Where’s the best place to find flavors from kitchens as diverse as Tunisia and Iberia as well as right here in Texas? If you ask culinary travelers Bruce Bowen and Lacey Dalcour, they’d tell you, your local H-E-B, of course! With season 3 of the Quest for Texas Best in the can, it’s time for these intrepid flavor explorers to showcase some of the best in local Texas fare, inspired by traditions from around the world.
The Quest for Texas Best Road Trip is back for season 3 with hosts Bruce Bowen and Lacey Dalcour
Discover the best of texas
click the pins on the map to explore
Quest for Texas Best finalists and winners range from a Texas ranch with a Spanish flair to the kitchen of a mom who just wanted to bake some delicious cookies for her recovering son.
Every year, H-E-B’s Quest for Texas Best welcome a new set of diverse, Texan-made products to shelves.
This year is no different.
Zwita’s sweet and spicy Harissa and Shakshuka sauces offer a perfect entry point for Texans to try these delicious Tunisian flavors.
In Texas, we know a ton about cattle ranching. Texas Iberico’s Specialty Charcuterie Meats puts a twist on the traditional Texas ranch story. The ranch raises Iberico pigs, considered a delicacy in their native Spain, but relatively rare here in the states. But leave it to the strong legacy of Texas ranching and Texas Iberico’s never-quit attitude and now Texans everywhere can enjoy a premium product that’s uniquely Texan.
Ashley Cameron turned to baking cookies to comfort her son who was recovering from a rare disease. Using a family recipe, Cameron’s fresh baked cookies warmed the hearts of her family and now can warm yours with her Love & Cookies gourmet frozen cookie dough. Her motto— “Life Is What You Bake It”—means even when life throws you curveballs, who you share choose to share it with makes all the difference.
Houston is one of our nation’s most diverse cities with an exciting culinary scene to prove it. Tunisian brothers Karim and Mansour Arem are first-generation Texans looking to share Tunisian tastes and culture with their new home via Zwita.
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Quest for Texas Best is an open call for locally owned, small food, beverage and general merchandise suppliers to have their items considered for placement on H-E-B shelves and a shot at a $25,000 cash prize!
Over the last eleven years, Texans have submitted over 6,300 products to the H-E-B Quest for Texas Best program, bringing 993 items to H-E-B shelves, putting millions of dollars back into our communities, and supporting these Texas dreams.
Follow along on our interactive map to discover these H-E-B Quest for Texas Best finalists then head to your local H-E-B where you’ll find these remarkable local products as well as all the fresh, local meats, produce, and staples that make living in a culinary capital like Texas so delicious.
Discover Your Next Favorite Local Product
Lakeway (Austin)
Mouth-wateringly delicious cookies baked from frozen dough? That’s Ashley from Love & Cookies’ whole batch. Inspired by the remarkable recovery of her son, Charlie, it’s easy to share gourmet cookies with your family. Just pop ‘em in the oven and enjoy!
Love & Cookies
Lakeway, TX
Houston
Authentic Tunisian food in Texas is no problem with Zwita! Zwita founders and brothers Karim and Arem are first-generation immigrants bringing a taste of their home to yours. Hot, sweet, smoky and exotic, Zwita’s Harissa fits right into the great Texas tradition of flavorful marinades and sauces.
Zwita
Houston, TX
Dallas
Texas BBQ is about legacy. That’s what makes Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que rub so special. Brothers Brent and Juan honor their father’s legacy of food, faith, and family with every flavorful batch of their signature seasoning.
Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que
Dallas, TX
Menard
The ranch life is alive and well in Texas. Texas Iberico wrangles the cowboy tradition and combines it with Spain’s love of the Iberico pig to produce some of the finest charcuterie meats this side of the Atlantic. Classically-inspire but uniquely Texan, Texas Iberico shows how the ranch life continues to thrive.
