Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Country Burger in Dallas

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Dallas – On the southwest side of Dallas, on the outskirts of Oak Cliff, you’ll find Country Burger. From the outside, this yellow and red brick building boisterously advertising bacon cheeseburgers with windmills and wagon wheels looks like your typical easygoing greasy spoon, but it’s got a little more flare than that.

Rafael Jimenez is the manager of Country Burger and he’s been working there for 26 years. With such a long tenure at this timeless burger joint, Rafael sort of has the run of the place. So when it came time to decorate this diner, Rafael had the final say. He didn’t go with what you’d likely expect.

Given its name and outward appearance, you’d expect to look around and see pictures of John Wayne. But it turns out, Rafael is a super-sized fan of Selena. “Some people don’t say Country Burger, they say Selena’s Burger,” Rafael said.

In pretty much every corner of Country Burger, you’ll find some sort of painting, picture, or portrait of the late Latino singer that took Texas by storm. And from the moment Rafael arrives to work, it’s all about Selena. “In the morning, when I’m coming over here, I put on Selena songs. Every morning,” Rafael said.

With so much memorabilia on hand, Rafael has to store some of it in his office. But even with the vast amount he currently has, he’s always looking for more.

There’s even a Selena special. The Selena special is a spicy grilled chicken sandwich served with large fries and a large drink. The people love it and it’s one of their most popular dishes.

When Selena was tragically murdered in March of 1995, she was only 23 years old. It’s a moment Rafael will never forget. When he heard the news, he was with his wife and couldn’t stop crying. Even today, he still gets emotional about it. His devotion to the star turned into décor. The owner allowed him to put up some Selena things and then it spread to everywhere in the restaurant.

Today, folks come from all over to get a taste of the terrific burgers at Country Burger. Rafael is a reliable professional who keeps Country Burger up to par with its perfect patties.

So if you happen to find yourself in Dallas and are looking for a unique burger joint with a terrific tribute to the sensational Selena, Country Burger is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

“Anything for Selena,” joked Rafael, with just a hint of honesty.

The Texas Bucket List – Midpoint Cafe in Adrian

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Adrian – The great wide open of the panhandle plains of Texas, the road seems to go on forever, especially the world-renowned Route 66. From big steaks, painted Cadillacs, to neon covered service stations, there’s all sorts of sights to see on the 179 miles of Route 66 that pass through the Lone Star State.

Smack dab in the middle of the Main Street of America is a small café in Adrian called the Midpoint Café. “I think it’s pretty awesome. Be right smack dab in the middle. Destiny either way, right?” says customer Nykole Vance.

Brenda Hammit is the owner of the Midpoint Café, a casual eatery that sits right on the old Route 66. Despite the fact tons of traffic passes by her on the Interstate right behind the building, she still gets plenty of starving sightseers. But it’s not just BLTs and hamburgers that draw people in. They’re also looking for a taste of history. “They’re enamored with 66 period. The people along 66 are awesome man, everywhere,” Brenda said. “In every state everywhere. They’re great people. And I think that the people bring them back as well. I don’t think it’s necessarily all the road – I think it’s the people,” said Hammit.

Brenda started as a cook at the Midpoint Café in 2013 and took ownership of the place in 2018. The diner has been a fixture on the famous road since the late 40s when it was called Zella’s Café. In the 60s, the owners named it Jesse’s, and then in the late 90s, it was discovered that the midpoint of Route 66 happened to be right outside the restaurant, and the rest is history.

“There’s only one midpoint on the trip and this is the perfect place for it,” said customer Mark Stahl from Wisconsin.

“That line is special to them when I didn’t have it up last year because they paved over it. They were just, “When are you putting that line back up? When are you putting that line back up?” joked Brenda.

The nostalgia is also a big part of the roadside experience. “It’s nice to see how things used to be compared to how they are now. And it’s nice to help support some of the smaller businesses and stuff like that which almost got wiped off when they put the interstates through,” said Mark.

Midpoint’s connection to the popular Disney movie, Cars, is what really revs folks up around here. As it turns out, one of the former owners of the Midpoint Café has a close connection to the classic cartoon movie. “Miss Fran is the one that really put it on the map for the Route 66, Fran Houser. And she’s Miss Flo and the Route Cars and she’s the one that really put it on the board,” said Brenda.

Nowadays, people come by to see Brenda, and even if you have no idea who she is, be prepared for a hug. She loves to give them and loves to receive them and is known for being a really sweet lady, just like her pies. “I always come for the pie and then we’ll get lunch. And then we’re like, “Why did we get lunch? We just wanted the pie.” But it’s all so good,” said Dawn, a regular customer.

