Libations
February 16, 2021
The Best To-Go Dishes (and Drinks!) at the Newest Restaurants in Texas
For the 20th edition of Where to Eat Now, we’ve compiled some of our favorite takeout options from places that opened in 2020.
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.
Tacos
February 11, 2021
A Corgi Named Taco Is Here to Brighten Your Day
Plus: heart-shaped taco boxes for Valentine’s Day, breakfast tacos with grits, and a new Topo Chico flavor.
Dining Guide
January 26, 2021
Dining Guide: Highlights From Our February 2021 Issue
Texas Monthly adds and updates approximately sixty restaurant listings to our Dining Guide each month. There’s limited space in the print issue, but the entire searchable guide to the best of Texas cuisine is at your fingertips online!Below are a few highlights from the new restaurants reviewed in our February 2021 issue.
BBQ Recipes
January 26, 2021
Fort Worth Pitmasters Have Perfected Smoked Chicken Salad
This surprising barbecue dish is taking over local menus—and it's so good, our barbecue editor developed his own recipe.
Music
January 22, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: Nighttime Kayaking
Plus: the cult classic ‘Veronica Mars,’ Selena Gomez's new single, and a plant-based burger joint.
Recipes
January 21, 2021
7 Texas Chefs Share Their Favorite Sandwich Recipes
Liven up your lunch (and breakfast, and midnight snack) with brisket and eggs, peanut butter and pickles, and more.
Recipes
January 20, 2021
Wild Boar Picadillo
Jesse Griffiths goes hog wild to reinvent a favorite childhood meal.
BBQ
January 19, 2021
What Brisket and Chocolate Have in Common (Besides Being Delicious)
Tomball's Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue is one of the best smoked-meat joints in the state, but it pours its heart into its bean-to-bar confections.
BBQ
January 16, 2021
Turkey Legs Smothered in Mac and Cheese Are the Latest, Greatest Texas Trend
Smoked turkey legs have broken out of the State Fair and onto menus across the state.
BBQ
January 14, 2021
How Big Al’s Smokehouse Is Ensuring Its Barbecue Comfort Food Survives the Pandemic
One secret is pitmaster Pedro Garcia, who started at Big Al's as a dishwasher over 40 years ago.
BBQ
January 5, 2021
Why the Texoma Region Is Worth a Barbecue Tour
From brown gravy sauce to pecan pie with brisket, joints from Denison to Gainesville provide lots of solid (and surprising) options.
Recipes
December 30, 2020
Good Luck Instant Pot Black-eyed Peas
If we all make this New Year’s dish, maybe things will get better soon. It’s worth a shot!
Libations
December 18, 2020
The Best Things We Learned to Do at Home in Texas This Year
Try your hand at gardening, stargazing, mixing the world’s easiest cocktail, and much more with this handy guide.
BBQ
December 18, 2020
My Favorite Texas BBQ Bites of 2020
Even in 2020, Texas managed to turn out superlative barbecue. Our barbecue editor picks his favorite bites of brisket, spare ribs, sausage, and more, from all across the state.
Recipes
December 16, 2020
Hot Pepper Jelly
Spread the love with this vibrant, versatile condiment that's a righteous kick to the system.
Tacos
December 10, 2020
Gas Station Tacos Aren’t What You Think
We set the record straight and offer several favorite options to fill your belly while fueling up your tank.
Food & Drink
December 9, 2020
Italian Culinary Wonderland Eataly Has Come to Texas, and These Are Its Must-Try Snacks
The Italian food superstore opens its seventh North American location at Dallas’s NorthPark Center.
Music
December 8, 2020
A Final Elegy for Threadgill’s No. 1
A longtime patron remembers the intimate Austin venue—where one could eat pecan pie and see world-class musicians—ahead of its demolition.
Recipes
December 7, 2020
Recipe: Alfajores, From ‘The Chilean Kitchen’ by Pilar Hernandez
The Houston food writer credits her adopted hometown's immigrant community for encouraging her connections to her beloved childhood dishes, including this delicious holiday treat.
Music
December 4, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Delectable Dallas Doughnut Shop
Plus, a trip to the garden store and a cozy Christmas album from Austin musician Molly Burch.
Food
December 3, 2020
Tex-Mexplainer: Five Essential Mexican Cooking Tools for Any Kitchen
Don’t know a comal from a molcajete? We break it down (and share an easy recipe for discada, a northern Mexican grilled meat dish).
Tacos
December 3, 2020
Taco News Roundup: ’Tis the Season for Tamales
Plus: the only thing better than an ugly Christmas sweater is a taco-themed ugly Christmas sweater.
Food & Drink
December 2, 2020
The Laredo Cafecito Renaissance
Three new indie coffee businesses have opened in Laredo this year, all building on the city’s vibrant Mexican American coffee traditions.
Food & Drink
December 1, 2020
What Chris Shepherd Was Thinking While Watching ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’
Three questions with the Houston chef, whose “gambling man” pal David Chang took a big risk to raise money for the Southern Smoke Foundation.
