Pitmaster IndexAaron Franklin
Pitmaster & Owner
Aaron Franklin
Franklin Barbecue17+ years activeBryan/College Station, TX
Signature:Brisket
Aaron Franklin grew up in Bryan/College Station, Texas, where his parents bought and ran Ben's Bar-Be-Que. In 2004 he was working at John Mueller's Austin barbecue joint, and he later bought Mueller's pit. In 2009 he and Stacy Franklin opened Franklin Barbecue as a small trailer beside an Austin interstate; crowds now wait in line for hours for its brisket. In 2015 he won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest, the first pitmaster recognized in any Beard "best chef" category. He co-wrote "Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto."
Technique
Franklin wraps brisket in uncoated butcher paper.
Recognition
- James Beard Award — Best Chef: Southwest (2015)
- Franklin Barbecue — Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints (2021, top ten)
Influences
John Mueller