Austin · 6 ranked picks
Franklin Barbecue leads this shortlist.
Franklin Barbecue is the East Austin smokehouse that turned Central Texas brisket into something approaching a national religion — and the line that forms before dawn is not theater, it is a rational response to the reputation.
Micklethwait Craft Meats is the East Austin trailer that the city's barbecue conversation regularly circles back to — operating out of a small yard off Rosewood, it has built a reputation that runs comfortably alongside the more famous n…
Terry Black's carries a barbecue lineage that runs back generations to Lockhart, and the Austin outpost on Barton Springs Road has built a reputation as one of the rare high-volume smokehouses that doesn't seem to trade quality for capac…
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First, a correction to whoever filed this under Downtown: Stiles Switch sits up North Lamar in Brentwood, tucked into the art-deco bones of the old Violet Crown Shopping Center — yes, the same '90s block that lent its pool hall to Dazed…
Rollin Smoke BBQ on East Cesar Chavez earns its reputation not by playing to Central Texas convention but by staking out something more personal — a pitmaster-driven operation, built by Kyle Stallings, that graduated from food truck hust…
Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que keeps showing up in the right conversations in Downtown when people want a reliable barbecue plan.
Service and menu details to check when planning your visit.
The best barbecue restaurants in Austin are Franklin Barbecue, Micklethwait Barbecue, Terry Black's Barbecue, and more.
Franklin Barbecue, Micklethwait Barbecue, and Terry Black's Barbecue are starting points for this Austin shortlist. Compare the food, menu format and service notes for each place before deciding where to go. The right choice depends on the meal you have in mind, whether you are planning an order, a daytime stop or a dinner reservation.
The linked restaurant pages and menus support the food focus and published service details in this shortlist. Each pick includes its sources and the date they were checked. Read our full methodology →
Compare the menu and food described in each recommendation with the meal you want.
Use each restaurant's current information for the location, meal period and ordering arrangements.
The notes flag choices to confirm before visiting, including menu changes and reservation terms.
Pictured: Franklin Barbecue
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Pictured: Hopdoddy Burger Bar
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