The Franklin BBQ logo represents the warmth and coziness felt in every dish. It evokes associations with aromatic smoke from the smoker and flavors that attract barbecue lovers. The restaurant was founded on the idea of a small establishment whose main values were quality, tradition, and dedication.
Franklin Barbecue grew from Aaron Franklin’s early experience in Texas. As a child, he helped at his parents’ Ben’s Bar-Be-Que in Bryan, then spent years practicing in his backyard. From 2004 to 2006, he worked with pitmaster John Mueller in Austin, learning seasoning, brisket slicing, and wood-fired smoking. When gatherings hosted by Aaron and his wife Stacy drew over 100 guests, they turned the hobby into a business.
In December 2009, the couple opened a $300 trailer behind a coffee warehouse near Interstate 35 in Austin. Mueller provided the first smoker. Brisket cooked over post oak for 12 to 15 hours, and attention from blogs and social media soon overwhelmed the trailer. In spring 2011, Franklin Barbecue moved to 900 East 11th Street. Bon Appétit then named it the best barbecue restaurant in the United States. At the same time, Texas Monthly ranked it first in Texas in 2014.
Aaron Franklin became the first pitmaster to win a James Beard Award when he received Best Chef: Southwest in 2015. His book Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto reached The New York Times bestseller list, and PBS released BBQ with Franklin. A fire damaged the restaurant in September 2017, but the building was restored and reopened.
Franklin entered the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2020 and later published Franklin Steak and Franklin Smoke. The restaurant remained a single Austin location, competing with Louie Mueller Barbecue and La Barbecue without branches or franchising.
Meaning and History
What is Franklin BBQ?
This is the place where smoked meat is brought to perfection. The diner in Austin, Texas, is known for juicy, flavorful smoked meats, especially brisket, for which people are willing to stand in long lines. All stages of cooking, from selecting firewood to precisely setting the temperature, are carried out with the utmost precision. Founded by a barbecue enthusiast, the establishment has grown from a small trailer to an iconic place where connoisseurs worldwide come. The high level of craftsmanship has earned the prestigious chef’s award, and demand for dishes is so great that meat often runs out long before closing.
2009 – today
The Franklin BBQ logo has its own atmosphere, reflecting the establishment’s open, simple nature. The restaurant’s name is at the center of a shape resembling a piece of smoked meat with smooth edges. The name is written in two different fonts, creating an interesting, relaxed look without excessive precision.
The word “Franklin” is designed in a handwritten font with a bluish tint, featuring slightly curved lines resembling smoke rising from a grill. Instead of a traditional dot over the letter “i,” there is a small orange flame symbol. The color of the flame is repeated in the word “BARBECUE” below, which is written in large, bold, uppercase letters. This highlights the restaurant’s main theme, smoking and fire.
Aaron Franklin turned a small establishment into a popular destination, with lines forming for his smoked brisket. This casual, natural feel in the logo perfectly reflects the restaurant’s working style; everything revolves around high-quality meat and the skill of preparing it properly, without any unnecessary formalities.


