Two Dallas-Fort Worth barbecue joints have closed during a summer of soaring beef prices. Farmers Branch restaurant Crossbuck BBQ is shuttered permanently, and Plano’s Yearby’s Barbecue and Waterice is relocating to Allen
The owners of both restaurants have been prominent voices in Dallas-Fort Worth barbecue, and both have been featured on TV: Crossbuck’s co-owner Tim McLaughlin competed recently on the Food Network show BBQ Brawl, and Yearby’s was featured on a PBS special created by Texas Monthly
Yearby’s was named among The Dallas Morning News’ best barbecue joints in Dallas-Fort Worth
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While skyrocketing beef prices have slammed Texas restaurants, as The Washington Post reported in May 2026, that’s not the full story with Crossbuck and Yearby’s. (Ditto a third D-FW barbecue joint, Ribbee’s, which also closed within the past few weeks, though it, too, didn’t blame the cost of brisket.)
Lease negotiations are at the heart of each barbecue joint’s decision to close or relocate
And also: Barbecue is “a tough business,” McLaughlin said
Here’s more about Crossbuck and Yearby’s
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Crossbuck BBQ, formerly in Farmers Branch
Soon after McLaughlin appeared on BBQ Brawl, he and his business partner Damian Avila closed the Farmers Branch restaurant when their five-year lease was up. The timing was tough, McLaughlin said: He talked about his struggle with alcohol addiction on the Food Network show and received what he described as “an outpouring of support” from viewers
“It’s been a beautiful thing,” he said
But the extra attention didn’t save the restaurant, which was struggling, McLaughlin said.
He will continue to produce beef on a ranch outside Waco, under the company name Crossbuck Cattle Co. But McLaughlin does not anticipate reopening Crossbuck BBQ elsewhere
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He misses the time when buying a tray of smoked meat wasn’t as pricey. Lunch at Crossbuck this summer might have cost $45 for one person, he pointed out
“I love Texas barbecue. I have a deep appreciation and love for it,” he said. “But the menus are starting to get a little lopsided.”
When the lease end date came up, McLaughlin said, it didn’t make financial sense to continue. He called it “a clean, easy break.”
McLaughlin is already working full-time somewhere else — with a D-FW-based restaurant company he wouldn’t name yet
Crossbuck BBQ was at 4400 Spring Valley Road, Farmers Branch. It closed in late June 2026
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Yearby’s Barbecue and Waterice, formerly in Plano and Pilot Point
Fans of Yearby’s have patiently followed it across North Texas. The family-owned halal barbecue company started in the small town of Pilot Point, then relocated to Plano. It was open for less than a year — during which it made our Best Barbecue list — whenthe owners announced an abrupt closure of the Plano shop in June 2026.
Yearby’s is moving to an undisclosed location in Allen next, with an expected opening date of August 2026, co-owner CJ Henley confirmed to The Dallas Morning News.
The Plano restaurant was not intended to be a long-term home, he said
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The owners will continue to take catering orders as construction finishes in Allen
Yearby’s is known for its brisket mac and cheese, smoked meatloaf and smoked brisket. Waterice, a dairy-free frozen fruit dessert similar to sorbet and sherbet, is a refreshing finisher and a differentiator, as this Philadelphia treat is not common in North Texas
Henley said soaring beef prices are not threatening his business. If briskets cost him more to buy, he raises prices
The move to Allen “has nothing to do with beef prices,” he said. “It was always about finding a lease.”
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Yearby’s Barbecue and Waterice was at 3201 Alma Drive, Plano. It closed in mid-June 2026. The owners haven’t shared the address for the Allen restaurant yet
