Tex-Mexplainer
March 13, 2024
Stuffed Avocados Are Back, Baby
While the dish might have reached its peak several decades ago, it's going through a resurgence, with restaurants putting the classic on their menus.
Tex-Mex
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1-50 of 83 Articles
Tacos
March 7, 2024
Phoenix Is for Tex-Mex Lovers
A visit to Arizona’s capital shows how the Southwestern state celebrates Texas’s beloved cuisine and border food.
Tacos
January 12, 2024
San Antonio Should Stop Worrying and Learn to Accept Austin’s Tacos
A taco media battle has raged since 2016, with the Alamo City constantly on the defensive. Eight years in, I suggest a different tactic.
Tacos
January 3, 2024
A Houston Bishop Squabbles With the New York Times Over a Saucy Crossword Clue
While I admire the fervor the Episcopal bishop has for Tex-Mex, his insistence that “taco sauce” isn’t a part of it makes me think, “Let it go, dude.”
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.
Food & Drink
April 3, 2023
Jarred Salsa Helps Revive a Nearly 70-Year-Old Tex-Mex Institution
Austin’s El Patio was on the brink of closing in 2019 until some extended relatives stepped in and took the business to grocery shelves.
Tacos
March 28, 2023
A German Taqueria Is Leading Europe’s New Taco Revolution
Berlin’s Taqueria El Oso honors Mexican cuisine with its suadero and tripas tacos, and, luckily, it’s just one of the continent’s stellar taco joints.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
Soggy and Divisive, Chico’s Tacos Are Perfect to Me
Sometimes food is less about the taste (or the ingredients . . . or the presentation) and more about being home.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
The Draw of El Fenix’s Sensory Overload
In the Tex-Mex wars of my mind, the victor was never in doubt.
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?
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.
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.
Food & Drink
November 30, 2022
Three Restaurants Aim to Bring Some Texas Soul to D.C.
Texpats living in the nation’s capital have recently seen an uptick in the availability of favorite dishes from home, including kolaches, breakfast tacos, and barbecue.
Tacos
November 22, 2022
This Polarizing West Texas Mexican Restaurant Is More Confident Than Ever in Its Purpose
From hosting drag shows to feeding political campaigns, the Local in Abilene has been mired in some controversy, but it remains focused on serving tacos to folks of all stripes.
Tacos
October 19, 2022
Vegan Tex-Mex Is a Tough Sell, but This Dallas Spot Shows Its Potential
While Oak Cliff's Casa del Vegano has a few flaws, its innovative taco fillings like konjac root, banana blossoms, and oyster mushrooms warrant a try.
Tacos
October 8, 2022
Mexican and Indigenous Women Deserve Credit for Creating Tex-Mex
While Anglo businessmen are often lauded for contributions such as Eagle Chili Powder, it’s important to remember the originators behind the cuisine.
Recipes
October 7, 2022
Avocado Margarita
An editor reflects on the impact of Austin’s Curra’s Grill on her life—and its mystifying, rich, and ever-popular frozen drink.
Tacos
October 7, 2022
La Morena Wasn’t Just a Restaurant, It Was a West Texas Rite of Passage
In Andrews, this mostly serve-yourself Tex-Mex restaurant was a community staple that’s still remembered fondly after its closing.
Libations
October 7, 2022
The Legend of the Avocado Margarita
An editor reflects on the impact of Austin’s Curra's Grill on her life—and its mystifying, rich, and ever-popular frozen drink.
Tacos
October 6, 2022
This San Antonio Artist Is Dedicated to Showcasing the Beauty of Tex-Mex
Eva Marengo Sanchez has painted everything from tacos to conchas, and it’s given her work more meaning than she ever anticipated.
Tacos
October 6, 2022
The Great Hard-shell Taco Debate
Two Texas Monthly writers go head-to-head on the merits and inferiorities of tacos made with crispy shells vs. soft tortillas.
Tacos
October 5, 2022
Out of All Mexican Foods, Why Did the Taco Win America’s Love?
Living in a taco-obsessed world and reporting on border issues makes senior editor Jack Herrera’s relationship with the dish complex—and a little frustrating.
Texas History
October 4, 2022
Did JFK Really Eat the World’s Largest Tamale?
How a San Antonio restaurant manager pioneered the art of taco diplomacy.
Tacos
September 20, 2022
This Dallas Tex-Mex Spot Ruins a Good Meal With Distasteful Decor
Even though Odelay has many stellar dishes, including the chili con carne enchilada, its artful homages to cartel culture prove unappetizing.
