Frijoles especiales
If you are heading to South Padre Island, you will drive through Brownsville. This Valley town, which sits on both the Gulf of…
Taco burgers
What’s a taco burger, a friend asked me when I told her what I was cooking for dinner. I explained it was all…
Tacos al carbon
If you were in Houston in the 1980s, it was hard to escape the ubiquitous tacos al carbon. Ninfa Laurenzo—of the eponymous Ninfa’s—made…
Chili Queens chili
The first time I heard about the San Antonio Chili Queens, I was on a plane. A friend wanted to make a documentary…
Classic crispy tacos
If you think of iconic American tacos, the crispy taco what most often comes to mind. This style, which also goes by the…
San Antonio bean burger
The first time I had a San Antonio bean burger was on a hot summer day. I was wandering in my car outside…
South Texas barbacoa
On weekend mornings in South Texas, people stop by their local taqueria or market to pick up a container of beef barbacoa and…
Tostadas espadas
When I pulled into Rio Grande City, I was hungry. I’d been driving all morning and after a hearty breakfast taco in Laredo,…
Fideo loco
A few years ago, I was enjoying breakfast tacos at Pete’s in San Antonio and I spotted a sign advertising fideo loco. In…
