BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (Nasdaq: BJRI) announced on April 30, 2026 the launch of the Wagyu Burger, a new permanent premium menu addition available starting today at all BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse locations nationwide. Priced at $19.99, the burger features a grilled patty crafted from a proprietary blend of Wagyu, brisket, and short rib, topped with caramelized onions, Gruyère cheese, lettuce, and black garlic aioli, served on a brioche bun with a side of crispy fries. Heidi Rogers, Chief Marketing Officer at BJ’s Restaurants, Inc., is the spokesperson. BJ’s was founded in 1978 and operates over 200 restaurants across 31 states. It is traded on Nasdaq as BJRI and headquartered in Huntington Beach, California.
The launch is timed to National Burger Month (May) and arrives alongside BJ’s existing burger lineup including the $13 Pizookie Meal Deal featuring the All-American Smash Burger and the $12.99 Loaded Burger Wednesdays promotion at select locations.
The Wagyu Burger: A Three-Cut Proprietary Blend
The most sourcing-significant element of this announcement is the three-cut proprietary beef blend: Wagyu, brisket, and short rib. This is not a standard ground chuck or 80/20 lean-to-fat beef patty. It is a premium multi-cut blend that requires three distinct beef inputs sourced, processed, and ground together at a specification designed to deliver a specific fat content, marbling distribution, and flavor profile.
Wagyu is a Japanese beef breed characterized by its exceptionally high intramuscular fat marbling, which delivers the characteristic richness, tenderness, and flavor complexity that distinguishes it from conventional beef. In the U.S. food service market, Wagyu is available as American Wagyu (a cross between Japanese Wagyu and Angus cattle), which offers high marbling at a commercially viable price point compared to full-blood Japanese Wagyu. For BJ’s application, American Wagyu is the most likely input given the $19.99 price point and the 200-plus location distribution requirement.
Brisket is a heavily worked muscle from the breast and lower chest of the cow, known for its high collagen and fat content that delivers deep, savory flavor when ground and incorporated into a patty blend. Brisket ground into a burger blend contributes a beefy, almost smoky flavor complexity and a juiciness that leaner cuts cannot match. The connective tissue that makes brisket challenging as a whole muscle cut becomes an asset when ground: it renders during cooking and contributes to the patty’s texture and moisture retention.
Short rib is the most fat-rich of the three inputs, sourced from the rib section of the cow. Ground short rib contributes the highest fat content of the blend, delivering the richness and mouthfeel that lifts a premium burger blend above a standard ground beef patty. It is also the most expensive of the three inputs on a per-pound basis, which explains why short rib appears in premium burger applications at the $15-plus price tier.
The blend of all three creates a synergistic fat and flavor system: Wagyu’s intramuscular marbling and clean beef flavor, brisket’s deep savory complexity, and short rib’s rich fat contribution. The proprietary ratio of the three cuts is BJ’s specific formulation decision, and it is the sourcing specification that differentiates this patty from a standard premium burger.
The Topping Architecture: Gruyère, Black Garlic Aioli, and Caramelized Onions
The toppings on the Wagyu Burger are not incidental. Each was chosen to complement and amplify the richness of the three-cut beef blend.
Gruyère is a Swiss-style hard cheese with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and a high fat content that makes it an excellent melting cheese for a hot burger application. It is a significantly more expensive cheese input than the American cheese, cheddar, or pepper jack used in most QSR and casual dining burger programs. Sourcing Gruyère at BJ’s 200-plus location scale requires a consistent specialty cheese supply program, either from domestic Gruyère-style producers or from imported Swiss Gruyère AOP suppliers.
