A Texas barbecue restaurant has made the decision to remove brisket from its standard menu due to soaring beef prices. According to Andrew Soto, the owner and operator of Butter's BBQ, the choice was not made lightly. "We've been dealing with the price hikes, specifically in beef and briskets, for the better part of five years," Soto said.
Soto noted that prices have fluctuated over the last five years, but have recently climbed rapidly. Over the last eight months to a year, beef prices have increased significantly, making it difficult for the restaurant to keep up. When the restaurant tried adjusting prices and cooking less brisket, its foot traffic and sales took a hit.
The final straw came when Soto was informed that brisket prices had increased by almost $1 per pound. This added up quickly when buying hundreds of pounds of beef at once, and in a small town, it's hard to anticipate how much people will buy. According to the USDA's Economic Research Service, beef and veal prices were 5.9% higher in August 2026 than in August 2025, with a forecasted increase of 9.4% in 2026.
The restaurant is currently experimenting with alternatives like beef cheek as a brisket substitute, but overall, pork is the priority. Soto clarified that the restaurant would still sell brisket, but not in the way or quantity it had been. Instead, guests who want brisket can pre-order it online and pay in advance. This decision has sparked a mix of reactions from the community, with some people understanding the need to adapt to rising costs, while others were disappointed by the loss of a staple menu item.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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