A group of friends and I recently traveled to Austin, Texas, to indulge in the city’s famed barbecue and enjoy live music. Barbecue joints selling smoked meat are found on just about every corner in the state’s capital, but Franklin Barbecue ranked at the top of our to-visit list and was our most delicious activity on the city’s tourist trail. Opened in 2009 as a food trailer off Interstate 35, pitmaster Aaron Franklin’s renowned Franklin Barbecue is hailed as the best barbecue joint in Texas by Texas Monthly. To cater to a growing demand from brisket enthusiasts, the meat purveyor eventually moved into an old brick building in downtown Austin and has sold out of barbecue goodness like brisket, ribs, pulled pork and sausage every day since its opening. With a cult following for its meats and celebrated reputation, the restaurant has a daily multi-hour wait six days a week, and the Saturday we visited was no exception. A local friend who had already tailgated for the meat experience advised we head to the Austin landmark early in order to not miss out, so we arrived around 7:30 a.m. and found a line already 50 people deep. After five hours outside, with occasional rain, a lot of good conversation with friends and typical tailgating amenities, we stepped into the barbecue joint to discover and taste what all the hype is about. We learned waiting for hours was definitely worth it, as we happily feasted on everything on the menu, including extremely flavorful brisket with a dark, peppery crust, meaty ribs, silky pulled pork, creamy potato salad and tasty coleslaw, and had fun waiting with friends and making new ones. Following our meal, we even had the lucky opportunity to chat with Franklin himself, who excitedly thanked us for coming in and shared how fortunate he feels over his restaurant becoming so wildly popular. If you find yourself in Austin, set aside time to hop in line early at Franklin Barbecue; the world-famous brisket is worth the wait. And look out for tips on how to tailgate for meat on Trazee Travel.