Texas Travel

[SW15]

I’m gonna be driving across Texas soon, does anyone have any suggestions for good BBQ places?

There are a lot of good barbecue places in Texas. I'll let you about some of the ones in Dallas-Fort Worth. As a conversation starter, I'll comment upon the places in the Eater article below. I'll also mention some places not in the Eater article.

The 14 Essential DFW Barbecue Joints

The metroplex’s top destinations for barky brisket, snappy sausages, and a truly impressive bounty of side dishes

dallas.eater.com

I would pick 1-2 of these suggestions based on what's convenient to your route and other plans in the area.

Cattleack is really good but is only open from 10 am - 2 pm Wednesday-Friday and the first Saturday of every month. If you want to go to Cattleack, you have to plan your day around it. It is in a bit of an odd location in North Dallas.

Pecan Lodge (not featured in that article but generally well regarded), Terry Black's, Lockhart's, and Off the Bone are all good choices. Of those, I've only been to Pecan Lodge. Pecan Lodge is good but a bit overhyped. I've been a few times but haven't been in 5+ years. Pecan Lodge and Terry Black's are both in the Deep Ellum neighborhood and parking is very difficult to find there.

I like Heim Barbecue a lot. If you are flying into Dallas on Southwest Airlines to start the trip, one of their 3 locations is right next to the exit of Dallas Love Field. That's a great way to start a trip. I've picked up people from Dallas Love Field and taken them to Heim before. I've even gone there as I've gotten home from a flight. There's also sufficient parking. I've also been to the Magnolia location in Fort Worth before and it's in a hip part of Fort Worth. Parking is a little challenging there too but I'd rather try to park near Magnolia in Fort Worth than in Deep Ellum in Dallas. Unlike Pecan Lodge, I've actually been there recently.

I like Angelo's in Fort Worth a lot too. Angelo's has been around since 1958 but some think it's heyday was a long time ago. Every time I've gone, I've liked it.

Hard Eight is another good barbecue option. There are a few locations around Dallas-Fort Worth but I've only been to the location in Coppell near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. It's a good choice if you're near DFW International.

 

[Dr.Suave]

TEXAS...... KING of BBQ & TACOS.

No way bro! Mexico is the King of Tacos for sure. Its like the only one good thing we have going for us

 

[SW15]

No way bro! Mexico is the King of Tacos for sure. Its like the only one good thing we have going for us

Mexico is the King of Tacos. Tacos originated in Mexico.

The Southwestern United States (Texas can be considered a part of it) is generally good at Mexican food. A lot of people with Mexican ancestry have immigrated to Texas at some point. Also, Texas was once a part of Mexico and a part of Spain (prior to Mexican Independence from Spain).

The most eastern parts of Texas don't feel like the Southwest. West Texas feels like the Southwest. San Antonio has a Southwestern feel. I think Dallas has somewhat of a Southwestern feel to it but it's not as intense of a Southwestern feeling as San Antonio.

 

[CornbreadFed]

Mexico is the King of Tacos. Tacos originated in Mexico.

The Southwestern United States (Texas can be considered a part of it) is generally good at Mexican food. A lot of people with Mexican ancestry have immigrated to Texas at some point. Also, Texas was once a part of Mexico and a part of Spain (prior to Mexican Independence from Spain).

The most eastern parts of Texas don't feel like the Southwest. West Texas feels like the Southwest. San Antonio has a Southwestern feel. I think Dallas has somewhat of a Southwestern feel to it but it's not as intense of a Southwestern feeling as San Antonio.

West Texas going towards El Paso after the Hill Country felt like the southwest. Southern Texas at the border is basically Mexico. Draw a vertical line that cuts through Tyler, Texas and east of that is the South and west is Texas. Houston feels like Los Angeles and Louisiana had a baby together. Austin is basically if San Francisco had a kid out of wedlock with Texas. Dallas is Nashville’s big brother imho. I see a lot of similarities between the two. They both have this bougie concrete cowboy culture and are prone to bad weather and scared of snow. Idk much about San Antonio or the panhandle.