Black garlic aioli is the most technically interesting condiment in the topping set. Black garlic is regular garlic that has been fermented over several weeks at controlled temperature and humidity, developing a sweet, molasses-like flavor and soft texture that is entirely different from raw or roasted garlic. The Maillard reaction and enzymatic browning during fermentation produce a complex umami-forward sweetness. Combined with aioli (a mayonnaise-based emulsification with egg yolk and oil), black garlic aioli delivers a sweet, savory, umami condiment that pairs with Wagyu’s richness without overwhelming it. For BJ’s sourcing team, black garlic inputs require a specialty fermented garlic supplier or a finished black garlic aioli from a co-manufacturer at the viscosity and flavor specification required for a burger sauce application.
Caramelized onions require fresh yellow or sweet onion inputs cooked down at low heat over an extended period to convert the onion’s natural sugars into the sweet, jammy, deeply flavored topping that completes the burger’s flavor profile. At BJ’s production scale, caramelized onions are most likely produced at a central kitchen or commissary rather than caramelized to order at each restaurant location, requiring an onion input and a cooking process specification that delivers consistent sweetness, color, and moisture content across all locations.
The brioche bun is the final element. Brioche is an enriched bread made with butter and eggs, delivering a soft, slightly sweet, pillowy texture with a light gold crust. At $19.99 for a casual dining burger, the brioche bun signals premium positioning: it is a more expensive bun input than a standard sesame or potato bun and contributes to the overall premium experience through its richness and texture.
BJ’s Multi-Tier Burger Strategy
The Wagyu Burger’s $19.99 price point sits above BJ’s existing burger lineup and is explicitly positioned as the premium tier within a three-level burger strategy. The $13 Pizookie Meal Deal’s All-American Smash Burger anchors the value tier. The $12.99 Loaded Burger Wednesday program anchors the promotional tier. The Wagyu Burger at $19.99 anchors the premium occasion tier, targeting the customer who is choosing BJ’s for a special burger experience rather than a value meal.
This tiered architecture is a deliberate menu engineering approach that maximizes revenue per burger category visit. A customer who enters intending to spend $13 may trade up to $19.99 when the Wagyu Burger is visible on the menu. A customer who enters intending to spend $19.99 on a premium experience anchors the high end of the burger category and raises the average check without requiring the brand to compete purely on value.
The announcement of the Wagyu Burger alongside the existing value and promotional burger programs, rather than replacing them, confirms BJ’s is building a portfolio within the burger category rather than repositioning the brand entirely upmarket.
Why It Matters for Wagyu Beef, Specialty Cheese, and Premium Burger Ingredient Suppliers
BJ’s Wagyu Burger launch at $19.99 across 200-plus casual dining locations for National Burger Month creates a sustained premium beef procurement program for American Wagyu, brisket, and short rib inputs at the grinding and blending specification required for a proprietary three-cut patty blend, representing one of the most complex and specification-intensive burger beef programs in the casual dining segment. For American Wagyu cattle producers, brisket processors, and short rib suppliers serving the U.S. foodservice restaurant segment, BJ’s three-cut proprietary blend is a new premium beef procurement event at a national casual dining chain with over 200 locations and a craft brewing heritage that attracts a higher-income consumer demographic willing to pay $19.99 for a burger.
The Gruyère cheese topping requirement creates a specialty cheese procurement program at BJ’s foodservice scale for a nutty, high-fat melting cheese that commands a premium over standard American, cheddar, or pepper jack burger cheese inputs, sourced either from domestic Gruyère-style producers or from imported Swiss Gruyère AOP suppliers at the portion and melt specification required for a casual dining burger application. For specialty cheese distributors and imported European cheese suppliers serving the U.S. casual dining foodservice segment, BJ’s Wagyu Burger creates a new sustained demand program for Gruyère as a burger topping at a 200-plus location national chain, an application category where Gruyère has historically been underrepresented relative to its use in sandwiches and fondue applications.
The black garlic aioli requirement creates a specialty fermented garlic input or finished black garlic sauce procurement program at BJ’s production specification, representing one of the few national casual dining chains to deploy black garlic as a burger condiment at scale and signaling the mainstreaming of fermented garlic flavor compounds in premium American burger applications. For black garlic suppliers, fermented ingredient producers, and specialty sauce co-manufacturers serving the foodservice condiment segment, BJ’s black garlic aioli is a demand indicator for black garlic’s continued expansion from specialty restaurant and retail applications into national casual dining burger programs.
