How to Spend Two Days in Lubbock, Texas
While some places in Texas can sound stuck in the past in all the worst ways, I recently discovered a city where mid-century nostalgia blends brilliantly with a vibrant art and food scene.
Meet Lubbock, a West Texas city that’s grown 4% in the last five years and fields around six million visitors a year. What’s bringing people to this land-locked sprawling town in the middle of the high plains?
According to John Osborne, CEO of Lubbock Economic Alliance, a lot draws people to Lubbock. “People are coming here for our universities, people are coming here to do business, start business,” he told Everything Lubbock.
The Lubbock of today feels oddly reminiscent of the Buffalo I knew back in 2008. Buffalo, too, is a working-class city, but one used to losing and living paycheck to paycheck. When the recession hit, the city just kept moving forward. Craft breweries began sprouting alongside restaurants, and money was invested in revitalizing the city’s neighborhoods.
If a recession looms today, there’s no shadow cast over what’s considered one of the most affordable cities in Texas. “We’re actually projected to grow about 6.3%,” Osborne adds. “So if you thought the last five years were busy in terms of growths in our community, looking at the net five, we look to be growing even faster.”
Lubbock also has something else I didn’t see in Buffalo: Investment in the arts. Between Texas Tech’s public art collection and the brand-new, state-of-the-art Buddy Holly Hall, whose stage has already been home to Hamilton and The Lion King, the community is dedicated to preserving the creative vein running through the high plains.
Where to Stay in Lubbock, Texas
When I end up back In Lubbock, there’s nowhere I’d rather stay than Cotton Court Hotel.
Managed by the Valencia Hotel Group, this boutique hotel reflects the city it was built in. Made to look like an old cotton mill, the Cotton Court is a cool mix of motor-up motels and luxe comforts, with retro-style Smega refrigerators in every room, stocked to save you a run to a vending machine.
In the main courtyard of the hotel, you’ll find fire pits and cornhole boards set around the inground pool. Grab some dinner at Midnight Shift and sit at one of the tables outside, where even on cool evenings, you’ll stay warm thanks to table-side heaters.
But even if you use the Cotton Court Hotel as your crashpad, you won’t be disappointed. The beds are incredibly comfortable, and the walk-in showers are spacious and have the perfect amount of water pressure. Plus, each room is decorated with nods to Lubbock, like cross-stitches of Buddy Holly quotes on the wall or how the carpet looks like you’re flying over cotton fields.
Where to Drink in Lubbock, Texas
Texas wine was something I knew nothing about before visiting Lubbock. But here, you’ll find the birthplace of the state’s wine industry and award-winning wines that have been served everywhere, from your local liquor store to the tables of the White House.
You’ll find 85% of Texas’ vineyards in the high plains. West Texas’ flat land, combined with long summers and cool nights, provides a fertile planting ground for producing high-quality fruit that retains more acidity.
McPherson Cellars
1615 Texas Ave
Lubbock, TX
79401
Lubbock is home to McPherson Cellars, the only winery within the city’s limits. Once a Coca-Cola bottling plant, the building is now equal parts industrial-chic tasting room, event space, and wine cellar.
McPherson’s is a completely local company, with everything from growing grapes to fermenting wine done in Texas. Most of the process happens on-site at the old bottling plant – something I was able to get a glimpse behind the scenes of during my trip. If you have time, book a tour of McPherson’s and learn about the history of Texas wine.
During my tour, Kim McPherson explained how his father helped pioneer modern Texas wine using techniques Franciscan monks introduced to the area in the 1600s. McPherson Cellars is a tribute to Kim’s father, Clinton “Doc” McPherson.
The tradition has been passed down from father to son and will continue with Kim’s daughter, who he is proud to brag is studying to be a Master Sommelier.
Good Line Beer
2611 Boston Ave
Lubbock, TX
79410
Wine isn’t the only thing Texas does right. Beer drinkers should not miss stopping at Good Line Beer for at least a pint. Newly opened, the brewery is co-owned by friends Chris Troutmand and Shawn Philips, who got their start in the beer industry running Austin Beer Guide. After learning from brewers around Austin, the duo set out independently.
