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Layoff survival guide for DFW: What to do in the first 48 hours

Got laid off from a DFW tech company last year. Here's the playbook I wish I had on day one.

• Texas Workforce Commission: twc.texas.gov (unemployment + job search)
• Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas: free resume workshops, job fairs
• DEC (Dallas Entrepreneur Center): networking events

DFW coworking spaces ranked: Where to work when home isn't cutting it

If WFH is driving you crazy, here are DFW's coworking options.

• WeWork (Uptown, Legacy West, Downtown Dallas, Fort Worth) — $350-700/month for dedicated desk. Hot desk: $250-350/month. Source: wework.com
• Industrious (multiple DFW) — quieter, more professional than WeWork. $400-800/month. Source: industriousoffice.com
• Common Desk (multiple DFW, Dallas-founded) — $250-450/month. Good community events. Strong DFW startup culture. Source: commondesk.com

Brisket snobs are killing BBQ culture

BBQ is supposed to be fun. Community. Gathering around a pit with a beer and eating good food. Somewhere along the way it turned into a competition over who has the most opinions about bark, smoke rings, and post oak.

Mexican food here vs actual Mexico -- am I wrong?

Just got back from a week in Mexico City. The food was unbelievable. Came home and went to my usual Tex-Mex spot and it hit different. Not bad, just... different.

What Texas stereotype is actually 100% true?

I've been here long enough to know which stereotypes are BS and which ones are dead on. The big trucks one? Absolutely real. Every third vehicle on the highway is an F-150 or bigger.

Whataburger is overrated and I'm tired of pretending

Before y'all come for me — I've eaten there plenty of times. It's fine. The patty melt is good. The honey butter chicken biscuit is legitimately great.

Is now actually a good time to buy in Texas?

Interest rates are still elevated. Prices haven't really come down. Insurance costs are through the roof — literally, because of all the hail and storm claims.

Best sweet tea in town?

I'm on a mission to find the best sweet tea around here. Not the bottled stuff. Not the lightly sweetened "is there even sugar in this" version. I want proper Texas sweet tea where you can feel the sugar dissolving your teeth.

DFW food festival calendar 2026: Every food event worth attending

DFW loves food festivals. Here's every major one on the calendar.

• Taste of Addison — May 2026. Addison Circle Park. Live music + food from 50+ restaurants. $10-15 admission. Source: addisontexas.net
• Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival (Richardson) — May. Music + food + art. $20-40. Source: wildflowerfestival.com
• Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival — April. Multi-day event, ticketed dinners, tastings. $50-150/event. Source: fortworthfoodandwinefestival.com

What's a local restaurant that's been around forever and still slaps?

Every city has those spots that have been open for 20-30+ years. No rebranding, no Instagram presence, same menu since the Reagan administration. And somehow they're still packed every weekend.

DFW coworking spaces ranked: Where to work when home isn't cutting it

If WFH is driving you crazy, here are DFW's coworking options.

• WeWork (Uptown, Legacy West, Downtown Dallas, Fort Worth) — $350-700/month for dedicated desk. Hot desk: $250-350/month. Source: wework.com
• Industrious (multiple DFW) — quieter, more professional than WeWork. $400-800/month. Source: industriousoffice.com
• Common Desk (multiple DFW, Dallas-founded) — $250-450/month. Good community events. Strong DFW startup culture. Source: commondesk.com

Taste of Dallas 2026: The food festival worth your calories

Taste of Dallas is back and it's the best food festival in DFW. Here's what to know.

• Date: June 2026 (exact dates TBD, usually second weekend in June)
• Location: Fair Park, Dallas
• Admission: $15-25. Taste tickets sold separately ($1 per ticket, dishes cost 3-10 tickets).

Moving from apartment to house: what nobody tells you in TX

Spent 6 years in apartments. Just bought a house. Here's what nobody warned me about.

• Lawn care in Texas heat is a part-time job. Mowing every week in summer. Watering constantly. The grass will die if you look at it wrong in August.
• Property tax hits different when you write the check yourself. In an apartment it's hidden in rent. Now I see the $8K bill annually.
• Everything that breaks is YOUR problem. AC went out the second month. $400 repair. In an apartment I would've called maintenance.

Is Buc-ee's actually good or just a tourist trap?

Every time I stop at Buc-ee's I spend $60 on stuff I don't need. The beef jerky wall is mesmerizing. The bathrooms are immaculate. The brisket sandwich is solid.

Dallas weather in one week: All four seasons speed run

Monday: 82 degrees and sunny. Wore shorts and flip flops.

HEB vs Kroger vs Walmart: where do you actually shop?

I know HEB is the correct answer on the internet. But I want to know what people actually do week to week.

DFW dating red flags: Things I wish someone told me

After 3 years of dating in DFW, here are the red flags that are specific to this area. Take from it what you will.

• "Just moved to Dallas for work" + every photo is at a rooftop bar = here for 18 months, max
• Lists their job as "entrepreneur" but lives in a Plano apartment with 3 roommates
• Every photo is at AT&T Stadium, TopGolf, or a lake house they don't own

POV: You just told someone from Fort Worth that Fort Worth is "basically Dallas"

I have made a terrible mistake.

• Cutting someone off on 635
• Telling a Texan you prefer Kansas City BBQ
• Wearing an Eagles jersey to AT&T Stadium

NorthPark Mall: The final boss of DFW parking

NorthPark Mall parking structure was designed by someone who wanted to watch the world burn.

Fentanyl in DFW: What every parent needs to know right now

This is not fearmongering. This is data.

• 2021: 427
• 2022: 539
• 2023: 612

Landlord won't fix AC in July. What are my rights?

AC has been out for 4 days. It's over 100 degrees outside and my apartment is hitting 90+ inside. I've called maintenance three times. They came once, said they "ordered a part," and I haven't heard back since.

Best bars in DFW by neighborhood: The definitive drinking guide

I've been bartending in DFW for 6 years and drinking in DFW for longer. Here's the real guide.

• The Free Man — Cajun food + jazz + cocktails. The only bar in DFW where you'll hear live jazz while eating gumbo. Source: freemandallas.com
• Dot's Hop House — 75+ taps. Beer nerd paradise. Source: dotshophouse.com
• Midnight Rambler (The Joule Hotel) — speakeasy basement bar. Best cocktails in Dallas. $15-18 drinks. Worth it. Source: midnightrambler.com

Teachers in Texas -- how are y'all surviving on that salary?

Genuine question, no disrespect intended. I looked up the average teacher salary in Texas. It's around $57K. In a state where rent is $1,500+, property taxes are insane, and everything keeps going up.

HOA sent me a violation for my trash can being visible. I'm done.

Got a letter from my HOA. Violation: "trash receptacle visible from the street." My trash can was next to my garage. Not in the yard. Not on the sidewalk. NEXT TO MY GARAGE on the side of my house.

Coding bootcamps in DFW: Which ones are worth the money?

I went through a bootcamp in DFW and now work as a developer. Here's the honest breakdown.

• Tech Elevator (Dallas) — 14-week full-stack (Java or C#). $15,500. 90%+ job placement rate. My bootcamp. Highly recommend. Source: techelevator.com
• Coding Dojo (online with DFW events) — 14-week, multiple stacks. $14,000-16,000. Source: codingdojo.com
• Flatiron School (online, DFW career support) — 15-week, multiple tracks. $16,900. Source: flatironschool.com