The Texanist
August 19, 2018
The Texanist: Is It Okay to Parboil Ribs Before You Barbecue Them?
A Notrees man thinks dousing meat in boiling water is akin to cheating.
The Texanist
Since July 2007, the Texanist has taught many a well-intentioned Texan how to properly conduct him- or herself. Is it ever okay to ask somebody how many acres he has? Is it acceptable to spit tobacco juice at the office? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos? Why is Big Red so good? Who knows? Wait, the Texanist does!
The Texanist
August 4, 2018
The Texanist: Why Does Texas Have So Many Insanely Tall Overpasses?
A visitor from Iowa was baffled by his recent drive through the Lone Star State.
The Texanist
July 28, 2018
The Texanist: Is My Husband’s Devotion to Texas-Branded Foods Crazy?
An Arizona woman just doesn’t get the appeal of Mrs. Baird’s Bread or Hill Country Fare cut green beans.
The Texanist
July 25, 2018
The Texanist: Great Small Towns That Have Gone Untouched by a Hipster
The Texanist on five great small towns that are (pretty much) just like they always were and don’t need to change at all.
The Texanist
July 21, 2018
The Texanist: If You Can’t Take the Heat . . .
A Montanan turned Houstonian’s first summer in Texas isn’t going all that well.
The Texanist
July 14, 2018
The Texanist: Can a Really Hot Pepper Burn the Tongue Right Out of My Mouth?
A Houston man knows that the Carolina Reaper will cause him pain. He’s worried that it might cause him real harm, too.
The Texanist
July 8, 2018
The Texanist: Where Have All the Horny Toads Gone?
The reasons why our state reptile—and beloved playmate for generations of young Texans—is so hard to find these days.
The Texanist
July 1, 2018
The Texanist: How Can I Drink on the Comal With the Can Ban in Place?
No disposable containers on the river? No problem.
The Texanist
June 23, 2018
The Texanist: Is It Legal to Build a Bonfire on the Beach?
An Amarillo man wants to make sure that his Mustang Island getaway won't go up in smoke.
The Texanist
June 9, 2018
The Texanist: Am I a Traitor If I Root for a Rival Texas Team When It Plays out of State?
A Baylor Bears fan is conflicted about what he should do if TCU goes to a bowl game.
The Texanist
June 3, 2018
The Texanist: Can a Born-and-Bred Big-City Boy Learn to Love Fort Stockton?
A Houstonian turned New Yorker’s company is relocating him to small-town West Texas. If life were a sitcom, that would be pretty funny.
The Texanist
May 26, 2018
The Texanist: Should I Let My Kids Splash Around in a Snake-Infested Swimming Hole?
A Central Texas mom tries to strike a balance between innocent summertime fun and her worst slithering, venomous nightmare.
The Texanist
May 19, 2018
The Texanist: Who Uses Tortillas in a Sausage Wrap?
A Plano couple is feuding over what kind of bread product should encase a hot link.
The Texanist
May 12, 2018
The Texanist: Why Don’t Texas Houses Have Basements?
A Yankee in exile misses the old days of playing air hockey and breathing in musty odors.
The Texanist
May 6, 2018
The Texanist: There Ain’t No Saguaro Cactus in Texas. Got It?
A Katy man is feeling awfully prickly about this botanical fallacy.
The Texanist
April 29, 2018
The Texanist: Are You Getting Tired of the Craft Beer Craze?
An Abilene man wants to know what our brew-lovin' columnist thinks of the mania for newfangled Texas ales.
The Texanist
April 14, 2018
The Texanist: Tell Me About This Magical Thing Called Texas Toast
A New York man wants to know everything there is to know about Texas toast.
The Texanist
April 7, 2018
The Texanist: Hi, I’m From East Texas! Uh, Where Is That, Exactly?
A Dallas man who grew up in East Texas isn't sure his home region actually exists.
The Texanist
March 31, 2018
The Texanist: Did Tennessee Give Our Flag the Lone Star?
A Kaufman man vacationing in the Volunteer State hears a claim about the Texas flag that just can't be true. Can it?
The Texanist
March 24, 2018
The Texanist: Is It Safe to Drink Really Old Dr Pepper?
An Odessa woman is still working her way through her private Dublin stash.
The Texanist
March 17, 2018
The Texanist: Please Get That Chevy Silverado Out of My Parking Garage!
An irate truck owner may need to take a long, hard look in the rearview mirror.
The Texanist
March 3, 2018
The Texanist: Why Did So Many Important Events Occur in March?
An El Paso man thinks he's got a good candidate for Texas History Month. Is he right? Yes, but . . .
The Texanist
February 24, 2018
The Texanist: Cargo Shorts and Flip Flops at Gruene Hall? Really?
A New Braunfels man thinks that Texas's oldest dance hall deserves a little more respect.
