Buddy Holly and BBQ: 7 essential stops on your Lubbock, Texas visit

Lubbock is like a greatest hits album of Texas charm. You’ve got diverse cuisine from Houston, cowboys and rock and roll from Dallas and a thriving arts and culture scene from Austin. 

But where exactly should you go to experience the best the “Hub City” has to offer? What makes Lubbock’s wine so shockingly good that European wineries are now trying to emulate it? And why is Buddy Holly Hall the best place for a thousand miles in every direction to see a live act? 

1. Cotton Court Hotel

First thing’s first, you’ve gotta stay somewhere during your West Texas adventure, and the Cotton Court Hotel makes a pretty strong case for itself. 

Built as an homage to classic drive-up motels, Cotton Court features an inner-facing courtyard replete with fire pits, lawn games and more to help you connect with fellow travelers. You’ll also find subtle signs of Lubbock pride everywhere; from a hidden mural of Buddy Holly’s face in the lobby to furniture built from retired cotton gin components. 

On a more practical level, Cotton Court features larger-than-average rooms, comfy beds, full-size fridges and an adjoining restaurant with pretty killer queso. Oh, and there’s even a decent fitness room for working off that extra bite of BBQ. 

2. Llano Estacado Winery

Try to find someone who talks about you the way Matt Bostick talks about wine. The resident sommelier at Llano Estacado Winery helped me – a lowly wine philistine – fully appreciate why Llano Estacado’s wine is so good. 

For starters, it was founded by a chemistry professor who was able to maintain the business during Prohibition by selling wine to churches. On top of that, Lubbock’s wine grapes are grown at 3,500 feet of altitude (versus ~500 in France), which vines actually love due to the wild temperature swings. 

The net result is shockingly outstanding wine that even centuries-old wineries in Europe are now trying to emulate. Have a glass of their signature MAD-IRA, and you’ll quickly see why it beat out 146 competitors at the 2024 Houston Rodeo International Wine Competition.

3. Prairie Dog Town

Scientists estimate that before the mass arrival of humans, Lubbock was home to over 400 million prairie dogs. That means there were 60 million more prairie dogs in Lubbock alone than Americans in America. But after a 1930s government extermination program proved to be far too effective, a civilian contractor looked down at a pair of surviving prairie dogs and decided: “Why not let ‘em be?” 

So from 1935 until his passing in 1969, K. N. Clapp protected and oversaw Prairie Dog Town: a safe space where the adorable little rascals could play, procreate and live in peace. 

Prairie Dog Town still exists today. There’s no gate or admission fee; you can simply plug it into GPS, drive right up to it and feed the prairie dogs some baby carrots. Just be sure to throw enough so the others don’t get jealous and start barking up a frenzy!

4. Monomyth Coffee

If you’re looking for a darn good cup of joe, you’ll find it right down the street from Cotton Court at Monomyth Coffee. 

Founded by two Texas Tech grads in the bones of an old fraternity house, Monomyth is a refreshingly minimalist coffee shop. Inside you’ll find mostly white walls, a smattering of simple furniture and a brief menu. But what else does a coffee shop really need if the coffee and pastries are this good? 

After all, more clutter means less space for humans, which goes against the Monomyth creed. “We wanted a communal space,” co-founder Randall Jackson told us, “a place where anyone experiencing their own hero’s journey could find respite. Hence: Monomyth.” 

5. The Buddy Holly Hall

Without question, you and your travel companions should look at the upcoming shows at the Buddy Holly Hall and see if something interests you. 

Not just because it’s a stunning, state-of-the-art building that’s an attraction all by itself. 

Not just because Lubbock attracts a healthy mix of Broadway shows, standup comics and country music legends. 

But also because the 2,200-seat Buddy Holly Hall – and the adjoining 425-seat Cricket Studio Theater – both have NC-15 acoustic ratings. That means the sound quality within these theaters is quite literally perfect, and as a result, there’s virtually no better way to experience a live act. 

So go grab some (highly affordable) tickets to a comedy show or “Chicago,” and enjoy sound quality like the performers are standing right in your living room. 

6. Buddy Holly Center

Not to be mistaken for Buddy Holly Hall, Buddy Holly Center is a humble museum dedicated to the life and history of the Lubbock-born music legend. 

I’ll readily admit that I didn’t know much about Buddy Holly going in. I knew he wrote that heartwarming jingle “Everyday” jingle and that he died tragically young on “the day the music died” in 1959. 

What I didn’t know – and what the museum helped illuminate – is that in just 18 months of touring, Buddy Holly had inspired virtually every major rock act from the 1960s. Paul McCartney openly admits that he and John would rush home from school and try to write Buddy Holly songs. Their future band name – The Beatles – was an homage to Buddy Holly and The Crickets. 

If anything above surprised you, you’re sure to enjoy spending 90 minutes touring the Buddy Holly Center. 

7. McPherson Cellars

Located in the heart of downtown Lubbock, McPherson Cellars features a beautiful tasting room and an elegant selection of “high-altitude” wine that Lubbock is world-famous for. 

But neither of these is the star attraction. That would be Kim McPherson, the owner and founder. I’m convinced that he’s the world’s least pretentious winery owner. 

To preface, he’s enormously qualified. His father, Dr. Clinton “Doc” McPherson, pioneered several techniques for growing grapes in the Texas heat, and Kim soon picked up the torch and expanded the business to worldwide acclaim. 

“At one point we owed an Italian fella a LOT of money. We were sweatin’ bullets!” he said. 

As he walked us through an impressive selection of rosés, malbecs and roussannes, I couldn’t help but ask him: what kind of wine did he drink with his steak?

“White,” he said with a grin. 

Do you ever make a pinot grigio? 

“Yep, sometimes! But I get mine from Costco. $6 a bottle, can’t beat it.” 

Never forgetting his humble local roots, Kim calls himself – and his winery – “a friend of the working man.” So if you’re seeking a down-to-earth wine tasting with a side of humor, pay a visit to McPherson Cellars. 

Honorable mentions: 

• Brewery LBK is an award-winning micro brewery with an excellent in-house Texas Lite Lager. 
• La Diosa Cellars provides delectable Spanish and Mediterranean tapas in an artsy, industrial setting. Don’t skip the risotto or the lamb sticks. 
• Dirk’s Signature Chicken and Bar offers superb fried chicken tenders, some of the best I’ve had outside of Atlanta. Get the house sauce. 
• Texas Tech is filled with beautiful sculptures and public art. A self-guided walking or driving tour is a great way to work off a heavy West Texas lunch. 
• La Sirena offers mouthwatering, upscale Latin American cuisine from quail empanadas to scallops and steelhead trout. 
• Evie May’s BBQ is way too humble to admit they have some of the most succulent, mouth watering brisket in the South, but they do. 
• Cast Iron Skillet features affordable and unpretentious Texas breakfast with world-famous pies to-go. 
• The Helen DeVitt Jones Clay Studio allows you and your travel mates to get hands-on making your own clay cups and bowls for holding beer and chips later on. 
• The Nicolett offers multi-course fine dining inspired by Chef Finn Walter’s experience studying in Paris, Austin, Napa Valley and Santa Fe. Don’t skip the bread course or dessert!

By hitting most of these stops, your adventure in Lubbock is sure to be cultural, memorable and highly affordable. From high-altitude wine to the birthplace of modern rock and roll, you’re sure to enjoy your time in the Hub City. 

For more on Lubbuck, see Visit Lubbock.

– Chris Butsch is an award-winning freelance writer and speaker specializing in positive psychology and personal finance. He has written for Forbes and Fortune and published two books.