Author: Jeremy Ray Burchard

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: when you’re voted El Paso’s best Mexican restaurant and the best Tex-Mex in Texas, you’re doing something right. And while the food at L & J Cafe speaks for itself, “The Old Place by the Graveyard” is worth a stop for its history as much as the Chile con queso and shredded beef tacos. As the L & J Cafe fast approaches its centennial celebration — the restaurant was originally founded in 1927 as Tony’s Cafe — it remains a steadfast point of pride for a city whose Spanish and Mexican heritage…

It’s hard to miss Fort Worth’s iconic Joe T. Garcia’s when driving through the north sideof town — you can usually see the line from all the way down the street, sometimes stretching and meandering to amusement ride-like proportions. It wasn’t always that way, mind you, but with word-of-mouth marketing since 1935, Joe T. Garcia’s growth from a 16-seat hole in the wall to a more than 1,000-seat Texas staple is a truly impressive feat. The restaurant serves more than 350 tables from three kitchens and has a staff that takes incredible pride in its work — in fact, more…

America has always had a fascination with transport, from the historic foot trails carved through beautiful countrysides to the technological marvels of modern flight. But perhaps few modes of transportation have been as revolutionary — and remained as viable since their inception — as trains. And in Texas in particular, rail remains a vital component in the daily lives of many locals. Mineola “Rail is important to our community,” says Mineola city manager and economic development director Mercy Rushing. “A lot of times the larger communities take their rail for granted. Stopping in small communities gives our community an opportunity…

There’s a real charm to hopping onboard a miniature train, from the wonder they inspire in children to the peace and calm of the gentle rumble along the tracks. And some of Texas’ best city parks sport tracks winding throughout their grounds. Here are some of Texas’ best miniature train rides. Fort Worth’s Forest Park Miniature Railroad When Forest Park’s miniature railroad first opened in 1959, the new attraction drew so many visitors it actually caused a traffic jam in the park. More than 5,000 people showed up to ride the train in its first two days. Now, 60 years…

Hundreds of thousands of visitors trek to Texas’ famed Big Bend National Park every year. And for decades, the sleepy town of Marathon, Texas, has served as a popular entryway to the park’s gorgeous mountains and steep canyons. For the majority of that time, visitors to Marathon, the “census-designated place” at the junction of U.S.

Gently tucked in a bend of the San Antonio River in downtown San Antonio, the historic San Antonio Museum of Art houses the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art — one of the world’s preeminent collections of its kind. Vice President Rockefeller (at left in above photo), meeting in the Oval Office with President Gerald Ford (center) and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger And it all started as a generous gift. Though Rockefeller may be best known as Gerald Ford’s vice president and a four-term governor of New York, he shared a deep passion for Latin American culture.…

Given that he was one of the great philanthropists in American history, it’s no surprise that Andrew Carnegie’s name is emblazoned across several of the country’s most treasured institutions, including, of course the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City. But you don’t have to travel to the Northeast to witness some of Carnegie’s historic generosity. In fact, the Carnegie Corporation of New York built 32 Carnegie Libraries across Texas between 1898 and 1915. The organization spent more than $18 million in present-day dollars (about $650,000 at the time) to build repositories of knowledge, many of which were erected in…

About 20 miles north-east of downtown Dallas, Bankhead Brewing Company is serving as the flagship dining and drinking experience for the downtown Rowlett revitalization. The brainchild of veteran chef Kevin Lefere and brewmaster Ryan Pyle, Bankhead Brewing Co. combines hundreds of years of history with a fresh take on craft brewing in Texas. The brewpub gets its name from the historic Bankhead Highway, a transcontinental route built in 1916 that extended from Washington, D.C., to San Diego. More than 850 miles cut straight across Texas, including through downtown Rowlett. “Upping the quality” — that’s Bankhead’s mission when it comes to…