Franklin Barbecue {Best Barbecue in the East}

Barbecue Education

Words by Jessi Devenyns

Even with international fame attached to its name, Franklin Barbecue has suddenly become a local restaurant serving Central Texans and, especially, Eastsiders. “At least half of our usual [customer] base is probably people from outside of Texas who are just traveling,” says co-founder Aaron Franklin. “But now, I think it’s pretty much Central Texans.” And those Texans who are showing up to Franklin’s nowadays are not the barbecue road trippers looking to wait away a day in a line snaking around the parking lot. Instead, Aaron remarks that the majority of those swinging by to pick up barbecue are curious customers rather than die-hard barbecue fans. “Now that Franklin Barbecue is available to everybody, you don’t have to wait in line. That filter is kind of gone, so now we get a lot more people who might not have the same barbecue background or the nerdy aspect,” he explains.

Although a trip to Franklin’s is a pilgrimage to the mecca of meat, one might be remiss if they did not give the restaurant’s sauce its due. For each bite of brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and sausage, there is the perfect sauce accompaniment standing by. One can select from pork sauce, Texas sweet sauce, or espresso sauce, and each has its place on the table as well as a story to tell. While Aaron admits that he swirled together a recipe for the Texas sauce the first day that Franklin Barbecue was open, the espresso sauce was a happy accident that turned into a 13-year-old staple. Aaron recounts, “I love espresso, and I was smoking a brisket on the back porch while also making a shot of espresso, and I said, ‘I think these two things would go well together,’” And go well together they did.

While today the barbecue education that comes along with the hours spent waiting in line is gone, Aaron says that his staff still works to provide as much guidance alongside their socially-distanced service as possible. Although the barbecue is still smoking at Franklin’s, the shift to an online-only ordering system has changed the dynamic as well as the business model of the establishment. “It’s a totally different business,” explains Stacy Franklin, co-founder and chief operating officer. “We’re just hoping to break even at this point, and happy to do so.”

Seriously Saucy

When waiting in a line at Franklin Barbecue is too much but the craving for some barbecue is insatiable, grab Franklin’s sauce at H-E-B. With all three famous flavors available to stock in the pantry, there is no reason not to go wild spreading the velvety goodness on everything from wings to pizza.