Texas Country Reporter
May 30, 2023
Ranger Cattle’s Story Goes ‘From the Battlefield to the Cattle Field’
Josh Eilers is a former U.S. Army ranger who founded Ranger Cattle in Austin, which specializes in pasture-raised Wagyu cattle.
Food
Searching for the best food the state has to offer, plus authentic Texas recipes and restaurant reviews for Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, and everywhere in between.
Texas Country Reporter
May 28, 2023
A Commercial Kitchen Saved the Farm
Third-generation owner Susannah Cronin opened the event space Amelia Farm & Market in Beaumont to save her family’s pecan orchard.
Tacos
May 23, 2023
Despite Immense Pain, the Folks Behind Warrior Taco Serve Joyful Fry Bread
Jennifer Scharen and her family serve marvelous versions of the Native American dish at their Pittsburg trailer in honor of her late husband.
Texas Country Reporter
May 17, 2023
Kemah Is Home to the Most Fantastical Restaurant You’ve Never Heard Of
Chef David Skinner of Eculent has been called a mad genius. With a focus on molecular gastronomy, he invites guests to “rethink everything.”
Texas Country Reporter
May 15, 2023
This Lubbock Restaurant Is a Vintage-Sign and Neon-Fixture Utopia
Owner Rusty Cook has accumulated enough neon signs to cover the entire restaurant, and artisan Rebecca Welch restores them to their original glow.
Dining Guide
May 15, 2023
Chicken and Croffles, Sea Bream Cheeks, and a Champagne Candy Cloud: What Our Restaurant Critics Ate This Month
We review dozens of restaurants all around Texas each month. Here’s a peek at what’s new and how we liked it.
Tacos
May 10, 2023
Taste a Dozen Guisados at This San Antonio Taco Joint
San Taco specializes in the comforting stews and braises, offering them on plates or by the pound alongside fresh tortillas.
Travel & Outdoors
May 8, 2023
An Ode to Roadside Grilling in West Texas
Dozens of public grills line some of the state’s most scenic highways. Here’s how to enjoy a meal with a view.
Recipes
May 8, 2023
Pecan Pie Bars
While her expertise is cookies, Tiffany Chen (of Tiff’s Treats fame) offers a dessert that brings together cookies and pie so you don’t have to choose.
Health
May 1, 2023
“I’m Starting to Become Numb to This”: Texas Restaurant Workers Speak Up About Mental Health in Their Industry
While mental illness affects one in five U.S. adults, service employees have several factors—including late hours and low wages—that can exacerbate issues. Luckily, some nonprofits are ready to step in.
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
April 25, 2023
Faith and Perseverance Drive This San Antonio Taco Truck
The women of Rosa's Kitchen have faced difficulty on the road to making their breakfast taco spot a success, but the challenges just make them work harder for their community.
Tacos
April 20, 2023
Ramen Del Barrio Is a Chef’s Love Letter to His Mexican Upbringing
Christopher Krinsky—a 24-year-old who grew up in the U.S. and Mexico and worked in Japanese restaurants—combines his influences in his Austin ramen counter.
Tacos
April 13, 2023
These Hearty West Texas Tacos Will Take the Edge Off a Hangover
Jiménez Tortilleria y Taqueria in Lubbock separates itself from the local pack by offering tacos filled with guisados and topped with fried eggs.
Recipes
April 10, 2023
Miranda Lambert’s Cookbook Is an Homage to the Strong Women in Her Life
In ‘Y'all Eat Yet?,’ the country singer talks about life around the kitchen table, shares recipes such as French toast casserole, and offers tips on drinking while tubing.
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.
Texas Country Reporter
March 31, 2023
An Empty Nester’s Cheesecake Business Brings Back Fond Memories
In Lubbock, Linda Mason turned a sweets craving into a full-time business, where her bold recipes provide a sweet connection to her sons.
Food & Drink
March 21, 2023
Blue Bell Is Still My Ice Cream of Choice
Eight years after the listeria crisis, the Brenham-based brand continues to win folks like me over with new flavors and old memories.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
Chuck E. Cheese Was a Child’s Greatest Birthday Dream—or Nightmare
Headquartered in Irving, the arcade–pizza parlor chain may be past its glory days. But it’s still kicking—and providing traumatic, animatronic-fueled memories for millennials.
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?
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.
Being Texan
March 20, 2023
An Ode to Mrs Baird’s, the Fluffy White Bread of My Texas Childhood
I can still smell its heavenly aroma.
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.
Tacos
March 20, 2023
Despite Its National Appeal, Chili’s Is a Dallas Restaurant Through and Through
Sure, the restaurant chain was founded in Dallas and is currently headquartered there—but the concept also embraces the Dallas identity.
Food & Drink
March 20, 2023
No Matter Which Shipley Do-Nuts You Go To, You’re Always Home
The chain has been around for more than 85 years. Despite its ubiquity—with more than 300 locations—each location holds its own memories.
Texas Country Reporter
March 16, 2023
Farmhouse Fried Pies: Easily Overlooked, but Not to Be Missed
The best secret in Mineola can be found at the back of a downtown mercantile where Shelia Parker serves hot, homemade fried pies.
