"but you are still essentially serving a tough cut of meat that has had smoke run through it. "

I see that you have never had good brisket. People are willing to pay these prices precisely because that tough cut of meat has been transformed into one of the most delicious bites of beef you can get anywhere.

No, I've had it all and I've made many damn good ones too. There are differences between the good ones and the chains, but Texas Monthly and Neck-Beard Weekly overblow the hype for a piece of meat that, even if bought roadside in a pinch at some backwater sheet-hole on your way back from fishing, can still be enjoyable.

Not even close to the same thing. The difference between dry aged prime beef and sliced horse meat at Waffle House is waaaaaay more than the subtle tasting notes (is that a hint of organic alfalfa that I detect in the compost that nurtured the locally sourced and sustained post oak that smoked this brisket?) between Snow's and Gatlins and a chain. Now, pass me another Cry of the Loon Bat Wing Pumpkin Porter and my mustache wax so I can take a selfie in line.

SoupNazi2001 said:

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The markup on brisket, steak and other good meat is getting ridiculous. Is a Pappas steak great, yes. Is good BBQ brisket good, yes. But is the 5x markup worth it? Occasionally for special occasions and outings yes, but if you are a good cook, you can make similar food for a fraction of the price at home. Restaurant prices in general are getting ridiculous these days.

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Actually brisket is not marked up that much at most of the good BBQ spots. They actually make very little profit on brisket. I have heard Franklin and others say they would really need to charge $25 to $30 per pound to make a profit on the brisket, so brisket is actually more of a break even item and real profit is made on other meats and the sides.

rosco511 said:

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SoupNazi2001 said:

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The markup on brisket, steak and other good meat is getting ridiculous. Is a Pappas steak great, yes. Is good BBQ brisket good, yes. But is the 5x markup worth it? Occasionally for special occasions and outings yes, but if you are a good cook, you can make similar food for a fraction of the price at home. Restaurant prices in general are getting ridiculous these days.

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Actually brisket is not marked up that much at most of the good BBQ spots. They actually make very little profit on brisket. I have heard Franklin and others say they would really need to charge $25 to $30 per pound to make a profit on the brisket, so brisket is actually more of a break even item and real profit is made on other meats and the sides.

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Franklin is charging $25/lb right now for brisket

rosco511 said:

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SoupNazi2001 said:

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The markup on brisket, steak and other good meat is getting ridiculous. Is a Pappas steak great, yes. Is good BBQ brisket good, yes. But is the 5x markup worth it? Occasionally for special occasions and outings yes, but if you are a good cook, you can make similar food for a fraction of the price at home. Restaurant prices in general are getting ridiculous these days.

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Actually brisket is not marked up that much at most of the good BBQ spots. They actually make very little profit on brisket. I have heard Franklin and others say they would really need to charge $25 to $30 per pound to make a profit on the brisket, so brisket is actually more of a break even item and real profit is made on other meats and the sides.

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I think that supports the argument that brisket has become a hipster meat. If Franklin is a bbq God, he could probably make great brisket without paying a premium for his small-batch, non-GMO, tofu fed locally sourced, non-cruelty meat. But then his fellow neck-beards would probably boycott his place with steer dildos.

Quote:

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Actually brisket is not marked up that much at most of the good BBQ spots. They actually make very little profit on brisket. I have heard Franklin and others say they would really need to charge $25 to $30 per pound to make a profit on the brisket, so brisket is actually more of a break even item and real profit is made on other meats and the sides.

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I would try to make up the profit selling authentic Texas beers to the people waiting in line half a day. Then you can always upsell Buzzed PawPaw when his number's up.

Gatlin's BBQ May not be the world's best, but it's certainly not avg to below avg imo.

I didn't realize my wife had a TexAgs sock. Sides! [herm Edward's playoff voice]

schmendeler said:

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You think the difference between the brisket at Dickies and a place like Franklin's or corkscrew amounts to "subtle tasting notes"? You're just being silly now.

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I'm exaggerating, of course, but you know there are some in line at Franklins who probably talk about the differences in their visits, and chalk it up to something they believe they could detect in the flavor. And then pontificate about the differences in the soil of the crop that the steer ate because of the weather.

Lol, you also have to figure in the cost of your time, or in the restaurant world the cost of your wait staff, dishwashers, line cooks, rent, utilities etc. it's not purely off the cost of the commodities.

Getting back to the original thread subject. Truth in Brenham is incredible. I would put them against Killens and Franklin. The house made sausage is great, brisket and pulled pork are excellent. Sides and cakes are made from scratch daily. Hopefully the heights location doesn't water down the product and they continue to kill it.

