Photo courtesy of Margaritaville Resort South Padre Island
Dallas Parrotheads have a new coastal destination for frozen concoctions and cheeseburgers in paradise: Margaritaville has debuted its first-ever Texas beachfront resort on South Padre Island.
Opened June 12, it's the second Margaritaville Resort in Texas. The first, in landlocked Lake Conroe north of Houston, opened with much fanfare in covid-y 2020. There's also a Camp Margaritaville RV resort in the Galveston area.
According to a release, the family-friendly Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island is located just off the causeway in SPI, and offers all-ocean view rooms, several eateries, a spa, direct access to the beach, and the largest beachfront hotel pool on the island.
“We are thrilled to bring Margaritaville to the South Texas coast, allowing locals, guests, and visitors alike to experience a one-of-a-kind oasis,” says Rone Middler, the resort's general manager, in the release. “An easy drive or plane trip from the major metro areas of Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston and convenient access to Mexico, Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island provides the perfect getaway for guests of all ages looking for fun, relaxation, and adventure.”
Highline Hospitality Partners invested more than $30 million to transform the old Pearl Hotel South Padre into the new, bright turquoise Margaritaville Resort.
Highlights include:
200 guest rooms and 50 beachfront condos with one-, two-, or three-bedroom configurations featuring rainfall shower, plush bedding, 55-inch TVs, mini fridges, St. Somewhere bath and body products, and more.
three restaurants and bars: LandShark Bar & Grill, with indoor and outdoor patio seating overlooking the Gulf of Mexico; the Salty Rim Bar & Grill, a swim-up bar mixing signature cocktails and bar noshes; and Joe Merchant‘s Coffee & Provisions, a grab-and-go spot for coffee and quick bites.
the largest hotel beachside pool on SPI, heated and surrounded by private cabanas and a separate kids' zone.
Hammock Row, featuring hammocks that swing and sway in the Gulf breezes under sky-high palm trees.
Sapphire Spa, with a menu of luxe treatments, a full hair and makeup salon, and fully equipped fitness center.
The resort concierge desk can arrange numerous beachside adventures, they say, from windsurfing and parasailing to offshore fishing and dolphin watching. Onsite beach chairs and umbrella rentals are available, and live musical entertainment is offered nightly.
They'll also host destination-meetings, special events, weddings, and more in their 8,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor event space.
And, in a fun South Padre twist, space enthusiasts can witness thrilling views of Space X activity on nearby Boca Chica Beach, without even leaving the hotel.
The resort is opening with a number of special packages that throw in fun extras like dining credits, cabana rentals, and more. According to the website, rates start around $275 per night.
The Texas Pecan Praline Cheescake Cone is one of the finalists for the State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards in 2026.
The State Fair of Texas has unveiled the finalists for the 22nd Annual Big Tex Choice Awards, featuring all sorts of bold concoctions that can only be found at the iconic yearly event.
The finalists include five each in the categories of Best Taste - Savory, Best Taste - Sweet, Best Taste - Sipper. Winners from each of those categories, as well as one for Most Creative, will be announced on Tuesday, August 18.
According to a release, the competition kicked off with a record-breaking 77 entries from 46 different concessionaires, each of which has at least two years of experience at the Fair.
Each concessionaire submitted an original recipe that went through a blind judging process, ensuring each entry was judged solely on its own merits.
The 15 finalists competing for the 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards titles (and their creators) include:
SAVORY
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Burger Chop Tater Tacos, Tom Grace: A fresh chopped burger patty combined with sautéed onions and jalapeños, then topped with mozzarella and American cheese and laid on top a bed of cheddar cheese tater tots that have been formed into a taco shell. That is then finished with buffalo buttermilk ranch coleslaw, garlic parmesan buffalo sauce, and more tots.
Dickel's Texas Two Step Tacos, Dickel’s Smokehouse: The Dickel’s Texas Two Step Tacos features two tacos, the first with a warm blue corn tortilla filled with a fire-roasted jalapeño stuffed with pineapple pork sausage and melted mozzarella. The second taco contains tender-sliced brisket wrapped around a roasted jalapeño, layered with melted mozzarella, and served on a yellow corn tortilla finished with purple pickled onion and a drizzle of sweet, smoky barbecue sauce or house made Lone Star Habanero Fuego.
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza, Tom Grace: The Flamin’ Crunch Pizza consists of hand-tossed, fresh-made pizza dough topped with a jalapeño cheddar queso base and covered with a freshly grated blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. The pizza is topped with handfuls of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a drizzle of jalapeño queso blanco and house-made buffalo buttermilk ranch dressing, and a hefty sprinkle of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust.