FAQs
What is the BJ’s Wagyu Burger? A new permanent menu item featuring a grilled patty from a proprietary blend of Wagyu, brisket, and short rib, topped with caramelized onions, Gruyère cheese, lettuce, and black garlic aioli on a brioche bun, served with crispy fries. Priced at $19.99. Available at all BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse locations starting April 30, 2026.
What makes the beef blend different? A proprietary three-cut combination of Wagyu (intramuscular marbling and clean beef flavor), brisket (deep savory complexity), and short rib (rich fat content and mouthfeel). The ratio is BJ’s own specification, not a standard ground beef blend.
How does this fit into BJ’s burger lineup? The Wagyu Burger anchors the premium tier at $19.99. BJ’s existing burger program also includes the $13 Pizookie Meal Deal with the All-American Smash Burger and $12.99 Loaded Burger Wednesdays at select locations.
How big is BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse? Over 200 restaurants across 31 states, founded 1978, headquartered in Huntington Beach, California. Traded on Nasdaq as BJRI. The most decorated restaurant-brewery in the U.S., craft brewing since 1996.
What is National Burger Month? May is nationally recognized as National Burger Month in the U.S. restaurant industry, the highest-traffic promotional window for burger-focused menu activations and limited-time offers across QSR and casual dining.
About Source86
BJ’s Wagyu Burger launch reflects active demand for American Wagyu beef at the ground patty specification required for a premium three-cut proprietary burger blend across a 200-plus location national casual dining chain, brisket inputs at the grind specification for a premium burger patty blend application delivering deep savory flavor complexity, short rib inputs at the fat content and grind specification for a premium burger blend requiring rich mouthfeel and juiciness across casual dining production, Gruyère cheese in a portion and melt specification for a casual dining burger topping application at national chain scale, black garlic fermented garlic inputs or finished black garlic aioli at the flavor concentration and viscosity specification for a burger condiment application across 200-plus restaurant locations, caramelized onion inputs at a consistent sweetness, color, and moisture specification for a casual dining burger topping produced at commissary scale, and brioche bun inputs at the enriched bread specification for a premium casual dining burger presentation. At Source86, we connect casual dining restaurant operators, premium beef programs, and specialty foodservice ingredient suppliers with trusted bulk and wholesale sourcing partners for Wagyu and premium beef cuts, specialty European and domestic cheese, fermented garlic and specialty condiment inputs, enriched bread and brioche inputs, and the ingredient sourcing infrastructure that supports premium burger programs at national casual dining scale.
Whether your production team sources American Wagyu for a premium burger blend, Gruyère cheese for a casual dining burger topping program, or black garlic inputs for a specialty aioli application, Source86 is your bridge to the right manufacturing and supply chain partners. Contact Source86 today to start your sourcing search.
Slug: source86.com/bjs-restaurant-wagyu-burger-national-burger-month-2026
Meta Title: BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse Launches Wagyu Burger with Brisket and Short Rib Blend at $19.99 for National Burger Month, April 30, 2026
Meta Description: BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse launches its Wagyu Burger on April 30, 2026 at $19.99 across 200-plus locations, featuring a proprietary blend of Wagyu, brisket, and short rib with Gruyère cheese, black garlic aioli, and caramelized onions on a brioche bun. What the premium burger launch means for Wagyu beef, specialty cheese, and black garlic ingredient suppliers.
Focus Key Phrase: BJ’s Restaurant Wagyu Burger National Burger Month 2026
Alt Text (hero image): BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse new Wagyu Burger featuring a proprietary blend of Wagyu brisket and short rib with caramelized onions Gruyere cheese and black garlic aioli on a brioche bun available April 30 2026 at $19.99 across 200-plus locations nationwide
Photo credit: BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. / PR Newswire
