Sure, veto power and command of the military are all well and good, but being able to cut the line at a BBQ joint where the wait can be up to five hours is where being president really pays off.
President Barack Obama enjoyed the perks of the position at the famed Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, during a surprise visit on Thursday afternoon. However, even the most powerful man in America knew he was treading on some delicate territory considering the line gets so crazy that it has its own Twitter account.
“I know this is a long line. I feel real bad, but — I’m gonna cut,” Obama said, according to a pool report from the Austin American-Statesman.
Watch the anchors discuss: Obama picks up $300 tab at restaurant
Knowing that no one cuts the line at Franklin, the president paid for the meal of the two people behind him as well as his entourage. He went to pull out some cash before doing the math on the tab and slapping down the presidential credit card to order $300 worth of food for his traveling staff.
The customers behind him, Bruce Finsted and his daughter, Faith, ordered three pounds of beef, two pounds of ribs, a half pound of sausage and a half pound of turkey for themselves and some family members who were already seated.
"Hold on, now. How many folks are ya'll feeding?" Obama joked.
The owner of Franklin, Aaron Franklin, had reservations about Obama heading to the front of the line, but realized that if there was going to be one exception, it might as well be for the leader of the free world.
“That’s our thing, no one skips the line … except Obama,” he told the Austin American-Statesman.
Obama was in Austin giving a speech before he decided to stop in at Franklin, where he was ushered to the front because finding five free hours in a presidential schedule tends to be tricky. Still, people in Austin don't play when it comes to waiting in line for some of the best BBQ in the nation.
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