Dries Buytaert

Handwritten barbecue menu on butcher paper hanging on a wall. It lists meats and sides with prices per pound, including brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, turkey, sausage, and jalapeño cheddar sausage.
I finally ate at Franklin Barbecue in Austin — the undisputed king of Texas brisket and one of the most famous BBQ places in the United States. Pitmaster Aaron Franklin has a James Beard Award, a Netflix feature, a 10-episode PBS series, and a daily line around the block. Some people even bring camp chairs for the wait. We got there at 10:20am to beat the rush but still had to wait in line for two hours. Was it worth it? Absolutely.