What are best Food Joints in Texas?

Main categories:

BBQ
Steaks
Seafood
Chinese
German
Italian
Tex-Mex
Tourist Mexican
Casera Mexican

I'm Hispanic, and I say Tex-Mex is NOT Mexican.
Casera Mexican is what I cook in my kitchen.
We don't go to Tex-Mex restaurants (don't like the food), and the same for Tourist Mexican restaurants.
But, we know of restaurants that have good food in the other categories.

Whataburger story:
We were on a fast pace over night road trip from Galveston to Orlando Fl to catch a shuttle launch the next morning. Last minute deal and had to be there in about 20 hrs. I called DW and told her we were heading out in a hour, pack some snacks and get ready. We hit the road, flying across I10.

The on-board snacks was junk food, chips, cookies, etc. By the time we hit the Fl panhandle my gut was blown. I needed something real and quick. Saw a familiar orange beacon in the dark distance. YES! A Whataburger!

After a Whataburger with cheese, all the way and onion rings I was good to go the rest of the night and morning. Comfort Food :B

Side Note: With three attempts at witnessing a launch, this was the only one that wasn't scrubbed. Icing on the cake :C

RoyB wrote:
AS soon as we cross the Texas line in Texarkana TX we will stop for a WHATABURGER Carry out and stop under the first rest area tree we come to - Don't get no better than that...

Roy Ken

X-2 I've gotta agree!

thanks,,, If we get by Weatherford, TX we will try Skinneys.....:B

If you get to Weatherford, TX be sure to go to Skinny's Hamburgers 504 Palo Pinto St. Their "Skinny's Fries" are wonderful! They are fried with onions and jalapenos and come with ranch dressing to dip them in. We miss them so much!

Sounds like I have to try the Gonzales Berta's Burgers when I get into the deep South of Texas.... May clog my arteries but what a way to go!!!!

John S wrote:
Texas,

Thanks for the great list.

Never had Brazilian. Will have to try it.

A lot of fish dishes on a Brazilian menu. These two guys prepare authentic Brazilian just like there grandma's did back home. It's a little upscale and pricy but worth the experience if your in the mood.
Their Menu

John S wrote:
People have always told me that Tex-Mex is really different from what we think of as Mexican food.

It is very different from real Mexican food. However, I believe that across most of the country what people think of as Mexican is really Tex-Mex.

Tex-Mex got its start commercially in the Dallas area in 1916 and in 1926 just outside Dallas in Kaufman when the Martinez and Cuellar families started their restaurants. While they tried to replicate dishes from their home regions in Mexico, they also adapted those dishes for locally available ingredients and local gringo customers.

Mexico as a nation has a great variety of foods and food preparation methods. After all it is a country almost 2,000 miles long with climates varying from seacoast to high desert to tropical rain forests.

Personally I find El Fenix to be excellent good quality food. But there are so many great small mom & pop Tex-Mex places across the state they can't all be listed.

The very best Mexican / Tex-Mex food I've ever had was on Guam, of all places, in a small restaurant owned and run by a Japanese gentleman who did all the cooking.

He wanted to immigrate to the US about the time of the Korean War, but couldn't get a visa. He went to Mexico, and ended up cooking for a local mid-scale restaurant in Guadalajara for 25 years before getting into the US and becoming a citizen. By then he was old enough to want to be closer to his birth place, and moved to Guam.

daily double wrote:
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Gonzales Burgers!! 13th& Silver, Donna Tx.

I'll second that one! Just get there early, they close at three PM.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/gonzales-bertas-burgers-donna

Gonzales Burgers, Donna, TX

Texas,

Thanks for the great list.

Never had Brazilian. Will have to try it.