Franklin Barbecue

Franklin Barbecue, at 900 East 11th Street in Austin, Texas, is widely considered the most influential barbecue restaurant in the United States and possibly the world. Pitmaster Aaron Franklin, who opened the restaurant in 2009 from a trailer in a parking lot, has become the most celebrated figure in modern barbecue culture — the author of a definitive book on the craft, the recipient of a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest, the holder of a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the subject of a Netflix documentary. The restaurant's signature brisket — USDA Prime beef, dry-rubbed with salt and black pepper and slow-smoked for twelve to eighteen hours over post oak wood in custom-welded offset smokers — achieves a texture and bark that set the benchmark for the entire Central Texas tradition. The smoke ring extends deep into the meat; the fat cap renders to a glossy, trembling consistency; the slice releases a pool of liquid that glistens with concentrated beef flavor. Pork ribs, pulled pork, turkey, and sausage round out the pit program, each prepared with the same methodical attention. The menu is sold by weight, cafeteria-style, on butcher paper. The catch is the wait: Franklin opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday and sells out of brisket — typically by noon, sometimes by 1 p.m. — meaning that securing a portion requires arriving at 8 or 9 a.m. and waiting in line on the sidewalk for two to three hours. The culture around the line — fellow food enthusiasts, BYOB allowed, lawn chairs encouraged — has itself become part of the Franklin experience and is documented in travel writing alongside the brisket.