Books
October 17, 2023
A Celebrated Texas Author and the Indie Bookstores That Sustained Him
From McAllen to Austin, indie bookstores have provided Fernando A. Flores with far more than just reading material.
McAllen
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1-50 of 74 Articles
Tacos
August 10, 2023
This Busy RGV Taqueria Features Specialties From Mexico City and Spain
Order the gaonera (ribeye) taco or the cochinita pibil taco—just don’t linger too long at busy McAllen restaurant Tacos El Andaluz.
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.
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?
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 9, 2023
The Rio Grande Valley Taco Trail
Where to find the region's specialties, from mammoth breakfast tacos to old-school barbacoa.
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.
Politics & Policy
November 3, 2022
Gen Z Is More Liberal Than Older Generations. The Texas Right Has a Plan to Change That—One Local Race at a Time.
Amid a crowded field of conservative youth organizers, Run GenZ is supporting young candidates for local office across the state.
Politics & Policy
August 26, 2022
Will Hispanics in South Texas Vote for Abortion Rights?
The region has long been characterized as adamantly opposed to abortion rights. But the reality is more complicated. And times are changing.
Texas Country Reporter
July 22, 2022
Quinta Mazatlan Is a Mansion With a Mission
The 1930s estate in McAllen is home to a fifteen-acre wildlife sanctuary that invites visitors to foster conservation corridors in their own backyards.
Politics & Policy
June 23, 2022
A Latina Republican Won in South Texas. So Did a Left-Leaning Latina Democrat.
Victories by Mayra Flores and Michelle Vallejo illustrate the complex crosscurrents at work as the Tejano vote grows and splinters.
Politics & Policy
April 6, 2022
A Democratic Congressman’s Gift to the GOP
By chasing an early retirement and triggering a special election, veteran Rep. Filemon Vela of Brownsville has opened up a big opportunity for Republican candidate Mayra Flores.
Tacos
April 6, 2022
Nuri’s Korean-Mexican Tacos Are at Home on the Fusion-Friendly Border
The McAllen restaurant features tacos stuffed with bulgogi, kimchi, choriqueso, and more, and it’s dedicated to giving back to its community.
Meanwhile, in Texas
March 12, 2022
Meanwhile, in Texas : A Vacation Suite Overlooking a Giraffe Barn Goes Viral
Plus, José Altuve pays a fan a visit, and a woman tries to smuggle four spider monkeys into the U.S. in a duffel bag.
Best Thing in Texas
January 10, 2022
A Rio Grande Valley Woman Just Broke the U.S. Record for Most Birds Spotted in a Year
Tiffany Kersten saw 726 species in 48 states, setting a new record for the mind-boggling achievement birders call a Big Year.
Tacos
September 28, 2021
McAllen’s Neighborhood Molino Pop-up Mixes South Texas Favorites With Pre-Hispanic Traditions
Just don’t say it’s “elevating” Mexican food.
Books
September 15, 2021
How a Western Comic Series Made Me the Texan I Am Today
To me, Garth Ennis's ‘Preacher’ is about growing past juvenile, self-destructive notions of masculinity.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Tex-Mexplainer
July 27, 2021
With 350 Varieties, Tamales Are as Diverse as They Are Delectable
The iconic dish takes myriad forms, including a sixteen-foot giant (available across Texas) and a tamale sandwich.
Film & TV
July 22, 2021
Raúl Castillo Is Ready for His Big Break
The McAllen-bred actor and writer, 43, was a fan favorite on HBO’s ‘Looking.’ Now he’s poised to become an action star.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Dining Guide
June 22, 2021
Dining Guide: Highlights From Our July 2021 Issue
What to order for takeout at restaurants around the state, plus some pro tips.
Dining Guide
June 10, 2021
Dining Guide: Highlights From Our June 2021 Issue
What to order for takeout at restaurants around the state, plus some pro tips.
Meanwhile, in Texas
April 23, 2021
A McAllen Thief Pilfered $400 Worth of Spider-Man Comic Books
He confessed after someone spotted him in surveillance footage.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Dining Guide
April 10, 2021
Dining Guide: Highlights From Our May 2021 Issue
What to order for takeout at restaurants around the state, plus some pro tips.
Tacos
December 30, 2020
Taco News Roundup: Flaco Jiménez Launches a Food Truck Named, of Course, Tacos Jimenez
Plus, Texas tacos hit best of 2020 lists, Houston gets two new taco joints, and Gal Gadot tries Taco Bell.
