An Author Believed Elon Musk Would Benefit Brownsville. Not Anymore.
National Book Award finalist Domingo Martinez was optimistic about Musk and SpaceX in 2016. Now, he says, “it feels like we sold our souls.”
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly's taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. He is the author of American Tacos: A History & Guide. Ralat has written for Eater, Imbibe, Dallas Observer, D Magazine, Vice, Cowboys & Indians magazine, Gravy, and other national and regional online and print media outlets. Ralat is also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and serves on the advisory board of Foodways Texas. In 2022, he won a James Beard award for his Tex-Mexplainer column.
National Book Award finalist Domingo Martinez was optimistic about Musk and SpaceX in 2016. Now, he says, “it feels like we sold our souls.”
Eleven pitmasters are in the running for Best Chef: Texas, and thirteen Mexican restaurants are represented in various categories.
In the Mexican city near Brownsville, tacos with various cuts and preparations of beef stand out, including tacos estilo Matamoros.
Some Texas taquerias have increased prices due to the egg shortage, so we’ve compiled a list of great eggless breakfast tacos in case you’re starting to feel the pinch.
Nothing transcends culinary borders like the tortilla.
Tacos y Chelas may be surrounded by pricey restaurants, but the humble space has tacos al pastor and birria tacos that won’t break the bank.
Specialized taquerias and modernist Mexican restaurants offer more choices than ever before.
Sonia Margarita Vasquez-Grizzle is the heart of Margarita’s Tortilla Factory, and despite personal challenges, she has always dedicated herself to her business.
Explore the oil patch’s regional specialties, from overstuffed burritos to crispy tacos—just remember to bring cash.
Three newcomers and five mainstays that you won’t want to miss.
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.
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.
Pastel-hued pan dulce pastries like pink cake, chocolate conchas, and sprinkle-covered Garibaldis routinely sell out at Alebrije Bakery.
At 19, Sarah Hernandez runs a successful San Antonio business with her sister, Rebecca. The two are used to convincing confounded customers.
La Parrilla Tacos & Más joins other trompo-focused Oak Cliff favorites with outstanding dishes like frijoles charros and empalme.
The family-owned San Antonio company produces the bulk, whole, and blended spices the state can’t cook without.
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.
Our first midterm report indicates that all over the state, tradition abides while creativity flourishes.
A small community of chefs and taqueros are bringing nixtamalized, heirloom corn tortillas—the foundation of Mexican cuisine—to the masses.
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 and José R. Ralat
Round out your taco meal with add-ons—but order armed with the knowledge of what might disappoint and what will hit the spot every time.
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.
Even though Odelay has many stellar dishes, including the chili con carne enchilada, its artful homages to cartel culture prove unappetizing.
This classic comfort food is made heartier and more exciting when stuffed with rich barbacoa and spicy birria, as it is at many restaurants across Texas.
Two food trucks in the Golden Triangle—the Taste of Texas and James & Jon—excel when it comes to serving barbecue in tortillas.
Taqueria Mi Rancho serves posito, tacos al pastor, and birria, and is located on the co-owner's ranch, bringing a sense of comida casera to the restaurant.
After going through the new-business-owner blues, Luis Mendoza is seeing long lines at Un Mundo de Sabor, which serves tacos, enchiladas, and tres leches.
Although the Mexico City style is dominant, tacos made with trompo meat vary regionally, offering many ways to enjoy the spit-roasted specialty.
The Beaumont photographer zeroed in on the dignity of East Texas residents in his 1989 Texas Monthly photo essay.
A beloved children’s book led the pair to collect salsas and hot sauces and host live tastings on Instagram.
The Instagram-famous tacos are major moneymakers for the restaurants that sell them. But being popular doesn’t always mean being good.
El Pastor Es Mi Señor follows the Mexico City tradition of trompo cooking, which yields beautiful pork and sirloin in tacos, salads, tortas, and more.
Amarillo may be famous for its steak-eating contest, but Yellow City Street Food is drawing hype for tacos stuffed with mushrooms and seitan.
Texas Monthly writer Michael Ennis’s profile of museum director Walter Hopps took readers inside the Menil Collection’s founding.
In its South Dallas neighborhood, Encanto Market & Cocina serves essentials for nearby residents, from dry goods to fruit to guisado-filled tacos.
Sylvia's Mexican Restaurant has become such a staple over its 32 years in Stockdale that it's practically a second home for locals.
Leo Davila’s combos are twists on the classics of his multicultural San Antonio upbringing, and they make Stixs & Stone worth the hype.
Marcelino's has been in East Austin for 35 years, and the family who runs it serves multiple generations of adoring customers.
The San Antonio festival brought together the city's best taquerias—plus some special guests—for a hot day of delicious food.
The Mexican, a fancy new restaurant in Dallas, aims for authenticity but isn’t using proper masa.
The ancient snack has found new prominence on Texas menus, thanks to enterprising chefs stamping it with their own creativity.
There's a taste of everything in this city, from upscale Mexican cuisine to trucks specializing in globally inspired delights.
Corpus Christi's Roberto Ruiz elaborates on his Twitter-beloved plan for a half-crimped, half-open taco that won't deposit guisada all over your lap.
The McAllen restaurant features tacos stuffed with bulgogi, kimchi, choriqueso, and more, and it’s dedicated to giving back to its community.
And its young owner, Ana Liz Pulido, is not to be underestimated. After losing her supplier of nixtamalized-corn tortillas, she learned to make her own.
After opening a year ago, the restaurant, which serves birria tacos and more, is already looking to expand to serve its growing customer base.
With its exceptional tacos tapatios, tacos norteños, and boxes loaded with 15 tacos, there's not another place like it in town.
With 38 nominations, our restaurants and chefs are coming in hot after last year's awards were canceled. The group is the most diverse it's ever been.
Located behind a coffee shop, this RGV trailer serves massive tacos overflowing with brisket and other hearty meats and toppings.
After two years, the festival makes its glorious return to the Capital City, and the dining scene is a little different but no less enticing.
By Katie Friel, José R. Ralat and Daniel Vaughn