This Barbecue Joint Uses Brick Pits From 1935 Alongside a New Smoker
Even though Pizzitola's—formerly known as Shepherd Drive Bar-B-Q—embraces tradition, the Houston establishment isn't afraid of modernity.
Houston
Travel & Outdoors
April 26, 2022
I Operated an Excavator All by Myself at Texas’s First Construction Theme Park
At Dig World, in Katy, anyone can drive a utility vehicle or go wild in a skid steer.
Travel Guides
April 22, 2022
Houston City Guide
Your curated travel guide to Houston, featuring where to eat and drink, stay, explore, and more.
Tacos
April 14, 2022
The Houston Taco Trail
There's a taste of everything in this city, from upscale Mexican cuisine to trucks specializing in globally inspired delights.
Pat’s Pick
April 13, 2022
From Church Cookbooks to Houston’s Culinary Scene
“We are just scratching the surface of what we can learn about Texas food,” says Wild Oats chef Nick Fine.
Sports
April 6, 2022
H-Town United: An Unlikely Soccer Power Rises in Texas
At Elsik High School, students from Honduras, Senegal, Houston, and most places in between form the best boys soccer team you've never heard of.
BBQ Joint Reviews
March 9, 2022
Old Meets New at Houston’s Latest Gem, J-Bar-M BBQ
An upstart couple in the kitchen teams up with a nonagenarian owner for a restaurant that doesn't miss a beat, from sides to meats to desserts.
BBQ Joint Reviews
March 4, 2022
Bexar Barbecue Solidifies Tomball as a Smoked-Meat Destination
The couple behind the joint, Justin and Kathryn Haecker, have even hacked their way to cheaper beef by starting their own cattle operation.
Film & TV
February 9, 2022
Houston’s River Oaks Theatre Escapes Demolition—And Will Probably Get a Better Cocktail Menu
A grassroots campaign—and a multibillion-dollar corporate real estate acquisition—kept the bulldozers away.
Art
January 5, 2022
Fred Baldwin’s Life Was Worth 1,000 Pictures
Baldwin, who died in December, fought in Korea, met Picasso, traveled the world, and, with his wife, Wendy Watriss, made Houston a photography capital.
Art
December 6, 2021
Black Southern Music and Art Merge in “The Dirty South”
This revelatory show at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston finds the beat between gospel, blues, jazz, and visual art.
Politics & Policy
November 24, 2021
Who’s To Blame for Astroworld? Anybody but Us, Say Houston Officials.
In the wake of the deadly Travis Scott concert, Bayou City and Harris County politicians have formed a circular firing squad.
True Crime
November 17, 2021
The Notorious Mrs. Mossler
In “the trial of the century,” a Houston socialite was accused of plotting her husband's murder—and of having an affair with her nephew. But Candace Mossler was only getting started.
Pat’s Pick
November 16, 2021
Superstar Chef Hugo Ortega’s New Restaurant Is His Most Personal Venture Yet
At his latest restaurant, Texas’s most celebrated Mexican chef teams up with close relations to revisit the street food of his youth.
Texas History
October 29, 2021
Houston’s First Black Cemetery Was Neglected For Decades. One Group Is Leading Its Rejuvenation.
Olivewood Cemetery is the resting ground of many Houston trailblazers and an important piece of the history of the African diaspora.
Arts & Entertainment
October 20, 2021
Can Harper Watters Make Ballet Matter Again?
The Houston social media influencer is a gay Black man with a gift for the absurd and a passion for platform heels. He’s also a star dancer in one of the world’s most rigid, gendered, and segregated art forms.
Art
September 15, 2021
One of the Country’s First Racially Integrated Fine Art Shows Gets an Overdue Update
A new exhibit in Houston's Fifth Ward is an homage to—and a critique of—one of the country's first racially integrated art shows.
Film & TV
August 5, 2021
‘Playing God’ Captures a Houston Rarely Seen on Screen
The debut feature from Scott Brignac, starring Alan Tudyk and Michael McKean, argues for Houston's place among film’s default “big cities."
State of Mind
July 21, 2021
State of Mind, Episode 6: Planting Wildflowers in a Pandemic
The poet and performer Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton on risking new connections with nature during a year of tragedy.
Being Texan
June 29, 2021
The Past and Future of One of Houston’s Most Historic Gay Bars
Former Montrose bar Mary’s...Naturally! served as the site of raucous parties, AIDS-era organizing, and even a final resting place for patrons. This Pride Month, a new exhibit reckons with the bar’s legacy for today's queer community.
Art
June 17, 2021
One Person’s Street Junk Is Jesse Lott’s Fine Art
A 2022 Texas state artist makes his life work from Houston's urban frontier.
Art
May 25, 2021
Would the Real Toeflop Please Stand Up?
The prolific graffiti writer has tagged his or her (or their) name across Houston, Austin, and beyond, as followers and police sift through clues about the artist's identity.
Meanwhile in Texas
May 10, 2021
A Brief History of Tigers on the Loose in Texas, 2021 Edition
Joe Exotic has a lot of competition. The big cat seen roaming a Houston neighborhood this week is just the latest.
Border & Immigration
May 1, 2021
Ed Gonzalez Has Spent Years Fighting ICE. President Biden Just Nominated Him to Run the Agency.
The Harris County sheriff has been overshadowed by more-vocal Houston officials, but he’s earned a reputation as an effective reformer.
Meanwhile in Texas
April 28, 2021
How Now, Escaped Cow? And Later, Gator. Two Loose Critters Snarl Houston Traffic.
The unrelated incidents both ended safely for the animals.
