8 BBQ Joints Austin Locals Swear By

Ask ten Austinites for the best barbecue in town and you will get ten answers.

Franklin is on most of those lists, but it is far from the only place worth the wait.

From a trailer that went global to a smokehouse in an old church, here are the BBQ joints locals keep going back to.

Every spot below was checked on its own website for its current address and hours.

1. Franklin Barbecue

Aaron and Stacy Franklin opened a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin interstate in 2009.

Today people stand in line for hours for the brisket, and Aaron has won the James Beard Award for Best Chef, according to the restaurant.

Come early. It is open until the meat sells out, which the restaurant says is usually 2 or 3 PM.

2. la Barbecue

Ali Clem and her late wife, LeAnn Mueller, turned a South First food trailer into la Barbecue.

Its website calls it a Michelin-starred restaurant, and it has made Texas Monthly's Top 50 Barbecue Joints list.

3. InterStellar BBQ

This Northwest Austin spot sits on RR 620, far from the East Side crowds.

Its website says it earned a Michelin star in 2024 and kept it in 2025.

4. LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue

LeRoy and Lewis opened in 2017 in the lot of Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden and calls its style New School Barbecue.

It says all of its meat comes from small Texas ranches and farms, and it now has a full restaurant and bar in South Austin.

5. Micklethwait Barbecue

Say it like the restaurant does: mick-uhl-wait. It has been smoking meat in Austin since 2012.

It is now housed in an old neighborhood church among the pecan trees of East Austin, with a shaded courtyard outside.

6. Terry Black's Barbecue

Terry Black's has roots in Lockhart and now has locations in Austin, Dallas, Waco, Fort Worth and Lockhart, per its website.

The Austin location on Barton Springs Road is an easy stop before or after a day at Zilker Park.

7. Stiles Switch BBQ

The original Stiles Switch opened on North Lamar in December 2011.

It is named after the historic 1800s railroad stop in Stiles Switch, Texas, which is also the namesake of owner Shane Stiles.

8. Distant Relatives

Chef Damien Brockway bills Distant Relatives as modern African American barbecue, according to KVUE.

It sits in a Southeast Austin food park, with beer from Meanwhile Brewing Co.

Barbecue joints sell out, and hours shift around holidays.

Check the spot's own page before you make the drive.

Which Austin brisket would you wait in line for? Make your case in the comments.