yeah i don't think joe's necessarily uses cheap meat like gates does, i just don't think they're taking the time to cook their brisket as well as q39 or chef j's does. i feel that even jackstack does better brisket than joe's.
joe's cuts theirs thin because it's just easier to throw onto a sandwich and eat that way, but if you cut a joe's brisket into pencil thick slices like q39 does, there's no way it's tender enough to pull apart in the same way.