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I'm an Aussie who spent 7 hours in line to try some of the best barbecue in Texas. The wait was well worth it.

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I'm an Aussie who spent 7 hours in line to try some of the best barbecue in Texas. The wait was well worth it.


  • I waited for seven hours to try Franklin Barbecue, considered the best barbecue in Texas by many.
  • In line, I met other tourists and was even interviewed by a local paper.
  • Despite the long wait, the food was amazing, and we made a day out of the experience.

Texas is renowned for its barbecue. One of the most famous places to get it is Franklin Barbecue in Austin, where people wait in line for hours to order.

Established in 2009, Franklin Barbecue has made quite a name for itself in the past few years. It’s regularly recommended in Michelin Guides, and publications from Texas Monthly to Bon Appetit have listed it among the best barbecue in Texas (and even the country).

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain even called the restaurant’s brisket the “best” and “finest” he’s ever had in 2012.

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As someone who loves Texan barbecue, I’d always wanted to try it.

Eventually, I got a group together to see if this spot was really worth the hype. We arrived at about 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and there was already a queue of about 80 people.

We got to know the others waiting in line


People sitting in chairs waiting in line at Franklin Barbeque in Austin.

Waiting in line felt like tailgating for a sports game.

Ash Jurberg

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The restaurant is in a pretty unassuming turquoise-and-white building, but we immediately noticed the crowds outside of it.

Most people in the queue came prepared with chairs and coolers full of drinks. Although we didn’t have chairs, we did bring some beer.

However, 7 a.m. felt a little too early to start drinking, so I had coffee first.

We started chatting with others in the line and discovered that most were not from Austin and had traveled from other states. We even spoke to a few international visitors.

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Overall, the atmosphere was very friendly, and it felt like we were tailgating before a big sports game.

The back of the line was told there may not be enough food for them

After a couple of hours, when the queue had grown to a few hundred, a staff member came out to take orders.

These were not official orders, but the staff member wanted to try to check if there’d be enough of each order to cater to everyone in the queue.

Since there was a chance of demand exceeding supply, they advised people at the end of the queue to go home and not risk wasting their time. Thankfully, we were well within the cutoff limit and didn’t need to worry about the food running out before we ordered.

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The samples we received left me wanting more

We could smell the delicious meat since the smokers were very close to the line, which made us even more eager to eat.

Around 10:30 a.m., another employee came to hand out some small samples.

Although the portion sizes were smaller than a bite, the piece I tried had me salivating. My stomach was rumbling, but I knew we still had a few hours left of waiting.

At one point, a local reporter started asking a few of us why we were in line.

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A reporter from the University of Texas paper came to ask some tourists why they were there. As an Australian, I was one of the people interviewed. I joked I’d flown from Down Under for lunch just to fly home after eating — and they seemed to believe me.

At this point, I was getting delirious from the hunger.


A sign that reads "Franklin smoked porter" on a painting of a man and a woman standing in front of a bus.

The line began to move slowly once the doors opened

Ash Jurberg

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The doors finally opened at 11 a.m., and the queue began to move very slowly. Time moved even slower as I watched satisfied customers exit the restaurant.

I became impatient as we inched forward. Finally, around 1 p.m., we entered the restaurant and soon got to place our orders.

At last, we received our food after almost seven hours of waiting


A plate of Texan barbecue food from Franklin in Austin.

The food from Franklin Barbecue was delicious.

Ash Jurberg

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Once we made it inside, I was so hungry that I wanted to order several pounds of food, but I contained myself.

Finally, after almost seven hours, we sat down with plates full of meat and sides like coleslaw and pickles. The brisket melted in my mouth and no knife was required for the tender meat.

I felt like I was in food heaven.

The long wait was worth it


Ash and friends inside Franklin Barbeque with food in Austin.

The food and experience made the wait worth it.

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Ash Jurberg



After finishing our meal, we saw the owner and pitmaster, Aaron Franklin, emerge from the kitchen. We complimented him on his food and staff and told him that the experience was well worth the long wait.

