The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
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The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
1–10 of 27 posts
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#2Yeah, I waited in line for 2 hours one day to taste the holy Franklin sacrament - lo and behold, no better than Salt Lick.
And as a bonus, no hipsters.
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#3Yeah, I waited in line for 2 hours one day to taste the holy Franklin sacrament - lo and behold, no better than Salt Lick. And as a bonus, no hipsters.
Salt Lick and Franklin have fundamentally different approaches to brisket. Totally cool if you don't have a preference, but it's sort of like saying programming language X is no different than language Y.
Franklin dudes have been grinding for years and I'm so stoked that they are starting to get national recognition outside of foodies and chefs.
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#4I think the market is right for a national chain that serves real deal Texas [1] barbecue. Rudy's [2] may be that chain but their expansion still seems really slow. I guess it's just tough to grow pitmasters in new places and still keep the quality up. Rudy's quality is nowhere near as good as Franklin (which is about as good as most of the well-regarded South Central Texas places) but Rudy's has figured out the distribution game enough to expand outside of the Leon Springs, TX joint where it all started. When I moved from Texas to Colorado Springs, I was surprised to find that there was a Rudy's in town and it was always busy. Really busy, like 50-100 person lines at lunch.
Perhaps they will follow In-N-Out's trail and keep up a slow expansion.
1. Real deal Texas barbecue: slow-smoked over oak. Served by-the-pound on butcher-block paper with all-you-want white bread and sometimes Texas-style sauce on the side.
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#5Yeah, I waited in line for 2 hours one day to taste the holy Franklin sacrament - lo and behold, no better than Salt Lick. And as a bonus, no hipsters.
Consider dropping the silly hipster-bashing when commenting. It shouldn't have a place on HN. And your comment could go an extra step to explain the reasoning behind why you think that way, otherwise it's not contributing much.
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#6I haven't had a chance to try Franklin's, but man, his YouTube videos really made me appreciate the work that goes into a good BBQ: https://www.youtube.com/user/BBQwithFranklin
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#7Yeah, I waited in line for 2 hours one day to taste the holy Franklin sacrament - lo and behold, no better than Salt Lick. And as a bonus, no hipsters.
Salt Lick and Franklin have fundamentally different approaches to brisket. Totally cool if you don't have a preference, but it's sort of like saying programming language X is no different than language Y. Franklin dudes have been grinding for years and I'm so stoked that they are starting to get national recognition outside of foodies and chefs.
Can you elaborate on their differing approaches to brisket? I've been to Salt Lick in Driftwood - though it's been a while - but not to Franklin.
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#8I think the market is right for a national chain that serves real deal Texas [1] barbecue. Rudy's [2] may be that chain but their expansion still seems really slow. I guess it's just tough to grow pitmasters in new places and still keep the quality up. Rudy's quality is nowhere near as good as Franklin (which is about as good as most of the well-regarded South Central Texas places) but Rudy's has figured out the dist…
Yep, Rudy's was great 15-20 years ago, but their quality has plummeted as they've expanded. (Now 37 locations, according to your link.) As Aaron explains in the article, it's difficult to source the best brisket in high volumes.
I haven't eaten at Franklin's since they became really popular (standing in line for 2-hours isn't my thing) but Aaron's success is well-deserved and I'm happy for him!
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#9Yeah, I waited in line for 2 hours one day to taste the holy Franklin sacrament - lo and behold, no better than Salt Lick. And as a bonus, no hipsters.
I'm...surprised.
I've done several BBQ tours on my monthly trips from Houston to Austin, and Salt Lick consistently requires a fork.
The half-dozen times I've had Franklin's BBQ, I've witnessed the brisket slab wobble like jello, and can't help but describe the moisture as butter-esque. Seriously, that stuff is so rich you can't eat it often at all.
Still, I've found that even in Texas everyone argues over which bbq is better. Some argue against any sauce, any forks, or anything to imply the meat is less than perfect. I've even had pitmasters argue that tearing at a rib bone with your teeth because the meat is dried on is "correct", and fall-off-the-bone is over/undercooking.
At the very least, Franklin's is different from Rudy's is different from Salt Lick is different from whatever.
It's all preference, but one thing you can bet on is good BBQ will have a good line :)
Re: The Specialists: Franklin Barbecue
#10Yeah, I waited in line for 2 hours one day to taste the holy Franklin sacrament - lo and behold, no better than Salt Lick. And as a bonus, no hipsters.
I think you should give Blacks a go. Lockhart isn't too far of a drive.