Food & Drink
November 27, 2020
Texas First: Baking Conchas and Remembering My Grandma
She spent decades feeding our family and bringing us together. Making her favorite treat was a small, sweet way for me to celebrate her and reconnect with my culture.
Being Texan
November 24, 2020
The Viral Footage of Texans Waiting in Line at the New College Station Dunkin’ Donuts Is Good, Actually
Let people have some joy for once in their lives.
Food
November 18, 2020
The Ultimate Texas Tacopedia
Your guide to the many types of tacos around the state, where to find them, and how to enjoy them!
Food & Drink
October 29, 2020
The Hidden History of Peri Peri Chicken
Originally from South Africa and Portugal, the peppery, lemony dish is now beloved by Texas Muslims. To understand why, you have to go back four hundred years.
Libations
October 26, 2020
Comfort Yourself With German Food Across Texas This Fall
Schnitzel, steins, and social distancing through Oktoberfest and beyond.
Food & Drink
October 19, 2020
The Fajita Burger at Ninfa’s Is One of the Best in Texas—and It Came to a Chef in a Dream
Chef Alex Padilla skipped lunch one day, then nodded off. The result is an enormous, one-of-a-kind Tex-Mex burger.
Where to Stay Now
October 16, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Cozy, Retro Stay in Terlingua
Plus, a new art exhibit about the borderlands, a music compilation by many Texas artists, and Casa Colombia.
Tacos
October 14, 2020
Are Japanese Tacos the Next Big Thing in Texas?
Two new Dallas concepts expertly combine Asian and Mexican flavors and methods, and a new concept from the chefs at Mixtli, in San Antonio, will soon do the same.
Recipes
October 9, 2020
Huevos Rancheros Grits Casserole From ‘Tailgreat’
Let chef John Currence show you how to tailgate at home—even though he's pulling for the wrong SEC team.
Tacos
September 29, 2020
Gather Your Friends and Try a Two-Foot-Long Machete Quesadilla at These Four Austin Trailers
The Mexico City dish remains rare in Texas, but it's starting to take off in Austin.
Tacos
September 22, 2020
How to Get Your Taco Fix Safely During the Pandemic
Nine tips for sampling the state's taco scene without jeopardizing your health or anyone else’s.
News & Politics
September 17, 2020
The Justice Department Has Fined Blue Bell More Than $17 Million for the Listeria Outbreak
It’s the largest penalty for a criminal food safety case in U.S. history.
Food & Drink
September 10, 2020
Tony Vallone, Houston’s Legendary Restaurateur, Dies at 75
For decades, his elegant flagship restaurant, Tony’s, was the place to see and be seen.
Tacos
September 10, 2020
Taco News Roundup: Get Your Texas Taco Merch, From Stickers to a Bun B T-Shirt
Plus: a cheesy dish that's half pizza, half quesadilla.
Food & Drink
September 3, 2020
This Plant-Based Chili Has No Meat (or Beans)
Meat substitutes such as Beyond Meat keep growing in popularity, so we re-created a Texas bowl of red—no beef involved.
Business
August 27, 2020
The State Fair of Texas Is Opening a Drive-thru
You can’t keep Big Tex down.
Food & Drink
August 19, 2020
The Better Beef Buying Guide
A growing number of independent specialty shops around the state offer tightly curated selections from local producers.
Food & Drink
August 12, 2020
The Quest for Better Beef
Vegans want to end the killing of animals. Scientists say livestock are accelerating climate change. COVID-19 is ravaging meat-packers. Texas beef is under fire—but all across the industry, from the pasture to the butcher case, a vision of more sustainable burgers and briskets is beginning to come into focus.
Recipes
July 31, 2020
TM Happy Hour: A Classic Gin Cocktail
Bill Norris, of Alamo Drafthouse and Midnight Cowboy, pours one out for the Pegu Club, the beloved New York cocktail mecca that has permanently closed in the wake of COVID-19.
Politics & Policy
July 30, 2020
Texas Chefs: If Bill Doesn’t Pass, Many Restaurants Will Close for Good
Kevin Fink, Chris Shepherd, and others are lobbying lawmakers to pass the $120 billion grant program that has bipartisan support.
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.
Food & Drink
July 18, 2020
Paul Qui and the Problem With Redemption Narratives
The celebrity chef, accused of domestic violence four years ago, says he’s ready to do the work. But what does that mean?
Tacos
July 17, 2020
Whataburger’s New Pico de Gallo Burger Is Slightly Above Average
And sometimes that’s all you want in a burger.
Food & Drink
June 24, 2020
How Texas Restaurants Are Innovating to Survive the Pandemic
Chefs and owners have had to adapt quickly and nimbly, with takeout, meal kits, booze to go, and reconfigured dining spaces. Will it be enough to survive?
Food & Drink
June 23, 2020
Priya Krishna’s Quarantine Journal, the Final Entry: Back to (a New) Reality
After three months in Dallas, she returns to New York ready and resolved to push for real change.