Tex-Mexplainer
April 4, 2023
A Head Above: How Barbacoa Paved the Way for Barbecue
Whether using lamb, beef, or goat, the cooking method of barbacoa is rooted in pre-Hispanic traditions and set the scene for smoking meat as we know it stateside.
Food & Drink
Find Texas food and drink news and reviews on restaurants, recipes, fine dining and more
Food & Drink
April 3, 2023
Jarred Salsa Helps Revive a Nearly 70-Year-Old Tex-Mex Institution
Austin’s El Patio was on the brink of closing in 2019 until some extended relatives stepped in and took the business to grocery shelves.
Tacos
March 28, 2023
A German Taqueria Is Leading Europe’s New Taco Revolution
Berlin’s Taqueria El Oso honors Mexican cuisine with its suadero and tripas tacos, and, luckily, it’s just one of the continent’s stellar taco joints.
Food & Drink
March 21, 2023
Blue Bell Is Still My Ice Cream of Choice
Eight years after the listeria crisis, the Brenham-based brand continues to win folks like me over with new flavors and old memories.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
Chuck E. Cheese Was a Child’s Greatest Birthday Dream—or Nightmare
Headquartered in Irving, the arcade–pizza parlor chain may be past its glory days. But it’s still kicking—and providing traumatic, animatronic-fueled memories for millennials.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
Taco Palenque, South Texas’s Drive-through Sensation, Keeps Growing
With Laredo as its flagship, this Tex-Mex chain has been supplying folks with piratas and more for 35 years. As it grows beyond the Rio Grande Valley, can it keep what's made it so beloved?
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
The Draw of El Fenix’s Sensory Overload
In the Tex-Mex wars of my mind, the victor was never in doubt.
Being Texan
March 20, 2023
An Ode to Mrs Baird’s, the Fluffy White Bread of My Texas Childhood
I can still smell its heavenly aroma.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
Soggy and Divisive, Chico’s Tacos Are Perfect to Me
Sometimes food is less about the taste (or the ingredients . . . or the presentation) and more about being home.
Tacos
March 20, 2023
Despite Its National Appeal, Chili’s Is a Dallas Restaurant Through and Through
Sure, the restaurant chain was founded in Dallas and is currently headquartered there—but the concept also embraces the Dallas identity.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
No Matter Which Shipley Do-Nuts You Go To, You’re Always Home
The chain has been around for more than 85 years. Despite its ubiquity—with more than 300 locations—each location holds its own memories.
Tacos
March 15, 2023
Kangaroo in Your Taco? “Why Not?” Says This Adventurous El Paso Restaurant
Taco Shop in El Paso has featured kangaroo, turtle, and alligator on its menu. While some are turned off by the game, many more customers line up to try them.
Dining Guide
March 14, 2023
Fondue and Chicharrones, “Pear Snow,” and Wood-Grilled Prawns: What Our Restaurant Critics Ate This Month
Here’s our take on the state’s new restaurants, along with a few updates to longtime favorites.
Health
March 13, 2023
Where to Try Cordyceps, the Star of ‘The Last of Us,’ in Texas
Cordyceps, a parasitic fungus made popular by the HBO drama, can be added to coffee for a boost of brain energy. A few Texas cafes offer a safe space to try it out.
Pat’s Pick
March 9, 2023
Chef David Cordúa Keeps the Home Fires Burning
At the Lymbar, legendary Houston restaurateurs David and Michael Cordúa serve Truffle Twinkies and potato “bouquets” alongside the churrasco and empanadas that made the family famous.
Tacos
March 8, 2023
This Tamale Company Infuses Its Popular Dish With Soul Food Flavors
Houston-based Black Girl Tamales' offerings include steamed masa filled with collard greens, oxtail, dirty rice, and shrimp.
Tacos
February 28, 2023
Jimmy Carter’s Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians
A local restauranteur created the dish to honor Carter's election, and it was just one instance of the importance of Mexican food in the former president's public life.
Food & Drink
February 27, 2023
Is It Possible to Be Vegan Without Eating Vegetables?
As the alternative meat industry grows—including San Antonio-based vegan chicken sandwich chain Project Pollo—one writer tests the future of eating in America.
Tacos
February 23, 2023
Gen Z’s Homemade Tortillas Could Use an Upgrade
According to recent data, the youth love the commodity corn flour that's been around since 1949. But there are other options to explore.
Tacos
February 16, 2023
The Tacos at This South Texas Restaurant Are Inspired by the Taquero’s International Travels
La Cocinita’s Evin Garcia invokes tastes of southern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula in his McAllen eatery while also serving his community.
Tacos
February 14, 2023
This El Pasoan Is Making Sure Nixtamalized Tortillas Aren’t an Occasional Luxury
Through La Puerta del Sol, Mateo Herrera sells tortillas made with heirloom corn from nearby De Colores Farms, so folks can connect with ancestral food at home.
Libations
February 13, 2023
How to Become a Regular at a Texas Dive Bar
Follow these tips and tricks to becoming beloved at your local watering hole from the guy who literally wrote the book.
Food & Drink
February 9, 2023
Texas’s Best New Restaurants in 2023
The white tablecloth may be all washed up, but the dining is as fine as ever.
Tacos
February 9, 2023
The Rio Grande Valley Taco Trail
Where to find the region's specialties, from mammoth breakfast tacos to old-school barbacoa.
