Aaron Franklin
Pitmaster of Franklin Barbecue in Austin whose oak-smoked brisket drew hours-long lines and a James Beard award.

Veronica's Take
The move is Aaron Franklin, the pitmaster who turned a cheap backyard smoker into a Texas legend and a James Beard award-winning empire. At Franklin Barbecue in Austin, he obsesses over every detail of his oak-smoked brisket, coaxing sixteen hours of smoky perfection that has people lining up at dawn for a taste. Honestly, his devotion to the craft is wild—nobody else in barbecue commands that kind of dedication or delivers bark that good.
He turned a cheap backyard offset smoker into a religion, coaxing sixteen hours of Texas oak into bark people queue for at dawn.
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Aaron Franklin
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Pitmaster of Franklin Barbecue in Austin whose oak-smoked brisket drew hours-long lines and a James Beard award.
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