Franklin BBQ in Austin, TX..............

Franklin BBQ in Austin.  Has anyone been there.  I see it listed as one of the top 20 restaurants in America recently. 

Even Hitler only had the cole slaw:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaZx6kGs7pg

Most people are of the same opinion as Hitler!
305 People on Urbanspoon gave it a 93% approval rating however most of the comments complained about the ridiculous wait in line to MAYBE get some food before they sold out.
Obviously, the owners have hit on the magic formula--Make irresistible BBQ in limited quanities and create a frenzy of people clamoring in line to get some. It's called "It's good, but you can't have any" Marketing.

It was featured on DDD...
 
You might want to go to the Food Network web site and poke around & see IF there is a list of places Guy Fieri has visited...
 

Also try googling it...
 

John Mueller, grandson of Louie Mueller of Taylor Texas recently challenged Aaron Franklin to a barbecue cook off http://www.scrumptiousche...premacy?adminview=true

scrumptiouschef


John Mueller, grandson of Louie Mueller of Taylor Texas recently challenged Aaron Franklin to a barbecue cook off http://www.scrumptiousche...premacy?adminview=true

The problem will be picking a panel of Judges. Everyone in TX has their biases
It'll be as tough as getting a jury for the Charles Manson Trial!!

Littleman


Has anyone been there?
 

 
Littleman and I are still waiting.
 
And, speaking of "hard to get 'legendary vittles' ", anybody been to  Snow's?
( http://www.texasmonthly.com/preview/2008-06-01/feature5 )

BackRhodes


It was featured on DDD...

You might want to go to the Food Network web site and poke around & see IF there is a list of places Guy Fieri has visited...

 
http://www.tvfoodmaps.com...diners-drive-ins-dives

Lance Kirpatric, who was the great pitmaster at Louis Mueller BBQ when Bobby Mueller was alive and owned it is now the pitmaster at Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew in Austin. VERY HIGHLY RATED!
http://www.stilesswitchbbq.com

Thanks, Twin.
 
Found it:  http://www.tvfoodmaps.com/place1892.html

I've been there, last April (and going again next month).  It was one of the few places I've been to that I can truly say was as good as I had been led to believe.
 
I've been to just about every other places in the Austin area.  All the places in Lockhart.   City Meat Market.  City Market.  Louie Muellers.  Salt Lick.  Even Snow's in Lexington.  Franklin had them all beat, by a measurable margin.
 
We got there two hours early, and we only barely at the front of the line (another group showed up minutes later).  I'm sure the line is worse now.
 
My review here: http://offbeateats.org/2011/04/franklin-barbecue/

And for completeness, here's my breakfast at Snow's last year (if you are eating there, it will be at breakfast, since they are out by lunchtime):
 

 
Franklin has them beat by a mile.

Thank you, Kaszeta!!!
 
Mrs. Metro and I have been "thinking" about a trip to Austin and, looking at the map and their hours, balks at the idea of visiting Snow's.  You may well have brought Peace to our household!  TYVM!!!

That's a damn good looking website

scrumptiouschef


John Mueller, grandson of Louie Mueller of Taylor Texas recently challenged Aaron Franklin to a barbecue cook off http://www.scrumptiousche...premacy?adminview=true

BTW:  how would Tom & Bingos up in Lubbock "rank" were they to be in the Austin area?

scrumptiouschef

That's a damn good looking website

Which one?

I have long advocated the merits of the BBQ places in Lockhart...until I finally got to eat at Franklin's. This is not hype, it is really good barbeque, hands down. Once you've eaten here , the wait is inconsequential. I can't say it enough. I am a believer.

As per Kaszeta and brisketboy...
 

The last time I was in Austin for a weekend visit with my son, we planned to hit Franklin's on Monday morning before I drove back to Dallas. Wouldn't you know it! It was the first time they started closing on Mondays!

I was there during Texas/OU this past October.  Ordered 2 lbs of each of brisket, sausage and ribs.  Sausage had a good snap to the casing and was juicy.  Definitely not the commercial stuff.  Really good.  I thought the ribs were good not outstanding but pretty solid which is better than what you get from most joints.  The brisket, however, was on a whole different level.  That's some divine stuff there.
 
I still say there's more than salt and pepper in the rub on the brisket.

MetroplexJim

scrumptiouschef


John Mueller, grandson of Louie Mueller of Taylor Texas recently challenged Aaron Franklin to a barbecue cook off http://www.scrumptiousche...premacy?adminview=true

BTW:  how would Tom & Bingos up in Lubbock "rank" were they to be in the Austin
 
area?

Tom and Bingos could open up here in Travis county and make good money. They're a mite pricey but on my Lubbock swing a couple months ago they were easily the best barbecue out that way.
 
Wiley's in Lubbock was pretty good too but one thing I noticed was that all the regulars were eating big platters of fried catfish and/or hamburgers.
 
Sort of like Top Hat Barbecue in Blount Springs Alabama. It's really more of a catfish house.

kaszeta

scrumptiouschef

That's a damn good looking website

Which one?

 
http://offbeateats.org/2011/04/franklin-barbecue/

stillcajun


I was there during Texas/OU this past October.  Ordered 2 lbs of each of brisket, sausage and ribs.  Sausage had a good snap to the casing and was juicy.  Definitely not the commercial stuff.  Really good.  I thought the ribs were good not outstanding but pretty solid which is better than what you get from most joints.  The brisket, however, was on a whole different level.  That's some divine stuff there.

I still say there's more than salt and pepper in the rub on the brisket.

Actually Franklin does use a commercial sausage. It's a good one but it's a commercial purveyor here in East Austin.
 
The only guy in town producing his own, scratch sausage is John Mueller, son of legendary pit boss Bobby and grandson of the icon, Louie.
 
Read about the redemption of this mercurial barbecue man here http://chowpapi.com/wordp....8.6/wordpress/?p=1950

scrumptiouschef

"Actually Franklin does use a commercial sausage. It's a good one but it's from a commercial purveyor here in East Austin".

 

 
Sausage from a "commercial purveyor" in East Austin would be good enough to be considered "house made" here in Dallas. 

I was just reading about Franklin BBQ in Texas Monthly this afternoon.  I've never been to Texas, but the reviews I've read about this place may get me there.  A rule of thumb: if the lines are that long when they first open up, that's a good sign that you won't be disappointed.
 

As it happens, Tony Bourdain just filmed an episode for "No Reservations" today at Franklin's BBQ.
http://sidedish.dmagazine...ghn-filming-in-austin/

Twinwillow


As it happens, Tony Bourdain just filmed an episode for "No Reservations" today at Franklin's BBQ.
http://sidedish.dmagazine...ghn-filming-in-austin/

according to this article,
Daniel Vaughn, known to most of you as BBQ Snob and the man behind the blog “Full Custom Gospel BBQ”, is considered an xpert?? bbq critic. He only lists 2 places in his book as 6 star joints. One is Franklin's and the other is Fargo's Pit BBQ in Bryan, TX
How come I don't recall seeing any posts on RF about Fargo's??? Has anyone ever been there??

Probably not because Bryan, Texas is a small town near College Station in the middle of Texas between Georgetown on I-35 and Huntsville on I-45.
 

scrumptiouschef


Actually Franklin does use a commercial sausage. It's a good one but it's a commercial purveyor here in East Austin.

 
I give credit to the guy for finding a place that produces a good product like that.  When I say commercial its normally the eckrich variety that most places put on their "pits" (and I use that term loosely) around this area.