Franklin Barbecue

I heard great things about this place and really wanted to try it. I got there 30 minutes after opening and was looking at a 3 hour line (people lined up at 4 am apparently). I asked the server who walked around if it was safe and if I should wait and she said she’d say probably not since the bread is just thrown about. I would not think a 3 hour line was worth potentially getting sick but it might have been me being too cautious and it might have been safe…

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not very

My husband and I have been dreaming about coming to Austin for years for the purpose of trying Franklin Barbecue, so I was not about to miss out if possible even after my celiac diagnosis! All of their meats are gf. All of their sauces except espresso sauce are safe also. They do prepare/serve sides and sandwiches in close proximity to the meat serving area. They don't have bread on the same prep surface as the meat cutting area, though, so as long as you are clear about what you need, they're great to accommodate. They do get super busy and are open until they run out of meat, so both for best odds of getting to try the food, and most likely to reduce risk of cross contamination, I would definitely recommend lining up early (we lined up at 7 am on a Tuesday and were tenth in line). That being said, they did not disappoint and it was so worth the experience to eat there! I don't even like turkey normally, but it might have been my favorite thing!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

AMAZING!! Cannot miss this, but make sure to get here early you won’t want them to run out of meat (or wait 3 hours in line). Such great food, it’s no wonder how they’re so famous. All the meats are GF, just can’t add espresso sauce. We tried most of their meats, but the Brisket = top notch.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Ordered online and was able to thoroughly understand the menu with the staffs help. Essentially, everything is gluten free except: espresso sauce, chopped beef, and the obviously bread. All the other meats and sides are GF. The brisket and ribs are cut at the same station. And the other meats are cut at the same station as sandwiches are prepared. They warned me of this possibility of cross contamination, though I had all the GF meats and had no reaction whatsoever. They are on top of their shit here.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for keto
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Offers online ordering

I don't have to tell you how good the food is, all the praise speaks for itself. But when we ordered pickup, despite asking for a gluten free order they still added bread to our bag. Nothing was contaminated and I didn't have a reaction but it doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

The staff was awesome and knowledgeable. Best brisket and ribs that I have ever eaten. Give a heads up with the staff, and you will get to SAFELY enjoy the BEST meat in Austin. They used a separate cutting board, fresh gloves AND a new brisket for me to avoid cross contamination. The rub is safe. There is a separate sauce that is not safe, but the meat is so good that I can’t review the safe sauces. I didn’t want to do anything to take away from that perfection and I didn’t even taste them. The potato salad is safe, but watch where they pop the bread up at the time. Get there EARLY. We waited for 3 hours, but it was worth every second. The turkey was tasty, but seriously...brisket and ribs. I plan to go back ASAP.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The only thing not celiac friendly is the dark BBQ sauce (therefor the brisket sandwich) and the bread. It is safe to eat any food from the grill and any of the other sauces on the table. The sides are also all gluten free. If you have a group, you should pre-order. I waited 5 hours when I went! By the time you’re waiting, you are committed haha.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Got there around 7:30 on a Friday, sat down to eat around 12/12:30. I let the girl taking orders know that I was celiac while waiting in line, and she made a specific note about it. She even followed through 4 hours later, and pointed me out to the kitchen staff at the counter. Got the ribs, brisket and no sides or table sauces. Other then a wonderful meat induced coma after, no negative reaction!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

You will wait but it is worth it, the ribs come right off the bone, the smoke ring on the brisket is perfection. They do BBQ right!