The artwork, from beer labels to posters on the wall, is all done by Lubbock legend and Texas Tech graphic design professor Dirk Fowler of f2 design, who helped the pair build the company’s brand from the ground up. You’ll see Fowler’s work all over the city, from the airport to the pages of The Art of Modern Rock.
Fowler designed Paul Simon’s 2016 Berkeley concert art, as was Jackson Browne’s 2015 Berkeley concert and 2017’s Goldthwaite Festival poster. He’s also designed concert posters for Duran Duran, Ray LaMontange, and Jade Bird, to name a few.
Llano Estacado
3426 E FM 1585
Lubbock, TX 79404
No wine aficionado’s trip to West Texas is complete without visiting Llano Estacado. Operating since 1976, this award-winning wine can be found everywhere, from corner store shelves to presidential dinner tables.
If you go to McPherson Cellars, you may hear Llano Estacdo mentioned. That’s because this is the winery Kim McPherson’s father helped begin, and Kim himself worked at for twenty years before he broke off on his own.
Where to Eat in Lubbock, Texas
If you want to visit a city with a shockingly good food scene, plan a trip to Lubbock. Here, you’ll find James Beard Foundation favorites just a few minutes from a diner with a pie policy that mirrors many barbeque joints: when the goods are gone, the kitchen’s closed.
Monomyth Coffee Co
2024 Broadway St,
Lubbock, TX
79401
One thing you can always count on college towns to have is great coffee. Lubbock, home to Texas Tech, delivers on these expectations with Monomyth Coffee Co.
Founded by brothers Trenton and Randall Jackson, Monomyth Coffee opened in 2019 with one goal: to help every guest prepare for their “hero’s journey” of the day.
Besides traditional coffee and espresso-based drinks, the cafe has a small menu with freshly baked pastries, various types of toast – including avocado or ricotta + jam toast – and a ‘green + grains’ bowl perfect for a late afternoon snack.
Cast Iron Grill
620 19th St
Lubbock, TX
79401
If quick and dirty diners are more your speed, head to Cast Iron Grill. Walk past pies cooling on the counter as you make your way to your seat in the surprisingly spacious dining room. Here, you can order biscuits and gravy, among other Southern breakfast favorites. Just be sure to get there early – and leave room for pie.
Not hungry in the morning? You can order pie (or breakfast) to go. Cast Iron also does full pies, but orders must be placed 24 hours ahead.
While you’re at Cast Iron, make sure you look up. Pairs of boots have been hanging from the ceiling for years, with new pairs – along with license plates and signs – added all the time. The tradition started when a family came in and wanted one last breakfast with their newly deceased father.
Evie Mae’s
11302 Slide Rd
Lubbock, TX
79424
If you want good barbeque, you can’t go wrong with Evie Mae’s. Owners Arnis and Mallory Robbins consider BBQ their calling or destiny – something that brought them from their backyard in Tuscon, Arizona, to running one of Lubbock’s most popular barbeque joints.
You’ll find traditional Texas barbeque fair at Evie Mae's, like brisket, chili, jalapeño cornbread, and coleslaw. Don’t pass up trying the green chile cheese grits, a dish inspired by Arnis and Mallory’s Eastern New Mexican roots.
Plan on getting to Evie Mae’s early, though, because once they sell out of meat, they’re done for the day. They open at 11 am until they run out of meat Tuesday - Sunday.
La Diosa Cellars
901 17th St
Lubbock, TX
79401
If you go to McPherson Cellar for a wine tasting, leave time to visit La Diosa Cellars. Located right across the street, Kim McPherson’s wife, Sylvana, owns this Mediterranean restaurant. The restaurant’s rotating wine list, though, is exclusively in the hands of their daughter.
On La Diosa’s menu, you’ll find a fresh take on traditional tapas. Made with many locally sourced ingredients, you can’t go wrong with Albonfigas de Madrid, a meatball made with sweet onions and jalapeño peppers, covered in a marsala wine sauce. You should also try Alfredo José, New Zealand lamb pops served with Moroccan carrot sauce.
The Rebecca – crostini with baked French brie, preserved red jalapeño jelly, and toasted silvered almonds – is an excellent choice from first-hand experience.
