Midland, Texas: The Tall City or the working man’s oil and gas capital as I like to call it. Houston may be where the head honchos in the industry are based, but Midland is where the nitty gritty work happens.
Where to Eat in Midland:
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Fair to Midland: State fair games and food - but only for adults. Funnel cakes and corndogs, this restaurant/mini playground is full of nostalgia.
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Midland Meat Company Half Acre: this food truck is owned by Midland Meat Company, where you can buy hands down the very best steaks I’ve ever tasted.
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Cork & Pig: Come for the pork ribs, stay until they roll you out…. Amazing food, large portions, just fabulous all around.
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Far West Coffee: this was my go-to coffee shop in my Midland days. I love everything about this place: the coffee, the pastries and food, the decor, the owners. They’re wonderful people using wonderful ingredients to create wonderful food.
Where to Drink in Midland:
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Tall City Brewing: a family and dog friendly brewery with rotating food trucks. It’s the perfect Sunday afternoon activity with friends.
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Rockin’ Rodeo: Midland’s own honkytonk with live country music on the weekends. Here’s where you’ll two-step the night away.
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The Bar: is there anywhere else to go beside THE Bar?
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Shack in the Back - only open on Wednesdays from April to October - this patio bar is THE hangout spot on Wednesday nights. Shack in the Back is an events venue on the weekends, so the Wednesday Party on the Patio is simply their side gig.
What Not to Miss in Midland:
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Permian Basin Petroleum Museum: the history of oil and gas in West Texas — fraccing, drilling, and how it all actually works. Stay for the rock and geode collection (genuinely cool, even if you didn't think you cared about rocks)
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I-20 Wildlife Center: a little desert oasis tucked right beside the highway and hidden in plain sight. Quaint, quiet, and a genuine hidden gem — exactly the kind of spot you'd never find unless someone told you.
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Museum of the Southwest: housed in an old wildcatter's mansion and still run by oil and gas families — which means yes, there's an entire room dedicated to their Kentucky Derby trophies. Great permanent collection plus a rotating exhibit. Worth an afternoon.
So next time you find yourself on I-20 heading west, pull over in Midland. It's not the typical tourist stop, but you'll come away with a real understanding of the oil and gas side of Texas — and that's worth the detour.
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