In this trial, the effects of early qualitative feed restriction and barrier perch access on some meat quality traits, growth performance, and diet cost analysis of broiler chickens were investigated. A total of 504 1-d old male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to four treatments (qualitative feed restriction-QFR; absence-/presence+ and barrier perch-BP; absence-/presence+) with three replicate pens in a completely randomised design involving a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Broiler chickens in the treatment of QFR (-) were fed with a corn-soybean meal diet containing protein and energy at the level specified in the commercial hybrid catalogue during d 0-42. The treatment of QFR (+) was fed with a corn-soybean meal diet containing lower energy (10%) and protein (20%) for the first d 21, and then between d 22-42, they were fed with a diet specified in the commercial hybrid catalogue. In the treatment of BP (+), the barrier perch was placed between the feeder and the drinker. Meat quality traits (pH, lightness-L*, redness-a*, yellowness-b*, chroma, hue angle, and cooking loss-CL), growth performance (body weight-BW, body weight gain-BWG, feed intake-FI, and feed conversion ratio-FCR), and diet cost analysis (total diet cost and diet cost per unit weight gain) were recorded. Except for the a* value and hue angle measured at 24-h post-slaughter, the effect of QFR treatments on meat quality traits was insignificant in all measurements. During d 0-42, in the treatments of QFR (+) of BW, BWG, and FI were lower (respectively P<0.001, P<0.001, and P=0.005), and FCR was worse (P=0.014). The QFR treatments did not differ significantly in dietary cost per unit weight gained during d 0-42. As a result, it can be said that early qualitative feed restriction did not significantly affect meat quality traits. The treatment of QFR (+) resulted in reduced growth performance. However, diet cost per unit weight gain showed similar values in both the QFR treatments (QFR+ €0.75, QFR- €0.76, P=0.511).