If you’ve seen recent national news headlines about Texas barbecue, you may be under the impression that our state’s great smoked meat traditions are on the chopping block.<\/p>\n
Specifically, a narrative has emerged that the rising price of brisket<\/a> will result in a cascade of Texas barbecue joint closures.\u00a0<\/p>\n The article in the Washington Post that kicked off the recent spate of bad press, titled “Some of Texas’s oldest barbecue joints close as meat prices skyrocket,”<\/a> paints a bleak picture but mostly avoids sensationalism.\u00a0<\/p>\n But as the article gained traction on social media, a flood of follow-up stories appeared, with many using more alarmist headlines<\/a> that all but announced the imminent extinction of Texas barbecue.<\/p>\n To be sure, the struggles facing Texas barbecue joints, and really any restaurant that features beef as a primary menu item, are real and worth reporting.\u00a0<\/p>\n But at some point in the last week, it seemed to me that the march of negative headlines shifted from important reporting into a public relations problem for Texas barbecue.<\/p>\n Propelled by social media algorithms, some stories, accurate or otherwise, can take on a life of their own and become self-fulfilling.\u00a0<\/p>\n As I read article after article, I knew an alternate narrative was needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n To be clear, I’ve previously written extensively and in depth about challenges facing Texas barbecue, including rising brisket prices,<\/a> real estate woes<\/a> and labor costs<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, considering the current, mostly negative media frenzy, I think it’s important to point out the positive things happening, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n Many of the more negative articles include a comment by a pitmaster along the lines of “We’re still busy but due the cost of brisket we’re not making much money.”\u00a0<\/p>\n For me, that’s the glass-half-full part of the story. It’s something I’ve observed myself and pitmasters have confirmed \u2013 the demand for barbecue among Texans remains strong.\u00a0<\/p>\n The common refrain I’m hearing: The problem is on the supply side – high prices – rather than the demand side. Texans still want their beloved barbecue.<\/p>\n At Tejas Chocolate & BBQ in Tomball, co-owner and pitmaster Scott Moore Jr. confirms that business in 2026 has been steady, especially among locals and regular customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Our revenue is up year-over-year,” says Moore. “The overall dining revenue is very solid.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Considering that other restaurants, and not just barbecue joints, are struggling, what does he attribute this steady business to?\u00a0<\/p>\n “Our restaurant is not just a barbecue restaurant. We’re a neighborhood restaurant. We’re open seven days a week until 9 p.m. We made a decision to maintain a high standard in quality and do the opposite of\u00a0shrinkflation.”<\/p>\n Indeed, another positive aspect of the current barbecue scene is that the quality has stayed high. It would be easy for a pitmaster to switch from a prime or upper-choice brisket to a lower grade, but for now at least, I have not seen that happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, I can only hope that the naysayers are wrong and there won’t be a string of closures over the next few years.\u00a0<\/p>\n But just to be sure, the next time a doom-and-gloom headline about Texas barbecue appears on your screen, consider it a reminder to visit your neighborhood barbecue joint.\u00a0<\/p>\n If the only way to ensure the long-term success of Texas barbecue is to eat more barbecue, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Subscribe<\/p>\n There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25\u00a2.<\/a><\/p>\n
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Tejas Chocolate & BBQ
200 N. Elm St.,\u00a0Tomball; 281-229-1011
Open daily.<\/p>\n