Decline of Texas Barbecue Joints Amid Rising Beef Prices
Texas barbecue is facing a tough reality as closures of beloved joints are becoming more frequent, largely due to the skyrocketing costs of beef. Once an affordable staple, brisket has transformed into a luxury for many.
Across Texas, from suburban Houston to rural smokehouses, pitmasters report that increasing wholesale beef prices, inflation, and fewer customers are tightening their margins, leading to the shutdown of some well-known barbecue spots.
Russell Logels, a pitmaster in the Houston area, expressed his distress, saying, “This couldn’t be worse. Everyone is at risk these days. We’re only a week away from closing.” His sentiment reflects a broader fear in the industry.
The Bullet Barbecue Shop in Katy, which had operated for seven years, shut its doors last year. High operational costs had led to fewer customers, driven away by increasing menu prices.
Another casualty is Kirby’s Barbecue in New Caney, where owner Sean Jones noted that the escalating cost of brisket was making meals unaffordable for many middle-class families. “When brisket costs $36 a pound, easily you could spend $70 to $100 on a meal,” Jones shared on YouTube, highlighting the financial burden on regular folks who once enjoyed barbecue as a treat.
Other establishments, including Fort Worth’s Smokehouse Savall Barbecue and North Texas’ Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes, have also closed their doors, adding to the growing list of casualties. This decline coincides with a significant reduction in the national cattle herd, now at its lowest in roughly 75 years, due to prolonged droughts, high feed prices, and escalating operational costs.
While the cost of ground beef has risen more than 15% over the past year, many restaurants are facing bills of $5 to $6 per pound for wholesale brisket, with some paying up to $35 to $40 per pound. This creates a daunting challenge for small businesses, as the cost can nearly double once cooked, factoring in labor and utilities.
Justin Manning, co-owner of C&J Barbecue in Bryan, pointed out that to sustain profitability, restaurants would need to charge nearly $40 for brisket, which is unfeasible for most.
The challenges extend beyond beef, with owners noticing significant price hikes on everything from packaging to utilities over the last two years. Emily Williams Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, highlighted the predicament of independent barbecue joints, which can’t pivot away from brisket as it remains a key draw for customers.
Even the top-ranked Burnt Bean Co. is feeling the pressure, contemplating a price hike to about $38 per pound for brisket and limiting its availability.
Owner Ernesto Cervantes remarked that his establishment has been in “survival mode” for the last year. The persistent rise in prices has left many wondering if there will be any relief in sight. “There’s no end in sight right now, and it’s going to be scary here,” he noted, encapsulating the anxiety felt by many in the industry.
Some pitmasters are now voicing concerns over the consolidation within the meatpacking industry, where just a handful of companies manage most of the beef processing in the country. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated an investigation into potential anti-competitive behavior, as restrictions on meat exports raise questions about ranchers’ pay and the resulting high prices for consumers and restaurants.
