Texas Country Reporter
April 18, 2022
The Best Fried Chicken in Beaumont Was an Underground Secret
In the courthouse basement, dozens of lawyers, judges, and jurors lined up for Esther Rollins’s famous fried chicken.
Beaumont
TM BBQ Club
February 23, 2022
Burning Questions With 1701 Barbecue
It was never a question whether Blue Broussard would serve his Beaumont community, but his passion for barbecue led him down an unexpected path.
Food & Drink
February 22, 2022
Order Yourself a Texas-Made King Cake to Celebrate Mardi Gras
While many people source their king cakes from Louisiana, they might be convinced to try something new from these four Texas bakeries.
Politics & Policy
December 29, 2021
Stories We Wish We’d Published This Year
There was a lot of great coverage of happenings in Texas this year. Our staff selected its favorite stories.
BBQ
November 5, 2021
TM Recommends: A Dallas Festival That Blends Blues and Barbecue
Plus: a podcast series on self-help guru Rachel Hollis and a strange new single from Teezo Touchdown.
BBQ Joint Reviews
September 1, 2021
1701 Barbecue Began as a Mortician’s Side Hustle. It’s Now One of the Most Popular Joints in Town.
The Beaumont restaurant serves Central Texas–style barbecue, including impressive brisket and painstakingly developed sausage.
BBQ
April 15, 2021
The Joy of #Meatposting
Plus: free bacon burnt ends, a new location for Smoke Sessions, and yet another project for Blood Bros. BBQ.
Art
March 22, 2021
Beaumont Is Brimming With Vibrant Murals. Here’s Where to See Them.
The city’s flourishing art scene doesn’t get enough credit. One pandemic-safe way to appreciate it: a walking tour of more than a dozen outdoor murals.
BBQ
October 1, 2020
BBQ News Roundup: A Fort Worth Restaurant’s New Online “Meat Locker” Sells Brisket to Smoke at Home
Plus: Texas A&M scientists used eye-tracking tech to help 1775 BBQ in College Station design a new menu.
Health
July 9, 2020
Mr. Westbrook’s Last Song
He was a high school band director and the cornerstone of a lively music scene in southeast Texas—and then a Saturday night gig exposed him to the coronavirus.
Film & TV
November 14, 2019
The Suncoast Motion Picture Company’s Last Stand Is Happening in Southeast Texas
Beaumont is home to one of just a handful of stores in a chain once beloved by movie nerds.
BBQ Joint Reviews
April 1, 2019
Charlie’s Bar-B-Que Offers More Than Just Delicious Links to the Past
Texas Country Reporter turns fifty in October 2022. Each week until then, we’ll share classic episodes from the show’s history and behind-the-scenes reflections from TCR’s creator and host, Bob Phillips. The barbecue history of Southeast Texas has been entwined with links for as long as it’s had a dining culture.
Best Thing In Texas
March 6, 2019
The Best Thing in Texas: This Beaumont Principal’s “Tucked In Tuesdays” Bedtime Reading Warms Our Hearts
Belinda George makes sure that every student at her elementary school gets read to at night.
BBQ Joint Reviews
February 22, 2019
Drive Through Uncle Henry’s Tamales for Beef Links and Cracklins
Hal Guillory serves Southeast Texas specialties at this Beaumont institution.
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.
BBQ
May 24, 2017
Link to the Past
Southeast Texas’s garlic bombs are still going strong.
The Culture
April 19, 2017
Fleur de Lis Forge
How Rob Flurry's childhood reading forged his passion for sword and knife making.
Politics & Policy
December 21, 2016
She’s the Sheriff
How Zena Stephens became the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in Jefferson County.
Critters
August 24, 2016
Ruffled Feathers
When a teenage boy brazenly shot two endangered whooping cranes outside Beaumont, his act unleashed widespread anger and resulted in a quick arrest—and revealed just how difficult it can be to save a species.
Travel & Outdoors
August 22, 2016
Epic Burger Road Trips
Mapping the state’s meatiest routes.
Travel & Outdoors
March 10, 2016
The Ultimate Texas Road Trip
And the apps to download before you go.
Food & Drink
January 20, 2013
Ciao Down for Christmas
Savoring Christmas in Beaumont.
News & Politics
November 1, 1996
Pietzsch Elementary
Facing the obstacles of an inner-city Beaumont neighborhood, a committed, innovative principal and her demanding staff expect the best and accept no excuses.
Business
November 1, 1992
Java Jive
Texas Country Reporter turns fifty in October 2022. Each week until then, we’ll share classic episodes from the show’s history and behind-the-scenes reflections from TCR’s creator and host, Bob Phillips. “WE CATER TO REAL COFFEE drinkers,” says seventy-year old Joseph Fertitta, the president of Beaumont’s Texas Coffee Company and son of the
Travel & Outdoors
June 30, 1992
Eye of the World
Texas Country Reporter turns fifty in October 2022. Each week until then, we’ll share classic episodes from the show’s history and behind-the-scenes reflections from TCR’s creator and host, Bob Phillips. Starting in 1923, Beaumont businessman John Gavrelos carved out a realm of his own at his J&J Steak House on the Eastex
Business
August 31, 1991
Plugged In
At Conn Appliances, employees—and customers—are members of the family.
Travel & Outdoors
November 1, 1980
Discover Beautiful Beaumont
Okay, we heard that snicker. But give the place a chance. You’ll find plenty to enjoy.
Border & Immigration
May 31, 1976
The Newest Americans
Pity the poor Vietnamese: so far from home, so close to Beaumont.