Beef prices are rising across the country and they won’t be dropping anytime soon. Consequently, it’s making trips to your favorite Texas barbecue joints even more expensive if you insist on having brisket.
Luckily for fans of Texas barbecue, there is more to the delicious smoked meats than just brisket, or even beef. From turkey to sausage and pork, there’s plenty to mix and max your plates. Yet with prices rising so high, let’s take an experiment. If you only have $50 to pay for Texas barbecue, here are a few examples of how to make the most of your barbecue adventure.
For context, we’ll be using the Burnt Bean menu to compare prices.
Keep in mind that Texas has a combined sales tax rate around 8.25% and we still want y’all to tip 20%, here’s what you can order. These prices are good as of July 2026.
If you don’t care about sides, $50 is enough to get a half pound of pork ribs ($15) and a quarter pound of turkey ($6.50) – or vice versa – and a half pound of sausage ($11), with tax and tip giving you a total $43.51. Alternatively, $50 is enough to get a full pound pork ribs or turkey ($30) and a half pound of chicken drumsticks ($6.50), for a total of $44.41 after tip. If you want a sample of everything, the best way is to get a quarter pound of brisket ($9), pork ribs ($7.50), turkey ($7.50) and sausage ($6.50), giving you room to also get a $4 side that would ring you up at $48.71 after taxes and tips.
If you value sides over your meats, it’s best to get $4 singles of your favorites. For example, if you got $4 singles of mac ‘n’ cheese, creamed corn and beans, you’d have $38 left over, plenty to get quarter pounds of the aforementioned meats, half pounds of turkey and pork ribs together, or even a full pound of brisket ($30) if you can’t resist the urge. Alternatively, you could pair the sides with a brisket or turkey sandwich ranging between $12 and $13 depending on sliced or pulled meats, or even an $8 brisket taco. Even with a sandwich you’d have around $26 left over to afford your taxes and tips.
But let’s say we’re not talking award-winning smokehouse and instead are looking at popular chains like Bill Miller, Smokey Mo’s and True Texas BBQ.
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q offers four types of barbecue plates ranging from the $9.45 regular plate to the $19.70 rodeo plate, which offers the choice of three meats and three sides.
Smokey Mo’s BBQ offers five types of barbecue plates. They range from one- to three-meat plates starting at $14.49 and going up to $20.49, in addition to the $15 half-chicken plate and $17.49 pork rib plate.
Lastly, H-E-B’s True Texas BBQ offers plates from $10.25 for one meat up to $17.75 for three meats as well as pork, turkey, sausage and brisket sandwiches going from as low as $4.99 up to $15.49 depending on the size and meat ordered. Overall, all three barbecue chains offer affordable alternatives to sate your cravings. With $50 you’d have enough money to buy any one of those plates, as well as a second helping, an assortment of meats by the pound, various sides and dessert. Happy eating!
This article originally published at How far can you stretch $50 at Texas barbecue joints? We did the math..