Tacos
February 6, 2023
How the Crispy Dog Became San Antonio’s Signature Snack
Invented by grandmas and popularized by drive-ins, the cheese-filled, tortilla-wrapped frank is a nostalgic treat that's disappearing from menus.
Tacos
February 2, 2023
We Asked ChatGPT to Define a Taco. Here’s What It Said.
The AI-powered chatbot has been making headlines recently, so we hit it with our hardest taco-related questions to test its mettle.
Food & Drink
January 25, 2023
Barbecue and Mexican Cuisine Strongly Represented Among the 2023 James Beard Award Semifinalists
Eleven pitmasters are in the running for Best Chef: Texas, and thirteen Mexican restaurants are represented in various categories.
Tacos
January 24, 2023
This Mexican Border City’s Signature Taco Is Best Devoured In Two Bites
In the Mexican city near Brownsville, tacos with various cuts and preparations of beef stand out, including tacos estilo Matamoros.
Food & Drink
January 20, 2023
The Only Asian Grocer in Waco Serves Its Growing Community With Hard-to-Find Ingredients and Filipino Food
Even though East Market and Goods only opened in 2020, it’s already become a pillar in town, hosting cultural events and educating customers.
Tacos
January 18, 2023
Egg Prices Are High, but Your Breakfast Taco Craving Doesn’t Have to Suffer
Some Texas taquerias have increased prices due to the egg shortage, so we’ve compiled a list of great eggless breakfast tacos in case you’re starting to feel the pinch.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Taco Welcomes All Into Its Fold
Nothing transcends culinary borders like the tortilla.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Great Texification of Dairy Queen
A stubborn and savvy group of franchisees turned the Midwest-based dessert chain into a Lone Star institution beloved for its steak fingers and Hungr-Busters.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
When the State Fair of Texas Turned Deep-fried
Melanie Linnear recalls the origins of the unhealthiest (but most delicious) competition in all the land.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
How Texas’s Mexican Food Scene Became the Most Exciting in the U.S.
The days when Mexican food on this side of the border was all about crispy tacos and yellow cheese are long behind us, thanks to innovative chefs and cultural shifts.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Texas Beer Industry Is Bubbling Over
We still love our Shiner, Pearl, and Lone Star, but our options are now bubbling over, thanks to hundreds of craft breweries across the state.
Tacos
January 13, 2023
In Gentrifying Oak Cliff, a New Taqueria Offers Approachable and Affordable Fare
Tacos y Chelas may be surrounded by pricey restaurants, but the humble space has tacos al pastor and birria tacos that won’t break the bank.
Libations
January 6, 2023
Texas’s First Nonalcoholic Bottle Shop Reflects the Shifting Culture Around Drinking
Sipple in Houston curates hundreds of nonalcoholic products, from liquor alternatives to functional beverages, including many Texas-based brands.
Libations
December 29, 2022
Texas Restaurants Are Adding Wines From This Up-and-Coming Region to Their Menus
Mexican wines haven’t had much recognition, but the tides are turning as sommeliers and shop owners struggle to keep them in stock.
Books
December 20, 2022
One Decadent Weekend in San Antonio, I Finally Became the ‘Fancy Mom’
After raising three kids on a budget, novelist Amanda Eyre Ward indulges her teen fantasy of being the parent who says, “Order whatever you want.”
Tacos
December 19, 2022
Family, Faith, and Tortillas Propel This San Antonio Factory
Sonia Margarita Vasquez-Grizzle is the heart of Margarita’s Tortilla Factory, and despite personal challenges, she has always dedicated herself to her business.
Recipes
December 14, 2022
Pumpkin Roll
Getting tired of pie? Switch it up with this classic dessert that still incorporates the holiday favorite filling of pumpkin and spices.
Pat’s Pick
December 13, 2022
Revolver Taco Lounge Gastro Cantina Hits the Bull’s-eye
The latest from Regino Rojas is fun and festive, but the food’s not fooling around.
Dining Guide
December 12, 2022
Smokin’ Moon Opens in McAllen, Garland’s El Rincón del Maiz Gets National Attention, and More
We review dozens of restaurants all around Texas each month. Here’s a peek at what’s new and how we liked it.
Tacos
December 7, 2022
The Midland-Odessa Taco Trail
Explore the oil patch’s regional specialties, from overstuffed burritos to crispy tacos—just remember to bring cash.
Recipes
December 5, 2022
Calabaza con Pollo Nachos
This recipe is definitely not ballpark fare—these nachos are wholesome, filling, and warming with chicken, a squash gravy, and roasted squash seeds.
Tacos
December 1, 2022
My Favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex Bites of 2022
After two years of interrupted travel, taco editor José R. Ralat hit the road full force this year and has a best-of list of a whopping 25 dishes to prove it.
Food & Drink
November 30, 2022
Three Restaurants Aim to Bring Some Texas Soul to D.C.
Texpats living in the nation’s capital have recently seen an uptick in the availability of favorite dishes from home, including kolaches, breakfast tacos, and barbecue.
Tacos
November 22, 2022
This Polarizing West Texas Mexican Restaurant Is More Confident Than Ever in Its Purpose
From hosting drag shows to feeding political campaigns, the Local in Abilene has been mired in some controversy, but it remains focused on serving tacos to folks of all stripes.
Recipes
November 21, 2022
Warm Persimmon Salad
The orange fruit, while prevalent in Texas, is still a mystery to some folks. Try the juicy fall produce in this elevated appetizer.
Recipes
November 18, 2022
Deep-fried Turkey
A simple meal turned Thanksgiving novelty.