Is Texas Part of the South?

I was once told by a native Georgian that Texas was more a part of the South than Virginia. Virginia was more “East.”

After a few question, I was told by my beloved late Aunt Margaret, in her pristine, soft, elegant accent that she was a Southerner. She was born in Virginia and Virginia is part of the South. That tone of voice admitted no argument.

So what about Texas, then?

I’m commuting to Houston. Grits are served in all restaurants, but there are only two establishments where sweet tea can be found - one of which is the airport McDonald's. This is deplorable for a Southern city. I’m told by people from places like Baltimore and Philadelphia this is NOT deplorable is because Texas is NOT southern (I think they use the lower-case spelling).

So, here's my Pros and Cons...

Texas is Southern:
· Trucks
· Grits
· Belles
· Jefferson Davis County

Texas is not Southern:
· A serious lack of sweet tea
· Twang instead of drawl
· People refer to themselves as “Texan” not Southern

What do you think?