When you think about classic Texas eateries, you probably think of the staples: barbecue, burgers and street tacos.
International travelers visiting the Lone Star State have been seeking the best of the best to get the real "American" experience.
Senior editor at the Dallas Observer Lauren Drewes Daniels spoke with NTX Now's Ron Corning and Miranda Suarez about where these visitors are getting their brisket fix, and how they're navigating tipping culture.
A literal semi-truck of brisket
Drewes Daniels says virtually everyone she asks about where they are eating when visiting out of town say "Terry Black's." Because of this popularity, they're going through a lot of beef.
"They're going through a semi truck of briskets each week," she said. "That's about 35,000 pounds, and normally, they go through about 25,000 pounds of brisket a week."
But thankfully for tourists, the Deep Ellum staple was prepared for the influx of eaters.
"They were able to react really quickly and they were hopeful that the crowd would show up and eat as much," Drewes Daniels said. "They were ready for it."
Wait staff are paid how much in America?
When Norwegians were in North Texas for their match in Arlington late June, they brought their chants and traditions to the bars and pubs. What they didn't expect to bring was a few extra bucks to cover the tip for their tabs.
"They have unions in Norway for the service industry," Drewes Daniels said. "People start at $20 an hour. As age goes up, the rate increases. Then, when we explained to them that servers here make a little more than $2 an hour, they almost fell off their bar stools, literally."
She explained that visitors felt like tipping 20%, regardless of the quality of service or product, felt like a mandate, and there was the expectation to tip in situations that didn't necessarily garner one. But overwhelmingly, the Norwegians appreciated southern hospitality.
"They did love the service here," she said. "They get a little doted on it and they really kind of like it."
Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning are the hosts of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Miranda at msuarez@kera.org or Ron at rcorning@kera.org.
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