This Texas Spot Put A New Spin On A Childhood Favorite

A Twinkie was never supposed to be fancy.

It's the kind of snack you grabbed from a convenience store as a kid, found in a lunchbox, or discovered in the back of the pantry months after it was purchased. Which is why I did a double take when I learned an Austin café had reinvented the classic treat using fresh-ground masa.

And somehow, that's only the beginning of the story.

Austin's Famous Masa Twinkie Is Becoming A Texas Favorite

At Austin's Mercado Sin Nombre, the undisputed star of the menu is the masa Twinkie.

The café specializes in what it calls New Tejano cuisine, blending Mexican traditions, Texas ingredients and a healthy dose of nostalgia. Their signature pastry comes in two versions: a yellow corn masa Twinkie filled with orange buttercream and a blue corn version stuffed with chocolate ganache.

It sounds unusual at first, but customers can't seem to get enough of it.

The Twinkie has become the cafe's calling card, helping turn the small walk-up spot into one of Austin's most talked-about food destinations.

At This Texas Café, Masa Is A Labor Of Love

The Twinkie may get all the attention, but the real star of the menu is the masa itself.

READ MORE: El Paso Bakeries Already Have the Better Viral Dot Cake

Mercado Sin Nombre grinds its own nixtamalized corn in-house, a process that takes time, skill and plenty of patience. The result becomes the foundation for nearly everything they make.

And they're not stopping at Twinkies.

The menu also includes masa pancakes, masa biscuits and a Luna pie inspired by the classic MoonPie. They've even created a masa version of Little Debbie-style Christmas tree cakes!

The Austin Cafe Has A Surprising El Paso Connection

As it turns out, there's a little bit of the Borderland in this story too.

Founder Julian Maltby's family comes from the El Paso-Juárez region, and that influence shows up throughout the menu. In fact, some of the dishes closest to his heart are the burritos.

If you're from El Paso, you already know our burritos are a little different. They're simple, focused and all about letting the ingredients speak for themselves. One filling. A great tortilla. That's it.

Maltby follows that same philosophy, serving burritos inspired by the style many of us grew up eating here in the Borderland. Even his flour tortillas include corn, which feels fitting for a restaurant built around masa.

READ MORE: El Paso Natives Bring Borderland Burritos to New Cities

Texas Food Is At Its Best When It Gets Creative

One of my favorite things about Texas food is that nobody here seems interested in staying inside the lines.

We'll take inspiration from family recipes, childhood favorites, regional traditions and whatever happens to sound like a good idea at the time. Sometimes the result is a brisket breakfast taco. Sometimes it's a pickle-flavored dessert.

And sometimes it's a masa Twinkie.

The fact that it's coming from a café with Borderland roots just makes the story even better. It's another reminder that Texas food culture is constantly evolving while still honoring the traditions that got us here in the first place.

And if a Twinkie made from corn can become one of Austin's most popular pastries, maybe we shouldn't be surprised by anything Texas comes up with next.