Texas Iberico
Menard, TX
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Love & Cookies
Lakeway, TX
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Houston, TX
Zwita
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Dallas, TX
Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que
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Menard, TX
Texas Iberico
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San Antonio, TX
Humble House Sauces
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Mission, TX
Dipit by Pilar
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Lockhart, TX
Culinary Cowgirls
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Katy, TX
War Pig F.U.B.A.R. BBQ Sauce
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Austin, TX
Imperfekt Bites
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Houston, TX
Howdy Homemade Ice Cream
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San Antonio, TX
Grain4Grain
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Slaton, TX
Slaton Bakery Vanilla Wafers
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Fort Worth, TX
Savor Patisserie Macarons
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The Woodlands, TX
Just Made Juice
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Road Trip Video Library
Next stop is Austin, TX as they meet up with Arpit Bhopalkar and his beautiful family from Bhoomi Cane Water. Find out how Arpit’s love for sugar cane juice turned into a “bhooming” business!
austin, TX
bhoomi cane water
Get your macarons on with Savor Patisserie, your local spot for French flavors. Learn to bake your own or just grab ’n go, these sweets are legit macarons in down home Texas flavors.
Fort Worth, TX
Savor Patisserie Macarons
What’s in a name? If you’re drinking Just Made Juice, then you’re enjoying the freshest juice around. Born in Ecuador, raised in Texas, this juice is cold-pressed for big Texas refreshment.
The Woodlands, TX
Just Made Juice
Who knew imperfek-tion could taste so good? Imperfekt Bites are the craveable snack that puts a Texas twist on a German classic! With three unexpected flavors, there’s no imperfect way to enjoy Imperfekt Bites!
Austin, TX
Imperfekt Bites
Nothing like the joy of Howdy Homemade Ice Cream on a hot day! This homemade treat will help you beat the Texas heat. Plus, Howdy champions workers with special needs so you can support more inclusive workplaces just by enjoying ice cream.
Houston, TX
Howdy Homemade Ice Cream
What to do with leftover beer product? How about make a keto-friendly Grain4Grain waffle? Upcycled from leftover grain, Grain 4 Grain is barley flour that’s good for you and good for the planet. Turn beer into waffles, pancakes, or a loaf of bread!
San Antonio, TX
Grain4Grain
You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted a vanilla wafer from Slaton Bakery. Crafted the same way for generations by the Wilson family of West Texas, these little bites of ‘nilla heaven pack Texas sized flavor.
Slaton, TX
Slaton Bakery Vanilla Wafers
Not too sweet, not too spicy, Humble House Sauces are always the perfect complement to your authentic Texas cuisine. Made by high school sweethearts from local Texas peppers, feel the love in every bottle of Humble House.
San Antonio, TX
Humble House Sauces
Tired on the same ol’ dips? Dynamically flavorful Dipit by Pilar is the cure! Yogurt-based and (nearly) guilt-free, garnish your next party with Dipit by Pilar! Or use it as a sauce base for a true Tex-Mex stir-fry.
Mission, TX
Dipit by Pilar
Queso may be the taste of Texas, but if it ain’t Culinary Cowgirls Queso, you’re not doing it right. Made locally, eaten easily: just heat and serve for authentic, all-natural Texas Queso.
Lockhart, TX
Culinary Cowgirls
Winner of the Quest for Texas Best 2017, War Pig F.U.B.A.R. BBQ Sauce is a competition level sauce at a grocery store price. Enjoy this zesty sauce knowing $0.50 of every bottle is donated to Folds of Honor, a non-profit helping families of fallen veterans.
Katy TX
War Pig F.U.B.A.R. BBQ Sauce
Authentic Tunisian food in Texas is no problem with Zwita! Zwita founders and brothers Karim and Arem are first-generation immigrants bringing a taste of their home to yours. Hot, sweet, smoky and exotic, Zwita’s Harissa fits right into the great Texas tradition of flavorful marinades and sauces.
Houston, TX
Zwita
Mouth-wateringly delicious cookies baked from frozen dough? That’s Ashley from Love & Cookies’ whole batch. Inspired by the remarkable recovery of her son, Charlie, it’s easy to share gourmet cookies with your family. Just pop ‘em in the oven and enjoy!
Lakeway, TX
Love & Cookies
Texas BBQ is about legacy. That’s what makes Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que rub so special. Brothers Brent and Juan honor their father’s legacy of food, faith, and family with every flavorful batch of their signature seasoning.
Dallas, TX
Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que
The ranch life is alive and well in Texas. Texas Iberico wrangles the cowboy tradition and combines it with Spain’s love of the Iberico pig to produce some of the finest charcuterie meats this side of the Atlantic. Classically-inspire but uniquely Texan, Texas Iberico shows how the ranch life continues to thrive.
Menard, TX
Texas Iberico
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