Pappas Bar-B-Q does not build its year around Thanksgiving the way some chains do, and the holiday offering varies by location and by year. What is constant is the useful part: smoked turkey breast sold by the pound from $7.25, a bulk pricing ladder that gets cheaper as you scale, and a full parallel gluten-free menu that makes it the easiest chain in America to cater a mixed table from.
Pappas Bar-B-Q prices at a glance
The prices referenced on this page, collected up front. They vary by location and change without notice.
| Guests | Route | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Family Board | $42.95 |
| 6–8 | Value Pack 1 | $71.95 |
| 10–12 | Value Pack 2 | $98.95 |
| 15–20 | Value Pack 4 | $142.95 |
| 25+ | Value Pack 6 or bulk meat | $229.95 / $14.55 per lb |
| Gluten-free table | GF Texas Dinner | $38.95 |
The turkey
Turkey breast sits on the standard Meats by the Pound counter from $7.25, which is the same price as chicken breast and fifty cents under sliced or chopped beef. Note that Pappas quotes several by-the-pound items at a half-pound rate, so confirm the weight you are being quoted before you multiply up — this is the single most common mistake people make ordering a holiday quantity.
Whether a given year brings a whole smoked holiday turkey is a store-level question. Ask rather than assume, and if the answer is no, turkey breast by the pound is the better buy anyway: it is all the part of the bird anyone fights over, it carves without ceremony, and you are not paying for a carcass. Turkey breast also appears on the plate menu at $14.95 and in the 2 Pork Ribs & Turkey platter at $16.95 if you want a smaller version of the same thing.
How much to order
Above ten pounds Pappas prices meat by volume — $14.95/lb for 10–19 lb, $14.55/lb for 20–49 lb and $14.25/lb at 50 lb and up — which beats party trays at $11.75 to $12.75 a head for anything you are willing to plate yourself. The Pappas catering guide runs the per-head numbers properly.
The gluten-free table
This is where Pappas quietly beats every competitor at Thanksgiving. The Gluten Free Texas Dinner at $38.95 is three sliced meats at half a pound each with three large sides, priced identically to the standard menu, and the whole GF board — rib platters, combos, salads, tamales from $3.45, sides from $2.95 — carries no surcharge. If one person at your table eats gluten-free, you do not need a separate plan. Details are in the Pappas allergen guide.
Sides, bread and dessert
Sides start at $2.95 and scale to large portions for the value packs. Add jalapeño cheese bread at $5.95 — it is the most Texan thing on the menu and it belongs on a holiday table more than dinner rolls do. Skip the fried items entirely; fresh cut fries at $3.75 and chopped beef fries at $10.95 will not survive being carried home and reheated.
For dessert, pecan pie from $5.95 is the obvious holiday order, with carrot cake and cheesecake at $6.95 and chocolate cake at $3.95. Drinks scale cheaply too: iced tea at $7.95 a gallon and lemonade at $9.95 a gallon beat individual $2.85 cups the moment you have more than three people.
Deadlines and holiday hours
- Place a large order at least a week out. Holiday cutoffs are set store by store and the popular collection slots go first.
- Book collection for Wednesday afternoon, not Thanksgiving morning. Smoked meat reheats perfectly and Wednesday pickup avoids the worst of the queue.
- Confirm holiday hours with your store. Pappas normally trades 6:30am to 9:00pm daily, but Thanksgiving is the most likely day of the year for a short or closed service — the hours guide covers the pattern.
- Ask for meat unsliced. A whole piece reheats far better than pre-sliced meat, and slicing at home takes a minute.
Reheating without ruining it
Smoked meat dies from dry heat. Wrap turkey breast or brisket in foil with a splash of water or stock, heat at 275°F until it is warm through rather than hot, and slice only once it comes out. Sausage and ribs reheat fine in foil at the same temperature. Sides go in a covered dish. Do not microwave sliced brisket unless you have accepted what will happen to it. Every price referenced here is on the Pappas Bar-B-Q menu, and holiday availability varies by location, so call your store first.