 

[The Duke]

No way bro! Mexico is the King of Tacos for sure. Its like the only one good thing we have going for us

We have half of Mexico living in Texas. They brought their cooking skills across the border.

 

[SW15]

Draw a vertical line that cuts through Tyler, Texas and east of that is the South and west is Texas.

True

Houston feels like Los Angeles and Louisiana had a baby together.

I see the Louisiana part of Houston but never felt a Los Angeles type vibe with Houston.

Austin is basically if San Francisco had a kid out of wedlock with Texas.

True. Austin is my least favorite of the big cities in Texas. The San Francisco and California influence is too much there. 'Keep Austin Weird' is a thing. It's not a coincidence that feminist dating app Bumble has its headquarters in Austin.

Dallas is Nashville’s big brother imho. I see a lot of similarities between the two. They both have this bougie concrete cowboy culture and are prone to bad weather and scared of snow.

Dallas is frequently compared to Nashville and Atlanta. Sometimes it is compared to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles does not have the concrete cowboy culture, but has pretentiousness. Certain parts of Dallas are very pretentious.

Fort Worth has a different vibe than Dallas despite only being 30-35 miles away.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

No way bro! Mexico is the King of Tacos for sure. Its like the only one good thing we have going for us

A place that scoffs at sour cream cannot be king of anything. Except Horchata... I'll give you that one

 

[sangheilios]

You have to define first what you want to do in Texas.

Fort Worth has grown a lot in recent decades. It has more of the cowboy vibe than Dallas but you're still talking about a city of nearly 1 million people. The Fort Worth Stockyards area is the best place for a Western vibe. However, I'd choose Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, or San Angelo to get more of a Western feel.

There are some dude ranches near Bandera, TX in the Hill Country State Natural Area. This area is about 60 miles from San Antonio International Airport. Dixie Dude Ranch, Mayan Dude Ranch, and Rancho Cortez are the bigger ones out there. You can do some amazing horseback rides and swim laps in pools there. I know Dixie and Mayan have good lap swim pools. The dude ranches are a good place to escape and unwind. The downside of the dude ranches is that the guests are mainly couples and families so some unattached, alone guys might feel out of place. However, most travel stuff doesn't cater to single people traveling alone so the dude ranch isn't that bad of an option.

You could also go out to West Texas. West Texas has Big Bend National Park, Monahan Sandhills, and the Guadalupe Mountains with Guadalupe Peak (highest point in Texas) and adjacent El Capitan. Guadalupe Peak is about a 6 hour hike, so expect to spend all day with it, especially since the nearest hotels are in Van Horn, Texas (about an hour from the base of the Guadalupe Peak).

The dude ranch thing is probably the most authentically Texas/Western thing that you can do and that's an easy 3-4 day trip. The West Texas stuff, especially Guadalupe Peak, is more fitness oriented and could be more isolated. Midland-Odessa is the nearest airport to that stuff.

Don't come until October. October is the best month of the year to do the dude ranches or West Texas mountain ranges/Big Bend stuff. Anything you do in Texas will be miserably hot from now until October 1, so please wait and you'll have a better time.

I actually have been wanting to visit Big Bend national park as of late. It's incredibly remote and literally in the middle of nowhere on the border. The scenery looks incredible, especially Santa Elena Canyon. They have some really cool river tours and with that and the scenery it reminds me a bit of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Activities like that in Big Bend are substantially cheaper than the Grand Canyon, a big part of it is because it's just so much more isolated and less visited, as it's literally hours away from any good sized city with an airport, closest I believe is El Paso. Grand Canyon on the other hand is a very easy drive from both Vegas AND Phoenix, both of which have tons of flights in and out of.

Something else that I think would be fun in Texas is to go on a feral hog hunt lol. I'm not entirely sure what part of the state that is in though.

 

[SW15]

I actually have been wanting to visit Big Bend national park as of late. It's incredibly remote and literally in the middle of nowhere on the border. The scenery looks incredible, especially Santa Elena Canyon. They have some really cool river tours and with that and the scenery it reminds me a bit of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Activities like that in Big Bend are substantially cheaper than the Grand Canyon, a big part of it is because it's just so much more isolated and less visited, as it's literally hours away from any good sized city with an airport, closest I believe is El Paso. Grand Canyon on the other hand is a very easy drive from both Vegas AND Phoenix, both of which have tons of flights in and out of.