There’s nothing more synonymous with America than Route 66 and apple pie, so if you want a serving of both, stop by the Midpoint Café to fill your stomach and find a friend.

The Texas Bucket List – Kicaster Country Store in Kicaster

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Kicaster – Just a quick 30-minute drive from the San Antonio Riverwalk you’ll find Kicaster, an unincorporated community out in God’s country. It’s also where you’ll find the Kicaster Country Store and Grill and it’s owned by Scott Hudson.

Scott moved to Texas with his family when he was a young boy back in 1981. Prior to creating the Kicaster Country Store in 2017, Scott created fancy burgers for a big time Texas burger franchise.  So coming up with unique concoctions is nothing new for Scott.

The first step is getting his meat is sourced locally and considering this beef comes from a local rancher right down the road, these burgers check that box.  “I pick them out while they’re on the hoof and we know where that’s been the whole supply chain until we grind it and put it in the patty and serve it to our customer. And it makes a huge difference.” Those cows get nervous when they see you show up. “Yeah, I guess they do, although they only meet me once,” said Scott.

The freshly ground burgers are a big draw, but there’s something else around here that Scott is also known for and that’s the Spicy Ahi Tuna sandwich. “Tuna was basically customers saying, ‘We want a fish option,’” Scott said. “I love a good piece of sushi grade tuna, so we decided to do ahi.”

There’s another popular dish that’s quite a conundrum out in the country which is poutine. Poutine is a pretty simple dish made up of French fries, Wisconsin white cheddar cheese curds, and brown gravy. Scott said the main reason it’s on the menu is so they can utilize more of the animal.

It’s not often we travel across Texas and go to county stores and see ahi tuna and poutine. Scott’s cook, Aubrey Stewart, got to work on whipping me up these two exotic offerings. Finding the perfect piece of fish, Aubrey cooks it and adds some spices, then finishes off the sandwich with some toppings.

Next, the poutine, a traditionally Canadian dish, is put together by topping the fries with the homemade gravy. “It’s Texas gravy. We like our gravy thick. We like stick to your ribs gravy. The poutine up north is going to be a little bit more runny. We do Texas style because we’re serving Texas,” said Scott.

With so many different smells coming off the plate, my nose didn’t know what to expect and neither did my mouth. I went straight into the gravy made in-house. Thick and delicious, not too salty, with the addition of the cheese curds made for a sensational dish. I then bit into the ahi tuna sandwich which had a lot of spice that lingered. Such fantastic flavor that made a nice, lighter sandwich.

“You can’t knock it until you try it. That’s all I got to say about that,” said customer Elaina.

If you’re looking for some far away flavors like poutine from Canada or a fantastic ahi grilled tuna sandwich, visiting the Kicaster store in the middle of Kicaster is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Horny Toad Brewing in Rowena

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Rowena – In the desolate Runnels County, you’ll find the small town of Rowena. This collection of around four hundred folks doesn’t have a whole lot going on in or around it, given its surrounded by cotton fields and farmland. But if you take a walk down main street, you’ll find the town’s most popular location to hang out, the Horny Toad Brewing Company.

“It’s very fitting to have a great brewery here in this town and holding onto that culture that founded it,” said visitor Scott Gonzales.

“We really like the way he brought back a little community in here again,” mentioned local Tony Multer.

Michael McNeill, a fellow Irishman, opened up the Horny Toad back in 2012. His wife is the one who led him to this tiny town. She was born and raised in Rowena.

Interestingly enough, Rowena’s claim to fame is being the birthplace of Bonnie Parker.  It’s also home to the last bank “Doc” Newton ever robbed in 1968. Other than that, there’s not a lot happening here, so when Mike decided to open up a brewery, some people had their suspicions of it working out.

“It’s a crazy thing to do. I mean, everyone thought I was nuts to open a brewery in Rowena, Texas.

“Maybe I was nuts. I don’t know,” joked Mike.

Mike is an army veteran and served for 13 years. He was first stationed in Germany which is where his obsession with grain, hops, yeast, and water began.  “I didn’t realize there were different kinds of beer until I went to Germany and got stationed in Germany. Every town in Germany has their own brewery. And there’s several styles that they drink over there,” Mike noted. “Where before I went to Germany, it was just the fizzy yellow water.”

