Tex-Mexplainer
November 13, 2023
Meet Aguachile, Ceviche’s Hotter Cousin
Don’t take aguachile’s lightness for weakness. The spicy dish packs a punch.
Mexican Food
Latest
1-50 of 85 Articles
Tex-Mexplainer
September 8, 2023
Mexican Sushi Is Rolling Across the Border
After Japanese laborers emigrated to Mexico in the nineteenth century, a culinary merger eventually resulted in nori stuffed with carne asada.
Travel & Outdoors
August 10, 2023
Oaxaca Is More Than Mezcal and Mole
How to weave your way through this magical Mexican destination.
Texas Country Reporter
April 30, 2023
The Beginnings of Casa Rio: A Piece of San Antonio Tex-Mex History
The restaurant's owner, Bill Lyons, reflects on how far the restaurant has come since its doors opened in 1946.
Tacos
January 18, 2023
Meet the Couple Behind the Tropical Taqueria in East Texas
Rogelio and Carrie Tellez combine the cuisines of their Mexican and Pacific Islander roots at a restaurant that serves tacos unlike any others in Texas.
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.
Pat’s Pick
December 13, 2022
Revolver Taco Lounge Gastro Cantina Hits the Bull’s-eye
The latest from Regino Rojas is fun and festive, but the food’s not fooling around.
Travel & Outdoors
December 7, 2022
How to Eat Your Way Across Mexico City
Three newcomers and five mainstays that you won’t want to miss.
Tacos
December 1, 2022
My Favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex Bites of 2022
After two years of interrupted travel, taco editor José R. Ralat hit the road full force this year and has a best-of list of a whopping 25 dishes to prove it.
Tacos
October 8, 2022
What Your Favorite Mexican Ice Cream Says About You
From mamey to nuez, the varied flavors found at Mexican ice cream shops around the state make for a pretty accurate personality test.
By Kimya Kavehkar![Kimya Kavehkar's Profile Photo]()
![José R. Ralat's Profile Photo]()
Tex-Mexplainer
September 29, 2022
Affordable and Portable, Gorditas Are Ready for the Spotlight
The filled masa cakes have long been in the shadow of another comfort food (ahem, tacos), but Texas taquerias are now showcasing them in diverse, interesting ways.
Pat’s Pick
August 16, 2022
The King of Cabrito Sets Up Shop in Cowtown
If you were charmed by Juan Ramón Cárdenas in ‘The Taco Chronicles,’ you’ll want to make your way to Don Artemio.
Food & Drink
July 25, 2022
Cookbook Author and Culinary Anthropologist Diana Kennedy Dies at 99 in Mexico
Throughout her fifty-year career, the English-born cook influenced—and even advised—chefs of some of Texas’s best Mexican restaurants.
Pat’s Pick
May 9, 2022
The Mexican Aims to “Bring the Best of Mexico to Dallas”
With 15,000 square feet, three private dining rooms, and one tequila sommelier, this Dallas restaurant is as lavish as it gets.
Tacos
May 9, 2022
Why Serve $250 Margaritas Alongside Industrial Tortillas?
The Mexican, a fancy new restaurant in Dallas, aims for authenticity but isn’t using proper masa.
Tex-Mexplainer
April 27, 2022
Tetelas Are the Tasty Triangles You Need to Try Right Now
The ancient snack has found new prominence on Texas menus, thanks to enterprising chefs stamping it with their own creativity.
Texas Country Reporter
April 20, 2022
Frank’s Cafe in Hebbronville Is a 100-Year-Old Texas Treasure
The Gutierrez family still runs the South Texas cafe, specializing in Mexican recipes passed down for generations.
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.
BBQ Joint Reviews
March 14, 2022
Get a Taste of Texas’s Varied Regions at Burro & Bull in Cypress
After moving to the burbs, this barbecue joint is getting more adventurous with menu items like brisket enchiladas and fideo.
The Texanist
January 18, 2022
The Texanist: What’s the Difference Between Tex-Mex and Mexican Food?
A transplant from California wades into an age-old culinary debate.
Tacos
December 1, 2021
My Favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex Bites of 2021
A prickly pear cookie, a revelatory bowl of birria ramen, and twelve other extraordinary things our taco editor tasted this 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.
Tacos
September 3, 2021
Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman Creates Modern Mexican Magic in Dallas
The chef's special tacos—think lobster tail draped with mole verde and maitake mushrooms topped with burrata and pickled peppers—make José on Lovers a must-visit.
Books
August 20, 2021
TM Recommends: Read a Dane’s Assessment of Texas Culture
Plus: Some yummy Mexican pastries in Austin and an early collection of Sandra Cisneros poetry.
Tacos
June 14, 2021
Houston’s Tres Artfully Blends Mexican and Middle Eastern Food
Don’t miss the Hummus a la Mexicana.
