Franklin BBQ Makes the Eater 38 (Again)

More Laurels for Aaron Franklin

By Robert F. Moss

Fans still line up for hours for a taste of the brisket, sausage, and ribs at Franklin Barbecue in Austin
Fans still line up for hours for a taste of the brisket, sausage, and ribs at Franklin Barbecue in Austin
Last year, Aaron Franklin of Austin's Franklin Barbecue raised a lot of eyebrows when he was named Best Chef Southwest by the James Beard Foundation—an unprecedented accolade for barbecue pitmasters, who have seldom been deemed to be on the same plane as fine dining chefs. Earlier this year, Bill Addison put Franklin Barbecue on his list of the 38 best restaurants in America for Eater.

Now, after a year of more traveling beneath his belt, Bill Addison has come out with his updated picks for the 38 Best Restaurants in America for 2016, and Franklin Barbecue made the cut once again.

"Like seeing the Grand Canyon or the Statue of Liberty," Addison writes, " Everyone should experience the long waits and ample rewards of Franklin Barbecue at least once." Having done the three-hour-plus wait myself, I'm not quite sure I would characterize that aspect of Franklin's as a "can't miss" experience, but the brisket that waits at the head of that long line is indeed splendid stuff.

Barbecue's cachet appears to still be going strong.


About the Author

Robert F. Moss

Robert F. Moss is the Contributing Barbecue Editor for Southern Living magazine, Restaurant Critic for the Post & Courier, and the author of numerous books on Southern food and drink, including The Lost Southern Chefs, Barbecue: The History of an American Institution, Southern Spirits: 400 Years of Drinking in the American South, and Barbecue Lovers: The Carolinas. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.