You can get steaks anywhere, barbecue anywhere, burgers anywhere. But Tex-Mex? Out of these essential Fort Worth food groups, it’s the one that Fort Worth, and Texas as a whole, can rightfully claim as its own. Go beyond Texas’ borders hunting for authentic Tex-Mex, you’ll be disappointed in what you’ll find.
That’s not just because the roots of the cuisine are embedded in Texas soil. It’s also because our city, in particular, possesses such a profound affinity for Tex-Mex that its restaurants have become masters of the craft. Decades after The Original, Joe T’s, and Mexican Inn introduced Tex-Mex to Fort Worth’s masses, thousands of other restaurants have followed, each offering their own takes and twists, shaping the city’s culinary landscape.
The sheer volume of Tex-Mex restaurants across Fort Worth means that for many of us, especially those who grew up here, the cuisine holds a uniquely personal significance. For me, and I’m sure a lot of Fort Worth lifers, Tex-Mex was the first bite of food I took outside of school, home, and McDonald’s. We were a blue-collar family, making barely enough to pay our mortgage, so fine dining was never an option. Going out to eat, for a sit-down meal, meant Tex-Mex. It meant Pulido’s, Fiesta, El Rancho Grande, restaurants where the food was cheap and good and filling…