‘King of the Hill’ is back. Here are all the North Texas references in episode 1

Grab your propane, propane accessories and Alamo beer. “King of the Hill” is back.

All 10 episodes of season 14 of the beloved animated sitcom are available on Hulu as of Monday, Aug. 4. These are the first new episodes of the Texas-centric show since it went off the air in 2010. It originally ran for 13 seasons on FOX from 1997-2009, with one final episode in 2010.

This new season centers around Hank Hill (voiced by show creator Mike Judge) and his wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy) returning home to the fictional DFW-area suburb of Arlen after a stint working in Saudi Arabia selling propane and gas. As they get settled into their new life back home, they start to realize Arlen — and Texas — has changed. Uber rides, new hybrid cars, solar panels and fancy grills are just some of the things that flummox Hank in the first episode.

Arlen, Texas could be a stand-in for any Texas suburb, but Judge has said he specifically referenced North Texas’ Richardson for the original run of the show. He always made a lot of Texas references that went above and beyond its setting, and season 14 is no different. Here’s a breakdown of all the North Texas references we spotted in Episode 1, “Return Of The King.”

DFW International Airport

We start off strong with Hank kissing the ground of what looks like Terminal D at DFW International Airport, before he excitedly thinks he sees a sign for “Bob’s,” presumably Bob’s Steak and Chop House. Instead, it’s a boba tea stand. A walk through the terminal to the baggage claim spotlights all the high-end retailers that now take up space in the terminal (Armani, Coach, Chanel, Dior), with Hank lamenting that the place became fancy.

Southern Methodist University, University of Texas at Dallas

These two schools will play prominent roles this season. Bobby (Pamela Adlon) runs a German-Japanese fusion restaurant in Dallas near SMU’s campus, and while on campus, runs into old neighbor/former girlfriend Connie Souphanousinphone, who is attending UTD.

(Side note: Where do we think Bobby’s restaurant would be located? Greenville Avenue? Knox/Henderson? Somewhere along Lovers Lane?)

Mega Lo Mart

Hank and Peggy make a trip to the local Mega Lo Mart toward the end of the episode. Mega Lo Mart is a stand-in for big box stores or grocery stores like Costco or H-E-B.

(Editor’s Note: The Star-Telegram’s Bud Kennedy notes that it also may have been inspired by the Walmart Hypermart in Garland, which was demolished in 2008.)

Alamo Beer

Of course, Hank, Boomhauer (also Judge), Dale (Stephen Root) and new neighbor Brian Robertson (Keith David) end the episode by drinking beer out by the street, just like old times. Yep. And now, you can get Alamo Beer for real.

Other Texas references

Hank’s address when he puts in his destination on a rideshare app is on Rainey Street, which is in Austin.

This last one isn’t necessarily a Texas reference, but Hank’s reaction to “Oklahoma-style barbecue” is pretty funny.

Stray observations

• Peggy still overestimates her ability to learn new languages, and Hank’s comment about how the only channels he got while overseas were FOX News and CNN will ring true to anyone who has spent time out of the country.
• That’s Billy Strings you hear over the end credits music after the show’s iconic theme song.

This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 5:35 PM.

Jake Harris

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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Jake Harris is the Service Journalism Editor for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has spent nearly 10 years working as a digital producer across newsrooms in Texas. He mainly writes about pop culture and local North Texas happenings and occasionally writes concert reviews.