Recently, Texas Monthly released its long-awaited latest installment of its 50 best barbecue joints in Texas. The canonical ranking, released every four years or so, and curated by the magazine’s esteemed barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn, ranks the (tongue-in-cheek) “best barbecue joints in the world,” because, as we all know, Texas ‘cue is globally superior, and that is a chiseled-in-stone true fact.
The list, through the years, has helped create institutions out of Franklin’s Barbecue in Austin and Snow’s in Lexington, joints which nowadays, are what I refer to as “event barbecue joints,” where if you want to get any ‘cue, you’ll have to show up at about 5 a.m. and stand in line for hours and hours, and bring all the accoutrements to get through such a stay.
The list has also honored such time-tested cathedrals of smoked meat, with names such as Kreuz, Micklethwait and Louie Mueller, which all dot the map, offering up stellar Texas ‘cue.
One of the bothersome factoids presented in the current list is the increase in the price of brisket, the cornerstone of Texas barbecue. Twenty-nine bucks per pound is the average statewide price for brisket, as of the magazine’s publication, and the average price in Houston weighs in at $31, whereas that price is a princely $33.14 in Austin.
It’s a far trip removed from the olden days when my granddad and I would pay $1.89 (at most) per pound for some of the world’s best brisket at Wilbert T’s joint in Woodville.
Typically the word “craft” accompanying any barbecue joint’s name is an indicator of expensive ‘cue these days (and underwhelming portion sizes), but the preponderance of good, quality barbecue, led primarily by the pop culture explosion of joints like Franklin and the magazine list that broke it to the public, have made smoked meat a luxury item.
Don’t get me wrong – the renaissance in Texas barbecue culture, with an explosion of high-quality joints dedicated to the art of smoked meats—particularly brisket, is not a bad thing, but these prices are getting out of hand.
What was once humble fare, and considered to be poor folks’ food, is now a celebrated culinary craft. This rise in quality is a good thing, for it means that pitmasters are refining their techniques, sourcing better ingredients, and treating barbecue not just as food, but as a form of regional storytelling. For many Texans, it’s a point of pride to see their traditions honored and elevated.
However, the success of this movement has come with a steep cost – literally. What used to be an affordable cut, slow-cooked for blue-collar families and community gatherings, is now an out-of-reach delicacy for many. For many working-class Texans, especially in rural areas or urban neighborhoods where barbecue was once a regular weekend ritual, this evolution feels like exclusion.
What was once a food of the people is now edging toward the elite. When a plate of sliced brisket costs more than a nice steak dinner, it stops being a shared cultural experience and starts being a luxury.
Generations of hard-working Texan pitmasters from a variety of backgrounds, including Black pitmasters, as well as Hispanic and German cooks, helped make Texas barbecue what it is, by working magic on cheap cuts on meat and long hours at their smokers.
Quality barbecue is worth celebrating, but its soul lies in accessibility. As prices climb, Texas must reckon with whether it's honoring tradition, or pricing it out of reach.
