Unpopular take: Aaron Franklin's brisket is overrated for the price

I drove 4 hours to Austin last month to try Franklin Barbecue and waited 3 hours in line. The brisket was good but not $60-a-pound good. Plenty of small joints in Texas do equally tender meat without the hype. Anyone else think the pilgrimage is a waste of time?

2 comments

2 Comments

brianellis9d ago

The 3 hour wait is the real killer. I found a spot called Leroy and Lewis in Austin that didn't have a line and their brisket was just as good for half the price.

blair_davis509d ago

At 55 years old, I've learned a few things about barbecue and my own waistline. Waited 2.5 hours at Franklins last spring and my knees were screaming by the time I got to the counter. The brisket was very good, tender and smoky, but I honestly think my wife's slow cooker version tastes 90% as good. I'm starting to wonder if my taste buds just aren't fancy enough to tell the difference between a $60 pound and a $15 one from Rudys. Maybe I should save the drive time and just buy more napkins at home.