After Germany, Mike went to Iraq. Then, despite wrapping up his military service, he went off to Afghanistan voluntarily. He stayed there for a year and a half doing contract work, and that’s how he saved up to start his business.  “We’re really, really excited that Mike did this and he has become, I think, pretty close to a pretty good brew master,” joked Tony.

What really makes the Horny Toad unique is a small monument that sits right out front of its façade.  According to Mike, in 1911 Runnels County voted itself dry, which was much to the chagrin of the Rowena population. “In protest, they buried a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of beer and erected a headstone that said Here Lies Our Liberty,” said Mike pointing to the monument outside his brewery.

Today  you can enjoy a delicious Texas beer while reminiscing about the history of prohibition in the shadows of that historical marker. “It’s kind of like a full circle moment. We went from prohibition to now having this awesome brewery right here in our town,” said Alisha Multer.

The Texas Bucket List – D&J’s Good Ole Days Antiques & Oddities in Brady

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Brady – Smack dab in the center of the Lone Star State sits Brady. With a population of around 5,000 folks, it’s by no means a big town. But it does have one big store that brings in a bunch of folks. It’s called D&J’s Good Ole Days and if you plan on stopping by it might just take you days to see it all.

DeAnn Evridge is the D of D&J Antiques, and the J is her husband, Joe. They opened this business filled with heirlooms and oddities back in 2010 to fill the time during retirement. “We decided to open a little antique store and just be open one or two days a week. And now it’s gone to six days a week full time, and sometimes we’re open on Sunday afternoons,” DeAnn said.

Interesting store. “Yeah, I would say so. Hope so. It keeps people coming.” Yeah. You never know what you’re going to find here. “That’s right. Well, you want it to be a surprise every time you round a corner.” Some scary stuff, some unique stuff, some odd stuff, some interesting stuff. You run the gamut here. “We like to say we have it all,” joked DeAnn.

From creepy doll heads to random family photos to disposable cameras, the selection at D&J is one of the most off-the-wall collections I’ve ever come across. It does make you wonder, who would want this stuff? “We want a uniqueness to our store,” DeAnn said. “We don’t want something that you’re going to see in every other store in town. It’s kind of our calling card.”

To decide what to carry in the store, DeAnn and Joe must love it. If they don’t like it, it doesn’t matter how much it’s going to sell. They don’t have it unless they love it. One of their most prominent collections is that of prosthetic eyeballs.  “We’ve got quite a few. So, you can pick out your color. You can pick out whether or not you want busted veins in your eyes, depending on whether or not you had a hard night. You want it to match your other eye,” said DeAnn while rummaging thought the collection. Never did I realize that fake eyes had so many options.

This crazy, unique, random stuff are things you can’t find on the internet. While they are working on a website, they don’t have many items listed on there because they like to have one-of-a-kind items which can be hard to do on the internet.  “When we opened at first, we realized there was going to be a real big calling for oddities and unusual things. We’re on the road from here to Austin,” DeAnn said. “So, you know you got to help keep it weird a little bit.”

Most of their unique items come from word of mouth. People drive up every day with their trucks or cars full of stuff. DeAnn and Joe have even bought a couple of houses with everything in it!

Here in the heart of Texas, seeing the center of the Lone Star State only takes a few minutes but diving into everything at D&J Antiques, well, that will take some time and it’s time well spent on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Rise in Dallas

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Dallas – When it comes to French food in Dallas, there are a few options. But if you’re seeking a serious soufflé, a stop on the edge of the Park Cities at Rise is where your journey takes flight.

“Once you taste it, you will find that it’s an addiction,” said owner Hedda Gioia Dowd.  Dowd is a self-proclaimed Francophile all thanks to several summers in France visiting her grandparents when she was a little girl. Hedda would hang out in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother making soufflés, and that’s when a serious love set in. The only problem was, Hedda couldn’t find soufflés in the Lone Star State that were anything like the ones her grandmother made, so she created Rise.

“There were a lot of people that thought, ‘That is not going to work, and it certainly will not work in Texas,’” Hedda said. But the biggest hurdle she had to face was showcasing soufflés that offered a more satisfying purpose than just something sweet.

“Many folks are used to a dessert soufflé, chocolate, Grand Marnier, or a fruit soufflé, but not many people have been exposed to savory soufflés,” she said. “It’s a category that we have really taken and expanded.”

These soufflés are so sought after that even heads of state seek them out. For George Bush, eating here is like getting a W. Hedda said that he and Laura have been so supportive of Rise ever since they left the White House. They come in as if they were eating at their own home.

