Why is Franklin BBQ in austin so good?

[mtime7]

when I go to Austin, I skip the line at Franklins and head about 2 miles down the street to J Mueller's , I think the Brisket there is awesome and you only have to wait maybe 15 minutes in line. J Mueller is the guy that taught Aron Franklin how to BBQ

 

[tsenre45]

I've eaten at a lot of Hill Country BBQ joints, and my favorite is Black's in Lockhart.  Franklin's was good, but waiting in line for 2 hours or more makes no sense to me when there are so many good places to choose from. The Salt Lick is amazing because of the number of people they serve with a quality product along with great atmosphere. They also have the best pork ribs around Austin.

But doing your own with just salt and pepper on a WSM at 225 for 15-18 hours with oak smoke wood is hard to beat!

 

[quicksmokinq]

Just a quick add on here from my recent visit.  My friend and I waited in line for about 3.5 hours and didn't even barely notice (we were 18th and 19th in line).  The people in line were great, atmosphere was perfect and they had chairs to borrow as you waited (the cooler of beer we brought didn't hurt either).  Once they opened the doors the line moved very fast and the brisket ALONE made every minute of the wait worth it - bought 2 POUNDS and ate every bit of it!!  Not even to mention the pulled pork and ribs that were delicious and perfectly smoked too!  I would recommend fighting the urge to skip it just because of a little wait in line and go for it!  I even got to take a quick selfie with Aaron Franklin when I went in to use the bathroom, it was a great experience!!  

 

[bilgeslime]

I've recently read Franklin's book and it is instructive and entertaining. He covers the subject in depth but there is nothing more gratifying than smoking your own.

Ate at the Round rock Salt Lick a while back and will easily admit mine is better.

 

[smokinpapist]

I'm sure his brisket is Awesome but the long lines are probably because he has made such a big name for himself by putting out a very quality product people will come from all over the country just to say they have eaten there!

Unlike Lady and Sons in Savannah. Paula Dean has made a big name for herself and to eat there you have to stand in line at 9am for 2 hours so you can get a number and come back in the afternoon and stand in line for 2 more hours just so you can eat some mediocre southern cooking.

Not to mention the food at Lady and Sons isn't that good. Much better eats in the Savannah and Hilton Head area.

 

[newbsmoke]

Sorry I'll admit I didn't read the whole thread but my coworker goes to Texas every year and swears by Sno BBQ. How does that compare?

 

[house of smoke]

Aaron does wrap the pork butt. Saw video yesterday. He says 4-5 hours in, when the fat cap on top cracks, you know it's time to wrap.

 

[bigred77]

Sorry I'll admit I didn't read the whole thread but my coworker goes to Texas every year and swears by Sno BBQ. How does that compare?

I havent been yet, Snow's is only open on Saturdays, its on my bucket list

I have heard its great,  I gotta hurry up and make it over there cause there is no telling how long Tootsie has left in this world

 

[smoky jim]

Just returned from Texas Hill Country. Visited Black's in Lockhart and Franklin's and Salt Lick in Austin.

Black's was fantastic. Brisket and sausages were excellent. Wasn't able to try other meats, as  they were running short on meats late in the day that we got there. Great atmosphere. Sides (bread, onions, pickles, etc.) were in eating area and self serve; I liked that as well. I'll have to try Smitty's and Kruez Market the next time trough town. Ditto for City Market in nearby Luling.

Skipped the line at Franklin's by ordering a whole brisket on-line prior to our visit to Austin.

Black's brisket was excellent, but Franklin's brisket is the gold standard IMHO. I've done some great ones myself on my own heavily modified Brinkman offset and my 22" WSM, but Aaron's ability to get superior meat and fine tune his preparation and cooking process through 1000's of repetitions is the key.

Superior ingredients (i.e. specially selected, trimmed and seasoned prime beef & post oak) + a fine tuned process (meat aging, fire management, temp control, smoke hours, wrap timing, wrapping, temperature attainment, resting, carving, presentation) + customized tools (homebuilt pits) + a focus on Customer satisfaction + thoughtfulness/experience/professionalism/skills/innovation = world class product !!!!       

That said, I may even stand in line next time I'm in Austin, as I would like to "experience" the sociology of the line and also try all of Aaron's other meats!

Salt Lick was OK. Brisket was not up to Black's or Franklin's level, but their ribs are pretty darn good! SL uses soy based sauces rather than tomato based which puts a different spin on things! Interesting contrast with the typical red sauces at most of the other joints.

 

[mickhlr]

 
Just returned from Texas Hill Country. Visited Black's in Lockhart and Franklin's and Salt Lick in Austin.

Black's was fantastic. Brisket and sausages were excellent. Wasn't able to try other meats, as  they were running short on meats late in the day that we got there. Great atmosphere. Sides (bread, onions, pickles, etc.) were in eating area and self serve; I liked that as well. I'll have to try Smitty's and Kruez Market the next time trough town. Ditto for City Market in nearby Luling.

Salt Lick was OK. Brisket was not up to Black's or Franklin's level, but their ribs are pretty darn good! SL uses soy based sauces rather than tomato based which puts a different spin on things! Interesting contrast with the typical red sauces at most of the other joints.

