Road Trip: The Best Things Bobby, Guy and Beau MacMillan Ever Ate in Texas

By: Catherine LeFebvre
on the road texas restaurants

Go big or go home. This week, contestants of The Great Food Truck Race found themselves deep in the heart of Texas — Amarillo to be exact. The remaining food trucks cruised into town and were greeted by Tyler Florence and their first challenge: Prepare ballpark fare for hordes of hungry fans after an Amarillo minor league baseball game. One thing is for sure: Texans sure know good food when they see it.

For the next couple of weeks, we’re following the Food Trucks city by city with our guide of the best eats, compiled by the On the Road app and website. Today we’re exploring the best that Texas has to offer from all over: Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Come back next week for our picks in Arkansas.

Houston

Stop by Bob’s Taco Station, a family-run taqueria dishing out authentic Mexican cuisine from a one-time gas station near Houston. You can get a great homemade Tex-Mex breakfast or lunch, or come for a refreshing Snoball, similar to a snow cone but with smaller ice chips.

If you need a break from all the barbecue, head to Kenny & Ziggy's, a full-blown Jewish deli in the heart of Houston. Owner Ziggy Gruber’s mission is to elevate Eastern European Jewish food, and as soon as you bite into his corned beef or kreplach, you know he’s succeeding.

Dallas

If you’re checking out the Dallas farmers’ market, swing by Pecan Lodge for something called The Hot Mess. It’s a brisket-loaded sweet potato with all the fixings, and locals line up well before lunch hour to get it.

Twisted Root is the brainchild of three classically trained Dallas chefs who were frustrated with the lack of a quality burger joint in town. Now they serve up about 2,000 half-pound burgers a week, along with hand-cut fries, homemade pickles and more. Guy recommends the Ranch Hand, with Swiss cheese, bacon and peppercorn ranch sauce.

Austin

Operating out of a gleaming Airstream trailer, Austin's Flip Happy Crepes wows visitors with their unique, funky take on the traditional delicacy locals refer to as a “French burrito.” Owners Nessa Higgins and Andrea Day Boykin beat Bobby in a Throwdown with their Cuban crepe, which has slow-roasted pork, cheddar cheese, pickles and Tabasco sauce.

Stop by 24 Diner for comfort food with a seasonal flare. Specializing in local and organic fare, you can get your favorite diner food made with the highest-quality ingredients. On Crave, Troy Johnson can't get enough of 24 Diner’s chicken and waffles.

San Antonio

The Bun 'n' Barrel is a 60-year-old drive-in serving a Thai twist (since the owner married a Thai woman) on Texas barbecue and classic sides of ranch-style beans and hand-battered onion rings. Guy recommends the spicy brisket BBQ sandwich.

If you want old-fashioned, traditional Mexican home cooking that’s been passed down for generations, there’s no better place in San Antonio than Los Barrios. Bobby recommends their famous Yucatan shredded chicken puffy tacos.

More Road Trips From The Great Food Truck Race: