5 Foods Worth Waiting in Line For
"I won't wait hours in line for fad foods," says the BA Foodist, Andrew Knowlton. Yes, he's looking at you, cronuts, cronut concretes, and cronut pizza. ("I made that one up, but hey, it can't be long!") But classic, last-meal-worthy comfort foods, executed in their most expert, dare we say perfect, forms? We'll wait for that. For smoky, almost melty brisket; for oysters so clean, cold, and salty-sweet you could call them "crisp"; for the bread we expect to eat in heaven (given we don't eat so many pillowy doughnuts that we're sent to that other place). These are the five things our staffers actually would wait hours to purchase, stare at for a bit, and take a couple whiffs before putting in our mouths and closing our eyes, feeling lucky to be alive.
Caroline Hatchett1/5"I will wait in line for barbecue and one barbecue spot in particular—Franklin Barbecue in Austin. The waits their are stupid absurd. You don't go to Franklin on a whim...you plan it out like a vacation. I'm guessing it currently holds the title for the longest wait at a restaurant in America. Four-hour waits are not unheard of. FOUR HOURS! They open at 11 a.m., and people start lining up at 8 a.m. or earlier on some days. Imagine before going out to lunch you say to your friends 'Let's get up real early, arrive at the restaurant at 8 a.m., and pack a cooler of beer to drink while we wait for a table.' That's what people do! I told you it's ludicrous, ridiculous, and silly. But here is the thing: It's worth it. Or I should say, the brisket is worth it. I'm not sure what deal with the devil Aaron Franklin made, but his brisket is otherworldly. It's quite possibly the best single bite of any food or dish you will ever have. It's rich and smoky, fatty and crunchy. I've never done crack, but I imagine it's something like Franklin's brisket. It's way more than just beef, fire, and smoke—it's voodoo I think." —Andrew Knowlton, restaurant and drinks editor
copyright © 2008 Susan Seubert Photography All Rights Reserved2/5"Swan Oyster Depot, for sure." At this sliver of a place in San Franciso, lines can stretch down Polk Street. The good thing? You can drink while you're in it. And there are oysters and, if the staff behind the counter takes a liking to you, slabs of fresh, raw fish for the taking. —Alison Roman, senior associate editor
3/5"I always complain about it, but I'm still waiting in line at Tartine (1 ham-and-cheese croissant, 1 morning bun, 1 bread pudding—sharing optional)." —Dawn Perry, senior food editor
Christopher Testani4/5"There's no dearth of ramen joints in New York City, so waiting hours (yes, sometimes two or more!) for a bowl might seem preposterous. But fans of the perfectly pliant Japanese noodles in rich, porky broth know that Ippudo does ramen so well that you've no other choice but to grin and bear it (or dull the pain with a drink at a bar nearby)." —Joanna Sciarrino, assistant editor
5/5"In Martha's Vineyard, a bakery in Oak Bluffs sells fresh doughnuts to the after-dinner (and after-drinks) crowd out of their back door from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. The operation is called 'Back Door Donuts,' and you can stand in line for almost 30 minutes to get your hands on a hot, pillowy doughnut. For non-New Yorkers, that's a long time—for me, it's a cake (or doughnut) walk." —Danielle Walsh, assistant web editor
