Pat’s Pick
July 12, 2022
Hamsa Is About as Close as You’ll Get to Eating in Tel Aviv
Named for the ancient symbol used to ward off danger, the Houston restaurant fuses traditional and modern Israeli cuisine to miraculous effect.
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BBQ Joint Reviews
July 12, 2022
A Revamped Menu and Kitchen Breathe New Life Into This Abilene Joint
With more space and help, the Stearnses have developed a new brisket recipe and house-made sausages to take Jay’s BBQ Shack to the next level.
Texas Country Reporter
July 12, 2022
The 175-Year-Old General Store That Came Back From the Brink
I’ve visited the T. C. Lindsey & Co. General Store multiple times over the years, but our most recent visit was a surprise in the best possible way.
Politics & Policy
July 11, 2022
Tips to Stay Cool During Record Heat and Potential Blackouts in Texas
Experts and an eleventh-generation Texan give advice on how to ensure safety and comfort in extreme heat.
Texas Country Reporter
July 11, 2022
Mister McKinney Is the Ms. Frizzle of Houston History
Okay, so it’s not a magic vehicle, but the fast-talking tour guide covers Houston’s neighborhoods from an open-air school bus.
Energy
July 11, 2022
Bitcoin Miners Could Save the Texas Grid—or Sink It
Our state struggles to serve Texans’ needs on the hottest and coldest days. So why are we welcoming the energy-hogging cryptocurrency industry?
Business
July 8, 2022
How Houston Went From Oil Boomtown to “BoobTown”
Mimi Swartz reflects on her deep dive into Houston’s breast-implant boom and its larger-than-life profiteers.
Texas Country Reporter
July 8, 2022
Mineola Was Home to the Oldest Female Barber in Texas
Getting a haircut in a small town used to be a story-finding strategy for Texas Country Reporter, but the tale of Blanche Harris is one of my favorites.
Tacos
July 8, 2022
Birria Is the Greatest Threat to Taco Culture—and Its Savior
The Instagram-famous tacos are major moneymakers for the restaurants that sell them. But being popular doesn’t always mean being good.
Texas Country Reporter
July 8, 2022
Jimmy Pierce Can Tell a Lot About You From Your Hat
The Hutto-based hatmaker uses decades-old equipment to meticulously customize every hat.
Opinion
July 8, 2022
Opinion: Leaders Blamed the Uvalde Shooting on a Mental Health Crisis. Gun Violence Is Making That Crisis Worse.
Before the shooting at Robb Elementary, Texans had poor access to psychiatric care—and the problem has only gotten worse.
Recipes
July 7, 2022
The Antonia: A Watermelon Cocktail
Taking inspiration from his grandmother, this Laredo bartender concocts a refreshing watermelon-and-mezcal drink with a little bite.
Film & TV
July 7, 2022
Let’s Remember How Great James Caan Was in ‘Bottle Rocket’
The 82-year-old actor, known for playing the heaviest of heavies, was an instrumental part of the movie that launched the careers of Wes Anderson and the Wilson brothers.
Sponsored
July 7, 2022
Training for Emergency Care
HCA Houston Healthcare’s innovative EMS training program strengthens partnerships with Texas communities and improves patient care.
Texas Country Reporter
July 7, 2022
Come for a New Muffler, Stay for the Vintage Toy Collection
Performance Plus in Odessa is an auto shop that doubles as an archive of the toys of yesteryear.
Politics & Policy
July 7, 2022
After the Gun Bill, John Cornyn Is Now Less Popular Than Ted Cruz
Big John’s approval rating has taken a serious blow in the month after the Uvalde shooting—driven largely by Republicans and independents.
Sports
July 7, 2022
NCAA Conference Realignment Got You Down? Blame Texas.
How UT sparked the chain reaction that killed traditional rivalries and created a college sports landscape dominated by super conferences.
