Best place to buy whole packer brisket? Austin TX

[AndresSmokes]

Hey! I'm visiting Texas and I'd like to buy a brisket or 2 to take back home with me. I'm not from the US and brisket has gotten super expensive back home. Choice grade is about the price of a prime here in the US, if not more. So I thought I might as well take advantage of that and get a nice prime or even wagyu to take back home for christmas but I'm not sure which places have the better quality/taste beef. Any recommendations?

I was also looking at a SRF gold brisket because why not try it once right? Especially if its for Christmas. But they're out of stock and was wondering how often they restock? I literally went on one night and they were all available, went back on the website to order one a day or 2 after and they're all gone.

 

[sandyut]

there are a few Texans on here. tx smoker and tallbm I believe both are in TX, not sure which part tho.

 

[tallbm]

Hey! I'm visiting Texas and I'd like to buy a brisket or 2 to take back home with me. I'm not from the US and brisket has gotten super expensive back home. Choice grade is about the price of a prime here in the US, if not more. So I thought I might as well take advantage of that and get a nice prime or even wagyu to take back home for christmas but I'm not sure which places have the better quality/taste beef. Any recommendations?

I was also looking at a SRF gold brisket because why not try it once right? Especially if its for Christmas. But they're out of stock and was wondering how often they restock? I literally went on one night and they were all available, went back on the website to order one a day or 2 after and they're all gone.

Hi there and welcome!

Costco always has has briskets and in the Dallas/Fort Worth area has prime and some have kobe or Wagyu if I remember correctly.
Those take memberships so you will have to go with someone or buy a membership if you don't already have one.

The regular grocery stores always have Choice briskets for the most part, though prices aren't what I would consider good for TX unless they are on sale. You will likely find the prices to be less than other places around the country. Im thinking regular price is like $3.50-$5 per pound if you go into a regular store.

I would check Tom Thumb, Alberstons, Safeway, Market Street, Kroger, and H-E-B grocery stores. If you can check the only weekly flyers for all of those while you are in town I wouldn't doubt you could find a deal on Choice whole packers.

Again it's not prime or better but for the price and being able to dig through a bin of them you should have no problem finding great briskets.

H-E-B may have prime but not sure but the other regular grocery stores will all be Choice.

Finally I suggest you get whole packers that are 15lbs or higher. Don't fool with smaller ones as the flat meat is too thin and will burn up. This is the case with all packers but at least with relaly big ones you can trim it away and repurpose it and end up with a bunch of thick left over brisket to cook. You trim that off a 10 poundpacker and remove fat and end up with a 6 pound packer before cooking haha. Not the case with 15 pound plus packers :)

I hop this info helps :)

 

[AndresSmokes]

Hi there and welcome!

Costco always has has briskets and in the Dallas/Fort Worth area has prime and some have kobe or Wagyu if I remember correctly.
Those take memberships so you will have to go with someone or buy a membership if you don't already have one.

The regular grocery stores always have Choice briskets for the most part, though prices aren't what I would consider good for TX unless they are on sale. You will likely find the prices to be less than other places around the country. Im thinking regular price is like $3.50-$5 per pound if you go into a regular store.

I would check Tom Thumb, Alberstons, Safeway, Market Street, Kroger, and H-E-B grocery stores. If you can check the only weekly flyers for all of those while you are in town I wouldn't doubt you could find a deal on Choice whole packers.

Again it's not prime or better but for the price and being able to dig through a bin of them you should have no problem finding great briskets.

H-E-B may have prime but not sure but the other regular grocery stores will all be Choice.

Finally I suggest you get whole packers that are 15lbs or higher. Don't fool with smaller ones as the flat meat is too thin and will burn up. This is the case with all packers but at least with relaly big ones you can trim it away and repurpose it and end up with a bunch of thick left over brisket to cook. You trim that off a 10 poundpacker and remove fat and end up with a 6 pound packer before cooking haha. Not the case with 15 pound plus packers :)

I hop this info helps :)

Awesome thanks! I'll definitely check those stores out! I might be able to check with a few friends to see if they have Costco memberships. I'm in Dallas atm so that works out perfectly.

I've never looked at it that way. I normaly spend some time looking around the pile for a 12ish pound brisket with the thickest flat. Will give the bigger packer a try next time!

 

[tallbm]

Awesome thanks! I'll definitely check those stores out! I might be able to check with a few friends to see if they have Costco memberships. I'm in Dallas atm so that works out perfectly.

I've never looked at it that way. I normaly spend some time looking around the pile for a 12ish pound brisket with the thickest flat. Will give the bigger packer a try next time!

Enjoy Dallas while you are in the area.
There are a few Costco's in the northern suburbs for sure and there is a business one (open to public) closer to the center of the city.

I know for sure that the West Plano Costco carries brisket and some of the higher end ones like a Kobe brisket at times. Should have prime as well... provided there are no distribution issues. They will have brisket one way or the other though.

I'm not seeing any brisket between now and Tuesday for Tom Thumb/Albersons/Safeway, Kroger, or Market Street grocery stores. Next chance is Wed.

HEB stores aren't north of Dallas so no idea on them at the moment.

If you want to hit up any decent BBQ joints in the Dallas area just speak up and I can recommend at least 3-4. Believe it or not, good BBQ in Dallas is kind of hit or miss, mostly miss.
I don't count the chains like Dickeys, Spring Creek, and Sonny Bryan as real BBQ places. They are more like the "fast food'ish" type joints. You'll eat fine but it's nothing special at all.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

I'm in San Antonio, not Austin, but there are a lot of the same chain stores in both.

The HEB Plus! store nearest our house regularly has USDA Prime briskets available, and sometimes American Wagyu cuts from Snake River Farms (SRF). I cooked up a nice USDA Prime Tri-Tip yesterday evening cost is $7.99 / lb. A HEB Plus! store will have more USDA Prime cuts readily available than the typical HEB supermarket.

Central Market is HEB's competitor to both health food and upscale supermarkets. They have all sorts of stuff there including the meat & seafood counters. There's one in San Antonio where I live, two in the Austin area, more in the greater DFW area than anywhere else. Kinda blend of Whole Foods and Rice Epicurean.

https://centralmarket.com/locations/

There are smaller family owned butcher shops all over as well

 

[86gn]

Make sure you understand the requirements to import raw beef into your home country. It may be simple or difficult depending on the country.