Texas Monthly

In ‘Mother Mary,’ David Lowery Turns Anne Hathaway Into a Paranormal Pop Star

Dina Gachman — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

A pop star needs a dress. That’s how Texas-raised and Dallas-based filmmaker David Lowery began his pitch to A24 for Mother Mary, which stars Anne Hathaway as the titular troubled pop diva and Emmy winner Michaela Coel as Sam Anselm, her estranged friend and former creative partner. A revered fashion designer, Sam is tasked with making the dress Mother Mary will wear at her comeback performance—but you’re never quite sure whether she’s going to finish the outfit or take her shiny, oversized shears and stab Hathaway in the heart.Despite that attempt, this haunting, fantastical movie is impossible to capture in a few words. It has a pop soundtrack with original songs by Jack Antonoff, Charli xcx, and FKA twigs (who also plays a psychic medium);…

The post In ‘Mother Mary,’ David Lowery Turns Anne Hathaway Into a Paranormal Pop Star appeared first on Texas Monthly.

A Brief History of Right-Wing Confusion Over Catholic Social Teaching

Bekah Stolhandske McNeel — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

On a mild February morning in McAllen, the sprawling interior of Catholic Charities’ Humanitarian Respite Center was quiet. Shampoo and hygiene products lined shelves on either side of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The commercial kitchen that would soon fill with the smells of simmering onions and stewed meat was polished clean, lights off. A shopping cart in the corner, loaded with plastic bags and personal effects left behind by one of the previous day’s visitors, was the only indication of the crowds that regularly fill the sprawling building. I’d come to the center to ask Sister Norma Pimentel, the Catholic nun who runs things, what she makes of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s accusations levied against her, by Attorney General Ken Paxton, of human trafficking…

The post A Brief History of Right-Wing Confusion Over Catholic Social Teaching appeared first on Texas Monthly.

An Eataly for Mexican Food Opens on the River Walk

Paula Forbes — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Nearly everyone who has visited the San Antonio River Walk has ambled past or into the Shops at Rivercenter. The mall has a whole host of experiences meant to draw in people (most of them with children) who need to be entertained while enjoying air conditioning. An aquarium! An IMAX theater! Climbing walls! A Legoland! But this week, a slightly different attraction—one dedicated to the taco-loving population—will open to the public.Mexico Ceaty (see what they did there?) is a 25,000-square-foot food hall and market à la Italian-food-playground Eataly. Four years ago, the owners of the mall approached chef Jason Dady (of Tre Trattoria and Two Bros. BBQ Market) to reimagine the languishing food court. But the idea has been around longer. “I wrote this concept…

The post An Eataly for Mexican Food Opens on the River Walk appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Daily Crossword: April 17, 2026

Texas Monthly — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The post The Daily Crossword: April 17, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Word Wrangler: April 17, 2026

Texas Monthly — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:59:00 +0000

The post Word Wrangler: April 17, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

This Texan Was a Star of Hollywood’s Golden Age. You Probably Haven’t Heard of Her.

Bobbie Jean Sawyer — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:05:10 +0000

Texans You Should Know is a series highlighting overlooked figures and events from Texas history. On a dreary winter morning inside a leaking chapel in Los Angeles in 2005, a couple dozen mourners gathered to honor a Texan actress who’d died nearly forty years prior. A few of the aging attendees had been around for the peak of her fame—when she was a World War II pinup girl, receiving marriage proposals by the hundreds, befriending Humphrey Bogart, and going toe-to-toe with Cary Grant. Known for her looks but distinguished by her drawl and wit, she was once one of the most recognizable women in the world. Her legacy is etched into a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But you probably haven’t heard of her. She…

The post This Texan Was a Star of Hollywood’s Golden Age. You Probably Haven’t Heard of Her. appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Word Wrangler: April 16, 2026

Texas Monthly — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:12:41 +0000

The post Word Wrangler: April 16, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Inside the Meeting of the State’s Greatest Minds

Dina Gachman — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

I never imagined I’d wind up in a guided sound meditation with famed criminal-defense attorney Dick DeGuerin. There we were, though, among a few dozen people sitting in straight-backed chairs in a room at a high-end Houston hotel on a gray Sunday morning in February, about to close our eyes and chant “om.” DeGuerin, who was wearing a leather jacket and a Stetson Open Road, has represented Waco cult leader David Koresh and real estate heir slash murderer Robert Durst, so he’s obviously a man unafraid of a challenge. Our polka-dot bow tie–clad spiritual guide for this meditation, neurosurgeon and best-selling author Eben Alexander, encouraged everyone to relax. As the lights went out, a recording of soothing binaural beats and soft tones meant to connect us…

The post Inside the Meeting of the State’s Greatest Minds appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Daily Crossword: April 16, 2026

Texas Monthly — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The post The Daily Crossword: April 16, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Buffet at a 74-Year-Old Barbecue Restaurant Offers One of the Best Deals in Texas

Daniel Vaughn — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Two months ago, Sonny Daniel had to raise the price of his barbecue buffet at Sam’s Original Restaurant by 50 cents. It now costs $19.99 per person to load up at this stop roughly midway between Dallas and Houston, just off Interstate 45. “We’ve always tried to keep it affordable,” Daniel says, but the rising cost of beef left him no choice. His last price increase—also 50 cents—was eighteen months ago. While many items on the buffet rotate daily, sliced brisket and chicken-fried steak are always available. For those two items alone, he purchases nearly three thousand pounds of beef every week. Highway travelers and Fairfield locals alike still flock to the 74-year-old restaurant, and any that leave hungry have only themselves to blame.Sammy and…

The post The Buffet at a 74-Year-Old Barbecue Restaurant Offers One of the Best Deals in Texas appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Daily Crossword: April 15, 2026

Texas Monthly — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The post The Daily Crossword: April 15, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Word Wrangler: April 15, 2026

Texas Monthly — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:59:00 +0000

The post Word Wrangler: April 15, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Best Carnitas I’ve Ever Had in Texas Are in . . . the Permian Basin?

