Butter's BBQ (Image: Google Maps) (Google Maps)
SINTON, Texas - A Texas barbeque restaurant is making a difficult decision in the face of rising food costs.
Butter's BBQ in Sinton, Texas, announced earlier this month that they would be removing a Texas barbeque staple from its menu, brisket.
What they're saying:
"We’ve done all we can to combat the constant price hikes, but we can no longer sustain our current business model with brisket eating up over 70% of our total grocery costs," the restaurant said on Facebook.
Restaurant owner Andrew Soto told Fox News Digital that the BBQ joint had been dealing with rising and fluctuating beef prices for around five years.
"I guess the straw that broke the camel's back was last week. I was talking to one of my food reps, and he informed me that brisket had once again gone up in price," Soto told Fox News Digital, noting that the price had increased by almost $1 per pound.
In the Sept. 20 post, Butter's BBQ noted the restaurant was on pace for record low sales, another contributing factor in the decision.
What's next:
In a follow-up post on social media, the restaurant said it was replacing the brisket with beef cheek cooked in a brisket style. The new menu also added chicken, baby back ribs and pork belly burnt ends.
Soto told Fox News Digital that the restaurant would still sell brisket, but not in the way or quantity it had been.
What they're saying:
"We're going to implement an online pre-order system where you'll be able to order it in advance, pay for it in advance," he said.
Guests who really want brisket can still get their fix from Butter's, but it will not be part of the everyday menu.
"We're in Texas. It's a big deal," Soto said about brisket's popularity in the Lone Star State.
Beef costs climb, restaurant traffic down
Big picture view:
Butter's BBQ isn't the only restaurant feeling the squeeze of higher costs and lower traffic.
According to the National Restaurant Association, beef prices are up 3.1% compared to a year ago. Costs have also gone up for fats and oils (21.%), wheat flour (5.7%) and soft drinks (4.1%).
The other side:
By contrast, prices for pork (-13.9%) and processed poultry (-12.5%) have fallen over the past year.
Overall, the association said wholesale food prices have fallen 1.9% over the past year, but still remain 33% above their February 2020 prices.
Declining traffic is also putting strain on the industry.
The National Restaurant Association said 46% of restaurant operators reported lower customer traffic in August 2026 compared to August 2025. Just 43% said traffic had increased compared to the same time last year. August had the highest number of restaurant owners reporting higher traffic year over year since February (43%).
February 2026 was the only month in the past year when fewer restaurant owners reported lower traffic compared to those reporting higher traffic.
The Source: Information on Butter's BBQ's decision to stop putting brisket on the menu comes from posts made by the restaurant on social media and an interview with owner Andrew Soto and Fox News Digital. Information on the wholesale food costs and restaurant traffic comes from the National Restaurant Association.