I’ve tried many barbecue places in Texas, but this was the best I’ve had.

Customers can order Franklin Barbecue online to avoid this wait, but you must do so days in advance during a specific window and order at least 5 pounds.

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Still, I think everyone should try the queue experience once since it makes for a fun day and an interesting story — plus, you get delicious barbecue at the end of the wait.





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Texas A&M Forward Transfer Seemingly on Visit to See Lady Vols Basketball | Rocky Top Insider

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Texas A&M Forward Transfer Seemingly on Visit to See Lady Vols Basketball | Rocky Top Insider


fatmata janneh lady vols basketball
Photo via Texas A&M Athletics

Lady Vols basketball is looking to add more pieces to its 2026-27 roster with high-level experience. After completing her junior season at Texas A&M, Fatmata Janneh has emerged as a Tennessee target for her final year of eligibility. According to her Instagram story on Sunday night, she is in Knoxville.

With the Aggies a year ago, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 11.4 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field. She also showed off an ability to hit from range, posting 1.1 makes per game on 33% shooting from three.

Perhaps Janneh’s biggest strength is her rebounding, though. She ripped down 9.7 boards per contest, good for the fifth-most in the SEC. This featured 2.6 rebounds on the offensive end per outing.

Janneh also averaged 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. She appeared in 27 games, starting in each.

More From RTI: How Watching The NCAA Tournament Drew Terrence Hill Jr. To Tennessee Basketball

Janneh started her career with a pair of seasons at St. Peter’s. As a sophomore, she averaged a double-double, posting 18.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. This made her a sought-after transfer in the portal before landing at Texas A&M as the nation’s leading defensive rebounder. As a freshman, she averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.

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The forward is from London, England, attending Barking Abbey Sixth Form for her prep ball. She would be the second player from England to join the Tennessee roster if she committed. UT also added the commitment of incoming freshman and former Boston College signee Irene Oboavwoduo this offseason.

So far, Caldwell and the Lady Vols have landed five transfers in this portal cycle. This features Liberty guard Avery Mills, Northern Arizona guard Naomi White, Stanford forward Harper Peterson and Georgia forward Zhen Craft and guard Rylie Theuerkauf.

Tennessee will also roster a pair of incoming freshmen. Four-star recruit and top-50 prospect Gabby Minus is staying true to her signing despite the roster overhaul and assistant coaching changes, along with the addition of Oboavwoduo.





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Texas needs at least $174 billion to avoid water crisis, state says

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Texas needs at least 4 billion to avoid water crisis, state says


AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas communities will need to spend $174 billion in the next 50 years to avert a severe water crisis, a new state analysis revealed Thursday. That’s more than double the $80 billion projected four years ago, when the Texas Water Development Board last passed a state water plan.

The three-member board presiding over the agency authorized the highly anticipated draft blueprint Thursday, the first administrative step toward adopting the water development board’s plans for the next 50 years. The plan, released every five years, encompasses the projects that 16 regional water planning groups in Texas said are the most urgent, water development board officials said. 

The board’s latest estimates come as the state’s water supply faces numerous threats. Growing communities across Texas are scrambling to secure water, keep up with construction costs and cope with a yearslong drought. This week, Corpus Christi officials said the city may be just months away from declaring a water emergency. Meanwhile, other rural cities by the Coastal Bend are rapidly drilling wells to avoid a crisis. Residents in North Texas have also been bracing for groundwater shortages.

In an effort to restrain the crisis, lawmakers last year called an election in which voters approved a $20 billion boost for communities to use on water-related expenses. The water development board’s estimate shows that what lawmakers proposed on the ballot falls dramatically short of the needed cash, experts said.

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“What this number tells me at the end of the day is if we don’t get serious about (funding water projects), there are going to be serious consequences for Texas,” said Perry Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network. “Even with the billion-dollar-a-year plan kicking in, it’s not going to be enough to offset the costs of the projects that are going to have to be executed.”

