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| - BBQ lovers, READ THIS.
I'm writing to declare a new undisputed champion in Arizona barbecue. I'm also here to declare that this place is BETTER than Salt Lick's in Texas and BETTER than Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City (and yes I have been to both). And if you've been to Franklin Barbecue in Austin, this place will remind you A LOT of Aaron Franklin's location and his masterpieces. I'm not joking, I'm not exaggerating, I mean it with every fiber of my being. It truly is that amazing.
I had read the Yelp reviews about this place and was stunned to see nothing but 5 star reviews from Yelpers. Even though the place is fairly new, its not often that any establishment gets this many rave reviews this early. When I saw their Facebook page, I noticed they were sending out notifications to their growing list of fans that they were selling out of their food within 3 hours everyday. And it only seems to be selling out quicker. Thats my queue to get here right at opening on a Saturday morning.
The location is as joint as a joint gets. An old building, with an enormous smoker outside for everyone to see and smell. They're using nothing but wood to smoke their meats (a mixture of hickory and oak woods). They serve their meats market style by weight and also offer meat plates with sides. They don't serve alcohol, but do offer a bunch of canned and bottled sodas and water. When my Dad and I got here at opening on Saturday, the line out the door was already 15 deep. Fortunately the line was moving at a decent clip so we only had to wait about 20 minutes to get our food. Many of patrons we were in line with have already been here multiple times and swear by the place, so that upped our confidence level in this spot.
When you walk inside the owners are carving meats and serving up sides right behind the counter. Each of them are super friendly and super passionate about their meats. They'll offer you samples if you want a taste of a meat you're not sure of. The menu is written on cardboard right above the counter for all to see. Since this our first time and we were hungry, we ordered a 1/2 pound of everything. Brisket, turkey, sausage, pulled pork, ribs, and their Saturday special, beef ribs. They piled on a half pound of each on a lunch tray with wax paper and serve it with white bread slices, pickles and onions. Combined with a couple of waters, the total for all the food was $60. Not cheap, but we ordered a ridiculous amount of meat (see my photo) and the owners say they pay extra to get the best meat.
They have a small amount of seating inside, but we decided to enjoy our lunch outside in their shaded picnic table area right next to the smoker. They have misters to keep the shaded area cool during the warm days so its safe to be out there during the summer. My Dad and I split all the meat we ordered.
Alright, the verdict on the food. First off the brisket. If you've ever been to Franklin's in Austin (or have watched Anthony Bourdain's visit there), you know its ludicrously moist and tender. My friend coined Franklin's brisket as being "meat cream". I never thought I could find brisket even close to that good. While this place might not be Franklin's, its as close as I've ever had. Tender, smokey, juicy, cuts with a fork and melts in your mouth. They put 13 hours of labor into that brisket and it shows. Mindblowingly awesome. The turkey was also excellent. Not dry like most turkeys and had a gentle smoke flavor that made it light and flavorful. The pork ribs were my second favorite meat on the tray. Fall off the bone tender (I'm pretty sure if I shook the ribs enough, the meat would literally fall off), with a great smoke ring and gentle texture. The pulled pork was also juicy and delicious and goes great with any of their sauces (my favorite is the mustard sauce). The sausage was actually a surprise in that it was spicier than I expected. I think they might've thrown some jalapeño in there or something. But again, excellent and the smoke flavor is pronounced without being overwhelming. Lastly there were the special of the day, the beef ribs. I had never had beef ribs before (even when I was in Texas). Those things are huge and have a huge hunk of meat on them. I thought tearing into those things would be a chore, but again the meat comes off easily and the smoke char is fantastic.
My Dad and I were stuffed to the gills when all was said and done, but were both blown away with this place. The quality of the meat is unmatched by any barbecue joint you'll find in Arizona. The owners' passion for barbecue shows from the moment you walk in the door. And they all came out to ask how experience went, whether there was anything they could improve, and they enthusiastically showed us the ins and outs of their custom smoker out on the patio.
Great people, great food, great find. Be sure to get here at opening though. This place will only get busier (deservedly so).
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