Franklin Barbecue


Franklin Barbecue is a barbecue restaurant located in Austin, Texas. In 2009, Aaron Franklin launched the restaurant in a trailer. The restaurant has sold out of brisket every day since its establishment. Franklin Barbecue moved to a brick and mortar location in 2011. The restaurant appeared on in September 2012. In 2014, Texas Monthly listed the restaurant on its list of "the 50 Best BBQ Joints in the World." That July, President Barack Obama visited the restaurant and bought lunch for those in line behind him. The restaurant is prominently featured in a scene from the 2014 Jon Favreau film Chef, with speaking cameos by owner Aaron Franklin and general manager Benji Jacob.
In May 2015, Franklin Barbecue owner Aaron Franklin was awarded a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest. He is the first chef who specializes in barbecue to be nominated, or receive, the award.
In the early morning of August 26, 2017, a fire broke out in the smoke house section of the Austin eatery, heavily damaging portions of the outer building. The main restaurant area only suffered smoke damage.

BBQ with Franklin

In 2013 Austin PBS station KLRU worked with Aaron Franklin to produce a web series on barbecue. This show appears on the Create TV network which is part of the PBS family.

Web Episodes

EpisodeDateTitleLengthDescription
1June 5, 2013The Brisket09:19Aaron discusses what to look for when choosing a brisket, how to trim it and his method of seasoning.
2June 5, 2013Ribs - Part 110:04Aaron discusses pork spare ribs, how to trim and season them.
3June 5, 2013Ribs - Part 206:58After seasoning the ribs, Aaron walks viewers through cooking them via an offset smoker.
4July 31, 2013The Smoker06:12Aaron walks viewers through modifying and season a common style offset smoker, available at everyday home improvement and sporting good stores.
5July 31, 2013The Payoff13:00Aaron discusses when and why to wrap a brisket, what to look for during the cooking process, and how to tell when the brisket is done. Finally, Aaron walks viewers through properly slicing and serving of brisket.
6July 31, 2013The Cook07:05Aaron talks about fire management, wood selection, and how to achieve optimum cooking temperatures during the lengthy cook.
7Aug 14, 2013The Wood04:55Aaron describes characteristics and wood strategies for your optimal smoke
8Aug 29, 2013Thanksgiving Part 107:59Learn how to brine and smoke a turkey with Aaron Franklin.
9Nov 21, 2013Thanksgiving Part 211:33Stacy Franklin shares recipes that go perfectly with a smoked turkey such as smoked garlic mashed potatoes and a grilled green bean shishito pepper side dish. Aaron explains how to tell when the turkey is getting done and what to do in the last hour of smoking.
10Nov 21, 2013Thanksgiving Part 35:00Special - How to tell when your turkey is finished plus make a beautiful gravy with smoked butter
11Nov 21, 2013Pulled Pork10:30Aaron shares the secrets of TEXAS-style pulled pork - what to look for in the cut of meat, how to season and how to cook

TV Episodes

EpisodeDateTitleLengthDescription
1May 21, 2015Brisket26:40Learn how the brisket became a popular centerpiece of Central Texas BBQ. Hear from legends of Texas BBQ and be guided through a step-by-step brisket cook experiment using three different methods.
2May 28, 2015Sausage24:56Sausage, often a BBQ afterthought, is now finding reason to take center plate. Aaron makes sausage from scratch and visits some folks who are pushing the boundaries of artisan sausage-making.
3June 4, 2015Whole Hog24:56Learn the steps that go into a whole hog cook from beginning to end. Aaron walks us through the process of building a cinder block pit, learns about pig breeds and throws a party in his backyard.
4June 11, 2015The Pits24:15Aaron takes a deep-dive into the realm of BBQ pits, as personal as they are functional. Explore different types of smokers from those at the roots of Texas BBQ to the kinds bought in stores. Aaron builds a smoker out of a 250-gallon propane tank.
5June 18, 2015Fire & Smoke24:13When you're cooking with fire, you'd better have good wood. Aaron covers the major types of wood used in Texas BBQ, gives some tips on building a fire, and shows a twist on using smoke for more than cooking meat.
6June 25, 2015Poultry & Sauce24:56Aaron takes us to a Texas BBQ joint where they cook their chicken in a unique way and then teaches us how to make sauce from scratch. Meanwhile, John Markus takes us on a whirlwind tour of the regional sauces of America.
7July 2, 2015Direct Heat & Mesquite24:57Aaron gets a lesson in cooking "cowboy style", in a way that combines traditional BBQ skills with the grill. Then go behind the scenes at a big city BBQ joint in Dallas and learn their unique take on Texas traditions.
8July 9, 2015Competition24:18Aaron travels to a BBQ cook-off competition in Kansas with his father-in-law, going way outside his comfort zone.
9July 16, 2015Pickin' Beef24:21Aaron tours Texas to research and then cook some beef ribs. After a butchering and anatomy class in College Station, Texas, he receives some tips from a legendary Central Texas BBQ family.
10July 23, 2015Leftovers24:15Aaron sends out a little leftover brisket to some chefs around Austin to see how they are inspired by brisket. We end with a taste test that turns into a party.