Recipes
May 11, 2021
Chile Verde–Braised Pork Riblets and Fava Beans
This vibrant springtime dish, created by Mixtli’s Rico Torres, is the chef’s go-to Sunday supper all season long.
Tacos
April 29, 2021
11 Great Texas Taquerias Owned by Women
This niche of the food industry is still male dominated, but women have always done the real work behind the scenes.
Tex-Mexplainer
March 31, 2021
Live a Little and Try Crunching on Chapulines, or Roasted Grasshoppers
This Oaxacan delicacy is starting to swarm across Texas.
Food & Drink
March 29, 2021
Inside the Red-Hot Rise of Chilito Candy
Chile-coated Skittles, pickles doused in chamoy, and extra-spicy Gushers: Tejano dulceros are setting the internet on fire with new interpretations of the classic Mexican treats.
Tacos
August 14, 2020
Tex-Mexplainer: Nixtamalization Is the 3,500-Year-Old Secret to Great Tortillas
More and more Texas chefs are reconnecting with their roots by making artisan tortillas from scratch.
Tex-Mexplainer
July 29, 2020
Tex-Mexplainer: Huitlacoche Is Misunderstood, but It Should Be Prized
The truffle of Mexico, this culinary delicacy—sometimes called "black gold"—is treasured by taqueros and chefs.
Food & Drink
July 27, 2020
This San Antonio Bakery Will Ship Pastries to Your Door—Wherever You Live in Texas
Three words: tequila almond croissant.
Tacos
June 2, 2020
In Amarillo, a Mexican Restaurant Named “Big Beaners” Provokes Controversy
After complaints, the owner says he’s not changing the name or logo.
Recipes
May 18, 2020
Rio Grande Valley Arroz con Pollo, From ‘The Enchilada Queen Cookbook’
Sylvia Casares returns to her Brownsville roots with this frontera-style family dish.
Tacos
May 14, 2020
Taco News Roundup: Restaurant Reopenings, Representation (or a Lack Thereof), and a Taco Robot
Plus: the history of Sweden's “Taco Friday.”
Tacos
April 30, 2020
Taco News Roundup: Cinco de Mayo Freebies, Tortilla Fashion, and ‘The Meech’
Good news for those missing Major League Baseball: you can still get your stadium food.
The National Podcast of Texas
December 19, 2019
Aarón Sánchez: “You Can Instantly Judge a Mexican Restaurant on Three Things: Tortillas, Margaritas, Guacamole.”
On the National Podcast of Texas, the El Paso native and celebrity chef on the tradition and future of Mexican food, immigration, and #metoo.
Books
December 2, 2019
Chef Aarón Sánchez Hasn’t Forgotten His Texas Roots
The El Paso native and celebrity chef is coming home in support of his new memoir, ‘Where I Come From.’
Tacos
October 29, 2019
Taco of the Week: Discada at Discada
A northern Mexican specialty gets a Mexico City twist in Central Texas.
Tacos
October 22, 2019
Taco of the Week: the Bird’s Nest at Bad Spanish
This Tarrant County taco pop-up treats its vegetarian options as seriously as its meat offerings.
Tacos
October 18, 2019
The Pizza al Pastor at Black Cat Pizza Is Why Pineapple Belongs on Pizza
Purists, be prepared to have your minds changed by the Fort Worth pizzeria.
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.
Food & Drink
October 16, 2019
Celebrating the Border’s Fusion of Cuisine and Culture in El Paso and Juárez
A pair of Mexico City’s best-known chefs team up to host benefit dinners that shine a light on all that unites this binational community.
Pat’s Pick
May 29, 2019
Austin’s Comedor Serves Up Visionary Mexican Cuisine
Chefs Philip Speer, Gabe Erales, and Alan Delgado honor their border roots with a decidedly modern menu at Comedor in Downtown Austin.
Books
May 20, 2019
Diana Kennedy Reflects on a Lifetime of Changing the Way Americans See Mexican Food
The fiercely passionate author, now 96, recently donated her extensive archives and rare cookbooks to UTSA.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Being Texan
December 23, 2017
Love and Masa: 45 Years of One Family’s Tamalada
Using their grandmother’s recipe—and a ranking system—the Ruiz women have gathered since 1972 to make tamales and strengthen ties.
By Kathy Blackwell![Kathy Blackwell's Profile Photo]()
Recipes
January 25, 2017
Carne Guisada
Get on the gravy train.
Business
February 9, 2015
McDonald’s Thinks “Tamales Are a Thing of the Past,” McBurritos Are Where It’s At
Gross.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Recipes
July 16, 2014
Puffy Tacos
Oil, masa, air bubbles, and the filling of your choice—do you really need anything else?
Food & Drink
February 11, 2014
Sea Change
Hugo Ortega’s new restaurant puts a sophisticated spin on interior-Mexican seafood.