Well Known Texas BBQ Restaurants: Is It Worth The Price?

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Fooball

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Brad
Was watching a video about Goldee's BBQ in Kennedale, Texas.

People lining up 5 hours before opening to pay these current prices I spotted on their grease board behind the ordering window:

Per pound of meat:

Beef Ribs- $35
Brisket- $32
Ribs- $28
Turkey- $28
Sausage- $12

Can't blame them for charging those prices, the people are lined up to buy and the food runs out every weekend. So why not?

I'm sure other famous spots like Franklin's are in line with those prices.

I guess if your only getting a half pound (which is how they list their prices) of brisket you can say I had lunch for $16 at Goldee's. Meat only.

Doesn't sound so bad worded that way.

If anyone is interested in a behind the scenes look at Goldee's prep work and smoking process, the video is a good watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hvPTqswJn4&t=305s
 
I moved to Texas early last year and so far none of the BBQ spots I've been to have been anything spectacular. Most have been OK with with a couple being poor...Blacks BBQ in downtown Austin was a complete waste of money as the food was tough and cold by the time it made it to my table.

So I'd have to say no with the current prices as they are exorbitant. So far the only standout (in a positive way) has been LeRoy and Lewis. Mind you they're serving Waygu brisket and heritage pork, so their food had better be top notch...and it certainly was.

I have no patience so there's no way I'd wait 5 hours (or really more than about 20 minutes) for BBQ. If I wanted to wait 5+ hours for food I'd just fire up the smoker. haha
 
I was in texas a few months ago and we ate at a few bbq places. Some on the top 50 list and some not. The prices we saw at every bbq place we went were right there with the prices posted. Food and supply prices going thru the roof have made going out for barbecue an expensive meal.
 
I had seen that YouTube video a few days ago. When you realize that those folks spend the 4 days before Friday - Sunday prepping all the food that they will serve in just those three days and then all the work they do on service days, I'd say that those prices are reasonable, especially with the current cost of the raw materials (proteins, etc.), the considerable loss ratios between Raw/Cooked, etc.

Watching that video shows you just how hard it is to run a place like that. No way I'd survive in the Restaurant Business much less a BBQ place like that.

Whether I'd wait 5 hours, I don't know. As an excursion, sure, as just Lunch, probably not. I visited some pretty good and not so good BBQ joints when my Son and his family lived in Dallas but never made it to any of the Texas Monthly Top spots that would have been around before he moved back here to FL in 2018. Maybe I need to plan a vacation to the Lone Star State soon.
 
The cost is not an issue at all. How many times have I gone out to dinner and spent $30-$40 per person for a completely unmemorable meal. The times I've had BBQ at one of these highfalutin BBQ joints have been an event. I remember the food for years. Those memories are worth much more than the price of admission and many times what I pay for a meal at a fancy restaurant that in three weeks won't have left any more impression on me than my morning oatmeal.
 
Have ya been out to eat lately ? Price are way up.

My wife and I use to eat at our fav hamburger joint for $15. We spent $28 a couple weeks ago for same food.

Cost us $31 at a quality taco joint the other day, wife and I got three street tacos each , with beans/rice on side.

It is , what it is .
 
Went to Goldees this past december, yes prices are up there, but in line with even the mediocre joints, and...it was very very good!
 
Goldee's prices are consistent with BBQ restaurant prices her in the St. Louis area. I was also at Wright's in Fayetteville, AR, a month ago and prices were about the same there.

A co-worker of mine went to Goldees 2 Saturdays ago and spent $200 on lunch for him and his wife (but they did get all the meats and all the sides, and he said they had way more than one meals worth of food).

But thinking through prices, let's say Goldees buys a 15-lb brisket at $4/pound ($60 total), trims off 5 pounds, and ends up with a 5 pound cooked brisket, their cost just for the meat alone as-cooked is $12/pound, which does not include seasoning, staff labor costs, fuel, equipment, or any of the other things that make running a successful restaurant very difficult. So all things considered, I am guessing their profit margin on that $32/pound cooked brisket is fairly low, and their prices start to sound very reasonable to me, especially for the #1 rated BBQ restaurant with all the demand that generates.
 
I was in Texas last weekend and bought a pack of big beef ribs at HEB(which is magical). 4 really good ribs and one smaller end bone for $71. Add in the cost of spices, fuel, labor, rent, along with the fact they have a big line of people waiting to buy…$35 doesn’t sound too high.
 
Rudy's BBQ--Excellent, as always
1/2 pound smoked turkey
1/2 pound brisket
Pint of three bean salad
10 piece of bread
Jalapeno, dill pickles, onion and pickled carrot
Sauce
$31

I know we can get at least 4 meals.
 
Last edited:
cowboyupbbq said:
I was in Texas last weekend and bought a pack of big beef ribs at HEB(which is magical). 4 really good ribs and one smaller end bone for $71. Add in the cost of spices, fuel, labor, rent, along with the fact they have a big line of people waiting to buy…$35 doesn’t sound too high.
Click to expand...

Do you remember how much your ribs were per pound at HEB?

I'm thinking most of the cooked beef ribs I saw in the video were around a pound per bone, so one rib for $35 or so appx.

I ask the HEB price you paid because these Texas guys and others on here are posting sale prices of brisket for $1.99 a pound occasionally.

Would be interesting to know what Goldee's pays in bulk for their packers or beef ribs.
 
I don't have any issues with the prices. "Good BBQ aint cheap; and cheap BBQ aint good." (not sure who originally said that but it sure is true.)
I frequently visit the Austin area and I am attempting to hit as many of the TM top 50 as I can. I've tried several both on and off the list and almost all of them have exceeded my expectations; and my BBQ expectations are very high.

My issue is with the long lines. I refuse to wait in line that long for any kind of food. That is why I have not and probably will not eat at Franklin. I did order a brisket from them online and it was good but not worth spending several hours in line for.


These are only my opinions and we all know what those are like.
 
16Adams said:
Rudy's BBQ--Excellent, as always
1/2 pound smoked turkey
1/2 pound brisket
Pint of three bean salad
10 piece of bread
Jalapeno, dill pickles, onion and pickled carrot
Sauce
$31

I know we can get at least 4 meals.
Click to expand...

1 pound of meat between you and your wife is good for 4 meals?
 
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