Franklin Barbecue Austin Review: Brisket in Butcher Paper on a Sunday Morning
Some restaurants are famous enough that you plan a trip around them. Franklin Barbecue on Austin's East Side is one of those. On Sunday, April 26, 2026, a little after 11 in the morning, we walked past the hand-cut wooden Franklin Barbecue sign hanging on a white shipping container out back, and a few minutes later we were unwrapping a bundle of brisket.
Franklin keeps things simple. Meat is sold by the pound, lunch starts at 11am, and when the day's barbecue is gone, the doors close. The restaurant itself puts sold out at around 2 or 3pm, so this is a morning plan, not a dinner plan.
- Place
- Franklin Barbecue
- Where
- 900 E. 11th St., Austin, TX 78702 (East Austin)
- Hours
- Tue to Sun, 11am until sold out (about 2 or 3pm). Closed Mondays. Check holiday closures on the website.
- Phone
- (512) 653-1187
- Brisket
- $42 per pound on the official menu (Nov 2026). Whole briskets, about 5 lb, sold hot or chilled at the same rate.
- Other meats
- Pork spare ribs $34/lb, pulled pork and turkey $32/lb, sausage $6 a link, beef rib $44/lb (Fri to Sun only)
- Skip the line
- Preorders for takeout are available on the website
- Our visit
- Sunday late morning, Apr 26, 2026
What came out of the butcher paper
We took ours to go. Under a layer of pink butcher paper and a sheet of wax paper sat a row of thick brisket slices, cut across the grain and stacked like fallen dominoes. Even in a photo you can see what people line up for:
- A dark, almost black bark, crusted with coarse black pepper.
- A clear pink smoke ring just under the bark on almost every slice.
- Slices from both ends of the brisket: some leaner and tighter, some with soft, glistening fat.
- Juice soaking into the paper. Bring napkins.
The menu, in short
Franklin's menu is short on purpose. Brisket is the headliner, and the restaurant says it is always USDA Prime. Pork ribs and pulled pork come from heritage Duroc pigs. There is also turkey, house sausage including a jalapeno cheddar link, and a beef rib on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only.
- Sandwiches: brisket ($21), pulled pork or turkey ($16) and the Tipsy Texan ($18).
- Sides: potato salad, slaw and pinto beans, each $5 for a single.
- Pies: small tarts in bourbon banana, pecan, key lime, Ruby's Dang Pie and a seasonal flavor, $8 each.
- Drinks: Mexican Coke, Big Red, iced tea, lemonade, local beer and Rambler sparkling water, whose neon sign hangs right next to the Franklin sign.
Those are the online menu prices in November 2026. Barbecue at this level is not cheap, so menus and prices are worth checking before you go.
Planning a Franklin stop with kids
The line is part of the Franklin story, and it is the hardest part with kids. The restaurant's own advice is to arrive around 9am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, bring a chair (they also have loaners) and treat the wait like a tailgate. With little ones, a few options make it easier:
- Preorder takeout on the website if your group can use at least the minimum order, then skip the line.
- Send one adult to hold a spot while the rest of the family sleeps in or explores nearby.
- Plan on about half a pound of meat per adult and share. Kids rarely need their own order.
- Remember Mondays are always closed.
What we loved
- A thick black pepper bark and a clear smoke ring on nearly every slice.
- Both lean and fatty slices in the same order.
- Wrapped in butcher paper, so it travels well if you take it to go.
- A short, focused menu that makes ordering easy.
What we would change
- Hours end when the meat sells out, so the timing takes planning.
- At $42 per pound for brisket, it is a splurge for a family.
Our verdict
If you are in Austin and you love barbecue, Franklin earns its spot on the list. Go early or preorder, get the brisket by the pound and bring plenty of napkins.
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