In the three months ending on May 29,

Inflation is soaring. And yet restaurant-goers are having a love affair with a high-budget item: Steak.

In the three months ending on May 29, sales at Longhorn Steakhouse locations open at least a year popped 10.6%.

Texas Roadhouse reported that in the first three months of the year, sales at company-owned restaurants open at least a year jumped 16%. The chain is slated to release its second-quarter earnings Thursday afternoon.

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Demand for steak was rising even before the pandemic, said Robert Byrne, director of consumer and industry insights at the restaurant consulting firm Technomic.