I was reading about the history of Texas brisket and found something wild

Phoenix Park · 2026-04-23T05:05:07.561046+00:00

I mean, I always knew Aaron Franklin was a big deal, but I found out he actually won his first James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest back in 2015. That's like the Oscars for food, and he got it for barbecue, which is pretty huge. I found this in an old Texas Monthly article from a few years back. Does anyone know of other pitmasters who've gotten that kind of national award?

jennifer_mitchell533mo ago

Franklin really broke down that door for all of us.

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ericb665mo ago

Wait, Aaron Franklin actually won a James Beard Award? That's insane. I had no idea barbecue even got seriously considered for those fancy food awards. I always figured they were reserved for some fancy chef at a five-star restaurant in New York or something. Just shows how much respect Franklin really changed the game for Texas brisket.

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sarahpatel5mo ago

2015 though? That was like right when the whole "craft barbecue" wave was really taking off. I remember reading about how Franklin basically put Texas brisket on the national culinary map, but I didn't realize it was THAT official. I mean, James Beard judges fly in from all over the country to taste test stuff, so for a pitmaster to win that category is CRAZY.

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