If you ever find yourself in Austin Texas and you are craving BBQ … Franklins is the best you can try ! TRUST ME !
2 Likes
How so? I’m not a fan of lines or hipsters.
1 Like
Hipsters, Austin?? Get out.
I haven’t been but I do believe they give away beer. I don’t believe there is enough beer to assuage a two hour line wait surrounded by hipsters.
2 Likes
I went to Franklin a number of years ago after it got famous but before it got crazy. We got in line about 9am and were 20th in line or so. They put out the sold out sign before they opened.
It was great. But I wouldn’t do it again. Fortunately, the lines aren’t as bad anymore since there are a lot of great places for bbq in Austin these days.
I’ve seen good reviews for:
Interstellar
Micklethwaite
Whitfield’s
LeRoy & Lewis
Those were recc’d just in February. The term “Embarrassment of Riches” comes to mind.
2 Likes
Went to Austin to visit my daughter in ‘15. Right off the plane we went to Franklins but even in the morning before they opened the line was more than I could handle. It would have been several hours in line. I won’t wait in line that long for anything.
Ended up not far away at La Barbecue. A modest line before they opened but it was doable. Maybe 45-60 min wait. Stood in line with a fellow from Northern California who had a few bbq restaurants. He had been tasting his way through Austin. We sat at the same picnic table while we ate. He said he gave a very small nod to Franklins on the brisket. He had paid someone to stand in line for him the day before.
I was happy enough with the food I got and didn’t spend half a day in a line.
3 Likes
LA BBQ is owned by LeeAnn Mueller of the Central Texas Mueller BBQ Dynasty.
Definitely another great Austin choice.
4 Likes
When we did our “drive by” of Franklins and decided to to do it, we ended up at Green Mesquite. It was terrible. Utterly no smoke or color, I really thought it was just oven roasted.
Not long ago, I hosted an event at the original County Line on the Hill in Austin. The service was great, the food was good, and the views were amazing. Go at sunset.
2 Likes
That is, we decided NOT to do it.
However, I went to a funeral gathering in Houston once and someone had managed to bring in Franklin Q for the post-service meal. And it was terrific.
1 Like
Closer to five or six these days actually. There are also multiple places in Austin doing comparable or equal bbq to Franklin but with nowhere near as bad of a wait. IMO, the only good reason to go to Franklin is to experience the line.
Valentina’s is my top pick because you can knock out quality bbq and tacos in one spot. But it was also recently on Food network and line sizes have tripled lately, so keeping away for now.
My other go-to’s are Kerlin and Micklethwait, then occasionally will drop by Leroy and Lewis.
4 Likes
Are these toursists that wait hours?
Right, pretty much the entire line is tourists. I insist on doing pickup if I have someone visiting hell bent on Franklin, which usually is enough to convince them to do Valentina’s etc
2 Likes
That is pretty wild. I might wait an hour if I can get a drink or two.
2 Likes
The line is basically just a tailgate. People bring coolers with beer, mimosas, etc
3 Likes
Yeah. When I was out there, I wondered why there wasn’t a breakfast taco truck prowling the area. Would make a fortune.
1 Like
So people actually wait on this line with some beers?
1 Like
I take it alcohol is needed to endure the wait
I have several times preordered a whole brisket. You just walk up & get it & pay & leave. I’ve done this to take with me on road trips to see friends or family. Great “hostess gift” when you show up with a whole smoked brisket from Franklin’s. My dad invited the neighborhood over and got to do a big shtick about “Texas barbecue.” It was fun and the 'cue was great.
3 Likes
Oh wow good to know!
That’s the idea yep - like I said, people bring coolers with booze.
One time I did the line, I saw a bachelorette party get thrown out for having too many mimosas at 8 am.
6 Likes
Sounds like a good day lol. You guys do it big down there in tx! If I can move out of this shitty state I’m coming down there.
1 Like
