The Texas Bucket List is a weekly, nationally-
syndicated television program created, hosted and written by Shane McAuliffe and produced, shot, and edited by Donnie Laffoday. The show is filmed either on location somewhere in
Texas or at The Texas Bucket List Store & Studio in
College Station, TX.
The show airs on broadcast affiliates in all 22 Texas media markets, as well as stations in Laughlin, NV, Greenville, NC, Knoxville, TN, and nationally on
RFD-TV. The Texas Bucket List airs two seasons per year, each consisting of 13 episodes, the first 11 featuring one Bite of the Week food segment and two other segments covering "everything to see, do, and eat in Texas". The 12th episode of each season features the top 5 Bite of the Week segments from that season, with the best restaurant or food truck being crowned the Bite of the Season and given a plaque to display in their business. The final episode of the spring season is the Summer Special featuring renewed segments on past bucket list stops that are ideal for summer road trips. The final episode of the fall season is the Holiday Special featuring 3 holiday-themed stops.
The Texas Bucket List posts its show segments on its website as well as its YouTube channel and Facebook page. The show completes its 20th season in the spring of 2023. Current sponsors of The Texas Bucket List include
Simmons Bank, Slovacek's,
Dairy Queen, and
Toyota.
The Texas Bucket List started in 2009 on
KBTX as The Brazos Valley Bucket List, an annual month-long series started by McAuliffe that showcased events and things to do in the
Brazos Valley.[1] In 2013, McAuliffe began his own syndicated TV show and expanded “The List” to cover the entire state, creating The Texas Bucket List.[2] McAuliffe’s former station, KBTX, was the first to pick up the show.
Show segments
Texas places
Newman’s Castle and Bakery, owned by Mike Newman and originally featured on KBTX’s Brazos Valley Bucket List.[3]
South Padre Island Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center, offers sea life exhibits, interactive touch tanks, and tours in search of the
Bottlenose dolphin.
Broken Spoke, honky-tonk in
Austin, Texas founded in 1964 by owner James M. White.
Frontier Texas! Museum, an interactive museum on the western heritage of the Texas frontier and the
Abilene region. Featured on the show in the fall of 2014.[10]
Mission San Jose, located in
San Antonio, Texas, predates the Alamo and home to the largest concentration of Spanish colonial architecture.
Port Isabel Lighthouse, built in 1852 and the only lighthouse on the Gulf Coast that lets patrons climb to the top.[11]
Old Orange Cafe in
Orange, Texas. The restaurant is located in a historic former dairy. The Fiesta Burger is featured as the "Burger of the Week." Also highlighted was the restaurant's recovery from
Hurricane Ike.
Willy Burger, located in
Beaumont, Texas, won "Burger of the Season" in the spring 2014 season for their Hee-haw burger.[15]
MG’s Restaurant in
Sherman, Texas, featured in the spring of 2014 for their Hot Rod Ford burger.[16]
Marco’s Burgers and Fries, located in
Mission, Texas, and winner of the first "Burger of the Season" on the show in the fall of 2013.[17]
Padre Island Burger Company, featured on the second episode of the fall 2014 season for their Dr. Padre burger.[18]
Good Luck Grill, aired on the spring of 2014 season of the show for their Triple Crown burger and located in
Manor, Texas.[19]
Pop’s Burger Stand, located in
Waxahachie, Texas and featured for their Low & Slow BBQ burger in the spring of 2016.[20]
Perini Ranch Steakhouse, famous steakhouse that was scheduled to cater the 2001 Congressional Picnic for former United States president
George W. Bush, but was cancelled due to the events of the
9/11 terror attacks and returned to cater the picnic the following year.[21] The steakhouse won "Burger of the Season" for season 3 of ‘’The Texas Bucket List’’ in 2014.[22]
East Texas Burger Company in
Mineola, Texas, known for their burgers and baked and fried pies. Winner of the County Line Magazine’s ‘Best Burger’ award in 2012 and 2014.[23]
Middle East Restaurant, located in Abilene, Texas, and owned by Sabah Hammoodi, who worked for the American military in Iraq after the implementation of
Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.[24]
Rodeo Goat, featured on the Christmas edition of the fall of 2014 season of the show for their Ho-ho Buffalo burger.
Mel’s Country Grill, famous for their Mega Mel burger challenge. Customers that consume the entire burger win a Mel’s Café T-shirt and their name on the café’s online list of ‘Mega Mel Survivors.’[25]
Golden Light Café, established in 1946 on
U.S. Route 66 in
Amarillo, Texas. Claims to be the oldest continuously operated store on the route that has not changed its location.[26]
Big Top Candy Shop, founded in 2007 by Brandon Hodge. Decorated in a circus-theme and offers over 2000 varieties of candy as well as a soda fountain.[27]
Hondo’s on Main, named after John Russel “Hondo” Crouch, one of the owners who bought and made the town of Luckenbach, Texas famous.[28]
Fred’s Texas Café, located in
Fort Worth, Texas and featured on the show for their Diablo burger.
Stanton Drug & Grill, originated as a bank in 1906, reopened as a pharmacy in 1951.
Border Burger, located on the border of Texas and Mexico in
Eagle Pass, Texas. Featured on the show for their Jalapeño burger.
Stanton City Bites, opened as a grocery in 1961 and gradually converted into a restaurant owned and managed by Theresa and Jonathan Fong.
Jenschke Orchards, located in Fredericksburg, Texas, known for their fresh peaches and peach products since 1961.[29]
Shinyribs, American country soul and swamp-funk blend founded by lead singer and songwriter Kevin Russell.
The Derailers, country music band with current members Brian Hofeldt, Scott Matthews, Sweet Basil McJagger, and Bracken Hale from Austin, Texas.
Brice Woolard Band, Texas country music band from
College Station, Texas with members Brice Woolard, Isaac Spelce, Dave Durkovic, and Will Skiles.[33]
Rankin Twins, country music duo featuring Amy and April Rankin.
Mel Davis and the Blues Specialists, blues band with members Mel Davis, Lawrence Bell, Rob Richardson, and Isaac Bratchett playing in the Austin, Texas area for over 28 years.[34]
Gary P. Nunn, Texas country music singer from
Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Nunn’s song “Taking Texas to the Country” is featured as the theme song for The Texas Bucket List.
Haley Cole, country music singer and songwriter. Co-wrote the song ‘’One Place Too Long’’ with songwriter
Bobby Hamrick for the TV series
Nashville.[35]
Josh Grider, Texas country music singer and songwriter, musical origins in
Waco, Texas.[36]
Jay White & The Blues Commanders, blues band from Texas with band members Jay White, John Mills, Allen Huff, and Kevin Hall.[37]
Shotgun Rider, Texas music duo with lead vocalist Logan Samford and songwriter Anthony Enriquez.
Josh Ward, country music artist from Houston, Texas.