One item you should not pass up at La Diosa is the Mezzaluna Escargot, a special of Sylvana’s. She adds a Basque flair to the traditional French dish, serving broiled snails covered in sherry, garlic butter, and herbs on baguette slices.
The Nicolett
511 Broadway St
Lubbock, TX
79401
If you’re looking for somewhere to go to dinner in Lubbock, you can’t go wrong with The Nicolett.
Sitting in the greenhouse with fellow journalists and PR people, it felt like we were in a golden bubble outside of time and space. With each course perfectly timed, I never felt rushed or impatient – just dazzled by the aesthetics, flavors, and conversations around me.
Along with one of their signature cocktails, the Flora 75 — a twist on a French 75 — I enjoyed caviar served on yucca and the “guitar-cut” pasta with salsify, lavender, and black olive oil. Not only was everything cooked perfectly, but the flavors of each dish complimented each other, enhancing that out-of-space-and-time quality the night had begun with.
Whether seated in the dining room, patio, or greenhouse, you’ll taste West Texas food and hospitality.
What to See in Lubbock, Texas
Image Credit: Visit Lubbock.
Besides a vibrant food scene, Lubbock has a fresh, exciting art community. Here, crossing genres and mediums to work collaboratively is the norm. No visit to Lubbock is complete without paying homage to American music legend Buddy Holly or the new artists across all mediums coming together here.
Visit Texas Tech’s Public Art Collection
If there’s anything Texas Tech takes as seriously as football, it’s art. Started by the Board of Regents in 1998, Texas Tech’s Public Art Program is considered one of the country's top university public art collections (Public Art Review). Each piece of the public art collection is unique and created specifically for the space it’s occupying, using money specifically earmarked for the art project.
When I was on a tour of the art collection, our guide explained how 1% of each new capital project must go towards commissioning these pieces. She added that all decisions about the direction of the projects are made in-house and handled by a committee of faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community leaders.
For instance, outside Grover E. Murray Hall, you’ll find “Wind River” (2004) by Deborah Butterfield, pictured above.
Made from bronze, this horse sculpture sits in tall, swaying grasses, echoing the history of the land. Butterfield’s sculpture stands out because it looks like it's made entirely from driftwood, asking the viewer – and inspiring the viewer – to look at the natural world through a different lens.
The project began as a response to Sports Illustrating naming Texas Tech one of the country’s ugliest campuses. Today, the campus is a stunning modern sculpture garden set against the school’s Plateresque Spanish Renaissance-revival style buildings.
To explore Texas Tech’s public art collection, you can download the ArTTrek app to see different maps of self-guided walking tours you can take through campus.
Explore Lubbock’s First Friday Art Trail
Every first Friday of every month, artists across various mediums come together to showcase their work in Lubbock’s Cultural District. Galleries, like the Charles Adams Gallery, museums, and art centers, all open their doors to visitors, letting guests experience first-hand how Lubbock is setting the standard for Texas art.
The First Friday Art Trail is a free, self-guided tour open from 6-9 pm, rain or shine.
Even if you aren’t in Lubbock on a First Friday, checking out the public art in the neighborhood around Charles Adams Studio Project (CASP) is worth doing. While in the area, stop at the CASP for an art class or visit the gallery to see what new artists they have on display.
Buddy Holly Center
Even if you’re not a fan of Buddy Holly’s music, chances are you’re a fan of a musician Buddy Holly influenced. Everyone from Paul McCartney to Mick Jager to Elton John have spoken about how Holly impacted their sound and style during his short career. So, if you visit Lubbock, visit Buddy Holly Center to learn about Buddy Holly and the evolution of country and rock music.
Walk the center halls and check out different Buddy Holly memorabilia set up in chronological order. Learn how Holly grew up as Buddy Holley – a change after the musician signed his first contract. Not wanting to have the record deal taken away, he never spoke up about his name being spelled wrong, so he legally changed his name to match the contract.
There are also multiple pairs of glasses on display. You can see the pair Holly wore during his fatal plane crash and the sunglasses Elton John donated. John credits Holly with inspiring him to include glasses as part of his signature style.
