Franklin Barbecue named top Texas BBQ joint for 2025 by Southern Living
AUSTIN, Texas - A popular barbecue joint in Austin has been voted the number 1 BBQ spot in Texas for the fourth year in a row.
What we know:
Franklin's Barbecue earned the top spot in the state on Southern Living's "The South's Best Barbecue Joint in Every State 2025" list, where readers picked the best barbecue restaurants in each Southern state.
This list is part of Southern Living's ninth annual South's Best awards.
This is the fourth year in a row that Franklin Barbecue has won best BBQ spot in Texas. It was also #16 on Southern Living's 2023 list of the top 50 barbecue restaurants in the South.
What they're saying:
Southern Living has this to say about Franklin Barbecue:
"In 2009, Aaron Franklin helped launch the craft barbecue movement from a small Aristocrat Lo-Liner camper trailer parked near I-35 in downtown Austin. Flawless prime-grade brisket, tender pork ribs, and snappy jalapeño cheddar sausage—plus a dose of nascent social media—rocketed him to Internet celebrity. Franklin Barbecue moved into its current blue and white building on East 11th Street in 2011, and barbecue fans from around the globe have been lining up for hours to experience it."
Southern Living's list
Big picture view:
The list comes from Southern Living's annual South's Best awards, where readers vote for their favorite local places in the Southern U.S.
States included in the awards are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Categories include Getaways, Cities and Towns, Food & Drink, and Long Weekends, with awards for best new and classic hotels, best cruise lines, best resorts, best seafood dives, best beach bars, best beach towns, and best cities.
An online survey was conducted by third-party agency Proof Insights among Southern Living readers. The survey was fielded from July 10 to August 21, 2024, and had over 10,000 respondents, says the magazine.
Local perspective:
In addition to Franklin Barbecue, the city of Austin itself earned a spot on The South's Best Cities 2025 list, coming in at #17.
Southern Living says:
"Part college town, part big city, Austin seems to get bigger and better each year. More than just a destination for barbecue, it’s home to award-winning restaurants and cuisines from around the world. Add to that live music, swimming holes, art, craft breweries, and independent shops and you’ve got a fantastic place to live or visit."
Another Central Texas city, San Antonio, made the list too, sitting at #12.
What is Franklin Barbecue?
The backstory:
Franklin Barbecue started as a small trailer on the side of I-35 in 2009. Two years later, it moved to its current home on East 11th Street where it has been serving barbecue lovers from all around the world.
Franklin Barbecue was awarded a Bib Gourmand and included in Texas's first Michelin guide last November. The restaurant has also been featured in many publications, including Texas Monthly, Bon Appétit, and the New York Times.
It is owned by husband-and-wife team Aaron and Stacy Franklin, who also have a hand in Austin spots Uptown Sports Club and Loro.
The duo also has many product lines tied to the restaurant, including BBQ sauces, backyard BBQ pits, charcoal, seasoning, butcher paper, and a collaboration with PK Grills. Last year, they also partnered with Buddy's Burgers to launch the limited-time-only Franklin Burger.
Who is Aaron Franklin?
What we know:
Aaron is the 2015 recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, was inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame for 2020, and has multiple New York Times bestselling books with co-author Jordan McKay.
He has also partnered with Austin PBS and MasterClass to teach people how to make delicious Central Texas barbecue, including his famous brisket.
Aaron also had a small role in director Jon Favreau's 2014 film "Chef," which also used Franklin Barbecue as a location, and was featured in two episodes of Favreau's 2019 food and travel docuseries"The Chef Show" on Netflix.
Aaron also co-founded the Hot Luck Fest, an annual celebration of food and live music, alongside Guerilla Suit principal and Mohawk owner James Moody, and Mike Thelin, co-founder of Feast Portland.
The Source: Information in this report comes from Southern Living's "The South's Best Barbecue Joint in Every State 2025" list, Franklin Barbecue's website, Austin PBS, Netflix, IMDb and previous reporting by Good Day Austin.