The Texanist
February 17, 2018
The Texanist: Contemplating the ‘Texas Exit’
A Wichita Man is Curious About Our Occasional Habit of Jumping a Highway Ditch.
The Texanist
February 10, 2018
The Texanist: Isn’t the Summer Heat Great? Or is That Just Me?
In the midst of a cold, wet winter, an Abilene woman longs for the dog days of August.
The Texanist
February 2, 2018
The Texanist: Why Don’t Breakfast Burritos Get Any Love?
A Texas Tech undergrad makes the case for the breakfast taco's not-so-poor relation.
The Texanist
January 27, 2018
The Texanist: Any Recommendations for a Big Bend Newbie?
A 39-year resident of Houston is gearing up for his first experience of the greatest road trip Texas has to offer.
The Texanist
January 20, 2018
The Texanist: Are the Texas Rangers for Real?
A California transplant wonders if the Texas Rangers exist only on the small screen.
The Texanist
January 13, 2018
The Texanist: What’s With All the Cheap-Looking Black-Painted Cowboy Hats?
A Flatonia man thinks Tim McGraw can afford a better looking cowboy hat
The Texanist
December 30, 2017
The Texanist: Should I Go Vegetarian for the New Year?
A dedicated carnivore wonders how to handle his wife's request to lead a meat-free existence in 2018.
The Texanist
December 23, 2017
The Texanist: What’s the Deal With Tamales and Christmas?
A Dallasite wonders how something so tasty, so filling, and so pre-Christian came to be a holiday staple.
The Texanist
December 9, 2017
The Texanist: Should I Get Rid of That Possum Carcass Myself, or No?
A San Antonio woman smells trouble.
The Texanist
December 2, 2017
The Texanist: Is Hico Waving Goodbye to the Hidy Sign?
A Dallas man wonders why one good finger doesn't deserve another.
The Texanist
November 24, 2017
The Texanist: Is it Too Soon to Book a Vacation in Port Aransas?
An Austinite misses the beach, but doesn't want to be a bother.
By
Jeff Salamon
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The Texanist
November 13, 2017
The Texanist: When Will My Yankee In-Laws Stop Complaining About Our Spicy Food?
A Tyler man is feeling a little hot under the collar.
The Texanist
November 5, 2017
The Texanist: Can Self-Respecting West Texans Use Umbrellas?
A West Texas native wonders if umbrellas are for sissies.
The Texanist
October 21, 2017
The Texanist: Can I Claim a Professionally Smoked Brisket as My Own?
The Texanist advises a person who wants to pass off professionally cooked briskets as homemade.
The Culture
October 16, 2017
The Texanist: To Pop or Not to Pop Fire Ant Bites?
How to handle the zit-sized pustule that those evil little @$*!%*#@%&!s leave behind.
The Texanist
October 7, 2017
The Texanist: Is Menudo Really a Hangover Cure?
Menudo for the crudo.
The Texanist
September 23, 2017
The Texanist: Can My Pickup-Driving Girlfriend Respect My Compact Car?
A truck-driving woman meets a Jetta owner at a Ray Wylie Hubbard concert.
The Texanist
September 16, 2017
The Texanist: What’s a Dove Recipe That My Wife Will Like?
The Texanist generously shares his world-famous dove recipe.
The Texanist
September 9, 2017
The Texanist: The Meaning of Texas Tough
We lost a lot. But there are some things we’ll never lose. Texas will be okay.
The Texanist
August 25, 2017
The Texanist: Is Dairy Queen Actually a “Texas Thing”?
It's known as "the Texas stop sign," but can the Illinois chain really claim the Lone Star State?
The Texanist
August 18, 2017
The Texanist: Should I Tuck My Jeans Into My Boots?
Several of my colleagues have pointed out that tucking your jeans into your boots looks ridiculous. I disagree.
The Texanist
August 5, 2017
The Texanist: Are Bring Your Own Meat Meals Acceptable?
The Texanist addresses contentious BYOMeat gatherings.
The Texanist
July 28, 2017
The Texanist on Texas’s Flies
A New Yorker thinking about moving to Austin says one thing is holding her back: flies. The Texanist weighs in.
The Texanist
July 22, 2017
The Texanist on The Old-fashioned Beer Joint
Has the old-fashioned beer joint given way to noisy sports bars?
The Texanist
July 15, 2017
The Texanist on Whether It’s a Good Idea to Take One of Those Pricey Yeti Cups Tubing
And the proper placement of horseshoes over doorways for the best good luck.
The Texanist
July 8, 2017
The Texanist Returns to Answer Your Questions
Can you really overdo Tex-Mex? And how to cope with lowdown bleeping tackle crooks.
The Texanist
February 23, 2017
Happy Texas Week, Y’all!
Come and celebrate It.