With so much variety, from crab meat to ham and cheese to cauliflower and brie, Rise has it all. Melinda, a loyal customer, said, “It’s like nothing else. You’re never going to find anywhere else like this.”

Hedda was adamant that I try two savory soufflés, one with chili and cheese and another with ceviche. “You happen to be the recipient of the Texas Frito Chili soufflé that no one on this planet has ever seen or tasted, but Shane, you are about to.” Oh, that’s exciting, “It’s very exciting.” I don’t know if putting chili and Frito’s in a soufflé is bringing things down or taking things up a notch. “Oh, it’s going to take them up a whole notch,” said Hedda.

Chef Alberto Solis has been whipping up soufflés at Rise since 2015 and it all starts with egg whites and a pinch of salt. Once it’s whipped up, Alberto mixes in the other ingredients for the particular soufflé – in my case, chili and cheese for one and shrimp, cheese, cilantro, and more for the other. While those were baking, I got the chance to make a dessert soufflé, but Alberto whipped my behind.

Once they were done, I got to enjoy each soufflé. The flavor was fantastic! Pillowy and perfect, rich and filling. All around sensational.

So if you’re looking for sensational flavors that come from across the sea that happen to have a little Tex and a little Mex in them, come into Rise to get the soufflés. This is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Be Blessed BBQ in Nacogdoches

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Nacogdoches – When it comes to BBQ in the Lone Star State, you can find fantastic offerings in all sorts of places. But for folks just getting started in the restaurant industry, food trucks are a great first step to see if your food has what it takes. At Be Blessed BBQ in Nacogdoches, they shouldn’t be in a trailer for too long.

Jeremiah Moss is the owner of Be Blessed, but BBQ isn’t all he does. Jeremiah is also a pastor. He believes that Be Blessed BBQ is blessed to be a blessing, and barbecue has given him a way to be able to do that.  “There’s only two things that I know, that’s Jesus and barbecue.”

Jeremiah started his BBQ venture to raise funds for a mission project and he was divinely pointed to his first pit.  “Man, I was carrying a group to Nicaragua, and we were doing a mission trip there and prayed and said, “God, we need the funds to do this.” And I felt like the Lord told me, “I already gave it to you.” And what I saw was, over at our building, there was this old barbecue pit, man. It was broken, bust, disgusting. It had a tree grow up to the fire box. And I felt like the Lord said, “I gave it to you.” I said, “If this is coming for you, it’ll be gold plated, angel singers, not this.” And we yanked it out. I had never barbecued before then. Didn’t know anything,” said Moss.

The ol’ BBQ pit pulled through and helped with several mission projects before Jeremiah got a surprise donation. “Eight months after doing that, I got a new pit to deliver to me. Now it did look like it come from God. It was brand new; it was nice. Had a sign on it that said, “Be blessed, love God.” And that’s when Be Blessed started. And they’ve been barbecuing ever since

“Anybody that puts Be Blessed on their sign and has a business, then you know it’s going to be a good business and going for something good,” said customer John.

Pit master Joshua Henderson has been working with Jeremiah since 2020. He helps smoke the brisket for 15-16 hours and it is incredible. The brisket has a great bark and flavor, but Jeremiah wanted to make a signature sandwich. That’s when a friend recommended that he make a brisket sandwich with peanut butter and jelly. Jeremiah wasn’t sold on this idea, but one night, he decided to go ahead and taste the forbidden fruit, and it was like being born again. He put it on the menu the very next day!

I love peanut butter, so I wanted to see what this sweet and savory concoction was all about, so Joshua got started by toasting the bun. Grape jelly is added, a chopped brisket on top of that, and then comes the peanut butter, which is more like a peanut butter sauce.  Sort of like what you get with spring rolls and most Vietnamese restaurants.  The comes barbecue sauce, onions, pickles, and jalapenos, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

After taking a few sniffs my nose didn’t know what to expect but after I took a big ol’ bite, I found out that this sandwich is so good, it almost felt sinful. “If you don’t like peanut butter, you may not like it,” Jeremiah said. “But if you like peanut butter… you’ll probably hug me when we get done with this.” The sweet, the savory, and then those pickles bring in a little sour. This sandwich has got it all.

If you’re looking for a crazy combination in barbecue sandwiches, one with peanut butter, jelly, jalapenos, pickles, onions, and delicious barbecue, coming to Be Blessed BBQ in Nacogdoches is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I just want to live life pleasing to Christ and to be a blessing. And if I die doing that, I’m happy, brother. I’m fulfilling my purpose in life,” said Jeremiah.

