09/23/2026
For everyone who complains about brisket prices, here’s a little common sense: Read the menu and check the price before you order. If you’re watching your budget, add up your order, tax, and any tip before you decide. We also have plenty of great menu items in the $10–$15 range.
Here’s what it costs us to serve one pound of brisket:
Raw whole brisket - $5.89 lb
After trimming and cooking, at about a 50% yield - $11.78 lb
Add labor and wood - $16.00 lb
Add 13% for seasoning, foil, apple cider vinegar, lights, and water - $18.08 lb
A common restaurant pricing rule of thumb is to take the cost of goods on the plate and multiply it by three to set the retail price. Three times our $18.08 per-pound cost is $54.24 per-pound. We sell brisket for $33.00 per pound. Our $18.08 figure includes labor and wood, so it isn’t strictly the plated cost of goods, but it shows why brisket is expensive to serve.
Brisket accounts for 24% of our revenue, and we work hard to keep this customer favorite on the menu at a price people will pay. The difference between $18.08 and $33.00 isn’t pure profit; we still have the other costs of running a restaurant. We understand that brisket is expensive. We see the cost every day.
