Ok, Don't get me wrong here. I bet you anything that Franklin's produces some great brisket! As from what I gather probably the best at least in the States if not the world.
Why wait in a line like that? I couldn't even handle being the first person in line and waste my entire morning/afternoon/day waiting in line talking to random strangers.. I guess I'm not a people person but I would rather go some where else or eat at home.
Sure, the food is phenomenal, but I could easily find something better to do with my time than wait in line for a brisket. Don't think even Franklin's is that important to me to kill 4-6 hrs in line.
Not trying to be negative, but I'm just wondering why anybody would do this? Is the brisket that rewarding for the time spent in line? Because from all the posts and things I read about Franklin everything else they cook seems pretty sub-par.
I dunno, for me it would not be worth my time waiting for it.
Yes, waiting in line for 4 1/2 hours to eat BBQ seems a bit crazy, but we had a great time ( I guess it doesn't take much to entertain us.) We were visiting relatives in Austin and they had never done the Franklin thing but had always sought an excuse to do so. We provided that excuse. It was a nice Texas hot morning so we packed a cooler, a few chairs, and hit the road a tad later than originally planned. When we arrived the line had already snaked down Branch Street, turned the corner onto Juniper and reached the end of Franklin's property. "Do we want to do this? Well, heck yeah, why not. We'll sit in chairs and visit, what else could we be doing this morning?"
Shortly after flopping our hind quarters down in chairs one of Franklin's employees came down the line and when she got to us she asked "what will y'all be eating?" We told her and she said we would be guaranteed fatty and ribs and that the wait would be about 4 1 /2 hours.
We started chatting with the two guys in front of us, two dentist from Germany, who were also in line for the first time. We talked BBQ, their methods, where you from, what you do, etc. The folks in back of us were from Japan.
I walked up to the front of the line and spoke to the couple at the door. What time did you get here, I asked. "Oh, just about 5:20." Why? "We wanted to be first in line they replied." Have you done this before? "Yes, 6 times, but never first in line." I'm starting to think cults like in Waco or something. Must be some dang good eats in there I'm musing.
Walking back down the line I pick up some pink umbrellas, advertising some medical facility, to take back to the family. It's now only about 10:00 or so and the door doesn't open until 11:00. I chat up some more folks and find that they are from all over the place, the furthest being from Australia. There was a scattering of locals, and I noticed that most in line were 20 to 30 somethings. I was feeling something of a dinosaur.
The doors opened and we moved our chairs up 10 to 20 feet which continued to happen in 15 to 20 minute intervals. After 3 hours we finally made it into the shade under the building overhang which was supporting the pits. Benji, a partner of Franklin, made regular visits down the line, reassuring folks, answering questions, and telling the unfortunate at the end of the line that they more than likely would not be getting anything but chopped pork or turkey.
Once inside the door it was another 30 minutes to reach the counter. The "slicer" guy was really nice and threw on some short bones and some turkey in addition to the fatty brisket and pork ribs that I ordered. We finally sat down to eat and immediately realized that it was well worth the wait. "How could that be, one might ask." Well, it just is. This coming from well over a combined 200 years of BBQ cooking and eating folks.
Maybe this explains "the experience," maybe not. I was just a fun and memorable time with family with good eats thrown in. Look at it this way. If you and your family were doing a cook at home you would no doubt be doing many of the same things we were doing while waiting in line; talking, laughing, drinking, and just plain enjoying the day, all the while knowing that there was good eats to be had. I felt like I was in Franklin's back yard attending a party with friends, family, and strangers. I would do it again.