Why is BBQ so overpriced in DFW? (Fort Worth, Plano: real estate, rental)

[lepoisson]

Almost all of the popular BBQ places in DFW seem to be owned by some corporate conglomerate who charge the same $20 price for 2 measly slices of brisket and $5 for a tiny cup of mac & cheese. I'm so tired of this and was telling a friend about this, so he recommended a place in Fort Worth on Magnolia. It was the same deal. I ended up spending $30 on two slices of brisket, two sides, and a tea.

I thought getting outside of DFW would be the answer but even in rural Marathon, TX, the BBQ place I went to was the same tiny portions for $30.

I'm originally from NC and BBQ out there is never corporate. It's usually a dumpy building out in the middle of nowhere on the side of some rural highway. At this place you can get a plate with two sides, hush puppies, and a tea for like $8.

Has it always been this way or has Texas BBQ gotten too trendy?

[Rakin]

The price of meals everywhere has gone up a lot. Hard to get a meal now below $15.

Brisket prices have gone up a whole lot as has all beef.

Thank your current Government Policies. It's called Inflation.

[Lz_2022]

Go check NC pork prices and come back with that.

Then run a P/L on a restaurant that has had a 40% hike in wages and 75% in food cost and come back with that math.

Then come back with a 20% surge in workers comp insurance rates after you’ve figured that math out and come back with that.

After you’re done there, roll in a nice sweet 10% rental rate hike.

Then. Make your own damn food or buy the restaurant’s food. Don’t forget to tip.

[tmtex]

BBQ has always been expensive here. Price has nothing to do with covid/Biden. Years ago I went to Lockhart in Plano and it was 20.00 and I was starving a hr later.

[FreeVilley]

Any business will charge the MOST it can get customers to pay.... corporate bbq companies have employees to pay, real estate to purchase and advertising etc.

[Threestep2]

Eat your bbq in NC if it is that cheap there. You may not have seen recent prices for meat and everything surrounding your measly two slices of brisket. Have you ever made one?

[ADCS]

BBQ became a "thing" in the Metroplex later than the rest of Texas.

[Repatriot]

Tough crowd.

For context, this is a pretty well-regarded BBQ place in NC, though a bit outside of what would be its counterpart of the Metroplex:
https://www.toasttab.com/red-neck-bbq-lab-benson/v3/
https://theredneckbbqlab.com/

This is closer to the center of things:
https://www.allmenus.com/nc/cary/507...que-cary/menu/
https://www.citybbq.com/location/car...e-pound/whole-

[jbb303]

Bailey's BBQ on Taylor in downtown Fort Worth is some of the best BBQ you can get for your money. Sandwiches under $6, lunch specials for $7.25, meat for $13 and less for a pound. It's no frills, there's not much seating, and it's only open for lunch on weekdays, but it's a lot of bang for the buck.

[Lz_2022]

Originally Posted by Repatriot

Tough crowd.

For context, this is a pretty well-regarded BBQ place in NC, though a bit outside of what would be its counterpart of the Metroplex:
https://www.toasttab.com/red-neck-bbq-lab-benson/v3/
https://theredneckbbqlab.com/

This is closer to the center of things:
https://www.allmenus.com/nc/cary/507...que-cary/menu/
https://www.citybbq.com/location/car...e-pound/whole-

The OP is just out of touch with the reality of the restaurant biz lately. My costs are close to 50% higher (labor/products/food) and availability is sketchy at best (unless you’re a monster order, the companies won’t guarantee your access). We’ve had to make up sides and menu items on the fly when stuff like pork ribs all of a sudden come back at 5.99/lb wholesale. Yet they’re holding onto a price from a decade ago in NC, before they moved here, before they moved to IL, before they moved back here.

And then blame it on a “Big corporate bbq” - there’s probably 10X the number of independent BBQ joints here that there were just 5 years ago.

In the world of misinformed threads, this one for sure has a seat at the head table.