Pat’s Pick
November 15, 2022
Houston’s First Nikkei Restaurant Is a Work of Art
Vibrant, jewel-toned murals set the scene for masterful Japanese-Peruvian cuisine at Masaru Fukuda’s Pacha Nikkei.
Food & Drink
Find Texas food and drink news and reviews on restaurants, recipes, fine dining and more
Dining Guide
November 14, 2022
Crispy Pork Lumpia, a Four-Mole Sampler, and More: 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
November 10, 2022
Meet the Teenage Wunderkind Who Owns and Operates This Barbacoa Shop
At 19, Sarah Hernandez runs a successful San Antonio business with her sister, Rebecca. The two are used to convincing confounded customers.
Food & Drink
November 9, 2022
10 Texas Pies That’ll Ship in Time for Thanksgiving
Put down the butter and flour and pick up your phone. Make arguably the best part of the holiday dinner the easiest to manage.
Recipes
November 8, 2022
Spicy Paloma
While this cocktail is refreshing year-round, grapefruit season in Texas kicks off in the fall, making now an especially good time to enjoy it.
Tacos
November 3, 2022
Monterreyan Specialties Shine at This Dallas Taqueria
La Parrilla Tacos & Más joins other trompo-focused Oak Cliff favorites with outstanding dishes like frijoles charros and empalme.
Business
November 1, 2022
This West Texas Farm Grows the Most Expensive Spice in the World
Meraki Meadows has been producing saffron for two years. The spice, which comes from the crocus flower, can sell for a minimum of $9,000 a pound.
Tacos
October 28, 2022
The 70-Year Journey to Making Bolner’s Fiesta Brand Spices Texas Kitchen Essentials
The family-owned San Antonio company produces the bulk, whole, and blended spices the state can’t cook without.
Libations
October 27, 2022
King Ranch Is Turning Its Invasive Mesquite Problem Into Bourbon
The legendary operation partnered with Old Forester in Kentucky to create a Texas-exclusive whiskey that benefits cattle and quail alike.
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.
Food & Drink
October 18, 2022
The Sole Restaurants in Small Towns Do Much More Than Serve Food
They keep their communities running, whether it’s providing a gathering space or keeping prices low in the face of inflation.
Dining Guide
October 17, 2022
Steak in El Paso, Italian in Fort Worth, and Sushi in Houston: Where Our 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.
Recipes
October 17, 2022
These Lao Beef Skewers Are What’s for Dinner
Just in time for the holidays, Texas Monthly debuts its first-ever collection of recipes.
Tacos
October 11, 2022
The Top 25 New(ish) Taquerias in Texas
Our first midterm report indicates that all over the state, tradition abides while creativity flourishes.
Business
October 10, 2022
Family Is the Foundation of One of the Most Successful Mexican American Food Brands
Austin’s Siete Family Foods—known for its grain-free tortillas—employs seven family members and is poised to outpace some of the nation’s largest legacy brands.
Tacos
October 10, 2022
Meet the Masa Masters of Texas
A small community of chefs and taqueros are bringing nixtamalized, heirloom corn tortillas—the foundation of Mexican cuisine—to the masses.
Business
October 9, 2022
How a Single Machine Revolutionized the Fresh Flour-Tortilla Game
Based in San Antonio, BE&SCO perfected the appliance behind everybody’s favorite flatbread—and changed how Mexican restaurants operate.
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.
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.
Tacos
October 7, 2022
Things to Do Instead of Watching “Mexican Week” on ‘The Great British Bake Off’
If you’re a ‘Great British Bake Off’ fan, good news: you’ve freed up an hour this week. Here are a few ideas on how to spend it.
Pat’s Pick
October 7, 2022
Christopher Cullum’s Attaboy Is More Paris Bistro Than San Antonio Diner
Don’t let the chef’s soda-jerk hat fool you. Herein you’ll find royal osetra caviar, escargots in butter-filled shells, and a modern-day version of Spudnuts.
