Texas Cuisine
May 2 - 10 is Texas Travel and Tourism Week. All week long, I’ll be posting about a few of my favorite things to do and places to see in Texas. First up, some of my favorite things to eat and drink that you can only get in our great state!
Here in Texas, we are known for our famous barbecue, wineries and breweries. In fact, the Texas Hill Country American Viticultural Area (AVA) is the second largest in America, covering an area of over 9,000,000 acres. Those looking to take a tour of the Hill Country wineries will enjoy exploring Wine Road 290, which encompasses 13 award-winning wineries along US Highway 290 outside of Fredericksburg.
While in the Hill Country, you can’t miss eating Texas barbecue! An iconic favorite is The Salt Lick, which is located in the town of Driftwood and features family style platters overflowing with tender pork ribs, luscious brisket and savory sausage. Just a little ways down the road from Austin, the town of Lockhart was designated as the official state barbecue capital by the 76th Texas Legislature. In Lockhart, BBQ joints include Kreuz Market, Smitty’s Market, Black’s Barbeque and Chisholm Trail Barbeque, each serving up lean brisket and superbly smoked meats all around.
The small town of Lexington, about an hour east of Austin, is home to Snow’s BBQ. The spot seems unassuming - a red shack and some picnic tables - but its barbecue is anything but. Lucky visitors get an opportunity to meet Tootsie Tomanetz, one of Texas’ great pitmasters. To see what the big deal is about Tootsie and Snow’s BBQ, you need to view this #TexasToDo: BBQ Obsession, https://www.traveltex.com/texastodo/films/bbq-obsession.
After some delicious barbecue, a beer from one of Texas’ more than 80 microbreweries is bound to quench your thirst. Austin is home to several breweries, such as Hops & Grain, Independence Brewing Co., Austin Beerworks, and Jester King. In Houston, Saint Arnold Brewing Company is Texas’ oldest craft brewery, operating for 20 years. In San Antonio, the city’s rich brewing history parlays well into the craft beer trend and visitors will enjoy Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling, which offers both beer and bourbon, and Branchline Brewing Company. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is also home to a number of craft breweries, such as Rahr & Sons and Peticolas Brewing Company.
If this doesn’t tempt your palate, I don’t know what will! I encourage you to pull up a chair and enjoy your explorations of Texas’ iconic cuisine. To learn more about Texas’ one-of-a-kind cuisines, visit https://www.traveltex.com/texastodo/films.