Big Bend is an awesome place. You're correct that it is not easy to get to. El Paso is the biggest airport that is closest to Big Bend, though Midland-Odessa's airport is a little bit closer. Neither is close.

Good sight seeing, hiking, and river tours there. It's a peaceful spot.

The hike up Guadalupe Mountain in West Texas is an intense one. Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas and it typically takes 6-8 hours to complete the hike. I like hiking, but I don't think I like it that much.

Something else that I think would be fun in Texas is to go on a feral hog hunt lol. I'm not entirely sure what part of the state that is in though.

I have heard of feral hog hunting happening in East Texas (east of Interstate 45) and in South Texas (south of San Antonio).

 

[sangheilios]

Big Bend is an awesome place. You're correct that it is not easy to get to. El Paso is the biggest airport that is closest to Big Bend, though Midland-Odessa's airport is a little bit closer. Neither is close.

Good sight seeing, hiking, and river tours there. It's a peaceful spot.

The hike up Guadalupe Mountain in West Texas is an intense one. Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas and it typically takes 6-8 hours to complete the hike. I like hiking, but I don't think I like it that much.



I have heard of feral hog hunting happening in East Texas (east of Interstate 45) and in South Texas (south of San Antonio).

Do you recommend any particular places or things to do specifically in Big Bend? It's a difficult place to try to find decent lodging, which just shows how isolated it is. I definitely wanted to try out the river tours, an all day tour was under $150 or something like that. They had an 3 day overnight tour that was like $550, just not sure if that's something I'd want to commit to.

 

[SW15]

Do you recommend any particular places or things to do specifically in Big Bend? It's a difficult place to try to find decent lodging, which just shows how isolated it is. I definitely wanted to try out the river tours, an all day tour was under $150 or something like that. They had an 3 day overnight tour that was like $550, just not sure if that's something I'd want to commit to.

It is more likely that you'll be staying in Terlingua (about 30 miles from the park) than in Big Bend National Park itself, which only has 1 lodging option. There's a luxury cave place near Terlingua too. Many people camp outdoors in the Big Bend area. I prefer an actual hotel room.

Big Bend Ranch State Park is nearby and scenic as well.

The one day river tour sounds good. It's mostly sightseeing, hikes, and river tours out there. The stargazing is also amazing out there since there's very little lighting.

Getting out to Big Bend is a pain from pretty much anywhere. It's 8-9 hours from Dallas if traffic cooperates on the way out of Dallas.

Fort Davis, Marfa, and Alpine are nice places to visit in West Texas and a little less remote.

 

[sangheilios]

It is more likely that you'll be staying in Terlingua (about 30 miles from the park) than in Big Bend National Park itself, which only has 1 lodging option. There's a luxury cave place near Terlingua too. Many people camp outdoors in the Big Bend area. I prefer an actual hotel room.

Big Bend Ranch State Park is nearby and scenic as well.

The one day river tour sounds good. It's mostly sightseeing, hikes, and river tours out there. The stargazing is also amazing out there since there's very little lighting.

Getting out to Big Bend is a pain from pretty much anywhere. It's 8-9 hours from Dallas if traffic cooperates on the way out of Dallas.

Fort Davis, Marfa, and Alpine are nice places to visit in West Texas and a little less remote.

Luxury Cave?

And year the stargazing was a big part of my interest there, plus the hiking, river tours and maybe horse back riding, etc. I was probably planning on staying at a hotel, I'd be planning on having incredibly active days if I was there and sleeping in comfort would probably be a requirement from purely a recovery stand point. The outdoor camping I've honestly never done but it would probably be the best way to experience the dark night skies though.

 

[SW15]

Luxury Cave?

That's the luxury cave near Big Bend. It is in between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. It is near Terlingua.

