The Best Cities to Dine Tex-Mex

For many people, one of the best parts of traveling is getting to try new restaurants and eateries that they just don’t have “back home.” And when you’re traveling through Texas specifically, one thing is certain: great Tex-Mex food is never too hard to find.

Here are four major cities known for their abundance of dining possibilities; if you wind up in one of these areas for one reason or another, then don’t pass up the opportunity to see what they have to offer:

DFW Metroplex

Okay, maybe it’s cheating to group these two together, since any true Texan knows that “the DFW area” covers a huge amount of space and several municipalities. But let’s be honest: very few things in this world are more quintessentially “Texan” than the amalgamation of Dallas and Fort Worth’s unique cultures and economic influence. From Dallas’ downtown area to Fort Worth’s Sundance Square, DFW is stuffed to the brim with businesses of all sizes and industries—and a fair number of them are Tex-Mex Restaurants.

Austin

There’s no shortage of dining options in our state’s capital, a city which whole-heartedly embraces its “weird” image. Austin is well-known for having a veritable fleet of food trucks operating within its borders, and plenty of those trucks are taco trucks. It doesn’t matter if your preference is more in line with traditional Mexican cuisines or you lean very strongly toward the Tex-Mex side of the spectrum—whatever you like, there’s a truck out there that will make your favorite dish exactly how you want it. And for those of you who are still “iffy” about eating truck food, don’t despair: Austin has plenty of brick-and-mortar dining establishments, too.

San Antonio

When people hear the name San Antonio, they usually think of (1) The Riverwalk, (2) The Alamo, or (3) both. But San Antonio is also famous for offering authentic Tex-Mex food to anyone who stops by for a visit. Whether you love the hustle and bustle of popular tourist destinations, or prefer to hit up small establishments favored by locals is a matter of personal taste. But if you can get an outdoor table at a restaurant with a great view of the city, then so much for the better!

Houston

Like most Texas cities, Houston loves its Tex-Mex food—so much so that they’ve been on the cutting edge of new lexicon in the restaurant business. In Houston, eateries that forego Tex-Mex foods and instead offer “true” Mexican dishes are often referred to as “Mex-Mex” restaurants. And places that serve both Tex-Mex and Mexican entrees are called “Mix-Mex” restaurants. Knowing the distinction may be important for deciding where you want to eat…but getting the two mixed up could very well be the most delicious mistake you ever make.

***

No doubt about it: most of the major Texas cities that tourists and business people often find themselves in have a variety of choices for Tex-Mex dining. It’s also worth mentioning, though, that smaller cities (and even tiny “one-horse” towns) usually have at least one great eatery with all of the classic dishes on its menu—and maybe even some “house specials,” too! So wherever your trek through the lone star state takes you, you rest assured that you’re never too far from a hearty, heaping plate of Tex-Mex.