The
Franklin Barbecue Review (Austin, TX)
Let’s face it.
Franklins is considered the big bull in the BBQ scene in the Austin area. It’s
certainly the most popular, with lines forming before 8:00 for an 11:00
opening, professional place holders, and rumors that someone makes a sizable
amount of money each week renting chairs. But is it really that good? I managed
to get a pickup order or today to share with friends.
I arrived about
9:20am (pickup time is 10:00) because I planned to talk to some of the crowd.
One thing I eventually noticed: the line is not quite as bad as it might seem.
While it stretches around the parking lot, there’s a lot of space between
groups of people, and chairs take up more space than people standing in
straight file line.
Max Ortiz |
Lisa Ortiz |
Lisa and Max Ortiz
were the first to arrive in line this morning at 6:50am. It’s their 2nd time coming to Franklins and they love
it.
Greg & Friends |
57 people back are
Greg and his friends. They arrived at 8am. So 57 people showed between 6:50 –
8… not bad… It’s the first time for Greg and company.
Jensen, Barbara & Tom |
Go back another 75
people and you meet Jensen, Barbara, John (not shown), and Tom. They arrived at
9:00am. Incidentally, Tom is from Chicago and came primarily for the BBQ. We
briefly discuss a few other places he might also want to check out.
There’s only about
15-20 people in line after this group, so total line at this point is @150.
Greg and friends probably have the best spot: some shade and they are right
under one of the misting fans. These are very nice.
People certainly
come prepared to this event. I see people playing cards, and someone is setting
up what appears to be the boards for a game of washers. There’s lots of back
and forth, with people from different groups talking and mingling. One thing
this line certainly does is bring people together.
Benji Jacobs |
After a few more
conversations 10:00 rolls round and I go inside to get our To Go order: 3
pounds brisket, 3 pounds ribs, and 2 pounds each pulled pork, turkey, and
sausage. They bag it up along with some beans, bread, sauce, etc. and I head to
my friends’ home.
Tasting today will be done by myself, Scott, AJ, and our friends Bill and Kelly (who have also graciously provided their house). Bill does not like white meat, so he only tries the brisket and sausage. (Technically he tried the pork and turkey but it confirmed his opinion that he just doesn’t like white meat). Kelly just doesn’t eat much, so she only tries the ribs and brisket.
Tasting today will be done by myself, Scott, AJ, and our friends Bill and Kelly (who have also graciously provided their house). Bill does not like white meat, so he only tries the brisket and sausage. (Technically he tried the pork and turkey but it confirmed his opinion that he just doesn’t like white meat). Kelly just doesn’t eat much, so she only tries the ribs and brisket.
Turkey: Turkey is moist and has an excellent
pepper flavor. It is just a smidge tough in places, but the flavor makes up for
it in my and Scott’s opinion. AJ is not quite as big a fan. Final scores out of 10: AJ – 6, Tom – 8, Scott – 9.
Pulled Pork: The pulled pork also has a nice
smoke flavor, and is tender. While I’m not normally a sauce fan, this one I
recommend with their expresso sauce. All of us agree it is good. Final scores out of 10: AJ – 8, Scott – 9, Tom – 9.
Brisket: I find the brisket moist and tender,
with a nice bark, excellent smoke flavor, and just the right consistency. Scott
agrees, and both Bill and Kelly (who are nowhere near as dedicated as Scott and
myself) both feel it is very good. Surprisingly AJ feels it is not moist
enough. When asked what he considers moist enough, he references Rudy’s, with
the grease running off the brisket. I think we’re going to have to disagree
with him. But he’s from New Jersey, so we’ll forgive him… Final scores out of 10: AJ – 6 (really?), Bill – 8,
Kelly – 8, Scott – 10, Tom – 10.
Sausage: There’s a good snap to the sausage,
it’s got a nice pepper bite, and is tender and juicy. It’s got a good smoke
flavor. Final score: Bill and Scott and AJ and
Tom all give it a 9.
Ribs: The ribs have a nice smoke flavor and
good crust. I think this is the one item where there’s something more than salt
and black pepper, as there are some sweet notes as well (maybe paprika?).
Either way, it is a wonderful taste in my opinion. General agreement from those
who try although Kelly thinks there’s a little too much going on with the rub
and she can’t taste the meat the way she wants. Final scores: Kelly – 7, AJ – 9, Scott – 10, Tom – 10.
If you’ve wondered
if Franklins can live up to its reputation, it does. It is certainly some of
the best BBQ in the area. They clearly know what they are doing.
Is it worth a visit?
Absolutely!* Everyone needs to try this place at least once.
Is it worth a trip? Again,
absolutely!* Franklins may have become a cultural icon in Austin, but the
quality of the BBQ means every purist should try them at least once.
(Al's comment: OK Tom, I saw your asterisk up there.
I know that means you have a comment. Let’s hear it.)
You know me too
well. When I rate a place as worth a visit or worth a trip, I’m talking about
the quality of the food. But occasionally there may be other factors at work in
a place that deserve mention so you can be fully informed. For Franklins, it’s
the wait. One person at the front counter (speaking off the record) told me
that a line like the one they had today takes about 2 hours to work though. And
of course more people are coming during the day. And on a Saturday like today
they usually run out about 3:00.
In short, when you
add in the time factor EVERY visit to Franklins will probably qualify as a trip
in terms of time. It’s a safe bet you can plan on a 90 minute to 2 hour wait if
you get there at opening. And despite that it’s still worth doing at least once.
Look at it as a social event as much as a food trip. You’re going to go out,
mingle with a lot of people you haven’t met before, and whom the only thing you
may have in common is the need to breath a nitrogen/oxygen mix and the desire
for some good BBQ. And at the end you are going to have some excellent BBQ.
-Tom
The executive chef here was a genuinely nice person and never made us feel like we were just "business" for him. He was extremely competent and organized. Because of the natural beauty of Los Angeles event venues, we were able to get away with very minimal decorations.
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