Today's word wrangler features ten of the top 21 taco spots in Fort Worth, according to Texas Monthly taco editor José R. Ralat. 🌮 Bet you can't find 'em all! https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-january-7-2026/

San Antonio taco trail? Also updated. 😌 Taco editor José R. Ralat is on a roll. 🌮 https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/the-san-antonio-taco-trail/

Barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn recounts how Kareem El-Ghayesh left everything behind to become the “Egyptian cowboy” serving up some of the state's best barbecue. Watch here: https://www.texasmonthly.com/video/kg-bbq-journey-into-texas-barbecue/

TM: Would you rather run against John Cornyn or Ken Paxton? Jasmine Crockett: It doesn’t matter who it is. I’m gonna win. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/jasmine-crockett-doesnt-care-what-you-think-about-her-senate-campaign/

Named for the nymph turned laurel tree of Greek myth, the Hotel Daphne pays homage to the “majestic live oak trees outside and . . . the historic nature of the Heights,” says regional general manager Omar Abreu. 🌳 https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/first-look-hotel-daphne-houston-heights/

Dear Arch Manning, We wrote a little somethin' for you. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/bum-steers-2026-arch-manning/

In today's word wrangler, search for a few of the characters in this hit TV show set in East Texas. 📺 (P.S. it's "The Hunting Wives") https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-january-6-2026/

In today's word wrangler, search for ten songs recorded by Texan George Strait. 🎶 https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-january-5-2026/

Palmaïa, an all-inclusive wellness retreat outside Playa del Carmen, promised me I’d achieve the “best version” of myself. I was skeptical. Then I learned to let go. https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/palmaia-wellness-resort-mexico/

In episode eight of 'Landman,' bets are placed at the casino, at the strip club, and in the drilling game. Our recap: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/landman-season-2-episode-8-recap/

In chapter eleven of 'The Bowie Knife That Killed Dracula,' the powerful American vampire travels by mystical means to Transylvania, where he encounters his European counterpart. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/the-bowie-knife-that-killed-dracula-chapter-11/

Nothing like some oysters to bring in the new year! 🦪✨ https://www.texasmonthly.com/recipe/broiled-spicy-bacon-oysters/

In today's word wrangler, search for some of the Texan individuals and entities who really messed up in 2025. 👀 https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-january-2-2026/

Per early estimates, 52% of the vegetation along the Guadalupe was lost after the July flood, including countless centuries-old bald cypress trees. I spent some time with those working to restore the ecosystem and helping locals make sense of the ecological loss: www.texasmonthly.com/travel/repla...

A hypnotherapist from Austin and a farmer from Olton had a vision. They now own sixteen acres in Glenrio (population: one). https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/glenrio-texas-route-66-ghost-town-revival/

“Honestly, Chinese and Mexican flavors work better together than people think. Both use heat, spices, fresh herbs, and strong, comforting flavors. When we try new combinations in the kitchen, it doesn’t feel strange—it feels natural," says owner Wayne Ao.

Remember 2025? The year as Texas Monthly photographers saw it:

Is the key to winning high school football slowing down the game? Some Texas coaches think it's worth a shot.

Data centers are thirsty for water. High-end chips run hot, and they require liquid cooling; the largest state-of-the art data centers require millions of gallons of water to keep their electronics happy. In a place like Webb County, every drop of this water is precious.

“Just sitting there complaining, it’s not going to do anything. Let’s put some feet on the pavement. Let’s raise some concern. Let’s bring attention to it.” One man hopes to pressure H-E-B to come to his southern Dallas neighborhood, which lacks convenient access to a grocery store.

Rich Brotherton has always found a way to make music—to improvise, to do whatever it took to support somebody else. Now, in his hour of darkness, his friends are returning the favor.

The annual event at the Old Fort Parker Historic Site is where relatives gather to grieve, heal, and acknowledge one of the key events that shaped Texas into what it is today.

Revisit the writing that moved you and reminded you of the beauty, the grief, and the wildness of Texas.

Cyrus Reed knows that fighting for the environment requires more than selling lawmakers on legislation.

