“Order anything besides brisket or burnt ends,” a sign greeting customers at Arthur Bryant’s location in Kansas City’s 18th and Vine District reads.
While the two options on the menu make up 70% of the restaurant’s business, Bryant’s said it is also reeling from sticker shock at the prices it is passing on to customers.
“As you can see, the brisket prices that we are charging are ridiculously high,” the sign reads. “This is because the prices we are paying are ridiculously high. We understand you are not happy but know we take no pleasure in charging these prices.”
They’re getting $21.95 a pound for brisket, according to the article. Just for comparison, Stiles Switch in Cedar Park is getting $31 a pound for a to-go order, and Schmidt Family Barbecue in Bee Cave is getting the same.
I’ve never been to Arthur Bryant’s. I’ve wanted to go since reading Calvin Trillin’s “Tummy Trilogy”, but the one time I had an excuse to go, I was between jobs and couldn’t travel to Kansas City.
That said, if I ever do go, I’m not ordering the turkey, thank you very much. As long as the prices are clearly posted, I figure it’s up to me to decide how much of what kind of meat I want, including brisket or burnt ends.
At least they aren’t blaming the vertical integration of the broiler industry.