{"id":285487,"date":"2026-05-27T00:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T00:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/285487\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T00:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T00:57:08","slug":"south-florida-barbecue-restaurants-feeling-the-heat-of-record-high-beef-prices-due-to-shrinking-cattle-supply","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/285487\/","title":{"rendered":"South Florida barbecue restaurants feeling the heat of record high beef prices due to shrinking cattle supply"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beef prices have hit record highs as America’s cattle supply has dropped to its lowest level in decades. Coupled with inflation<\/a> and rising fuel costs, South Florida barbecue restaurants are struggling to manage expenses.<\/a><\/p>\n

“For a restaurant that is heavily protein-based with pork, beef, chicken, it’s just been across the board, and it’s been a little bit of a struggle for sure,” said Jeff Kirsch, owner of Dixie Pig Bar-B-Q.<\/p>\n

For 35 years, Dixie Pig Bar-B-Q has been a staple in Oakland Park, but Kirsch said soaring beef prices are threatening already thin margins.<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)<\/a>, the average retail price for beef climbed to $9.64 a pound in April \u2014 up roughly 13% from last year. This increase comes as the U.S. is seeing the smallest cattle herd in 75 years, a situation partially driven by drought conditions and rising costs for farmers.<\/p>\n

Kirsch said he has an “over $1,000 a month addition in my cost” and has been trying to avoid passing that increase along to his customers. “Inflation isn’t doing us any favors,” he said, noting that gas and transportation prices are contributing to a substantial impact on the cost of getting the cows to him.<\/p>\n

At Joe’s Grill in Dania Beach<\/a>, owner Hossein Jafarmadar said the price of brisket has doubled, climbing from $2.75 a pound to between $5.65 and $5.85 per pound. Jafarmadar said that on a busy day, they go through 70 to 80 pounds of brisket. He has been working to not pass the price increase on to customers for the last year and a half.<\/p>\n

“I try to shop small, and hopefully the price goes down, and we go back to normal business,” Jafarmadar said.<\/p>\n

Camille Alberro from Davie said the situation is “hard on everyone, especially the working class”. She noted that she is glad that at least the local restaurants have reasonable prices and are “not like everywhere else around the area that is pretty expensive”. Meanwhile, regulars at Dixie Pig said they will continue coming back, regardless of the price.<\/p>\n

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