Get in Line

Franklin Barbecue bans all services that let you skip the longest line in Austin

Franklin Barbecue has put a stop to all line-waiting and placeholding services.

Photo courtesy of Franklin Barbecue

If you want a taste of Franklin, you better get in line: The barbecue joint announced Sunday that it would no longer allow access to line-waiting services, smoking out professional placeholders from its infamous lunch line.

In an official press release, the famed barbecue restaurant announced that it has banned the use of third parties to wait in line or make orders. Aaron Franklin and his wife, Stacy, feel that these services detract from the experience and are a disservice to others who wait in line.

"It has gotten out of hand, and we owe it to the rest of our faithful customers to not allow the distraction," the restaurant said in the statement. "We prefer to serve our customers in house, and not to have a second party representing our food and brand."

The ban includes everything from delivery services such as Favor to the one-man BBQ Fast Pass, an entrepreneurial Austin teenager who made headlines earlier this year by standing in line for barbecue lovers. The restaurant previously declared that these third parties could operate on a person-for-person basis — one order per line sitter — but the Franklins soon realized that the volume of placeholders and their large orders began to "bog down the line."

Despite the foot coming down hard, there's no bad blood between Franklin Barbecue and the professional services. "I respect the decision and I'm grateful for the opportunity to make barbecue wishes come true," BBQ Fast Pass said on Twitter.

The ban will not affect regular customers. In a statement to Austin360, the restaurant clarified that patrons are still allowed to have a friend join them in line.

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Cat's Out of the Bag

Classic Austin dive bar Mean Eyed Cat opens new Driftwood outpost

Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

There ain't no grave can hold Austinites down when it's time to break in this new dive bar.

An Austin bar with a lot of personality has its eye on a new location. The Mean Eyed Cat is opening in Driftwood on Thursday, November 21.

This Johnny Cash-inspired bar has certainly always had the country aesthetic: the weathered wood, the live oak-shaded picnic tables, the black-and-white photos on the wall, and even the occasional taxidermy specimen. The same rustic vibes continue in Driftwood at 8750 W RR 150, Bldg. 100, according to a short press release.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior This new bar already looks like it's been collecting antiques for decades.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Good luck getting there on Google Maps. Right now, it drops a pin at the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 150 and Elder Hill Road. However, it appears to be next to Mad Rooster's Liquor Store — we can see the side of the building through the window and the same road signs. We've reached out to a spokesperson to get the proper directions.

The Austin original has been around since 2004, and this offshoot is only its second location. The promises "the same laid-back, offbeat charm that made the original bar an icon."

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior What's a dive bar without a pool table?Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Before the Austin location was a bar, it was a chainsaw repair shop that was aptly featured in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Chris Marsh was who converted it to a watering hole and Christened it the Mean Eyed Cat, and he later sold it to current owners Matt Luckie, Max Moreland, and Jed Thompson, placing it in a lineage that also includes Lavaca Street Bar & Grill, Sign Bar, Lala’s Little Nugget, and more locally beloved staples and oddities.

All the proper references are there in Driftwood, including several saw blades on the wall, Johnny Cash memorabilia, and lyrics on every available surface, including a picnic table that ominously says "HURT." First and foremost on the menu are whiskeys and classic cocktails, keeping things as simple as anyone would expect at a dive bar.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood patio A spacious patio takes advantage of the Hill Country surroundings.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Despite the relatively remote location, commenters on Instagram have already spotted people inside and started chomping at the bit. It sounds like opening day will be a lively affair.

The Mean Eyed Cat in Driftwood will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 2 pm to 2 am, and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 2 am. Happy hour will be weekdays from 4-7 pm.

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