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Arts & Entertainment
July 23, 2021
Time-Travel to 1920s El Paso at the Gardner Hotel
Plus: guitarist Cameron Knowler’s new album, Connie Britton in ‘The White Lotus,’ and a good ol’ country drive.
Tacos
July 22, 2021
Farewell to El Paso’s H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop
At this old-school spot, you could get your dusty pickup washed while munching on a taco or an omelet.
Business
July 22, 2021
How This Sad Barbecue Tray Became a Meme, Then an Artwork, Then a Cash Cow
After years of online mocking by barbecue fans, “Brooklyn BBQ” is now being auctioned as an NFT. The starting bid is about $10,000.
Sports
July 22, 2021
Texas and Oklahoma Joining the SEC Would Kill the Big 12
The reported move would mean big bucks for the Longhorns and the Sooners, while leaving Baylor, Texas Tech, and TCU out in the cold.
Sports
July 22, 2021
After the World’s Shortest Retirement, UT Swim Coach Comes Back for More
Four decades on the job and 15 national championships apparently weren't enough for 80-year-old Eddie Reese.
Music
July 22, 2021
On the ‘Geto Boys Reloaded’ Podcast, It’s the Message, Not the Music
Pioneering Houston rappers Willie D and Scarface reunite for a show that’s all about their community, not about them.
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.
The Stand Up Desk
July 21, 2021
From the Editor: Powerful Storytellers
Mike Hall was recently honored for his incisive coverage of the Texas legal system, while Casey Gerald brought a singular voice to our cover story on Fort Worth singer-songwriter Leon Bridges.
BBQ
July 21, 2021
Mac’s Bar-B-Que in Dallas Will Close After 66 Years
The Dallas barbecue institution will serve its last chopped-brisket sandwich sometime next week. Proprietor Billy McDonald couldn’t be happier about it.
Music
July 21, 2021
Mary McCoy Keeps Texas Country Radio’s Golden Age Alive
After seven decades behind the mic, the Conroe deejay still spins the sort of country records they just don’t make anymore—for a town that barely resembles the one she grew up in.
The Stand Up Desk
July 21, 2021
Roar of the Crowd: August 2021
Reader letters published in our August 2021 issue.
Sports
July 21, 2021
How Simone Biles Turned World Champions Centre Into America’s Best Gym
The Olympic champion has attracted some of the country’s top gymnasts to her family-owned facility near Houston.
Film & TV
July 20, 2021
Thirty Years After ‘Slacker,’ the Film Is an Austin Time Capsule—And a Hopeful Tribute to Its Spirit
Richard Linklater’s film belongs in the canon of great Texas cinema.
News & Politics
July 20, 2021
What It Was Like Watching Blue Origin’s Launch From Highway 54 in Van Horn
Residents of the small West Texas town welcomed a surge of space enthusiasts and media, as billionaire Jeff Bezos traveled 100 kilometers above the surface of Earth.
Being Texan
July 20, 2021
In Mobile City, Everybody Knows Your Name
Mobile City was incorporated in the early nineties to facilitate alcohol sales in a dry county. Now residents—especially its devoted mayor—fear for the fate of their accidental utopia.
Food & Drink
July 20, 2021
Recipe: This Berry-Based Cocktail Is Summer in a (Collins) Glass
Meet the Under the Texan Sun, a crisp, refreshing nod to the season.
Books
July 20, 2021
Announcing Our New Book, ‘Being Texan’
The book for anyone who has ever felt the lure of the Lone Star State, already loves it, or simply wants to make sense of the place.
Sports
July 20, 2021
Med School Can Wait. Texas’s Hurley Sisters Still Have Medals to Win.
The fencing duo from San Antonio took bronze in 2012, and this summer in Tokyo, they’re seeking even greater Olympic glory.
News & Politics
July 19, 2021
With Excess Doses, El Paso Is Giving the Vaccine to Mexican Truckers Crossing the Border
As El Paso tries to avoid a new COVID-19 wave, most Juárez residents can't travel into the States for the jab.
Sports
July 19, 2021
Three Former Longhorns Almost Stole the Show at the British Open
Onetime UT golfers Jordan Spieth, Dylan Frittelli, and Scottie Sheffler all finished in the top ten at the PGA Tour event.
Food & Drink
July 19, 2021
The 8 Best Vegan Quesos in Texas
These cashew-based quesos held up to my memories of their cheesy predecessors.
Music
July 19, 2021
How Going Home Helped Inspire Leon Bridges’s New Album—And Saved His Life
“ ... I’m not handsome enough to be here, I’m not a good enough songwriter. Just feeling like I didn’t deserve to be in the position that was handed to me.”
News & Politics
July 19, 2021
Texas Restaurant Workers Are in Short Supply—And That Gives Them New Leverage
Many owners blame staff shortages on laziness and government handouts. Employees reply that their bosses should behave like rational capitalists and boost wages and working conditions.
BBQ Joint Reviews
July 16, 2021
Jefe’s Tex-Mex BBQ Successfully Combines the Two Most Texan Cuisines
The Fort Worth barbecue truck blends styles with well-smoked brisket tacos, smacking good pork ribs, and more.
Meanwhile in Texas
July 16, 2021
Meanwhile, in Texas: An Alligator Traveled 400 Miles to Padre Island
Plus, a thirty-year-old woman in El Paso County posed as her thirteen-year-old daughter to attend middle school.
Hunting & Fishing
July 16, 2021
For Crowd-Free Fly-fishing, Go East . . . to East Texas, That Is
The Hill Country offers fast-flowing streams and some nice bass. But for solitude and diversity of species, the creeks and bayous east of I-45 can’t be beat.
