Texas Barbecue Joints Close as Brisket Prices Climb to $5.56 a Pound
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · May 25
Texas Barbecue Joints Close as Brisket Prices Climb to $5.56 a Pound
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 25
$5.56 per pound brisket prices are pushing some of Texas's oldest barbecue joints to shut down as core menu costs outpace what many operators can absorb.
Brisket sits at the center of Texas barbecue menus, making the meat spike especially damaging for restaurants already facing broad cost pressure with little sign of relief.
Russell Roegels, tracking prices on a spreadsheet at his suburban Houston restaurant, has come to treat the brisket number as a warning signal for the industry's viability.
The closures show that even celebrated Texas barbecue institutions are struggling to stay open, underscoring how prolonged food inflation is hitting iconic regional businesses.
With brisket prices at record highs, can 'zero-waste' cooking and new cuts of meat save these iconic restaurants?
As ranch land vanishes and costs soar, is the golden age of Texas barbecue coming to an end?