You Have to Try the One Dish That Made This Buzzy Texas Spot Legendary

If you’ve lived in Texas for any significant length of time, there’s a good chance you’ve cooked up a pot of Texas red chili to warm your bones on a cold night. While our official state dish, which features a base of meat and dried chiles, was invented by working-class women in San Antonio during the mid-19th century, it remains popular today thanks to one restaurant: Tolbert’s. All it takes is one bite to understand why a "bowl of red" is the most popular dish at Tolbert's Restaurant & Chili Parlor in Grapevine, Texas.

Tolbert's is more than a restaurant; it's an experience. The restaurant was founded by Frank X. Tolbert, a Texas journalist, historian, and self-proclaimed chili aficionado, along with his son, Frank II. Frank X. is also the co-founder of the world-famous Terlingua Championship Chili Cook-Off, which takes place in late October or early November. His love for chili runs so deep that he even wrote a book called "A Bowl of Red."

The Tolbert men collaborated to create their own signature recipe for Texas red chili, which helped put the restaurant on the map almost as soon as it opened. Tender beef is stewed in a blend of dried chiles and other spices, resulting in a rich, intensely flavorful dish that warms you from the inside out. It's the very same recipe that started it all nearly 60 years ago, and people still can't get enough. Frank's son, Kathleen Tolbert Ryan, and her husband, Paul Ryan, moved the restaurant to Grapevine's Main Street in 2006, but the location is the only thing that has changed. Patrons enjoy the same unparalleled quality, top-notch service, and impeccable attention to detail that made Tolbert's a household name in the first place.

While the chili is plenty spicy enough as is, there are two additional levels of heat for those who want an extra kick. And if you aren't a chili purist, there's a "North of the Border" version with pinto beans. The menu also features chili verde and Frito pie. Vegetarians, you aren't forgotten, either. Tolbert's might be known for its bowl of red, but the restaurant makes a mean veggie chili.

The traditional bowl of red will always reign supreme, but the Terlingua Burger is a close second. This crowd favorite features a flame-grilled burger on a brioche bun, topped with a big scoop of chili and two onion rings. Other menu items include Southwestern classics such as tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, flame-grilled Angus steaks, sandwiches, and more.

You might come to Tolbert's for the food, but you'll stay for the atmosphere. There's live music in the evenings, a full bar with close to 40 beers on tap, and staff who know the true meaning of Southern hospitality.

Visit the Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor website for more information, including current hours of operation and a full menu.

Have you ever eaten a classic bowl of red, the most popular dish at Tolbert's? What other restaurants in Texas are known for a particular menu item?

Feeling inspired? Try planning your own trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.