The Texas Bucket List – Five D Cattle Company Steakhouse in Avinger

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Avinger – In the far northeastern corner of the Lone Star State, you’ll find Avinger hidden amongst the tall trees of Texas. But this tiny town in the ArkLaTex is able to bring in hundreds of hungry Texans thanks to one popular place to get the perfect cut of meat.

Darlene Jacobs is the owner of the 5D Cattle Company Steakhouse and Meat Market. Darlene’s parents, Doug and Demeris Jacobs, started this beef business back in 1997.

“Everybody for a hundred miles, because my mom and dad knew a lot of people, said, “You’re crazy. What are you doing? Why are you doing that in Avinger?” Because that’s home,” Darlene said. Being in the cattle business helped make this dream come true too. Doug cooked up this idea thinking the 5D would raise the beef it served but the place’s popularity made that a bit of a problem.

Dave, a frequent customer of the place, said, “You come in here on even a weeknight, every table will be full in a little town of 444 people.”

On any Saturday night, 5D serves approximately 650 people. The town plus some! It can be hard to find a parking spot, so much so that it almost puts you out of town on both sides!  Considering town consists of only a few blocks.

If you’re wondering what makes the steaks in Avinger a cut above the rest, Darlene’s answer is “hand cutting, aging, in-house, making sure that quality steak is what hits the plate.”

And with 6 generations of Lone Star State lineage, Darlene likes to keep things in the family. She said, “All my children have done time working here. It’s a requirement to carry the name.”

We got to check out the famous porterhouse steak. It was hand cut and aged there, and Jacob, Darlene’s son, got it to the “perfect done ness.”

Not only do they have the tools, but they have the experience. With grill masters and people that have been doing this for over 25 years, Darlene and her team certainly know how to cook a steak. We didn’t even have to tell Jacob medium rare, he just knew exactly how the steak should be cooked.

“If they order it cooked more than what would be… medium. It’s not a problem, we want everybody to be happy,” Darlene said. “If they order a medium well or well done, we’re going to make sure that it’s taken care of, but we also want to make sure and serve it while it’s still juicy and going to carry the flavors of that aged and hand cut steak.”

The flames lick the steak just right and after several minutes of sizzling on each side, the steak gets plated up with a side of cowboy potatoes. Cowboy potatoes are a diced up potato, sauteed in butter, garlic, bacon, and onion.

The tenderness of the steak is what really sets it apart.  After melting in mouth, it went down extremely easy and finish off with a fantastic flavor.

So, if you’re looking for a fine steak in the far northeastern corner of our state, coming to Avinger for the porterhouse or for that matter, any steak, is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“Texas is about eating a good steak and you’re not only going to get a good steak here, you’ll get a great steak here.”

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Maceo Spice and Import Company in Galveston

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Galveston – With a name synonymous with Galveston history, The Maceo family keeps the family business alive and well, 100 years since it became so entrenched with island lore.

“When I was growing up, the Maceo history, the past of Maceo’s on the island was something that they kind of wanted to put behind them. So they didn’t want me to really know, and I’m the youngest of all the cousins,” said Concetta Maceo-Sims, owner of the Maceo Spice and Import Company.

Concetta has a family connection to Sam Maceo, the man who ran things on Galveston Island from the 1920s until the 50s. Gambling, bootlegging, and organized crime were a few of his endeavors. “My grandfather’s generation, he was the last of anyone that had anything to do with the Balinese Room. So it was like hush hush, we didn’t talk about that stuff,” Concetta said.

But Concetta’s father, Ronnie, knows.  While she can tell you all about spices in the food and the place, she refers them to Ronnie when people come in wanting to talk about the history of the Maceos. “He’s a wealth of knowledge about the island, about our family history. He’s a great cook. He brings such a cool aspect to this place that not many places have,” said Concetta.

Ronnie’s grandfather, Frank, immigrated from Italy to New Orleans in the 1900s and Sam brought him to Galveston to help out with the family business. Ronnie said his grandfather was born on Bourbon Street, and they lived on the corner of Royal and Du Main with Tony Lavoi. Tony is Ronnie’s great great uncle, and he believes Tony invented the popular muffuletta sandwich around 1901, not the popular New Orleans eatery, Central Grocery, which claims the invention of the sandwich in 1906.

While we’ll never know for sure, the one thing I do know is the Maceo’s use an olive dressing that is a family recipe, as is the bread. But the most important part to Ronnie. “It’s made by Maceo,” he said.

