What the heck is Tex-Mex?

Coming from a half-Hispanic background, I grew up eating delicious Mexican food made by my mom and grandmother. I never thought twice about the dishes they prepared until I started dating my boyfriend, who is from New Mexico. When I met him here at UT Austin, I realized that we had very different ideas about what "Mexican food" meant.

The only place I've been in Mexico is Cancun, and the food I ate there hardly counts at "authentic" Mexican dishes. I think that Texas has great Mexican food, but after eating the same dishes in different states and areas of Texas, I realized that what I always thought was just Mexican food is indeed, Tex-Mex.

So what is Tex-Mex, and who came up with it? The term "Tex-Mex" first appeared in the 1940s, and according to historians, it commonly described anything that was influenced by or derived from both Texas and Mexico. (Seems obvious enough, right?)

Some Americanized dishes that are often found in Tex-Mex eateries include Texas-style chile con carne, fajitas, a heavy use of melted cheese, and different flavors and spices in traditional dishes like rice and beans. The burrito is also sometimes attributed to Tex-Mex cooking, but others claim that it originated in Tuscon or Los Angeles.


This New York Times article does a good job of explaining some of the roots of Tex-Mex cuisine, though I don't know if I agree with their favorite restaurants in the state. I would say that Texas Monthly has a more comprehensive list of places to eat.

Here in Austin, there are many restaurants that serve Tex-Mex food, but I have to admit my two favorite places to get a delicious carne guisada or enchilada plate (besides my grandma's kitchen) are Joe T. Garcias in Fort Worth and Mi Tierra in San Antonio.