Melissa Cookston on the State of American BBQ in 2026

Melissa Cookston is a celebrated pitmaster, author, and TV personality. She’s also the owner of Memphis Barbecue Company, which is now celebrating its 15th year serving up award-winning ribs and pulled pork.

With the release of Prairie Fresh’s 2026 State of BBQ Report, we had the opportunity to speak with Cookston to get her take on the findings, the pressure of rising beef prices, and the current state of the Memphis scene.

This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

The Smoke Sheet: The Prairie Fresh report found that Americans’ BBQ confidence exceeds their actual competence by 32 percent. Were you surprised?

Melissa Cookston: I wasn’t surprised by the gap itself. With backyard barbecue, you don’t know what you don’t know. That’s exactly why I always tell people to take classes. The fundamentals of cooking with fire don’t change, and you need those core basics before jumping ahead to more advanced techniques.

What did catch my attention was that only 58 percent of people say barbecue helps them escape the everyday grind. I thought that number would be higher. That said, I believe water and fire are the two most addictive things in human nature. Once you’ve played with either, you make time for it.

TSS: Beef prices keep climbing and are weighing on BBQ restaurants across the country. Should menus diversify more toward pork?

MC: You’re asking the wrong person, because I come from the pork capital of the world. In the Memphis market, pork is king. We cook over four tons of pork a week in our restaurants. And the reality is that beef herds are not going to recoup anytime soon. We’re not going to see pricing stability until 2027.

I look at pork like a canvas, and you can do just about anything with it. Quite frankly, I can take pork and make it taste better than beef. If your menu is heavy on beef right now, there is a real opportunity to experiment.

TSS: How would you assess the current state of Memphis barbecue?

MC: I’ve been in the restaurant business for 45 years, and this is one of the toughest periods I’ve ever seen. The staffing and cost issues we faced in 2015 look like nothing compared to what we’re dealing with now. Memphis has a barbecue restaurant on every corner, so just surviving here is a big deal.

This is our 15th year with Memphis Barbecue Company, and we’re still going strong. Larger operations have a little more cushion, but the smaller mom-and-pop shops are feeling it more. That said, this market will always be a powerhouse. I narrow barbecue down to four main historical regions, and Memphis will always be in the top two.