Franklin Barbecue: Yes, It's Worth the Wait

On February 1st, James and I woke up early and were on a mission to finally try Franklin Barbecue. Considering the fact that James is from Texas, he understands and appreciates good bbq (especially brisket).  I, on the other hand, am a newbie to the smoked meat scene (in PA we considered hot dogs and hamburgers bqq. Sometimes, we even added chicken.). Now, if you know me at all, or read my blog, then you know eating a tray of meat isn't exactly my favorite thing to do...but this time, I loved it.

7:00 Woke up and got in a workout. I did a variation of Fight Gone Bad in the garage, and added a 400 to the end. Why? Because I'm a mfgbw. If you workout in our garage you'll learn what that means.

8:15 James drops me off at the Franklin Barbecue line and goes to a coffee shop nearby to grab caffeine and snacks. A man across the street was renting chairs to sit in, but we opted for Josh's army blanket that was still in the car. While I wait for James, I email Franklin to reserve a whole brisket for James' birthday weekend at the end of March. They are already sold out for February, but they start taking March orders on February 1st.

8:30ish James returns with caffeine and yummy snacks. The line is energetic and growing as a lady from Franklin comes around to take your predicted meat order. We order 2 pounds of brisket, a mammoth beef rib, and a sausage link. Our expected time to eat is 12:15.

This is all that stands between us and brisket. I'm assuming the line began forming around 7 :00. 

Between 8:15 and 8:45 the line became this long. Throughout the day people attempt to join the end, but leave hopeless once they hear they will most likely sell-out of meat by the time they make it inside. 

Somewhere around 9:30: A nice man with painted fingernails starts selling beverages to The Line. We are reminded to be responsible and respect The Line...after all, there are about 3 hours until we eat. As I sip on my Pearl Snap, I take in the delicious fragrance of the smoker behind us and find it ironic that we are tailgating for our lunch. 

12:00 By this time Ryan has joined us and we've had a couple interactions with the nice man selling beverages. We're getting closer to the door, but are not yet inside. 

Sometime between 12 and 1: We are So. Close. Even though we've been here since 8:15, I'm not upset at all. In fact, the atmosphere inside of the restaurant is super chill and relaxed. The staff is extremely friendly and takes their time with each person. We are handed a sample from the tip of the brisket, which was divine. Absolutely, delicious. 

1:00ish, but who really cares: We have close to 4 pounds of barbecue, coleslaw, and pickles. Did we over order? Heck no. 

This is hands down the best barbecue I've ever had in my life. While La Barbecue and Salt Lick are amazing, they have nothing on Franklin. The only downfall is the wait, but in the end, I would say it makes the experience even better. Oh...I received a disappointing email that afternoon from Franklin. Unfortunately, they sold out of brisket for the month of March before they received my email at 8:20. Next time I will be more prepared and send the email at 12:01 am on the first of the month. Sorry, James.