Texas Country Reporter
July 7, 2022
For This Lubbock Jewelry Artist, No Two Pieces Are the Same
Dawna Gillespie’s handcrafted earrings and necklaces are truly one of a kind.
BBQ Joint Reviews
July 6, 2022
A Rare Under-the-Radar Austin Joint Serves Lamb Alongside Brisket
B. Cooper Barbecue is still relatively unknown after two-plus years in business, but it’s serving dishes worth discovering, including Mangalitsa pork ribs.
Texas Country Reporter
July 6, 2022
The Lone Locksmith Serving 14,000 Square Miles of West Texas
No matter the time of day or night, Victor Laramore will make keys, rebuild locks, and open doors for a desperate Texan who is having a bad day.
Best Thing in Texas
July 6, 2022
It Takes a Village: San Antonio Shows Up to Celebrate a Local Teen’s Birthday
For Demauriae Bennett, turning fourteen has never looked better.
Style & Design
July 6, 2022
For This Miniature-Obsessed Texas Crafter, No Detail Is Too Small
Sandi Manrig has spent over forty years designing teeny-tiny turtlenecks, minuscule marigolds, and all manner of small-scale scenes.
Politics & Policy
July 5, 2022
You Have Been Sued for Profiling “the Most Hated Woman in America”
Lawrence Wright gives us the story behind his Texas Monthly story on Madalyn Murray O’Hair.
News & Politics
July 5, 2022
Lots of Texans Celebrated the Fourth of July by Accidentally Setting Off Wildfires
Amid worst-in-a-decade drought conditions, fireworks displays from Lubbock to Fort Worth to Houston sparked flames.
Travel & Outdoors
July 5, 2022
View From the Top: A Texas Man Climbs the State’s 10 Tallest Peaks
Rafael Mujica bushwhacked, scrambled, and backcountry climbed his way to an achievement he says no one else has completed.
Travel & Outdoors
July 5, 2022
You Should Take a Soak in Marlin, the “Hot Mineral Water City of Texas”
Professional baseball teams once traveled here in search of healing waters
Libations
July 1, 2022
Martin House Brewing Is At It Again With a Barbecue Sauce–Flavored Beer
The Fort Worth–based company has come out with another unusual, savory beer, this time in collaboration with Weatherford’s T&D Barbecue.
Politics & Policy
June 30, 2022
The Supreme Court Rules for Biden Over Texas. But the Dangers for Migrants Remain.
Thursday’s decision won’t stop the border crisis or the kinds of deaths we saw on Monday.
Libations
June 30, 2022
Are Age-Exclusive Bars the Way of the Future?
Two bars in San Antonio are blazing a new, mellower trail, one where being 21 and legally able to drink won't get you very far.
Politics & Policy
June 30, 2022
The Proud Boys Want to Enlist a New Recruit: Bucky the Beaver
The lovable Buc-ee’s mascot appears to be the latest victim of “hatejacking,” when an extremist group adopts a popular brand to advance its agenda.
Politics & Policy
June 29, 2022
The Tragedy in San Antonio Was Part of a Historic Migrant Death Crisis
Border crossers are perishing in trucks, in the Rio Grande, in falls from border walls, and in remote locations. And neither Greg Abbott nor Joe Biden has a serious solution.
Tacos
June 29, 2022
This San Antonio Joint Might Serve the Best Tacos al Pastor in Texas
El Pastor Es Mi Señor follows the Mexico City tradition of trompo cooking, which yields beautiful pork and sirloin in tacos, salads, tortas, and more.
Energy
June 29, 2022
An Oil Well Off Padre Island Leaked for Months Before It Was Plugged
Patching it cost the state $1.6 million. Many others are similarly falling into disrepair, and the agencies charged with their oversight are doing nothing about them.
Politics & Policy
June 28, 2022
Ken Paxton Wants to Ban Abortions Before Texas’s Trigger Law Kicks In. A Judge Has Said No, for Now.
Some clinics are resuming abortion services while waiting for the state’s trigger law to go into effect. Paxton says he’ll appeal.
