East Austin
This famous BBQ joint only serves lunch, and only until it runs out – usually well before 2pm. To avoid missing out, join the line – and there will be a…
East Austin
This famous BBQ joint only serves lunch, and only until it runs out – usually well before 2pm. To avoid missing out, join the line – and there will be a…
West Texas
You might expect a ghost town to be dead at night, but the Starlight Theatre keeps things lively. A movie theater that fell into roofless disrepair (hence…
El Paso
This working cattle ranch is 35 miles southeast of downtown – follow signs 4.7 miles northeast from I-10 exit 49 – but locals would probably drive 200…
Hill Country
Holy moly, this wood-fired pizza joint, in a strip mall 7 miles east of Dripping Springs – almost in Austin – serves good pie. Its motto, 'food is our…
San Antonio
Mighty slabs of meat hang smack-dab in the center of the dining room at this Pearl District crowd-pleaser, where charcuterie platters ($20 to $36) are…
San Antonio & Hill Country
Conscientious service and juicy steaks topped with lemon-butter are highlights here, where a preshow dinner (it's behind Gruene Hall) transforms into a…
Rio Grande Valley
These are, without hyperbole, some of the best tacos we've ever eaten. The meat is juicy and perfectly seasoned, the tortillas fresh, the salsa piquant…
Hill Country
This dapper basement bistro, tucked beneath a swish design and furnishings store, looks like a soda fountain gone posh. The folks who lunch here are as…
Central Texas
Lined with animal heads and photos of long-gone high-school football teams, this Lockhart favorite has been owned by the same family since 1932. Lyndon…
Austin
Not content to rest on his Uchi laurels, chef Tyson Cole opened this bustling North Lamar restaurant, which describes itself as 'Japanese farmhouse dining…
Hill Country
It's worth the 20-mile drive out of town just to see the massive outdoor barbecue pits at this parklike place off Hwy 290. It's a bit of a tourist fave,…
Hill Country
You can take your tacos to-go or eat inside this tiny joint beside Walgreens, but don't miss out on the excellent soft tacos – including breakfast tacos…
Amy's Ice Creams - South Austin
Austin
The South Congress location of this beloved local ice-cream chain shares its daily flavors on a chalkboard out front. Pick your favorite add-on, and they…
San Antonio
Choose your ice cream and pick a topping – then watch the staff pulverize the two into a blended little cup of heaven.
Panhandle Plains
A classic, hokey Route 66 roadside attraction, the Big Texan made the move when I-40 opened in 1971 and has never looked back. Stretch-Cadillac limos with…
Panhandle Plains
Casual for lunch, luxe for dinner. Located in a beautiful 1920s house near downtown, this refined restaurant is just the place if you'd like some fine…
East Texas
This cafe is one of the finest places for down-home food in Texas. It's almost as famous for its great sandwiches (grilled shrimp BLTs) and mains (center…
Dallas
A short drive from downtown, Fuel City serves up some of Dallas' best tacos in one of its most idiosyncratic locations (it's also a gas station and car…
East Texas
This tidy wooden restaurant, with its grassy site and outdoor patio, is a pilgrimage spot for barbecue fans. Ronnie Killen has achieved meaty nirvana with…
Panhandle Plains
Lubbock's most creative restaurant is the work of Jason and Kate Diehl. From the pickled seasonal vegetables on the starter list to inventive seasonal…
Austin
Set in a sprawling former feed-and-seed store from the late 1800s, this Austin classic always draws a crowd. Güero's may not serve the best Tex-Mex in…
Panhandle Plains
Perini Ranch Steak House is frequently named among Texas' best steakhouses. Enter under the trees and through the screen door. Try an amazing rib eye at a…
Dallas & the Panhandle Plains
For most of the day, Patina Green is an attractive shop with creative and tasteful housewares plus a deli section with some of the best local prepared…
Corpus Christi Area
The fine dining room at the Tarpon Inn is worth getting spiffed up for. Reserve a table on the verandah and settle back to enjoy a seasonal menu of…
Dallas
This deeply cultured restaurant takes the gentrified cuisine of old Mexico City to new levels; forget whatever ideas you may have previously held about…
Dallas
The interior here is just acceptable: dark and roomy. But that's good as it doesn't get in the way of the beauty you'll find on your plate. Regional…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
You'll probably pass by a couple of times before you find it. The corner-store vibe isn't immediately convincing, but after tasting one (or a few) of the…
Panhandle Plains
If you had to go to one Texas 'cue joint, this would do. Line your platter with wax paper and tell the cook what to pile on (the brisket is divine, the…
Lolita's Tortilleria & Restaurant
Dallas & the Panhandle Plains
Lolita's exudes that family-run, small-town spirit that can't be manufactured. The hugely popular all-day breakfast menu includes tacos, huevos rancheros,…
Houston
Welcome to Houston's favorite steakhouse. While other beef palaces start perusing Las Vegas leases at the first sign of success, this long-running gem…
Houston
The most famous name in New Orleans cooking runs this refined restaurant in Midtown. No mere offshoot, it’s a culinary temple all of its own, blending New…
Fort Worth
Fresh, seasonal and local are the keywords in this serene, light-filled cafe. The farm-to-table ethos is a religion here and the seasonal menus always…
Houston
This vintage neighborhood grocery store is now dedicated to serving some of Houston's finest burgers. Thick, juicy and loaded condiments, what more could…
Houston
Chef Hugo Ortega elevates regional Mexican cooking and street food to high art in this much-celebrated Montrose bodega. Many menu items may seem familiar,…
El Paso
Winning extra points for style – from the cool sign to the cutlery hanging from the ceiling – this hip little restaurant serves up creative comfort food:…
Fort Worth
At Tim Love's mod-Western Stockyards dining experience, even the chefs wear cowboy hats. It's Southern fusion, with the traditional flavors of the region…
El Paso
One of El Paso's best-loved Mexican joints, L&J serves up delicious tacos, fajitas and famous green-chile chicken enchiladas – plus a legendary menudo …
East Austin
Even an eggs-and-sausage breakfast is a meal to remember at this lauded East Austin favorite. All ingredients come from Texas farms, rivers and hunting…
Houston
Formal but friendly, this large Mexican restaurant, just east of downtown, is a true local institution. Houstonians have flocked here since the 1970s to…
Dallas & the Panhandle Plains
Given its size, this famous cafe is almost all there is to pint-sized Ponder. The chicken fried steak has drawn TV coverage. The steaks are the kind that…