Franklin's BBQ- Austin, TX

PRE-WARNING- Come at least an hour - 2 hours before opening at 11. I got there at 10 and still didn't get my food until 1:00. And this was on their slowest day, Wednesday. The line actually went by faster than expected. There's a guy renting chairs with attached umbrellas for $5.00, and I also bought a fan at the CVS across the street(a must on a 100 degree day). 

     Once at the counter, I ordered the one meat plate with brisket(you can ask for half fatty, half lean) and two links of sausage. You get the choice if a side with the plate, so I got the pinto beans. From my first  bite of the lean brisket, I knew it was the best. This is the first BBQ brisket I've ever had that melts in your mouth. It's crust(burnt part) was so sweet, and flavorful, that you definitely do not need sauce; but if you want to they have three different sauces. The first l tried was their famous expresso sauce. It had just a slight expresso taste, and wasn't as sweet as the others. The second was the Texas-Style sauce, which was thicker and sweeter. The third, and my personal favorite, was the Sweet Vinegar sauce. The sausage was excellent also, but very fatty(similar to Black's in Lockhart). The pinto beans had some of the leftover brisket in it, making it the best BBQ beans I've ever had. Not only was Franklin's the greatest barbecue joint in the United States that I've been too, it was also a great experience. What other place do you get to wait in line for 3 hours with 200-300 other people! Overall I believe that the brisket was more that worth the wait, and I would wait in line again any day for barbecue like Franklin's. It gets *****

The Sauces: L to R, Texas, Sweet Vinegar, Expresso

Arthur Bryant's- Kansas City, Missouri

Arthur Bryant's has been in Kansas City for a long time. It's the place that everyone tells you to go to when you're in Kansas City. Despite its relatively low Zagat review(24) it was one of the best(if not the best) barbecue restaurant I have ever been too. I never thought I could say I like Kansas City BBQ better than Texas BBQ, but this was excellent. The sauce on the ribs, was unlike any sauce in Texas. It's a tomatoey-vinegary sauce, that compliments the ribs and burnt ends perfectly. The burnt ends were the best I've ever tasted and I would definitely recommend getting them. They were smothered in the sauce, which I thought meant that they were low quality, but I was definitely wrong. The ribs were better that almost any in Texas(I think that Baby Back Shaq in Oak Cliff has the best), but they were different. They weren't fall off the bone, but weren't super chewy either. They were the perfect balance. The brisket was kind of dry, and very thin, without any bark. It was almost like a sandwich meat so I wouldn't recommend getting it. Overall, I give Arthur Bryant's ****

Line

Menu

Meat Platter-From Left to Right; Beef, Ribs, Burnt Ends.

Oklahoma Joe's- Kansas City, Kansas

I walked into Oklahoma Joe's with great expectations. It has a 28 Zagat rating, and numerous other awards signifying its the best BBQ in Kansas City. We arrived 15 minutes after they opened and there was a 30 minute line. The firsts thing tried were the burnt ends. They were really good, but not as good as Lockhart Smokehouse's in Dallas. I then tried the ribs. The quality of the meat was excellent, but the sauce was low quality, similar to McDonald's sauce in taste. Overall, the experience was fun, and the food was OK, so I give Oklahoma Joe's **-***. 

Entrance

Burnt Ends

Ribs

Rudy's BBQ- Allen, TX

I've been to Rudy's before, so this trip I didn't really expect much. The brisket is usually pretty average so I didn't order it again. This visit, I ordered the pork loin sandwich. It was actually pretty good. It was seasoned well, and didn't need Rudy's Sauce(or sissy sauce). It was a great deal too, less than $5. Rudy's is a great place to go on a road trip if you're around Allen, Denton, Austin, San Antonio, etc... I give it **

Townline BBQ- East Hampton, NY

I've been coming to the Hamptons in Long Island, New York for many summers, but only recently have I gone to Townline BBQ. There's not much good BBQ in the north-east, but this small-town Texas-style BBQ joint rivals BBQ restaurants in the south. I ordered the brisket and ribs. The brisket has a great bark, and excellent smokey flavor. The ribs were great also. Although the meat doesn't need if, the sauce is very interesting and good. The original  Townline sauce is ketchup-based, but my favorite is their vinegar sauce. The burnt ends are really good, and Kansas-City style. I would definitely recommend  this place to anyone traveling to the Hamptons or Montauk. It's worth the day trip from NYC. I give this ****

 

Mama Faye's- Deep Ellum, TX

For 4th of July today, I headed over to Pecan Lodge, where I waited in line for 5 minutes. After realizing I'd be standing in line for hours, I went to Mama Faye's. I ordered the sliced brisket and baby back ribs. The ribs were nothing great but the brisket was good. The bark was OK. Overall I give this **