WASHINGTON — A couple of ravenous barbecue patrons stuck President Barack Obama with a Texas-sized tab after he cut the line at one of Austin’s renowned rib joints.
Obama, after jumping ahead of Bruce Finstad and his daughter, Faith, 17, at Franklin Barbecue following a day of politicking in Texas on Thursday, offered to buy the Finstads lunch.
And the two proceeded to order a hefty three pounds of brisket, two pounds of ribs, a half-pound of sausage and a half-pound of turkey for a party of four.
“Hold on — how many folks are y’all feeding?” Obama teased before picking up the $102.50 tab.
Even before Obama walked in, the Finstads seemed to be annoyed by the intrusiveness of his security detail. About an hour before the meal, Faith Finstad posted a picture of an agent on her Instagram account, saying, “Secret service is taking over franklins #nobama #toohungryfortheprez.”
http://instagram.com/p/qR7iWTE212
But like other customers, the teenager left apparently satisfied.
“Obama just bought my lunch at franklins . . . just your average Thursday!” she posted, along with a picture of her, the president and her father.
In Obama’s defense, the restaurant’s website encourages line-jumping.
“Traveling? Dip in and grab a fully cooked brisket, chilled and packed for travel. You can skip the line,” the site says.