Top 5: Best Barbecue in Austin

Barbecue joints serving renowned smoked meats are everywhere you look in Austin, Texas, attracting locals and visitors with their stellar brisket, juicy beef ribs and top-notch pork. While Franklin Barbecue is a mecca for barbecue lovers, several other venues across the city offer delicious brisket with crusty bark and yummy sides. Here’s a list to help you find the best barbecue in Austin.

Franklin Barbecue

Patrons typically line up for a two-hour wait before Franklin Barbecue opens for lunch only to taste the renowned restaurant’s incredibly tender brisket and ribs. Pitmaster Aaron Franklin is the barbecue genius running this no-frills venue, serving barbecued meats like pulled pork, pork ribs, sausages and brisket. Order by the plate or the pound, but try it all, because when will you ever find time to wait for up to five hours for lunch again?

La Barbecue

Beef ribs, brisket, sausage and pork ribs are all featured, each offering its own unique smoky taste and juicy flavors. The salt-and-pepper rub on the brisket and pork ribs is sure to knock your barbecue pants off, and the trailer’s homemade sausages offer a kick you won’t soon forget.

Micklethwait Craft Meats

Less than half a mile from Franklin Barbecue sits Tom Micklethwait’s vintage 1960 Comet trailer, from which he cooks up artisanal sausages as well as high-quality smoked meats.

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew

Don’t let its location in a shopping center fool you; there are no generic dishes here at this family-style barbecue restaurant. Delicious versions of Texas standards are offered, as well as side favorite, corn casserole. After indulging in traditional meats or a Texas Frito pie, try one of the sweets, like homemade peach cobbler or banana pudding.

Louie Mueller Barbecue

Located about 40 minutes from Austin in the town of Taylor, a visit to Louie Mueller Barbecue is worth the drive for barbecue lovers who appreciate massive beef rib and yummy brisket. This barbecue joint slices your order to your specifications right in front of you, taking the meat directly from the pit. Pork tenderloin and boneless turkey breast are also on the menu, as well as sides like potato salad, coleslaw and pinto beans.