Golden Crunch Melt, Tony & Terry Bednar: This entry features a tortilla brushed in a signature seasoned butter oil and packed with marinated chicken pastor, fire-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, smoky chipotle mayonnaise, melted three-cheese blend, and crispy potato strings, accompanied by a smoky chipotle crema.
Nacho Wings, Cody & Lauren Hays: Nacho Wings are crispy chicken wings tossed in zesty taco seasoning, smothered in creamy nacho cheese, and piled high with cilantro, green onions, cotija cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and jalapeños. They are served on a bed of hot, golden fries and the whole thing is drizzled with ranch.
SWEET
Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Berry Me in Matcha, Stephen El Gidi: Berry Me in Matcha features a New York-style cheesecake that is hand-dipped in Belgian white chocolate, rolled in crushed matcha cookies and drizzled with white chocolate and sweet strawberry jam. The dessert is finished with a fresh strawberry slice on top.
Fernie’s Frozen Espresso-tini Bar, Christi Erpillo & Johnna McKee: This espresso martini popsicle features cold-brew espresso blended with a kick of Fernie's Funnel Cake Cream Cocktail. The bar is drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite.
Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog, Beck Fletcher: The Fletcher’s Chocolate Corny Dog consists of smooth milk chocolate fudge hand dipped in Fletcher’s famous Original Corny Dog batter and deep fried until golden perfection. It is topped with a drizzle of yellow vanilla icing and served with raspberry compote for a sweet twist on the iconic Corny Dog.
Holy Flan! Buñueloco, The Garza Family: The Holy Flan! Buñueloco starts with a warm, crispy buñuelo bowl filled with creamy, homemade arroz con leche and a scoop of cinnamon Blue Bell Ice Cream. The highlight is a deep-fried flan encased in a delicate puff pastry shell, topped with fluffy whipped cream topping and a rich caramel sauce drizzle.
Texas Pecan Praline Cheesecake Cone, Brad Weiss: This second take on cheesecake features a warm waffle cone dipped in white chocolate, rolled in buttery Texas pecan praline, crushed Biscoff cookies, and freeze-dried strawberries, and filled with homemade cookie butter cheesecake. It is then topped with a pinch of sea salt, whipped cream, Biscoff crumble, warm cookie butter drizzle, white chocolate sauce, and finished with a signature Biscoff cookie.
SIPPER
Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Corn Flake Shappé, Milton & Gracie Whitley: The creamy Corn Flake Shappé blends toasted corn flakes into a rich creation with dulce de leche, Texas pecan notes, and a signature blend of warm spices. It is finished with whipped cream, golden corn flake crunch, sweet strawberry crumble, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float, Tami & Josey Nevins Mayes: The Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float features creamy peach bellini soft serve infused with sparkling wine, topped with sparkling sugar and grated frozen peach. It is finished with a sugary-sweet golden topping.
Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider, Rousso’s Concessions: The Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider is crafted with hints of apples, caramel, churros, cinnamon sugar, and a smoky bacon jam twist.
Sunset Soft Serve Rita, Dwania Morris: The Sunset Soft Serve Rita combines a strawberry and mango margarita with vanilla soft-serve ice cream, a rim coated in Tajín rim, and topped with a chamoy drizzle and crunchy hot honey Tajín topping.
Tropical Coco Fresca, Fruteria Cano: The Tropical Coco Fresca is a layered pineapple-watermelon agua fresca with chamoy lava Tajin rim, paired with a scoop of icy coconut snow that melts into a creamy tropical explosion of flavors.
While these 15 creations earned a spot in the finalist round, the State Fair of Texas is also recognizing semi-finalists whose innovative entries will still make their debut at the 2026 State Fair as new foods.
Semi-finalists include:
All Shook Up
Butter-Dipped Toffee Crunch Nutty Bar
Deep Fried Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake
Dirty Dr Pepper Do-Si-Do Float
Fried Gobbler Roll
Layered Mango Strawberry Shortcake
Limonata Fresca Float
Loaded Lone Star Rings
Love Me Jam Sandwich
Matcha Parfait
Midnight Ruby Rush
Soft Serve Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash
The Niece
Triple Chocolate Flautas
Twinkle Twinkle Brisket Star
During the final judging event, a panel of 35 judges, including hometown celebrities, television personalities, food experts, and well-known creators, will evaluate each dish based on four key Fair-food elements: taste, value, creativity, and fairgoer appeal.
While the Big Tex Choice Awards event is closed to the public, the public can follow along online by tuning into one of the State Fair's social media channels - @StateFairofTX on Instagram and Facebook.
The winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18 at 2 pm.
The 2026 State Fair of Texas, themed “Stars, Stripes, & Howdies,” will open on Friday, September 25, and will run through Sunday, October 18.
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas