‘This is as bad as it gets’: Beef has become so expensive, barbecue joints in Texas are being forced to raise prices, consider shutting down

Roegels, owner of Roegels Barbecue Co., says in the past year, the wholesale price he pays for brisket has shot up by 28% to $5.56 per pound. He recently raised his menu prices for brisket by 6% to $35 per pound, but fears that could drive customers away.

And he’s not the only one who is worried. The meat-price crisis has already pushed several Texas barbecue spots out of business, including Brett’s BBQ Shop, Kirby’s BBQ, Sabar BBQ and Wright on Taco & BBQ.

Texas Restaurant Association CEO Emily Williams Knight says many factors have contributed to the price crunch, including inflation, tariffs, labor shortages, drought conditions and shrinking ranch land.

Here’s a closer look at the pressures on pitmasters.

Why Texas barbecue restaurants are feeling the heat

The U.S. cattle herd is reportedly at its smallest size in 75 years, making beef scarce and expensive. According to FarmProgress, there’s no signs of herd rebuild, so prices will likely stay high.

That’s not all that restaurant owners have to deal with.

There is also the threat of screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that can devastate livestock populations and infect people, looming near the southern border. Any additional hit to cattle supplies could send prices even higher.

“Now the price of everything has gone up, everything they need to run that restaurant: labor costs, takeout containers, coleslaw and those other meat proteins. You can’t really hide that price anymore,” Daniel Vaughn, barbecue editor at Texas Monthly, told The Washington Post, pointing to labor, packaging, side dishes and operating expenses.

Because of this, once-unthinkable menu prices — like $40 for a pound of brisket — is no longer a “crazy number to see on a menu,” he said.

Even popular restaurants are scrambling to keep up.

Burnt Bean Co., which was named the top barbecue joint in Texas by Texas Monthly and awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, recently raised brisket prices to $38 per pound.

Owner Ernest Servantes said brisket barely turns a profit anymore, telling The Washington Post, “We’ve been in survival mode for the past year.”

“We make our money off pork, sides,” Servantes told The Washington Post. “People say ‘brisket’ and I cringe.”

Could Texas barbecue culture change forever?

The beef prices could very well reshape Texas barbecue itself.

Pitmasters who once built their reputations on smoked brisket are experimenting with cheaper alternatives like beef cheek, according to the Houston Chronicle, or sausage, pork ribs and burgers made from brisket trimmings.They’re also reusing beef tallow for seasoning and turning trimmings into sausages, tacos and barbecue bowls.

Some restaurant owners are considering limiting brisket availability to certain days of the week to reduce losses. But Texas customers expect brisket and leave disappointed if it’s unavailable.

Industry veterans worry something bigger could disappear along the way: Texas barbecue’s distinct regional identity.

Historically, barbecue styles varied from place to place across the state, from saucy East Texas chopped beef sandwiches to South Texas “Mexicue” and the pepper-heavy Hill Country brisket style.