Order a brisket plate at one of H-E-B's more than 40 True Texas BBQ counters these days and you might not talk to a human at all. Self-service kiosks now sit alongside the traditional order counter, letting customers browse the menu, customize plates and place orders without ever making eye contact with a cashier — a shift that's stirring debate among Texas pitmasters over whether convenience is quietly eroding the state's barbecue culture.
True Texas BBQ, the sit-down casual barbecue concept H-E-B first opened inside its grocery stores in 2016, still takes orders at the counter too, according to Chron. But the kiosks now handle meal customization and advance ordering, supplementing a menu of individual meats, sides, sandwiches, combination plates and platters. Customers can also order ahead through the chain's mobile app, place delivery orders through Favor, or order via HEB.com — with curbside pickup available at select locations through the H-E-B app, per the same report.
Why the Touchscreens Are Showing Up
The push toward automation isn't happening in a vacuum. Wholesale beef prices have climbed more than 57% since 2020, according to data cited by LJ Govoni, driven by a U.S. cattle herd that fell to 86.2 million head in early 2026 — the lowest count since 1951, per Department of Agriculture inventory data. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects beef and veal prices will rise another 9.8% in 2026, far outpacing general grocery inflation of 2.5%, according to figures reported by All Ag News.
Labor costs are squeezing operators from the other direction. Salaries, wages and benefits at limited-service restaurants reached a median of 31.7% of total sales in 2024, well above the historical average of roughly 28%, according to benchmark data from the National Restaurant Association. The trade group's 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry report found that 94% of limited-service operators cite elevated food costs as a top concern, with total restaurant expenses up 36% since pre-pandemic levels.
A Top-Ranked Pitmaster Weighs In
Ernest Servantes, who owns Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin, told Chron that self-service kiosks are designed to reduce front-of-house labor. Servantes knows the barbecue business from the inside — his restaurant is Texas Monthly's top-ranked barbecue joint in the state, a title it claimed in 2025 after rising from No. 4 in 2021, according to Burnt Bean Co. He also served as an expert judge on Food Network's inaugural season of Pitmasters in July 2026, a role Hoodline noted when covering 2M Smokehouse's win on the show earlier this month. Kiosks, the seed report notes, can require an upfront tablet cost but can deliver a return on that investment within months through reduced labor spending.
Not every pitmaster is sold on the tradeoff. Brek Webber, who owns Tin Roof BBQ in Atascocita, told Chron that kiosks reduce the face-to-face personalization and customer interaction that has long defined the counter experience at Texas barbecue joints. An H-E-B representative countered that knowledgeable partners remain stationed at the counter to take orders, answer questions and provide personal service alongside the machines, per the same report.
The Bigger Picture Beyond H-E-B
The kiosk trend isn't unique to True Texas BBQ. The global self-service kiosk market is projected to grow from $40.6 billion in 2026 to $62.5 billion by 2030, with restaurant self-ordering stations among the fastest-growing segments at a 10.9% annual growth rate, according to Grand View Research. Industry research from Kiosk Industry found that self-service kiosks increase average ticket sizes by 12% to 20% compared with counter cashiers, largely through automated upselling prompts.
Other Texas barbecue institutions have taken different paths. Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q uses a ticket system where customers collect their order once their number is called, while other joints around the state have layered in online ordering and pickup-and-go systems. Still, Chron's reporting notes that people-to-people ordering at Texas barbecue restaurants is not expected to fully replace the kiosk-based method H-E-B has adopted.
Growth Continues Despite the Debate
H-E-B isn't slowing its True Texas BBQ expansion amid the automation debate. The grocer plans to open another location inside its upcoming store in Montgomery, Texas, at Highway 105 and FM 2854, with an unveiling expected later this year, according to Chron. An H-E-B representative said the goal is to offer Texans high-quality, premium barbecue at some of the lowest prices around — part of a rollout that has included recent True Texas BBQ debuts covered by Hoodline, including a Corpus Christi smokehouse makeover and a $2 million Fair Oaks Ranch build-out.
Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn once praised True Texas BBQ's post-oak smoking technique and regional pitmaster talent enough to name it the state's best barbecue chain in 2019, according to H-E-B's newsroom. But by May 2023, Vaughn reported the chain was slipping in consistency at some North Texas locations, flagging brisket quality issues as it rapidly added dozens of stores, per the San Antonio Express-News. Whether kiosks help steady that consistency or simply mask rising costs behind a touchscreen remains an open question for Texas barbecue fans watching their favorite joints adapt to a leaner, pricier era.
