Calling someone or something “classic” is the ultimate compliment. It means they never go out of style. In our July/August cover story, “True Texas Classics,” we highlight 30-plus enduring businesses that have set the mold. Take your pick of dining, shopping, and entertainment options, from a burger joint that sprouted up in a Brownsville alleyway to a Peter-Pan-themed mini-golf paradise in Austin. Each of these places has been in operation for more than 50 years. That’s staying power.
Features Editor Chris Hughes grew up in Houston and laments the city’s tendency to pave over its own history. That inspired his fascination with institutions that build community. During his brief time in Dallas, Jimmy’s Food Store, an Italian grocer established in 1966, was that place. “Jimmy’s attracts regulars from all walks of life,” Hughes says, “and families that have frequented for decades who know exactly when to get there on Saturdays for house-made sausages and meatballs.”
You don’t have to stay indoors to experience the classics in Texas. Venture outside, where there is a multitude of critters that are synonymous with the Texas landscape. In the feature “Creatures Great & Small,” writer Asher Elbein champions beasts from tarantulas to javelinas. “Asher is our resident animal expert, and these were his six musts,” says Managing Editor Erin Quinn-Kong. “I’ve now added spotting an elusive ocelot in the Rio Grande Valley to my bucket list.”
File this name under “classic”: Bob Wills. Even if you’re not familiar with the bandleader from Turkey who revolutionized Western swing music, you’re likely aware of his legacy. For her feature “Bob Wills Forever!” Panhandle native and Texas Highways Writer-at-Large Lauren Hough attended Bob Wills Day, the annual celebration in Wills’ hometown, with photographer Pooneh Ghana. “This has been my white whale story,” Hough says. “It was fascinating to see how the visual side of storytelling affected the piece.” Hough’s new road trip book, Monster of a Land, came out June 16. I’m partial, but I think it will be an instant classic.
From the July/August 2026 issue
