In Grand Prairie, Texas, Zavala’s Barbecue is taking on an unusually large task for a small operation: feeding the wave of visitors arriving for FIFA’s 2026 World Cup. According to the report, the restaurant stayed open for 30 straight days, a stretch described as a record for the business, as roughly 3 million tourists moved through the area.
The workload is massive. Zavala’s is preparing 20,000 pounds of brisket for the event, along with hundreds of pounds of sausage. Each week, about 200 beef briskets are trimmed, coated in a simple salt-and-pepper rub, and smoked. The sausage is made in house, with around 250 pounds hitting the grill over the course of a day, beginning at 4 a.m. Once the links develop the right snap, they are cooled in ice water.
The menu also includes carnitas, which are grilled for hours before going back into the smoker with coke and oranges for another three hours until they become tender enough to pull apart. Owner Joe Zavala says the operation depends on everyone on the team watching the smokers, checking temperatures and fires, and helping keep the meat consistent across six smokers. That shared attention, he says, is what keeps the barbecue steady even at this scale.
Beyond the volume, the story highlights the classic Texas hospitality Zavala’s is bringing to soccer fans during the tournament. The restaurant’s approach is simple but demanding: keep the smokers going, keep the team involved, and serve as much barbecue as possible while the crowds are in town.
Source: eater.com
