Texas food makes a lot more sense once you stop eating where the internet tells you to. The real meals, the ones people won’t shut up about years later, usually come from places with worn menus, loyal regulars, and zero interest in being trendy.
These are the spots where families show up every week, ranchers grab dinner after a long day, and nobody is plating food for photos. It just shows up hot and right.
I started paying attention to where locals actually eat, not where visitors line up, and the difference is night and day. If you want to understand Texas through its food, this is where to start…