Dining Across Texas

Texas spans an incredible 261,232 square miles, about the size of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia combined, boasting six major cities each with their own unique flair. How can one begin to assess such a vast, diverse food scene?

I pondered this question during a month-long journey across the state to uncover its 38 must-visit restaurants. Dining in Texas has never been as exciting as it is now—multicultural, homegrown, brimming with talent and ambition. My top recommendation for exploring the state's culinary gems: Houston. Before a BBQ run or savoring a fresh tortilla, dive into a bowl of fiery red crawfish. Yes, crawfish.

Crawfish & Noodles is located at the southwest corner of a large strip mall on Bellaire Boulevard, the heart of Houston's Asiatown. This is where you can experience a Vietnamese-Cajun seafood boil, a signature dish of the city and state. These boils started appearing in Houston's Vietnamese-American community in the early 2000s, an evolution of feasts from Louisiana and East Texas, rooted in immigration waves from the '70s and '80s.

Many places in Asiatown now serve spicy mudbugs, but chef Trong Nguyen of Crawfish & Noodles takes it to the next level: tossing crawfish in real butter (not margarine), garlic, and spices. After nearly a decade in business, Nguyen recently added a second variation to the menu, incorporating lemongrass and ginger for an even bolder kick.

The meal is a ritual: Tear open the plastic bag where the crawfish have steamed, pour them into a steel bowl. Grab a crawfish head, pull it from the tail, savor the head meat, then split the tail with your thumbs to extract the tender tail meat. Repeat until all that's left is a buttery, garlicky crawfish broth, perfect for slurping straight from the bowl.

My fingers are soaked, and I’m lost in the same Texas euphoria I experience after devouring a beef rib with molten meat in Austin, a greasy burger in Fort Worth, or a taco feast anywhere within the state’s borders.

Houston stands out as one of America’s top five food cities, with an endless array of global flavors reflecting its incredibly diverse population. A 2013 Rice University study even found it to be the most racially diverse city in the U.S. From barbecue and Tex-Mex to Pakistani kebabs, Vietnamese pho with bone marrow, and oxtail brioche grilled cheese, Houston is a culinary wonderland. Beef may be a Texas staple, but the city's food scene breaks every stereotype.

H-Town was just one stop on my month-long journey. As I drove across Texas, contemplating the vast array of dishes, I realized the state’s uniqueness lies in its contrasts. From the Gulf Coast's jagged shores to the sprawling Hill Country, and the expansive plains, Texas merges the fertile South with the untamed West. The seemingly endless highways reach into the suburbs, but head west, and the cactus-filled desert and mountain views remind you that we're all just passing through.

Head back down Interstate 10 to San Antonio, where the roots of Tex-Mex began in the late 1800s, influenced by Tejano culture, indigenous peoples, and Spanish colonization. By the mid-20th century, Tex-Mex classics had taken shape, from cheese enchiladas with chili con carne to crisp tacos, queso dip, and nachos.

It’s unfortunate that Tex-Mex was once seen as a stand-in for all Mexican cuisine, but it stands strong as its own border-born style. A visit to Garcia’s Mexican Food in San Antonio for their deluxe combo plate, with nuanced chile gravy and sharp Longhorn colby cheese, showcases the depth and worth of this iconic cuisine.

At the same time, regional Mexican specialties are flourishing in Texas, thanks to new waves of immigrants and adventurous diners. Think Michoacán posole at Revolver Taco Lounge in Dallas, melt-in-your-mouth carnitas at Carnitas Lonja in San Antonio, or Veracruz-style picadas at Austin’s Veracruz All Natural. These regional flavors thrive alongside Tex-Mex, each enhancing the other.

This growth of Mexican cooking in Texas mirrors a broader national trend, but no other Texas-born cuisine has as much influence beyond state lines right now as barbecue.

Central Texas barbecue, with its charred beef, peppery sausage, and minimal sauce, was already iconic. In 2009, Aaron Franklin’s trailer near the University of Texas transformed brisket into a national obsession, sparking a barbecue revolution that emphasized local meats, experimentation, and urban barbecue culture. This movement even led Texas Monthly to create a barbecue editor role, filled by expert Daniel Vaughn.

Austin may be the epicenter of barbecue excitement, but Texas’s cities each have unique culinary identities. Houston shines with diversity, while El Paso, at the crossroads of West Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico, offers dishes like machaca, soft-dried beef served with scrambled eggs and queso — perfect for any meal.

San Antonio is evolving into a hub for Mexican cuisine that embraces both its Tex-Mex roots and modern Mexican influences. At 2M Smokehouse, Esaul Ramos and Joe Melig marry Texas barbecue with Mexican flavors, offering brisket alongside pickled nopales, serranos, flour tortillas, and mac and cheese topped with chicharrones.

During the last decade, I spent two years as the dining critic for the Dallas Morning News, forging a deep, multifaceted connection with the city. Despite my strong ties, I recently visited several of its renowned establishments and found many lacking in culinary excellence. Notable exceptions include Dean Fearing’s celebrated venue at the Ritz-Carlton, which could be described as offering 'new Southwestern' cuisine, and Tei-An, Teiichi Sakurai’s soba haven, which remains a personal favorite. I also enjoyed promising dishes at emerging spots like Mediterranean-inspired Sachet and Bullion, a chic French bistro by Michelin-starred chef Bruno Davaillon. These newcomers may well disrupt the current dining landscape.

Listing my top dining experiences in Dallas—ranging from Japanese buckwheat noodles to Lebanese okra stew, fish quenelles in lobster sauce to tortilla soup—highlights the dynamic evolution of the Texas and national culinary scene. Chefs and restaurateurs are increasingly drawing inspiration both locally and globally. Texas, with its complex history and diverse landscape, serves as a vast canvas for culinary innovation, shaped by a variety of immigrant traditions that continuously influence and enrich its food culture.

Enchiladas, smoked brisket, chicken-fried steak, breakfast tacos, handmade Japanese noodles, pickled collards, kebab platters, and Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish—Texas stands as a realm of boundless, delectable possibilities.

Bill Addison serves as Dinogo's restaurant editor, traveling across the country to discover America's essential Mytouries. Explore his full collection of columns in the archive. All images are courtesy of Bill Addison unless otherwise specified.