Summit Big Bend | Glamping in Big Bend and Terlingua

The ultimate glamping destination near Big Bend National Park and Terlingua Texas! Not just another campsite or hotel, our desert oasis includes modern glamping domes, our famous cave hotel rooms, and over 1000 acres to enjoy hiking or stargazing!

summitbigbend.com

 

[CornbreadFed]

I see the Louisiana part of Houston but never felt a Los Angeles type vibe with Houston.

Maybe I should specify Inland Empire or Inland Los Angeles. You get that LA Vibe on Interstate 10 and south of that. North of the Heights or Airport and East Houston is where it starts to resemble Louisiana/the south more

Los Angeles does not have the concrete cowboy culture, but has pretentiousness. Certain parts of Dallas are very pretentious.

Fort Worth has a different vibe than Dallas despite only being 30-35 miles away.

Nashville is extremely pretentious and stuck up.

.

 

[SW15]

Nashville is extremely pretentious and stuck up.

That's why Dallas is Nashville's bigger brother.

Dallas also mimics the Westside areas of Los Angeles like Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Santa Monica, and Malibu.

 

[sangheilios]

That's why Dallas is Nashville's bigger brother.

Dallas also mimics the Westside areas of Los Angeles like Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Santa Monica, and Malibu.

Texas has had a massive influx of people, especially since the pandemic. Texas has been a huge hub for the U.S for quite a long time but this is going to be even more so the case in the coming years. This state also has an above replacement fertility rate, at least based on what I've seen, and has a very young population on average. Demographics in the U.S are going to be very interesting this next couple decades.

 

[SW15]

Texas has had a massive influx of people, especially since the pandemic. Texas has been a huge hub for the U.S for quite a long time but this is going to be even more so the case in the coming years. This state also has an above replacement fertility rate, at least based on what I've seen, and has a very young population on average. Demographics in the U.S are going to be very interesting this next couple decades.

Texas is far from perfect but it has been well positioned. It has been growing for decades.

As for tourism, certain parts of Texas are better for it than others. People tend to like to come to Austin and San Antonio among the big cities. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston are not as popular with recreational visitors. West Texas has some impressive attractions.

 

[ManFromTartarus]

All you Tejanos are going to hate me but I've got to side with Cornbread & DrSuave on this one. I've done some travel to the state over the past few years and when it comes to food...

Tex BBQ is so overrated it isn't funny, tried several recommended & highly rated spots around Austin and was very disappointed. Can safely say I've had better in Oakland CA.

... and "TexMex" was only a step above TacoBell. Cali taquerias blow them off the map. Was truly surprised by this.

Hate or Troll me if you like, but just being honest, from a foodie.

 

[SW15]

Tex BBQ is so overrated it isn't funny, tried several recommended & highly rated spots around Austin and was very disappointed. Can safely say I've had better in Oakland CA.

Did you have brisket, ribs, or pulled pork in Austin? I haven't eaten in the barbecue spots in Austin.

The Dallas barbecue spots I mentioned earlier have all been good experiences for me. I do think Pecan Lodge is a bit overhyped but still good in Dallas.

"TexMex" was only a step above TacoBell. Cali taquerias blow them off the map. Was truly surprised by this.

Tex Mex and Mexican are slightly different.

The Texanist: What’s the Difference Between Tex-Mex and Mexican Food?

A transplant from California wades into an age-old culinary debate.

www.texasmonthly.com

 

[ManFromTartarus]

Did you have brisket, ribs, or pulled pork in Austin? I haven't eaten in the barbecue spots in Austin.

The Dallas barbecue spots I mentioned earlier have all been good experiences for me. I do think Pecan Lodge is a bit overhyped but still good in Dallas.



Tex Mex and Mexican are slightly different.

The Texanist: What’s the Difference Between Tex-Mex and Mexican Food?

A transplant from California wades into an age-old culinary debate.

www.texasmonthly.com

I judge all BBQ from brisket, and Austin has some touted spots but I think I was expecting too much due to the hype. TriTip is the Tex pride, but a little dry for me.

TexMex vs Mex, "slightly different"? more like vastly. But even their standard taquerias Mexicana were sub par to what I'm used to.

.... and did somebody mention sour cream on tacos? WTF?