WEST, Texas (KXXV) — A West barbeque restaurant is adapting to record-high beef prices — and bracing for the possibility they could climb even higher as New World Screwworm cases are confirmed in Texas.
The average price of beef in April was more than 21% higher than a year ago. Nationwide, beef prices have been climbing for more than two years as the U.S. cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size since the 1950s. The latest federal data from the USDA shows beef prices have climbed from $5.70 in 2025 to $6.90 in 2026 and are predicted to continue rising as New World Screwworm risks reach Texas.
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Michael Owens, owner of Smokey Bars BBQ in West, said the pressure of high meat prices has pushed his restaurant to expand beyond its barbecue roots.
"The hardest thing right now, what we're trying to do with the high prices of meat now is trying to do more variety of food where it's just not barbecue. We're doing more hamburgers, chicken fried steaks, breakfast stuff now," Owens said.
That shift is even reflected in the restaurant's name.
"We're in the midst of changing our name from Smokey Bear's Barbecue and Rib House to Cafe instead of the Rib House, so people know that we do more than just barbecue. We can try to spread that cost over a large range of different types of food just instead of barbecue," Owens said.
Owens said keeping a small staff and low overhead has helped the business weather the storm. But one thing he refuses to cut back on is portion size.
"We love to see everybody and when you come in, my main goal is if you leave hungry, you need to let me know because there's no way you should leave here hungry because our portions are a little bit bigger than most anywhere else. So if you have a problem, if you leave these doors hungry, you need to come find me," Owens said.
Despite the financial pressure, Owens said there is a limit to how much he is willing to raise prices.
"I have went up a little bit. Uh, I just tell everybody I hate to go up because there, there's a certain point I tell everybody there's a certain point you're going to go to and people are gonna quit buying. Just because they can't just can't afford it," Owens said.
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