Politics & Policy
April 3, 2021
Forty-seven Days Without Running Water After the Winter Storm—and Counting
In Houston’s Third Ward, where some residents’ homes were extensively damaged, a fight for repairs has reached a breaking point.
Art
March 31, 2021
Donkeeboy and Donkeemom Brighten Houston With Their Art
Video: The mother-son team are behind some of the city's most colorful murals.
Tacos
March 25, 2021
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: March 31 Will Be World Taco Day in Houston
It might sound like just another PR stunt—but for Picos, which was recently targeted by anti-immigrant threats, the holiday is a celebration of resilience.
Business
March 24, 2021
A Tale of Two Houston Restaurants—One That Requires Masks and Its Neighbor That Doesn’t
Roma and D'Amico's, Italian eateries in the Rice Village, have taken opposite approaches after Greg Abbott lifted pandemic-era restrictions on businesses. Both establishments' owners say they're looking out for staff.
Art
March 23, 2021
A New, (Literally) Underground Art Installation in a Houston Cistern Reflects Our Lost-in-Space Pandemic Moment
Anri Sala’s immersive work is an eerily out-of-time experience.
Style & Design
March 18, 2021
John S. Chase’s Extraordinary Modernist Home Helped Shape Houston’s Political and Architectural History
The trailblazing architect designed, among many other buildings, a fabulous house where he and his family hosted the likes of Muhammad Ali and Ann Richards.
Politics & Policy
March 17, 2021
Why Is Art Acevedo Leaving Houston?
Political insiders say the police chief’s move to Miami follows a turbulent year in which his hopes of being elected mayor began to look delusional.
Meanwhile in Texas
March 17, 2021
A Pair of Thieves Broke Into a Houston Art Museum, Then Escaped by Boat
They didn’t manage to steal any art, but they did vanish into a storm drain.
Politics & Policy
March 17, 2021
They Couldn’t Show Up to Court in Person. Their Evictions Proceeded Anyway.
Houston has become a hot spot for pandemic removal proceedings. For tenants such as Evelyn Powers, relief has been hard to come by.
Sponsored
December 18, 2020
Top Texas Wine: Ron Yates
Ron Yates Tempranillo, Friesen Vineyard, Texas High Plains, 2017, was named Top Texas Wine at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ 2021 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition held Nov. 13-15 at NRG Center in Houston.
Art
November 20, 2020
At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, an Impressive New Exhibition Space Opens Amid Hard Times
After decades of planning, the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building will open this weekend as a showcase of modern and contemporary art.
Books
November 20, 2020
The Thrills of Houston’s 1970s-Era Friday Night Wrestling Come Alive in a Stunning Photo Book
Nearly fifty years ago, photographer Geoff Winningham spent months documenting wrestlers, and the fans who cheered them on, for his book ‘Friday Night in the Coliseum.’
Politics & Policy
October 16, 2020
Lizzie Fletcher’s 2018 Victory in TX-7 Proved Democrats Could Win in the Texas Suburbs. Can the GOP Take the Seat Back?
In the district just west of Houston, Republican challenger Wesley Hunt's campaign has focused on his opposition to the Green New Deal.
Politics & Policy
September 16, 2020
Build the Ike Dike!
Instead of wasting time on tiresome culture wars, Texas’s political leaders ought to be thinking big. They could start by saving Houston from disaster.
News & Politics
September 3, 2020
Why ‘Black Lives Matter’ Is So Divisive for Houston’s Vietnamese American Community
I’ve watched some of my elders espouse anti-Black hatred. Instead of blaming them, we should acknowledge the traumas that have shaped their views, and recognize the systems that failed us.
Politics & Policy
August 28, 2020
Yes, This Interchange in Houston Is the Same Size as an Entire City Center in Italy
Siena, Italy, crams 30,000 people into the amount of space occupied by a five-stack interchange in the Bayou City.
News & Politics
July 17, 2020
I’ve Spent Years Protecting My Students. When Classes Resume, Who Will Protect Me?
As Texas schools look to reopen this fall, I am unsure how to keep myself and the children I look after safe.
News & Politics
July 14, 2020
HISD Offered to Help Employees Create Wills. Teachers Were Not Happy.
The message arrives at a time when anxious Houston teachers are deciding whether to return to classrooms as COVID-19 surges.
Music
July 14, 2020
A Lifelong Rock Music Aficionado on Finally Seeing Her Icons Embrace Blackness
After years of feeling isolated in my fandom, witnessing my favorite bands supporting Black Lives Matter has been both meaningful and conflicting.
Tacos
July 14, 2020
This Cajun Tex-Mex Taco Truck Is a True Taste of Houston
At EaDeaux's Cajun Cocina, the tacos come filled with gumbo, etouffee, or boudin.
Business
July 13, 2020
Is Your Business Violating Coronavirus Protocols? This Facebook Group Will Expose You
"Shame is a powerful tool," says Kelly Ingram, the founder of Houston's COVID—Call Outs Group.
Art
July 9, 2020
A Look at MFAH’s ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’ Exhibit
The new Houston museum show exemplifies art as both revolution and witness, writes a Houston poet laureate.
Music
July 3, 2020
This Radio Station Has Served Blind Texans for More Than 50 Years
For many listeners, Houston’s Sight into Sound is more than a radio station.
Music
July 1, 2020
How an Instrumental Trio Became One of Houston’s Most Popular Rock Bands
Khruangbin draws from a vast palette of sounds and traditions, making them a quintessentially Texan band.
Being Texan
June 30, 2020
To Love Houston Is to Accept That Making Sense of It Is Futile
Just as my husband and I were moving away from the city, we found ourselves embracing our adopted hometown.