Rising beef prices are smoking Texas BBQ joints

WBUR | By Will Walkey

Published June 22, 2026 at 9:57 AM MDT

A price for beef is displayed at a grocery store in Schaumburg, Ill., Thursday, May 14, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Rising beef prices are leading some Texas barbecue restaurants to raise prices, change menu options or even consider closing altogether.

Here & Now producer Will Walkey spoke with pitmaster Stephen Joseph about how his restaurant has been impacted and how he’s responding.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Will Walkey

Will Walkey is a contributing journalist and former reporter for Wyoming Public Radio. Through 2023, Will was WPR's regional reporter with the Mountain West News Bureau. He first arrived in Wyoming in 2020, where he covered Teton County for KHOL 89.1 FM in Jackson. His work has aired on NPR and numerous member stations throughout the Rockies, and his story on elk feedgrounds in Western Wyoming won a regional Murrow award in 2021.

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