Sponsored
June 28, 2022
How the Donation Process Works
When Texans say yes to organ, eye and tissue donation, they’re making a commitment to help others. In fact, one person can save and heal up to 75 lives or more through these generous gifts! If you’ve ever wondered how the decision to be a donor translates to lives saved,
News & Politics
June 28, 2022
‘It’s An Earthquake’: This Texas Author Has Long Predicted Our Post-Roe Reality
Merritt Tierce, writer of the viral essay “The Abortion I Didn’t Have” and lauded novel ‘Love Me Back,’ speaks to our “hateful, ominous” moment.
Style & Design
June 28, 2022
Is This the Largest Western Wear Shop in the World? An Investigation
Justin Discount Boots has never been challenged on its self-given, prestigious title—until now.
Sponsored
June 28, 2022
Donate Life Texas is Fixin’ to Save Lives
Organ, eye and tissue donation is a unique area of medicine that depends on both medical expertise and humanity. Even with cutting edge technological advancements, transplants are only possible because someone said yes to helping someone else – often, a stranger.“It’s an incredible gift,” says Chad Carroll, Executive Director of
Sponsored
June 28, 2022
Texans Say Yes and Save Lives
Jordan Santiago, affectionately known to his family and friends as Santi, was a high achiever with a heart of gold. Though he traveled the world extensively, it was to Texas he returned as he settled into his career as an accountant at PwC in Dallas. At 25 years old, he
Sponsored
June 28, 2022
It’s a Blessing to Donate Life
Dot was 40 years old when she was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), which is essentially scarring of the lung tissue. A devastating diagnosis that felt like a death sentence, she was told that the only thing that could save her was a lung transplant.
Best Thing in Texas
June 28, 2022
The Little Turtles That Could: 45 Endangered Sea Turtles Hatch in Texas
“It really is one of the greatest wildlife-conservation successes of our time here in Texas.”
Politics & Policy
June 28, 2022
An Afghan Family Came to San Antonio Seeking a Safer Future. Then Their Child Went Missing.
Six months ago, three year-old Lina Sardar Khil disappeared. The search for her has been hampered by Islamophobia.
Health
June 28, 2022
A New Diabetes Drug Could Help Many in the Rio Grande Valley—If They Can Afford It
Mounjaro is a potential lifesaver in a region with a high rate of obesity. Its price tag may prevent many from accessing it.
Politics & Policy
June 28, 2022
Ten Years of Magical Thinking
Gilberto Hinojosa has led the Texas Democratic Party through a decade of failure. Some Democrats think that’s long enough.
The Stand Up Desk
June 27, 2022
What Stephen Harrigan’s Late-’80s Reporting Prophesied for Galveston Bay
“Your article may be an epitaph,” the then-president of the Houston Audubon Society told the writer.
Best Thing in Texas
June 27, 2022
An Indiana Man Put a (Smoke) Ring on It at Franklin Barbecue
A road trip from the Midwest to Austin culminated in Matt McKinney on bended knee in the pit room of the most famous joint in Texas.
Sports
June 27, 2022
The Rise and Rise of Texas-Based BMX Superstar Brad Simms
When early pandemic lockdowns led to empty streets, Simms, a leader among Black BMX riders, catapulted himself to social media fame.
Politics & Policy
June 27, 2022
The Rogue Court That Paved the Way for Roe’s Demise
The Fifth Circuit is led by four judges who got their start in Texas politics. For these activists, overturning the right to an abortion is only the beginning.
Politics & Policy
June 24, 2022
Freedom Is Now More Fragile in Texas
Democrats are bracing for attacks on contraception, in vitro fertilization, and other reproductive and sexual rights.
Sports
June 24, 2022
Arch Manning Might Be Good Enough to Save Texas Football From Itself
No team does less with more quite like the Longhorns do, but even UT shouldn’t be able to spoil the next great Manning quarterback.