Six Epic Things Invented In Dallas, Texas
When you think about Texas, you might remember a time when only two things came from the Lone Star State, but neither can be found on this list of things invented in Dallas for the entire world to enjoy.
- 1
Tex-Mex
While there is no denying the absolute fact that Mexican food originated in Mexico, Texas has its own flair for traditional spins in the form of really spicy Texan originals. In fact, odds are you love Tex-Mex and are just confused about whether it's actually Mexican food or not.
If you didn't know, traditional Mexican food is on the slightly bland side of the spice pallet. That's not to say you can't find scorching hot Mexican dishes, but by and far, the bulk of it is savory and deeply complex rather than kick-your-*** spicy. The spiciness is a uniquely Texas thing that was born at Dallas' famous El Fennix restaurant. 103 years later, it is the universal love of what everyone assumes is Mexican food.
- 2
7-Eleven
Who would have ever thought the place that gave us all the original Slurpee, the Big Gulp, and the original gas station hot dog would have the deepest roots in Dallas, Texas? It seems more like a big city East Coast type place, but it was on the prairie in 1927.
True, it's no longer a Dallas or American owned company, but it's odd to think the original "convenience store" started as a humble ice house between two sizeable towns in North Texas.
- 3
The Frozen Margarita
While the margarita may have been invented and/or discovered way back in the 1930's, the frozen margarita didn't come around until the 1970's.
There was a visionary man named Mariano Martinez that hedge a bet on himself to open a restaurant called La Haciendo Ranch in Dallas in 1971 with only $500 cash and a small business loan. As business started to boom, he started tinkering with an ice cream machine nobody ever used, pouring in ice, lime juice, and tequila, he gave birth to the first frozen margarita in the world. I think it's fair to say, the world owes Mr. Martinez a debt of gratitude for it.
- 4
Corn Dogs
Back in the 1930's, during an influx of European immigration to central Texas, a couple of German sausage makers found it hard to convince Texans to eat their foods. I suppose that's true of every person at some point in their life. After all, tube-shaped meats probably had a hard time gaining popularity.
After getting to know their Texan brothers and sisters, the German sausage makers soon realized something. Texans will eat just about anything battered and deep fried, so they dipped their franks in cornmeal batter and tossed it in the oil.
While this is somewhat of a debated claim, there's nowhere else in the world that can prove serving the corn dog up earlier than Texas.
- 5
The Microchip
Believe it or not, long before Silicon Valley was Silicon Valley, the place where the cutting edge of technology existed was Dallas. It was called the Silicon Prairie, and it was the birthplace of the micro-processor - AKA - the microchip. It was thought of and created by calculator juggernauts Texas Instruments in the late 1950's.
- 6
Drive Thru Banking
One can only assume it was a natural step towards convenience, but Hillcrest State Bank in Dallas lays claim to opening the first drive thru bank in the world, originally established just as America became a modern driving nation in 1938. Nowadays, while banking apps make a trip to the bank a rarity for most, I couldn't even imagine a bank without a drive thru these days even if I wouldn't use it but once or twice each year.
Dallas based Docutel still claims to have invented the ATM machine too, but they were popular in Europe long before settling into the Heartland of America.