Health
July 16, 2021
Can This Houston-Born COVID Vaccine Save the Developing World?
For low-income countries, the less-expensive, easier-to-make Corbevax could prove a godsend.
Food & Drink
July 15, 2021
Dining Guide: Highlights From Our August 2021 Issue
Texas Monthly adds and updates approximately sixty restaurant listings to our Dining Guide each month. There’s limited space in the print issue, but the entire searchable guide to the best of Texas cuisine is at your fingertips online! Below are a few highlights from the new restaurants reviewed in
Art
July 15, 2021
Houston Artist Jamal Cyrus’s Playful, Subversive Vision of Black History
His works incorporate redacted FBI documents, vintage records, and a saxophone deep-fried like a chicken wing.
Film & TV
July 15, 2021
‘Dr. Death’ Condemns Christopher Duntsch, but the Real Culprit Is Texas’s Broken Health-Care System
I helped break the story on the convicted surgeon, but Peacock’s dramatized series made me reconsider how I wrote about the case.
BBQ Joint Reviews
July 15, 2021
A Lubbock Barbecue Institution Steps Bravely Into the Bark-on-Brisket Present
Since taking over Tom & Bingo’s Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q in 2017, Ian Timmons has paid homage to the restaurant’s half century of legacy while serving some of the region’s best brisket.
Sports
July 15, 2021
Boo ’Em All You Want: These Astros Keep Winning
The sign-stealing scandal won’t stop hounding Houston, and the 55–36 Astros are responding with the only thing they can control: their play.
Texas History
July 15, 2021
The LBJ Library’s New Lady Bird Exhibit Is a Delight
The former first lady is best known for her love of wildflowers, but this peaceful, dreamy show reveals much more.
Being Texan
July 15, 2021
The Return of Liz Lambert
She was born into West Texas ranching royalty and found fame by building a hotel empire. Then she was ousted from her company. Now, for her next act . . .
Film & TV
July 14, 2021
Everything We Know So Far About Wes Anderson’s ‘The French Dispatch’
At Cannes, the Houston native’s latest inspired a nine-minute standing ovation and equally fawning reviews.
Arts & Entertainment
July 14, 2021
Art Blocks Brings Big Money to Artists Who Paint With Code
The Houston-based website makes use of blockchain technology—and an element of surprise—to attract a sizable new audience for computer-generated works.
The Texanist
July 14, 2021
The Texanist: How Do You Pronounce All Those Weird Texas Town Names?
A Dallas man is flummoxed by Quitaque. And Danevang, and Jiba, and Study Butte, and Zuehl . . .
Food & Drink
July 14, 2021
Recipe: Lime Agua Fresca
This cooling, rejuvenating summer drink is made up of four ingredients that you already have at home: water, lime juice, ice, and sugar.
Politics & Policy
July 13, 2021
The Democratic Quorum Break Puts Greg Abbott in a Bind
Primary challengers say Texas’s governor is weak. The failure to pass new restrictions on voting, a GOP priority, will add fuel to their criticism.
Politics & Policy
July 13, 2021
Killing Reagan: How American Conservatives Replaced Their Heroes With Trump
At a conservative gathering in Texas, two Florida Men are the winners, while the movement itself seems adrift.
Critters
July 13, 2021
The Pandemic Pups Are Not All Right
As dog owners return to offices, pets are struggling with separation anxiety. We asked Texas dog trainers for their best advice.
Film & TV
July 13, 2021
Nava Mau Shines (and Subverts Transgender Stereotypes) on HBO’s ‘Genera+ion’
“When stories about trans people are created by trans people, it opens up a world of possibilities,” says the San Antonio–raised actress.
Sports
July 13, 2021
How Colton Cowser Became the Surprise Top-Five Pick of the MLB Draft
Sam Houston was his only Division I offer coming out of high school. Three years later, the outfielder from Cypress is headed to the Majors.
Sports
July 13, 2021
Teenage Skateboarding Sensation Jordan Santana Rides for Texas
The 17-year-old from Houston is one of only a handful of women who've ever successfully landed a 540-degree aerial spin during competition.
Pat's Pick
July 13, 2021
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait for a Reservation at Lutie’s
With a lush setting and a vegetable-forward menu, the showcase restaurant of the Commodore Perry Estate, Texas’s only Auberge Resort, has Austinites crashing the garden gates.
Sponsored
July 13, 2021
Every Second Counts
Yves was only 18 when he suffered from a stroke that almost took his life.
TM BBQ Club
July 13, 2021
Burning Questions With Ray’s BBQ Shack
Ray Busch’s barbecue obsession, coupled with his Houston pride, makes Ray’s BBQ Shack the go-to joint for traditional H-Town barbecue. Tell me about the first person who taught you about barbecue. Mr. River Falls was a Houston legend back in the sixties, seventies, and eighties. He taught me everything
Politics & Policy
July 12, 2021
Behind the Scenes of the Latest Walkout by Texas Democrats Over Proposed New Restrictions on Voting
Out of options in Austin, House Democrats fly to Washington, D.C., where they plan to press Congress to pass federal legislation protecting ballot access.
Sponsored
July 12, 2021
Chef Brandon Mooney carries on the West Texas tradition of blazing new trails at Macaroni Joe’s
If you know anything about Texas, and West Texas in particular, you probably know that nothing comes easy around those parts. Just as it has been for centuries for Native tribes and early Western settlers on the hard land, success requires endless effort combined with the right mix of respect