Smoky Jim, next time you're in that area, go on up to Taylor, just a little ways north.  Louie Mueller's Barbecue has been doing it since 1949 in the same place.  Outstanding brisket and beef ribs!!  In my opinion, way better than Black's.  But, I also like Kreuz Mkt and Smitty's better than Black's.  And, I'm not saying Black's is bad...it is most definitely good barbecue.  Snow's in Lexington, just a little to the east of Austin is some of the best brisket I've ever eaten, and I've been to most all the best Texas barbecue joints.  Snow's brisket, like Franklin's, almost chews itself, and just melts in your mouth.  Another one consistently ranked in the top 5 is Pecan Lodge in Dallas.  But, unfortunately, I was not a fan...their brisket was way too fatty (and I always love the point) and didn't have the bark the aforementioned joints do.  And, I believe (not positive) that their beef ribs were chuck short ribs (ribs 2-5 above the brisket), where most joints do plate short ribs (ribs 6-8 behind the brisket).  There just seems to be less meat, and more connective tissue and sinew in the chuck ribs than the plate ribs.  I had the same experience with beef ribs at Black's...so, I kinda think they also use the beef chuck ribs.  

You hit the nail on the head about Salt Lick though.  It's a nice tourist attraction, and they serve a couple thousand people a day, with a great party atmosphere.  But, their meats are just not up to standard.  I'm a beef guy, being born and raised in Texas, so I didn't try their pork ribs, which is what I think you're talking about when you say "ribs".  For the most part, their meat is dry and tasteless...because they do all their smoking on some huge gas-fired smokers, but I don't think their meat gets much smoke at all.  Then, they just throw some out there on those little fire pits to make people think their meat comes from there...when in reality, it's not even close.  It's definitely an experience...but just don't go there expecting the same quality of barbecue as Franklin's, Snow's, Louie Mueller's, Black's, Kreuz Market, and Smitty's. 

A few other really good joints in Austin are John Mueller Meat Co, La Barbecue, Micklethwait Craft Meats, and Stiles Switch.  If you're ever down a little further south, check out Killen's in Pearland.  And, a little further out west in the Hill Country, it's always nice to visit Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano.   

 

[mickhlr]

 
Just returned from Texas Hill Country. Visited Black's in Lockhart and Franklin's and Salt Lick in Austin.

Skipped the line at Franklin's by ordering a whole brisket on-line prior to our visit to Austin.

Smoky Jim, you are also the second person today that has mentioned pre-ordering a whole brisket from Franklin's.  So, I just wondered if you minded telling us how much that set you back? 

 

[smoky jim]

Franklin's charges $20 per pound for brisket. The brisket's they provide for the telephone / web pre-orders are

between 5 & 6 lbs. So I shelled out $117 for the 5.4 pounder I lugged home on the airplane.

 

[desertsubi]

carry on sir?  I would have loved to have been in that luggage compartment for a few hours.

 
Franklin's charges $20 per pound for brisket. The brisket's they provide for the telephone / web pre-orders are

between 5 & 6 lbs. So I shelled out $117 for the 5.4 pounder I lugged home on the airplane.

 

[bigred77]

Smoky Jim, next time you're in that area, go on up to Taylor, just a little ways north.  Louie Mueller's Barbecue has been doing it since 1949 in the same place.  Outstanding brisket and beef ribs!!  In my opinion, way better than Black's.  But, I also like Kreuz Mkt and Smitty's better than Black's.  And, I'm not saying Black's is bad...it is most definitely good barbecue.  Snow's in Lexington, just a little to the east of Austin is some of the best brisket I've ever eaten, and I've been to most all the best Texas barbecue joints.  Snow's brisket, like Franklin's, almost chews itself, and just melts in your mouth.  Another one consistently ranked in the top 5 is Pecan Lodge in Dallas.  But, unfortunately, I was not a fan...their brisket was way too fatty (and I always love the point) and didn't have the bark the aforementioned joints do.  And, I believe (not positive) that their beef ribs were chuck short ribs (ribs 2-5 above the brisket), where most joints do plate short ribs (ribs 6-8 behind the brisket).  There just seems to be less meat, and more connective tissue and sinew in the chuck ribs than the plate ribs.  I had the same experience with beef ribs at Black's...so, I kinda think they also use the beef chuck ribs.  

You hit the nail on the head about Salt Lick though.  It's a nice tourist attraction, and they serve a couple thousand people a day, with a great party atmosphere.  But, their meats are just not up to standard.  I'm a beef guy, being born and raised in Texas, so I didn't try their pork ribs, which is what I think you're talking about when you say "ribs".  For the most part, their meat is dry and tasteless...because they do all their smoking on some huge gas-fired smokers, but I don't think their meat gets much smoke at all.  Then, they just throw some out there on those little fire pits to make people think their meat comes from there...when in reality, it's not even close.  It's definitely an experience...but just don't go there expecting the same quality of barbecue as Franklin's, Snow's, Louie Mueller's, Black's, Kreuz Market, and Smitty's. 

A few other really good joints in Austin are John Mueller Meat Co, La Barbecue, Micklethwait Craft Meats, and Stiles Switch.  If you're ever down a little further south, check out Killen's in Pearland.  And, a little further out west in the Hill Country, it's always nice to visit Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano.   

This man speaks the truth