I can confirm what appears to be a downward trend at Arthur Bryant's.

I was in Kansas City on business the past couple of days and opted to stop at Bryant's for some brisket on my way to the airport about 2 pm. What I was served was not very good at all. It was quite dry and tough. There was no smoke ring or smokiness to speak of. It was Completely unlike what Cathy and I experienced there in 2004. I couldn't even cover up its shortcomings with sauce today.

A local had also warned me of a potential quality issue of late there.

On the bright side, the fries were still absolutely wonderful. Maybe it was the timing since I was a couple of hours past the lunch rush that the brisket wasn't up to par. But to call it disappointing is quite an understatement.