Originally Posted by
jackal
Franklin is an easy walk from downtown.
Not to be a shill or anything, but there's one hotel so close one could literally walk 100 yards east over the 11th Street bridge to get there.
I don't know much about the rest of the in-city Austin BBQ scene, but the other legendary places (Lockhart, Luling, etc.) are a ~45 minute drive out of town. You'll definitely need a car if you're interested in those.
Other than Franklin, the downtown choices would probably be limited to the Ironworks, Stubbs, and Lambert's. My pick among those three would be Ironworks. There may even be the occasional food truck that has moved in unnoticed.
Of course, if one is hale and hearty, it might also include La Barbecue and Mickletwait Craft Meats since they are within 3 - 4 miles of the Capitol.
In the end, though, I'm not sure we can decide if it is worthwhile to rent a car to make the rounds. If I was a fan of BBQ (and I am), I certainly would, but that may not be what someone else would do.