Tacos
December 10, 2020
Gas Station Tacos Aren’t What You Think
We set the record straight and offer several favorite options to fill your belly while fueling up your tank.
Meanwhile, in Texas
October 14, 2020
Meanwhile, in Texas: An Abilene Man Used a Golf Club to Fish a Snake out of His Toilet
Plus, fifty thousand purple martins descended on a parking lot in McAllen.
Politics & Policy
October 8, 2020
In the Shadow of the Border Wall, Rio Grande Valley ‘Dragtivists’ Fight for Equality
South Texas queens who put on a wig, makeup, and heels are rebelling against a culture that has long been steeped in machismo.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
June 15, 2020
The Pandemic Is Threatening to Close McAllen’s Historic Cine El Rey Forever
The community has united to save the 73-year-old cinema and venue, which did not qualify for federal relief funding.
Being Texan
January 22, 2020
A Snowball’s Chance in South Texas
The Wall Street Journal investigates what happened to the snowballs people froze after a historic 2004 snowfall.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Pat’s Pick
October 16, 2019
Salomé on Main Brings Elevated Mexican Cuisine to McAllen
A revelatory trip four years ago inspired chef Larry Delgado to go back to his roots.
Art
August 27, 2019
‘We Exist, We Have Voices, We Have Stories’: A New Festival Confronts the Borderland’s Complexity
Art and activism intersected at the Rio Grande Valley’s first Encuentro en la Frontera.
Music
August 1, 2019
How McAllen’s New Festival Could Change the Valley’s Music Scene
McAllen’s new arts and music festival has potential to contribute to creative communities, if it’s thoughtful about how to best serve their needs.
Border & Immigration
March 7, 2019
In McAllen, Volunteers From Near and Far Provide Aid to Asylum-Seeking Families
Amid what Border Patrol calls an unsustainable influx, Sister Norma’s Humanitarian Respite Center and its wide network of volunteers continue to provide for all who come through its doors.
Film & TV
January 31, 2019
Catherine Hardwicke Puts a Female Action Hero on the Border in ‘Miss Bala’
A decade ago, she broke box office records with ‘Twilight.’ Now the McAllen-raised director is breaking gender barriers in Hollywood.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Border & Immigration
January 10, 2019
“They Don’t Realize What a Dynamic Place It Is”: Locals Raise Their Voices Amid Border Fight
After years of photo op visits from Democrats and Republicans alike, McAllen mayor Jim Darling and others hope to highlight the region's dynamism and interconnectedness with Mexico.
Border & Immigration
June 19, 2018
A Pediatrician’s View Into a Border Patrol Processing Center
Dr. Marsha Griffin, co-chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics special interest group on immigrant health, tells us what she's seen and what separation traumas could mean in the long term for immigrant children.
By Katy Vine![Katy Vine's Profile Photo]()
Border & Immigration
April 19, 2017
The Urban Pileup Effect of NAFTA
An economic boom in Mexican cities bordering Texas has created an "urban pileup effect." Here's what that looks like.
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.
The Daily Post
August 24, 2015
San Juan Has Banned Car Clubs From Cruising
If cruising is outlawed, only outlaws will cruise.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Texas History
April 1, 2005
Unholy Act
No one in McAllen saw Irene Garza leave Sacred Heart that night in 1960. The next morning, her car was still parked down the street from the church. She never came home.
Music
April 1, 2004
King of the Accordion
You may never have heard of Ramón Ayala, but to his four generations of fans in South Texas and Mexico, he’s music royalty. He revolutionized norteño, a genre that reigns along the border, and—after more than one hundred albums—is still going strong.
Politics & Policy
July 31, 1997
Branded
McAllen’s mayor is Branded a loser for the first time in twenty years.
News & Politics
June 30, 1997
The Comandante
What does McAllen’s Guillermo González Calderoni know about Mexican political corruption—and when will he start talking?
Border & Immigration
February 1, 1987
The Prophets
The border’s self-appointed problem solvers promise new industry, more jobs, and better schools. So why won’t anyone listen to them?
Hunting & Fishing
March 1, 1985
Bring ’Em Back Alive
In darkest South Texas roam two of the world’s most endangered species—the black rhino and the Great White Hunter.
By Jan Reid![Jan Reid's Profile Photo]()
Sports
August 31, 1977
If They Don’t Win It’s A Shame
In the bush leagues, rooting for the home team can be a humbling experience.