Even before I took my first bite of barbecue at the festival on Sunday I heard stories about Aaron Franklin and his enterprise. People were regaling me with tales of 3 to 4 hour waits in line, of a 3 month waiting list for on-line orders for a minimum of 5 pounds of brisket, and heart-broken folk who were just in time to be too late and turned away when the food for the day had run out. Franklin Barbecue, located on East 11st Street in Austin, has even spawned other businesses relative to their success. One young entrepreneur of about 10 or 11 for a price offered to stand in line for customers, until it was determined that it wasn't fair to all the others who had to stand in line for themselves. And another neighbor still earns money renting lawn chairs to people. Folks at Franklin also come out and sell bottles of soda and beer to customers an hour before they open.
Documenting the rise of Franklin Barbecue, J, Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats writes:
"...it started as nothing more than a young kid with a pit, a turquoise trailer and a strange coffee-spiked sauce back in 2009...There are days when the lines are so long that the Sold Out! sign will go up in the window before the restaurant has even opened."
Aaron learned his craft from the son of legendary Texas barbecue king Louis Mueller. When that restaurant closed in 2006 Aaron procured Mueller's old pit and began to develop his now famous brisket. Slow smoking his brisket up to 15 hours to a point where the meat barely holds its form but literally melts on your tongue.
Here are some of the ways it is described:
It's no wonder Franklin Barbecue has been named the Best Barbecue in the Nation.
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