Tacos
March 15, 2023
Kangaroo in Your Taco? “Why Not?” Says This Adventurous El Paso Restaurant
Taco Shop in El Paso has featured kangaroo, turtle, and alligator on its menu. While some are turned off by the game, many more customers line up to try them.
Dining Guide
March 14, 2023
Fondue and Chicharrones, “Pear Snow,” and Wood-Grilled Prawns: What Our Restaurant Critics Ate This Month
Here’s our take on the state’s new restaurants, along with a few updates to longtime favorites.
Health
March 13, 2023
Where to Try Cordyceps, the Star of ‘The Last of Us,’ in Texas
Cordyceps, a parasitic fungus made popular by the HBO drama, can be added to coffee for a boost of brain energy. A few Texas cafes offer a safe space to try it out.
Tacos
March 8, 2023
This Tamale Company Infuses Its Popular Dish With Soul Food Flavors
Houston-based Black Girl Tamales' offerings include steamed masa filled with collard greens, oxtail, dirty rice, and shrimp.
Texas Country Reporter
February 27, 2023
In Jefferson, Kitt’s Kornbread Turns Familiar Fare Into Something Special
Kitt Williams invented a cornbread sandwich when she was eight years old. Today, it's a local Jefferson favorite.
Food & Drink
February 27, 2023
Is It Possible to Be Vegan Without Eating Vegetables?
As the alternative meat industry grows—including San Antonio-based vegan chicken sandwich chain Project Pollo—one writer tests the future of eating in America.
Texas Country Reporter
February 25, 2023
DeLaughter’s Is the Little Grocery Store That Could
Small-town pride and family ties have kept this independently owned grocery and deli going strong since 1977.
Texas Country Reporter
February 24, 2023
The Daughter of a Barbecue Family Takes Tradition in a New Direction
At Texas Q in Kingwood, Sloan Rinaldi is the first woman in her family to take over the barbecue pit in over a hundred years.
Texas Country Reporter
February 23, 2023
The Old Orange Cafe Is a Piece of Local History
The restaurant inside an old brick dairy building is run by chef David Claybar, whose family roots in Orange run several generations deep.
Tacos
February 23, 2023
Gen Z’s Homemade Tortillas Could Use an Upgrade
According to recent data, the youth love the commodity corn flour that's been around since 1949. But there are other options to explore.
Food & Drink
February 9, 2023
Texas’s Best New Restaurants in 2023
The white tablecloth may be all washed up, but the dining is as fine as ever.
Texas Country Reporter
February 9, 2023
Orlando’s Italian Restaurant Is a True Lubbock Original
David Cea of Orlando’s Italian Restaurant reflects on the restaurant’s legacy and growth.
Texas Country Reporter
February 6, 2023
The Legendary Barbecue Inn Serves Up Fried Favorites
Established in 1946, this Houston restaurant is keeping the family tradition alive, one piece of fried chicken at a time.
Tacos
February 2, 2023
We Asked ChatGPT to Define a Taco. Here’s What It Said.
The AI-powered chatbot has been making headlines recently, so we hit it with our hardest taco-related questions to test its mettle.
Texas Country Reporter
January 31, 2023
A San Antonio Micro Bakery Creates Cartoon-Like Macarons That Blend Cultures
Nari Hodges of Ooyoo Pan creates meticulously designed Korean-style macarons that are hand-piped with love.
Texas Country Reporter
January 30, 2023
The Last Peppermint Show: An East Texas Candy Shop Keeps a Tradition Alive
Halfway between Mineola and Tyler, Lindale Candy Company has been creating hand-pulled peppermint since 1946.
Texas Country Reporter
January 27, 2023
Houston’s Hobbit Cafe: From Hippie-dippie to Double-decker
Founder Raymond Edmonds reflects on his Tolkien-inspired vegetarian cafe, which has expanded over fifty years and earned the love of even cheeseburger connoisseurs.
Food & Drink
January 25, 2023
Barbecue and Mexican Cuisine Strongly Represented Among the 2023 James Beard Award Semifinalists
Eleven pitmasters are in the running for Best Chef: Texas, and thirteen Mexican restaurants are represented in various categories.
Food & Drink
January 20, 2023
The Only Asian Grocer in Waco Serves Its Growing Community With Hard-to-Find Ingredients and Filipino Food
Even though East Market and Goods only opened in 2020, it’s already become a pillar in town, hosting cultural events and educating customers.
Texas Country Reporter
January 19, 2023
A Visit to This Is It, Houston’s Soul Food Staple
Texas Country Reporter interviews Craig Joseph, grandson of the restaurant’s original owners.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Great Texification of Dairy Queen
A stubborn and savvy group of franchisees turned the Midwest-based dessert chain into a Lone Star institution beloved for its steak fingers and Hungr-Busters.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
When the State Fair of Texas Turned Deep-fried
Melanie Linnear recalls the origins of the unhealthiest (but most delicious) competition in all the land.
Texas Country Reporter
January 9, 2023
This Austin Burger Joint Blends Two Texas Cultures
Mo Pittle set out to capture his Jewish heritage and upbringing in El Paso on the menu of JewBoy Burgers.
The Stand Up Desk
December 20, 2022
Once Upon a Time, “Southwestern Cuisine” Was a Movement
A writer remembers how a chance conversation at a food festival led to her classic 2014 oral history on Southwestern cuisine.