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 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.
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
10 Taco Sides, Ranked
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.
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.
Food & Drink
October 4, 2022
It’s Time to Celebrate Taco Week
Texas is the center of the taco universe, and we at Texas Monthly are setting out to prove it.
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.
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.
Food & Drink
September 27, 2022
A New SMU Exhibit Tells the History of Texas Food Through Cookbooks
Culling from 6,000 volumes, the DeGolyer Library spotlights gems, including the first collection of recipes printed in Texas, from 1883.
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.
Food & Drink
September 19, 2022
Love, Loss, and Cabrito at the World Championship Barbecue Goat Cook-off
The 48th annual event in Brady rekindled both treasured and painful memories for a writer who’s been attending since infancy.
Food & Drink
September 15, 2022
Go Ahead, Enjoy Truffles and Wine, Says the Doctor Owner of Hill Country Chocolate
Dan McCoy—the former president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas—encourages indulging at his Fredericksburg wine and chocolate shop. But only because he’s got the good stuff.
Dining Guide
September 14, 2022
Char-broiled Gulf Oysters, “Crackling Pollo,” and More: 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.
Pat’s Pick
September 13, 2022
Olamaie’s Rowdy Southern Cousin Settles In on South Congress
Austin’s famously touristy avenue welcomes a new steakhouse with a celebratory spirit.
Food & Drink
September 7, 2022
Can This Houston Chef Transform a Food Desert Into Thriving Farmland?
James Beard Award nominee Chris Williams wants to give the residents of Kendleton, a historically Black town in southeast Texas, job opportunities in agriculture.
Recipes
August 31, 2022
3-Ingredient Vegan Mango Ice Cream
This three-ingredient recipe is simple to execute, but impressive to eat. Perfect for spontaneously whipping up on a hot summer day.
Tacos
August 29, 2022
7 Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwiches to Try Now
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.
Libations
August 25, 2022
A West Texas Winery—Once the Largest in the State—Has Closed Up Shop
Ste. Genevieve, which debuted in the 1980s, was the pride of Fort Stockton. Now the community and the state’s wine industry mourn its loss.
Tacos
August 23, 2022
Boudin in Breakfast Tacos? Beaumont Says, “You Bet.”
Two food trucks in the Golden Triangle—the Taste of Texas and James & Jon—excel when it comes to serving barbecue in tortillas.
Tacos
August 18, 2022
This East Texas Drive-through Taqueria Specializes in Home Cooking
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.
Food & Drink
August 17, 2022
The Watermelon King of Balmorhea
He’s a fourth-generation watermelon farmer, he married the Texas Watermelon Queen, and he puts his face on every melon he sells.
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.
Dining Guide
August 15, 2022
Smoked Sirloin, Tomato Pie, and a “Ham Plate”: What Our Restaurant Critics Ate This Month
We review dozens of restaurants each month. Here’s a peek at what’s new.
Recipes
August 12, 2022
Eggplant Churros
This two-day recipe from the Nicolett in Lubbock might be a bit of a project, but the result of crispy, melt-in-your-mouth morsels is worth it.
Tacos
August 10, 2022
Perseverance Pays Off for One of Austin’s Greatest Taco Trucks
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.
Tex-Mexplainer
August 4, 2022
Trompo Tacos Are So Much More Than Tacos al Pastor
Although the Mexico City style is dominant, tacos made with trompo meat vary regionally, offering many ways to enjoy the spit-roasted specialty.
Recipes
August 2, 2022
Kerabu Cucumber Salad
The water-dense fruit (yes, cucumber is a fruit) serves as the great base for a cooling salad that kicks it up a notch with a spicy dressing.
Health
July 28, 2022
Texas Bar and Restaurant Owners Are Finding New Ways to Help Employees Seeking Abortions
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, employers and workers in the majority-female food-service industry stepped up their fund-raising and travel assistance.