Lastly don't knock it until you've tried it, from the comments on here a lot of you haven't ventured into these mom and pop restaurants. It's terribly difficult to make money in the restaurant business. I have several family members in the business and it's not for the money. They work incredibly long hours, always working nights and holidays and weekends. Hell the pit master at Truth has a cot next to the pit and he spends 3 nights a week there. I don't mind paying the costs because I view the high end Bbq places like a steak house and only go maybe once a month. It's not an everyday lunch spot, it's a place where someone has honed their craft to perfection and you should pay for that. And lastly Truth could make serious money on Beer, but they provide it for free in a 100 qt iced cooler for all who stand in line.

You also have to factor in the costs of getting to CreepFlirt with the waitresses and cashiers, and the opportunity to ask them questions about technology and stuff because you're Christmas shopping for your stepdaughter or whatever.

There are some things you can't do at home.

SoupNazi2001 said:

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The markup on brisket, steak and other good meat is getting ridiculous. Is a Pappas steak great, yes. Is good BBQ brisket good, yes. But is the 5x markup worth it? Occasionally for special occasions and outings yes, but if you are a good cook, you can make similar food for a fraction of the price at home. Restaurant prices in general are getting ridiculous these days.

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This is precisely my point. At $20/lb for a family of 4, just 5-6 trips to that place would pay for a tolerably workable smoker and a brisket you could smoke yourself. Half a day reading up on some technique and best practices would put you in that "pretty not bad" category with a few attempts. That's what I mean by "I wouldn't pay $20/lb for bbq winged Pegasus."

Nope. I learned to cook a steak as well flavorful and delicious as Pappas Bros. I'll never pay $65 for a seared piece of beef with a little salt and pepper again.

Granted do this with steak is a little more accessible than brisket but still...

I gotta try Truth, to me in Franklin's is Alabama and everyone is working their ass off to beat them

Lolpoor much?

Yeah brisket isn't a high profit item. It can be done reasonably for $10-$11 a pound cost for resale at the ~$14-$16/lb range to make some ok money. Cost of overhead and man power is the majority of it. Properly smoked brisket takes AT LEAST 12 hours at ~225-250*F. (Talking whole packer here...)

I had aspiration of opening a bbq trailer at one time and worked up a business plan. Ended up with a really great job so it's been put on a back burner for now.

Although you are right eat 20 a lb bbq everyday and you'd spend a ton, but Franklin's is a cheap meal for a James Beard nominee

Keeper of The Spirits said:

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Lolpoor much?

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Ummm no?

Keeper of The Spirits said:

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Although you are right eat 20 a lb bbq everyday and you'd spend a ton, but Franklin's is a cheap meal for a James Beard nominee

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Had Beard winner food yesterday for about that much, and you can do that pretty easily. I've had Beard winner and nominee food several times now and it's not terribly expensive. Michelin Stars are a different thing though.

phideaux_2003 said:

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SoupNazi2001 said:

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The markup on brisket, steak and other good meat is getting ridiculous. Is a Pappas steak great, yes. Is good BBQ brisket good, yes. But is the 5x markup worth it? Occasionally for special occasions and outings yes, but if you are a good cook, you can make similar food for a fraction of the price at home. Restaurant prices in general are getting ridiculous these days.

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This is precisely my point. At $20/lb for a family of 4, just 5-6 trips to that place would pay for a tolerably workable smoker and a brisket you could smoke yourself. Half a day reading up on some technique and best practices would put you in that "pretty not bad" category with a few attempts. That's what I mean by "I wouldn't pay $20/lb for bbq winged Pegasus."

Nope. I learned to cook a steak as well flavorful and delicious as Pappas Bros. I'll never pay $65 for a seared piece of beef with a little salt and pepper again.

Granted do this with steak is a little more accessible than brisket but still...

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Maybe high end BBQ isnt the thing to do with a family of four several times a year

That's like $40 for entrees for a family of 4. Throw in some sides and bread and it's a good amount of food. Is that a budgetary game changer really?

I Am A Critic said:

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HtownAg92 said:

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This subject is too controversial. Maybe we should switch subjects to something that people don't have such deeply entrenched opinions about, like craft beer, coffee, shaving techniques, vinyl records or hair grooming products.

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You seem pretty obsessed with hipsters. Had one break up with you or something?

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Uh, that number at the end of my user name is my class year. Do the math. I was dating, married and started a family long before anyone knew about being hipster (see what I did there?).

I'm just tired of the whole hipster movement. Too many people trying to be cool by following and conforming to the hipster playbook to give the impression that they are above cool and non-conformists. Too much hipster infiltration in things I like such as beer, bars, restaurants...and brisket.

Truth's brisket @ 20/lb is a steal considering you can get the Pappa's Brisket, widely recognized as the gold standard in Houston bbq, for the same price. I don't see why people are bickering.

RPM said:

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Truth's brisket @ 20/lb is a steal considering you can get the Pappa's Brisket, widely recognized as the gold standard in Houston bbq, for the same price. I don't see why people are bickering.

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Widely recognized by whom, other than you? I've never seen it.