Rollin Smoke BBQ, the creation of pitmaster Kyle Stallings, has been serving Texans for 15 years, first as a food truck and now as a permanent fixture at Chalmers in East Austin. However, despite receiving acclaim for its smoked meats, Rollin Smoke put out an Instagram post on Sunday, August 23, calling for locals to support the small business.

“As I try to take a rare Sunday off I can’t help but check the sales. Negative -$5 for the first hour due to a refund we gave for forgetting a sausage on an order last night,” Stallings wrote on Instagram. “I don’t know what to do anymore other than full transparency. We are not ‘killing it’ as some assume. We are dying. Wake up Austin and come get some while you can. I know times are tough and I hate to even ask but damn.”

For those who haven’t visited Rollin Smoke BBQ in Austin, the smokehouse has a real problem in terms of parking. There are only a handful of parking spots in front of Chalmers, meaning everyone outside those four to five cars will rely on neighborhood parking around East Cesar Chavez Street, which also has a risk of filling up fast. Plus there’s no guarantee that whoever visits Chalmers will also visit Rollin Smoke BBQ.

It’s similar to what’s going on at Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue in Pflugerville, wherein people may want to eat the food but parking could be limited. All of that stress is only amplified with rising costs in beef forcing brisket prices to rise at barbecue joints across the state, making a barbecue trip expensive for customers everywhere.

“I think it’s a combo of the economy, heat, and beef prices,” Stallings said to MySA. “Something that was once affordable has become reserved for special occasions. We just need people to know we exist. Hard to do without major publicity like James Beard or Michelin awards. … Texas bbq is dying unless you have a major operation with all the accolades.”

If you’re stopping by, try everything from the brisket tacos to the pork belly burnt ends, the smoked carne guisada and specialty sides like the boozy brussels. Rollin Smoke BBQ is open Monday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.

Find it: 1700 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78702