- Butter's BBQ in Sinton, Texas, became the first smokehouse on Texas Monthly's top 50 list to completely remove brisket from its menu due to skyrocketing wholesale beef prices.
- Owner Andrew Soto decided after wholesale costs surged by $1 a pound in a single week, which would have forced him to raise customer prices from $37 to $51 per pound for the state's signature cut.
- A national cattle herd shrinkage to a 75-year low caused by drought, along with post-pandemic operating costs and tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump, pushed average U.S. retail beef prices to a record $9.64 a pound in April.
- Several Texas barbecue joints have already been forced to close permanently as customers cut back on dining out due to high menu prices that can easily total $70 to $100 per meal.
- To survive the industry-wide crisis, pitmasters are pivoting to cheaper cuts like smoked beef cheeks, though owners warn independent operators across the state remain in survival mode and at constant risk of closure.
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