I had the opportunity to visit and eat at Franklins last night for an event. I live in the area and had never been, so it was a treat. The mix meat platter had turkey, rib, pulled pork, cuts of brisket and some burnt ends was amazing. Every cut of meat was perfection. The sides I chose were slaw and beans. I must say the beans were amazing. The shells were a perfect balance that had a slight crisp to them, unlike a can of beans.
I enjoyed seeing that 2 people had waited in line over 100 times and because of it they put a plaque on the wall with their names.
I learned how the brisket was cooked from their pit master. A method I'm willing to try as I've always cooked at 225 and let it roll until completion.
All in all it was a great experience and worth the trip. I would wait in line or order ahead for pick up if visitors wanted to enjoy. I'd also venture back myself given I had the time to wait.
by Jack-o-Nothing
39 Comments
Those prices are insane for someone like me who makes his own BBQ. I get pork ribs on sale for $1.99/lb (and they are usually on sale). Brisket, I usually get for $6/pound on sale but usually $8/lb.
I won’t detail all the rest but maybe I need to go into the BBQ business.
If anyone needed more proof that marketing works.
His prices aren’t *that* bad for “craft” barbecue. He’s high on a couple items, but cheaper than some on others. He is one of the GOATs and most people say it’s worth it.
I’ve never been but will eventually.
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Hipsters are ruining the industry
$624 for 16lbs of brisket. Wow.
Those pits are workhorse units though…
Thats highway robbery, most places its 20-24$ a pound.
For everyone comparing prices. The meat is grass fed/finished. It’s not injected with trash and sold for cheap on a shelf at your local store. The Pit masters were knowledgeable to speak on the selection of beef and where it comes from. The standards surpass the low grade American cuts that are accepted here and are of the few that are exported to countries that value quality. Aaron has a standard of quality that started from the beginning. I don’t recall the service used, but it aligns with humane treatment so as to not add unnecessary reactive hormones to the meat as the livestock is being put down. Hormone influx to livestock or wild game makes meat taste different.
I thought they were hyperbaric chambers for a second lol
I’m here in Charleston, SC, home of Lewis BBQ (who studied under Franklin). His pits look almost identical, they’ve got it figured out. The right equipment really does make more of a difference than most realize
Sounds like you had a good time… I drove to TX 2 years ago to pick up my LSG pit, unfortunately I didn’t get to experience any TX BBQ, I did have some good BBQ in Mississippi though.
I got a grassfed prime brisket from HEB the other day for around $80. Batshit insane pricing, idc about rent and overhead, most of these joints are in bullshit ghetto shacks in the hood, I wonder when the bbq trend is gonna die out and people start learning themselves how to make it, it’s not rocket science to make good bbq.
lots of great places in Austin
Dang. I’m so happy I smoke my own. 39 per pound of brisket? Whew. Mine might not be as good but I can get a 14 pound brisket for $80 where I live. lol
There’s an apple orchard in Ulster Co NY (Twin Star) that has a monster smoker like this and cranks out banging bbq in the warm seasons if anyone wants legit bbq in NY
Fuck me, I need to start charging my in-laws for all the brisket and ribs I make…
I can only imagine my broke boy ass getting to the front of that line and asking for one sausage link lol
Back in my day Sonny…. we’d only pay an arm for that brisket….. Now it’s an arm, leg and your jewels.
Those prices on paper back signs, niiioce
$39 FOR A POUND OF BRISKET!??! BEEN LIVING IN AUSTIN FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, THIS IS WTF PRICING FOR TOURISTS
Everyone talking about how expensive this is has never worked in food and beverage. Food cost can be no more than 30%, particularly for something as labor intensive as BBQ and at a place that doesn’t bolster revenue with alcohol sales. Add in loss during cooking and youre pretty much in line with that 30% number. Half a pound of brisket is a meal and a half, so getting in and out of one the GOAT establishments for what they do for less than $25 for a premium product is a ridiculous steal.
Went there when i was presenting at sxsw last year. 10/10 worth the line and prices for best bbq i have had.
44 bucks a pound for beef ribs? I fail to believe that they are going to be that good. If they were dry aged sous-vide and cold smoked for an hour using Japanese short ribs maybe
You need to join r/smoking. The mod took over a cigarette forum and now its all about smoking meat.
IMHO. Would I eat there? No, not after seeing this. Honestly, what a dirty shithole cook area! I worked in food prep and service for a long time. I am also old enough to remember having to stove-blacken the wood stoves at least once a year growing up. There is ash and dust on every surface. So there is NO cleaning routine or maintenance happening here. Granted, it’s probably ash and organics (dead bugs, sawdust, spider webs, cooked-on snot, rust); hell, have some pride in the work environment!
This is the problem of not teaching people to clean, dust, and take pride in things. Did they miss that day? Isn’t there a health inspector? You need a side work list to keep a place looking good. Hire a bum to sand the metal and cover it with stove-blacking.
And I thought cattleak at $33 a lbs for Wagyu brisket was insane / this is nuts.
It’s the best bbq I’ve ever had. Tough to get in but worth it.
Been, waited. Don’t recall the line being bad. Played bags and drank beers, made line friends. By the time we ate, a smoked PBnJ woulda hit. Burnt ends are all the matter in life. Don’t remeber the rest.
> I learned how the brisket was cooked from their pit master. A method I’m willing to try as I’ve always cooked at 225 and let it roll until completion.
Go on…
it’s the best
$26 a pound for sausage!? Look I’ve had amazing sausage (no diddy) down in Texas and that’s atrocious
“I learned how the brisket was cooked from their pit master. A method I’m willing to try as I’ve always cooked at 225 and let it roll until completion.”
Would you mind sharing what you learned?
I was just there for the first time myself and it was amazing. Well worth the wait & price. Staff was super friendly; chatted with them the entire time from being in line until they invited us to check out the smoker room in the pictures above. The hype is real. Would definitely go out of my way to come back if I was anywhere in the vicinity.
Ripoff
Waiting in line for 5 hours just to pay $40 a lb for brisket is such a foreign concept for me
From California, went there last year, waited at least 6 hours. Worth it. I don’t care what anyone says.
Where do you take out the loan?
Please tell me where this is. It looks amazing, would love to try it while me and my gf are on an road trip together in the USA 🇺🇸