Texas BBQ Joint Pulls Brisket as Beef Prices Bite

Butter's BBQ in Sinton, Texas, has removed brisket from its daily menu after beef costs consumed over 70% of its grocery spending, Fox News reports.

Butter's BBQ, a barbecue restaurant in Sinton, Texas, about 30 minutes from Corpus Christi, has removed brisket from its standard menu, Fox News Digital reports. Owner Andrew Soto told Fox News he had been dealing with beef and brisket price hikes for roughly five years, but that over the last eight months to a year prices climbed so rapidly the restaurant could no longer keep up. A Facebook post from the restaurant said brisket was eating up over 70% of its total grocery costs. Soto called the decision hard but necessary, telling Fox News, "I made the decision to pull our brisket from the menu completely."

The reversal is striking because brisket is the signature item at any Texas barbecue joint, and Soto acknowledged to Fox News that "we're in Texas. It's a big deal." Removing the dish a barbecue restaurant is best known for is the niche surprise here: it is not a price increase but a menu disappearance at the item's cultural home. According to Fox News, commenters on the restaurant's Facebook post were divided — some argued brisket was essential and the better move was raising prices, while others welcomed more pork, with one suggesting smoked pork steaks as an affordable alternative.

Fox News reports that the final straw came when a food rep told Soto brisket prices had risen again, by almost $1 per pound — a small-sounding jump that adds up when buying hundreds of pounds of beef at once. Per the USDA's Economic Research Service, as cited by Fox News, beef and veal prices were 5.9% higher in August 2026 than in August 2025, and beef prices are forecast to rise 9.4% in 2026, within a forecast interval of 7.4% to 11.6%. Fox News also reports the restaurant tried adjusting prices and cooking less brisket, but foot traffic and sales took a hit both times.

Soto told Fox News it had become too much of a "gamble" to pay steep brisket prices without knowing whether the quantity purchased would sell, a problem he said is sharpened in a small town where demand is hard to anticipate. Fox News notes the outlet reached out to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association for comment.

Brisket is not gone entirely. Fox News reports Butter's BBQ will implement an online pre-order system where customers can order and pay for brisket in advance, keeping it off the everyday menu while still serving dedicated fans. In the meantime, Soto says the restaurant is experimenting with beef cheek as a brisket alternative, with pork as the overall priority — steering guests toward ribs and sausage. Soto's closing message to customers, per Fox News: "Please come and support us. We still have some really good barbecue, despite not having the brisket on our menu."