[12] The restaurant is prominently featured in a scene from the 2014 Jon Favreau film Chef, with speaking cameos by owner Aaron Franklin and general manager Benji Jacob.

[13] In the early morning of August 26, 2017, a fire broke out in the smoke house section of the Austin eatery, heavily damaging portions of the outer building.

For his Texas style brisket, Franklin uses post oak wood and Meyer Angus beef which is seasoned with salt and pepper.

[17] In Bon Appetit's July 2011 issue, editor Andrew Knowlton called Franklin Barbecue "the best BBQ in the country.

[24] Notable partons include Barack Obama,[25] David Chang,[26] Anthony Bourdain,[27] Gordon Ramsay,[28] Jon Favreau,[29] and Jimmy Kimmel.