José R. Ralat — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Restaurateur Carlos Villarreal moved from Laredo to Odessa to work in the oil patch. It’s not an uncommon story, but 48-year-old Villarreal brought something special with him: a carnitas recipe he’d purchased from a family from the Mexican state of Michoacán, the birthplace of carnitas. Villarreal made the Permian Basin home, establishing a fuel-transport company, saving his money, and biding his time until he was ready to open his dream project: Carnitas San Luca, a trailer in a Cricket Wireless parking lot. Villarreal would eat lunch at Carnitas Los Arcos in Laredo. “ ‘Wow, these are the best carnitas I’ve ever had,’ ” Villarreal recalls telling the owners. “I ate their carnitas almost every day.” Sadly, the restaurant was closing so the family could return to Michoacán. “I…

The post The Best Carnitas I’ve Ever Had in Texas Are in . . . the Permian Basin? appeared first on Texas Monthly.

“Nobody’s Going to Vote for You Anymore”: A South Texas Builder Reckons With His Support for Trump

Forrest Wilder — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Mario Guerrero, a 33-year-old home builder and executive director of the South Texas Builders Association, never thought he’d be in the national spotlight. But when ICE raids began devastating the Rio Grande Valley’s construction industry, the three-time Trump voter started speaking out, generating headlines and social media chatter for his guileless, often profanity-laden takes. He appeared in a widely-watched video by The New York Times in which he said, “‘I’ve supported Mr. Trump in every election he’s been part of. We just never thought this would come and affect us in the construction industry.” He told Politico, “South Texas will never be red again.” Such comments have provoked anger from the MAGA right, who see him as a traitor, and ridicule from the online left,…

The post “Nobody’s Going to Vote for You Anymore”: A South Texas Builder Reckons With His Support for Trump appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Daily Crossword: April 14, 2026

Texas Monthly — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The post The Daily Crossword: April 14, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Word Wrangler: April 14, 2026

Texas Monthly — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:59:00 +0000

The post Word Wrangler: April 14, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Reporting Under the Influencers

Ben Rowen — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

When Carlos Espina took the stage on the third night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, nearly everyone in attendance—including him—was surprised. The ponytailed 25-year-old Spanish-language social media influencer had been given a three-minute time slot to speak about the value of immigrants to the United States and to warm up the crowd for Bill Clinton, Tim Walz, and a preannounced “surprise” appearance by Oprah. Espina began his speech by noting that when his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Uruguay and settled in College Station, they wouldn’t have believed that one day their son would address a massive crowd at a major U.S. political event. Or for that matter that he’d amass a following of 14 million. Influencers—they get the job done. Espina’s…

The post Reporting Under the Influencers appeared first on Texas Monthly.

This 75-Year-Old Shop Is More Than a Place to Buy Bait for Texas Anglers

Elisabeth Carroll Parks — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

The Bait Barn Fisheries’ red, wooden storefront has started to look a little out of place. Near the intersection of Texas highways 6 and 21, in Bryan, surrounded by franchises hawking chicken wings and combo meals from beige, cement facades, the shop radiates a wild, earthy dignity thanks to its slightly askew structures. The half a dozen or so Bait Barn buildings, pieced together over seven and a half decades, were born out of equal parts imagination and necessity, much like fishing.There once were live-bait shops scattered throughout Bryan and neighboring communities. Today, the Bait Barn is the closest one for almost fifty miles—famous among anglers in the Brazos Valley who come here to stock up before casting a line in lakes Somerville and Conroe,…

The post This 75-Year-Old Shop Is More Than a Place to Buy Bait for Texas Anglers appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Daily Crossword: April 13, 2026

Texas Monthly — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The post The Daily Crossword: April 13, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Word Wrangler: April 13, 2026

Texas Monthly — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:59:00 +0000

The post Word Wrangler: April 13, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Daily Crossword: April 12, 2026

Texas Monthly — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The post The Daily Crossword: April 12, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Word Wrangler: April 12, 2026

Texas Monthly — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:59:00 +0000

The post Word Wrangler: April 12, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The Daily Crossword: April 11, 2026

Texas Monthly — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The post The Daily Crossword: April 11, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Word Wrangler: April 11, 2026

Texas Monthly — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:59:00 +0000

The post Word Wrangler: April 11, 2026 appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Google Says This BBQ Joint Closed. But You’ll Still Find It Serving a $19 Three-Meat Plate.

Daniel Vaughn — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Daquinton Stuart drives past a reminder of the failed expansion of his barbecue joint every day. The sign for DQ’s still hangs above the empty building on Live Oak Street in Marlin, nearly thirty miles southeast of Waco. Stuart operated his restaurant there for two years, but after closing last year, he parked a food trailer with the same name a few blocks west. It’s bright red, just like the one he started his business with in 2021. He sold that first mobile rig when he opened the permanent location, but in hindsight, he said, “I think I should have stayed in the trailer.”The new location is an empty lot where an old retail building went up in flames a few years ago. Stuart, who…

The post Google Says This BBQ Joint Closed. But You’ll Still Find It Serving a $19 Three-Meat Plate. appeared first on Texas Monthly.