Tacos
May 31, 2022
Enjoy a Breakfast Taco With Every Filling From This Homey Tex-Mex Diner
Sylvia's Mexican Restaurant has become such a staple over its 32 years in Stockdale that it's practically a second home for locals.
Texas Country Reporter
May 23, 2022
The Art of Making Tamales
The Comanche Tortilla & Tamale Factory has been making tamales since 1947 and wants to help inspire and educate a new generation of home cooks.
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.
Tacos
February 1, 2022
Yes, Your Tacos Cost More. Restaurants Still Need You to Buy Them.
With inflation and supply issues plaguing the state’s taquerias and Mexican restaurants, they’re counting on loyal customers to see them through.
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
October 26, 2021
Urban South’s “Combo Plate” Beers Are a Drinkable Ode to Houston Tex-Mex
Don’t worry: there’s not actually taco meat brewed in.
BBQ
September 14, 2021
Texas’s Most Famous Barbecue Tacos Just Keep Getting Better
JQ's Tex-Mex Barbecue helped put the smoked brisket birria taco on the map, but it's worth the drive to Houston for any item on the menu.
Tacos
May 14, 2021
Homesick Californians, Rejoice: This North Texas Taqueria Has Stellar Cal-Mex
The next time you hear a California transplant claim that there’s no good Mexican food in Texas, send them to Valerie’s Taco Stand.
Food & Drink
April 21, 2021
A Dallas Restaurant Owner Remembers Life in Texas BT—Before Tex-Mex
It took decades of persistence in the restaurant industry for Mexican food to get the respect it deserves, says Mariano Martinez.
Tacos
April 15, 2021
This Austin Trailer Has Perfected El Paso–Style Rolled Tacos
El Perrito celebrates the flavors of Texas’s oft-forgotten westernmost city.
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
February 4, 2020
Taco of the Week: Birria de Res at JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ
This Houston-area pop-up is adding a Tejano twist to a Mexican preparation trending on the West Coast.
BBQ
January 30, 2020
My Futile Search for Great Tex-Mex Ribs
One man’s strange, quixotic journey from New Braunfels to Longview.
Tacos
January 14, 2020
Taco Cabana Closes 19 Locations in Texas
Houston and North Texas see the most closures as the chain shuts down underperforming stores.
Tacos
December 31, 2019
My Favorite Tex-Mex and Mexican Bites of 2019
In addition to my tacos of the week, these dishes from both sides of the border stand out.
Recipes
October 2, 2019
Recipe: Carne Guisada From Josef Centeno’s Bar Amá Cookbook
The Los Angeles chef celebrates his San Antonio roots by sharing his secrets to making Tex-Mex classics.
Recipes
October 2, 2019
Carne Guisada From Josef Centeno’s Bar Amá Cookbook
The Los Angeles chef celebrates his San Antonio roots by sharing his secrets to making Tex-Mex classics.
Food & Drink
October 1, 2019
Dallas, Houston, and Austin as Defined by Their Yelp Reviews
Three Texas cities—and their respective tastes—appeared in the review service’s “word clouds.”
Recipes
June 19, 2019
Recipe: Paletas From Chef Ford Fry’s Tex-Mex Cookbook
The Superica restaurateur offers recipes for comfort classics, from the famous Felix queso to grilled Gulf oysters divorciados.
Recipes
April 17, 2019
The Homesick Texan Is Homesick No More
Food writer Lisa Fain discusses why she just moved back to Dallas from New York and shares her recipe for Herrera's Crazy Nachos (which she won't have to make as much anymore).
Recipes
April 8, 2019
Spinach Enchiladas From the Los Barrios Cookbook
The family behind the iconic San Antonio restaurant reveals its Tex-Mex secrets.
BBQ
November 19, 2018
Tex-Mex and Barbecue Make the Perfect Couple
The most delicious trend in smoked meats combines Texas’s two favorite food groups in exciting ways.
BBQ Joint Reviews
September 6, 2018
At Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ, the La Reina Sandwich Offers a Tempting Alternative
Valentina's is known for serving barbecue in tortillas. But for its newest addition, pitmaster Miguel Vidal looked to the Spanish bocadillo.
Books
December 14, 2017
New Book is El Arroyo’s Marquee Act
Coming to a coffee table near you: Tex-Mex restaurant picks some of its wittiest, funniest signs for new tome.
Texas History
September 29, 2017
The Heyday of Chili Con Carne
The official state dish reached its apotheosis in the era of San Antonio’s Chili Queens.