Are the meat sweats real, or are you just sweaty? The Texanist weighs in:

May Cobb always wanted to be a writer, but the bestseller list didn’t seem a likely destination. Then her dark, sultry, Texas-set crime thriller, 'The Hunting Wives,' became a bestseller. We caught up with Cobb ahead of her newest book's release later this month.

There’s a taste of everything in this city, from upscale Mexican cuisine to trucks specializing in regional delights.

Whether the late king gets his way or the Greeks get theirs, both sides are fighting for the festival to go on for at least another fifty years. Nobody, it seems, wants the party or the profits to end.

Is Whataburger still a hometown brand, or has it become something else entirely? Texans’ devotion hasn’t dimmed. But can that kind of cult love travel? Can you scale a loyalty born of place?

In 2025, Texas Monthly photographers traversed just about every acre of our state, capturing beauty, tragedy, and even Glen Powell on the way.

For decades, the annual family reunion at the Old Fort Parker Historic Site, near Groesbeck, has brought relatives together to grieve, heal, and acknowledge one of the key events that shaped Texas into what it is today.

On the heels of what we hope was a joyous holiday season for all Landman obsessives, the gang returns this week with a healthy hoard of the gifts that keep on giving: money, sex, and, as T.L. says, “enjoying the moments between the problems.”

"This probably isn’t something a professor should be telling you, but I walk into class at the beginning of every semester feeling just as anxious as I did more than twenty years ago when I began teaching at the University of Texas at Austin."

From the Red Raiders and the Aggies to the Longhorns and the Mean Green, this was quite a year for Texas-based teams—maybe even one of the best.

The Los Angeles Lakers and their deep-pocketed celebrity fan base could have ponied up a lot more.

After running Sabar BBQ, a Pakistani-influenced barbecue trailer, for two years, Zain Shafi is going back to his roots.

During his fifty-year career, Sonny Carl Davis has made even the smallest roles memorable, in everything from Fast Times at Ridgemont High to Bernie. And he starred in one of the best Texas movies of all time.

Even by his own craven standards, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had a hell of a run in 2025. Here are ten lowlights.

"Now that I have two tweens of my own, though, I’ve come to realize how hard it is to make your kids care about what you care about." A noted Texas historian and his adult child get behind the wheel to see if they can finally view their home state the same way.

An award-winning burger. Handmade sausages. Hot-honey pork belly burnt ends. What can’t Smoke & Bone do?

In a tough year, my annual solace from the Austin sparkling-water brand was nowhere to be found.

The appearance of a long-lost friend on campus reminded Oscar Cásares why he's never felt quite at home at the University of Texas at Austin. https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/oscar-casares-on-being-a-ut-professor/

Fifteen Texas Monthly staffers selected stories from other publications that impressed and inspired us. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/stories-we-wished-we-published-2025/

Meher Yeda, the author of Texas Monthly’s Meanwhile, in Texas column, shares her favorite stories from the past year. Listen by subscribing to 'TM Out Loud': https://www.texasmonthly.com/podcast/tm-out-loud-meanwhile-in-texas-2025/

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from us (and Willie) to you. 🎄 In our December 2012 issue, writer Michael Hall weighs the question: What if Willie Nelson is Santa Claus? 🤔 https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/the-red-hooded-stranger/

Outside city hall, a monument to the apian invaders draws visitors like bees to honey. 🐝 https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/hidalgo-texas-killer-bee-statue/

Before last summer, May Cobb was the moderately successful author of a handful of East Texas–set thrillers. Now she’s riding the wave of a hit TV show about some of the cruelest women you’ve ever seen. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/may-cobb-on-the-hunting-wives/

A few things to sip on once the halls are decked and the gifts are wrapped. 🍸 https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/celebrate-this-holiday-season-these-7-cocktails/

Exclusive: After running Sabar BBQ, a Pakistani-influenced barbecue trailer, for two years, Zain Shafi is going back to his roots at Goldee's. www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/zain-sha...

Our Dallas–Fort Worth Area taco guide = updated 😏🌮 https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/dallas-fort-worth-taco-trail/