The Maceo Spice Company was started in 1944 by Ronnie’s father, Rosario, who got tired of slinging spice in the 80s. Ronnie said Rosario wanted to quit, and that’s when Ronnie started coming down every day to work with him. That’s when Ronnie convinced his father to bring the family’s sacred sandwich back to the menu. “There’s a lot of Cajun cuisine influence on our family and our style of cooking,” Concetta said. “The red beans on the menu, that’s my mom’s recipe. The gumbo is my dad’s recipe but we had to bring in a little bit of something other than Italian.” It’s a unique combination.

Then I got the chance to see how the Maceo muffuletta is made. First the bread, which is Tony Lavoi’s recipe, was cut nice and level and Ronnie added some olive oil and a mixture of Maceo seasoning. The first layer is Maceo’s famous olive salad. Four layers of polish ham and Geneo salami get placed on top of that. Ronnie adds some more olive oil, provolone cheese, another layer of olive dressing, and heads for a streamer that toasts the bread. While the sandwich finished up, Ronnie combines the muffuletta with homemade gumbo.

The bread, the olive dressing, and all that melty cheese creates a heavenly smell. I’ve been to New Orleans many times for the muffuletta there, but this one blows it out of the water. The gumbo was incredible. I didn’t know you could get gumbo like this in Texas.So if you’re looking for a find sandwich, a delicious cup of gumbo, come into Maceo’s Spice Company here in Galveston Island. It is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Terlingua Chili Cook-off in Terlingua

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Terlingua – Over the years, I’ve been blessed with bountiful bowls of chili at some incredible places like the Phoenix Saloon in New Braunfels, the Texas Chili Parlor in Austin, and of course, Tolbert’s in Grapevine. Tolbert is a name synonymous with Texas chili thanks to Frank X. Tolbert.

Back in 1967, he helped create the most famous chili cookoff in the Lone Star State, the Original Terlingua Championship Chili Cook-off. “The experience in the desert with the chili out here is just special,” said Patrick Ryan, Frank X. Tolbert’s grandson.

“It’s my middle name. It’s Tolbert.” Really? They gave you his middle name. “Yeah.” Interesting. Had to keep that history going. “Yep. My mom insisted upon it.” And with lineage like that, I can understand why!

Patrick’s grandfather wrote for the Dallas morning news for 40 years, so he knew lots of people and even featured them from all over in his column called Tolbert’s Texas. Sounds familiar! Frank and CV Wood and a New York journalist decided they wanted to have a cook-off between Yankees and Texans to see who could make the best chili.  So in 1967, they came up to desert to hold the event.  In the end, they tied, so they had to do it again, year after year. It became a tradition, and now happens the first weekend of November every year, in one of the most desolate destinations in the whole state. “There’s dancing and there’s a little bit of drinking, a lot of chili tasting. We’re in Texas!” said competitor Steve Gaconnier.

“You’re graded on your aroma, taste, consistency, and color,” Christine Knight said. Christine has been coming to the Terlingua Chili Cook-off since 1998, and in 2010, she took the title. In order to get into the cook-off, you have to have won in the past which gives automatic qualification going forward, or you have to compete at cook-offs year-round in order to rack up enough points so you can qualify to cook. While most cooks compete all year to get this level, Steve Gaconnier doesn’t take your typical path to get to this chili cook-off. “I’m too lazy to do that, so they have what’s called Last Chance Chili, which means, yesterday we could cook, and if we get in or win the top 10, we get in the big show today,” Steve said.

After lots of ladling, sampling, and deliberating, competitors turn their chili, sit, and stew while a team of judges, including yours truly, sample the final entries allowed at the hallowed final table. As the final votes are tallied, a crowd starts to form, eager to hear who will take the title. Steve placed 12th and Christine placed 4th! The first place winner was Gene Moffett with his 48 Volt Maxdale Special Chili from Temple.

As the final night of the Terlingua Chili Cook-off wraps up, Gary P. Nunn takes the stage to put the perfect night cap on a fun-filled weekend. Gary has played at least 40 of the 50 Terlingua Chili Cook-offs, according to Patrick. His iconic chili song really gets the crowd going along with the fun atmosphere with the nice Terlingua sky and delicious chili.

So if you happen to find yourself free the first weekend of November, make your way to Terlingua to experience the largest chili cook-off in the country.

Why do you think so many people have been coming to this for so long? “It’s the camaraderie. It’s the spirit of the people that come out here and run the cook-off. It’s the local community that accepts us with open arms that come out here and drink beer in their desert for a week. And it’s a lot of things,” said Patrick. Viva Terlingua!