The new estimate accounts for 3,000 projects, from regional infrastructure upgrades to smaller endeavors such as drilling new water wells. Texas’ water supplies are expected to drop by roughly 10% between 2030 and 2080, according to the water plan. In that same time frame, the maximum amount of water communities can draw is also expected to decline by 9%.

The 80-page plan notes approximately 6,700 recommended strategies that would add water to the state’s dwindling portfolio. The recommendations — which are not accounted for in the cost — include developing new supplies from aquifer storage and recovery, brackish groundwater, desalination and recycled water. It also calls for water conservation.

The report suggested that if Texas does not implement the plans and recommendations, the state is one severe drought away from an estimated $91 billion in economic damages in 2030.

The state’s plan attributes a variety of reasons for the bigger price tag, such as higher costs of construction due to inflation, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains, and a growing backlog of water supply projects.

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“There’s a plan that can meet our needs,” said Matt Nelson, deputy executive administrator for the Office of Planning at the water development board, adding that they take their cues from the regional planning groups. “These are local projects that folks need to implement; they’re needed regardless of how they’re funded. It’s important to remember these are not top-down projects or state projects.”

Experts told The Texas Tribune that the board’s estimate is only a fraction of what Texas communities will need to ensure they have water in 50 years’ time, saying growth and development are outpacing the state’s ability to keep up.

“This is a bigger water plan in terms of volume strategies and capital costs compared to anything we’ve ever seen before,” said Jeremy Mazur, the director of infrastructure and natural resources policy at think tank Texas 2036.

Mazur suggested that the $174 billion only covers water supply projects and does not account for updating aging infrastructure, adding that the actual price could amount to a quarter of a trillion dollars.

“There’s a substantial magnitude with regard to the capital investment needed to both fix our aging and current systems and potentially develop the water infrastructure, water supply projects that we need.“

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The report largely confirmed what many water experts have warned regarding threats to the state’s water supply, said Sarah Kirkle, director of policy at the Texas Water Association.

“Population growth, extreme weather, and economic development needs are all increasing demands on our infrastructure, and the state is going to need more water, sooner,” Kirkle said. “This is all while water projects are becoming more costly and complex because the easiest and cheapest local projects have already been developed.”

Fowler, with the infrastructure network, said he expects the Texas Legislature to take up the issue next year, when lawmakers meet for the 90th legislative session. He said the state should take a bigger role in ensuring that communities can afford their respective water projects.

“It’s going to have to be a top-down priority, there’s no way around it,” he said. “The challenges are so immense that it’s going to take all hands on deck.”

Texas residents have until the end of May to comment on the proposal. Water development board officials must adopt it by January 2027.

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Alejandra Martinez contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.



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Co‑worker confesses to killing missing North Texas man and stealing his car, police say

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Co‑worker confesses to killing missing North Texas man and stealing his car, police say



A North Texas man reported missing earlier this week was found dead Friday, and police say a co‑worker has confessed to fatally shooting him and stealing his car.

The suspect, Gregory D. Lewis, 34, remains in custody and faces a forthcoming capital murder charge, according to the Fort Worth Police Department. 

Lewis is accused of killing 31‑year‑old Thomas King, who had been last seen in his Taco Casa work uniform. King was reported missing on Tuesday after failing to return home Monday from the fast‑food restaurant in the 1100 block of Bridgewood Drive.

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Car found at Arlington motel 

Police said King’s car was found at the Quality Inn on I‑20 in Arlington, and surveillance video showed Lewis arriving in King’s vehicle shortly after King left work. 

Detectives identified the man in the video and arrested him on unrelated charges.

  Gregory D. Lewis, 34

Tarrant County Jail

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Body discovered on Fort Worth’s East Side 

King’s body was located on Friday in an open field on Fort Worth’s East Side, authorities said. 

According to police, Lewis confessed to shooting the victim and stealing his car. 

Medical examiner review pending 

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. 

CBS News Texas has reached out to Taco Casa for comment.

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