with a nice structural integrity, while somehow still being tender. It could use just a little more smoke, but hard to say it needs much beyond that. Worth an order, even in Texas  

Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage 

0/10 Ranking: 9.25 to 9.5/10

Description: Creamy interior with a great casing snap. Perfect blend of spiciness to it with the cheddar cutting the jalapeños really well. Creamier than the garlic sausage, I would like it a little firmer as my only critique, but great otherwise. Order this as the last part of the Texas Trinity and enjoy  

Garlic Black Pepper Sausage

0/10 Ranking: 9.5/10

Description: Great snap to both sausages, but this one definitely comes across as beefy option, with a nice meat-to-fat ratio with great flavor inside. Super juicy while somehow still being very compact with the interior mixture, this was almost a perfect sausage and will absolutely order again

Sauces

Description: Didn’t review, but there are 4 available on the side wall for Original, Espresso, Vinegar, & Spicy

Sides – Coleslaw

0/10 Ranking: 9.25/10

Description: White and red cabbage blend for this slaw, it had a light zesty snap to it, with just a hint of mayo while being more acid forward. It was crisp and refreshing and a perfect side for the meats of the day. It is an easy yes on if it’s worth ordering again

Sides – Potato Salad

0/10 Ranking: 9 to 9.25/10

Description: Really creamy and mustard forward potato salad, this was one of, if not the best I’ve ever had. Love the hit of mustard and then the little bit of vinegar snap that it provides, with really well cooked potatoes and a delicious velvety texture that was creamy without being runny or mushy and had a great overall flavor. Even as someone who normally doesn’t like this, I would actually order this again as it was simply that good. Would recommend for yourself or for the table

Interior & Menu Photos: