Aaron Franklin opened Franklin Barbecue in 2009 as a roadside trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas interstate with his wife Stacy. Within two years the trailer had become a brick-and-mortar institution with lines stretching around the block before it even opened — sometimes hours long.
In May 2015, Franklin became the first chef specializing in barbecue ever nominated for — or to receive — a James Beard Foundation Award, winning Best Chef: Southwest. That same year, Time named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Bon Appétit called Franklin Barbecue 'the best BBQ in the country' in 2011. Texas Monthly ranked it #1 on its 50 Best BBQ Joints list in 2013 and again in 2017.
His restaurant has drawn President Barack Obama, Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, and Jon Favreau. Franklin was inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2020. In 2019, he was named a semi-finalist in the same class as Jim Quessenberry. He is the author of Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto (NYT bestseller, 2015) and host of the PBS series BBQ with Franklin.
Accolades
- James Beard Foundation Award — Best Chef: Southwest (2015)
- First barbecue chef ever nominated for or to receive a James Beard Award
- American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame Inductee (2020)
- 2019 BBQ Hall of Fame Semi-Finalist (same class as Jim Quessenberry)
- Time magazine 100 Most Influential People (2015)
- #1 — Texas Monthly 50 Best BBQ Joints (2013, 2017)
- Best BBQ in the Country — Bon Appétit (2011)