Regional Dining in Marfa, TX

More Than a Movie Set

​Marfa is not just the tiny town, where the movie Giant was filmed in the fifties.

This small town of 2,200 has some pretty amazing dining options as well!

At Miniature Rooster, you can sample a little  Indian & Southern fusion, in a building that was once a gas station.   

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Mando's

​Mando's is too busy to fix their sign.

Not too long ago, you could still be served in your car at Mando's.  But now you can soften the hard seats in the booth with a pillow and enjoy breakfast with the locals.  When we dined, there was lots of chatter amongst a few nuns, some border patrol and some retired men, wearing cowboy and trucker hats.
Angel served us breakfast tacos and chatted with us when the crowd thinned. She's used to rising at 3 am for work, but Wednesdays are the hardest. She has to get to the laundromat and get kids to evening church. 
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Padres

​You can get food and drink in a 100 year old building, at Padres.

This old building has served many purposes.  It was a funeral home at some point.  Three years ago it was bought by a Priest and now offers a full bar, food and live music!

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Cool Interior

Chandeliers and old church pews, added a little fun to this bar.  We had to work pretty hard to make ourselves feel welcome, though. Our bartender was a young woman with no chit chat abilities. The Marfa locals at the bar, weren't very social either. When I asked if they knew how to work the juke box, they didn't have a clue. 

I have no pics of the quirksters who were scattered about. That's my name for Marfa's special quirky-hipster characters. They are mostly artists and musicians, who have left bigger cities like Austin and NY, to open galleries, studios and restaurants in this small dusty town. They often have a few children in tow, with perfectly faded overalls and cute peasant dresses with striped tights...adorable, free spirit kiddos! These slightly older, carefree, quirkster parents would be sad to know that what I observed, sort of reminded me of Country Club Kids... who run around like they own the place, while the parents socialize.  Amusing!

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A Good People Encounter!

I did end up striking up a conversation after a while.

 Rod Ponton, who was eating a bowl of gumbo at the bar.  He was much friendlier than other folks... but maybe that's because he was running for 83rd District Attorney.  He was actually a pretty decent guy... maybe I'd vote for him if I lived in the area! 

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Friendly Place?

​We found ourselves the most comfortable at Borunda's bar and pool hall. Pancho Borunda warmed up, after we ordered beers at the bar.  

He proudly showed us some of his recipes, which are featured in Robb Walsh's, Tex Mex Cook Book. This burley guy with gray beard and tattoos, won us over with stories of his grandma's restaurant next door.  (now a shop called Fancy Pony Land) It was the oldest restaurant in Marfa. 

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Pancho still uses the old family recipes.

He even uses some of the old china from Grandma's old restaurant!

The chicken taquitos and brisket tacos were amazingly good!

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Food Shark!

Our most unusual dining experience involved a truck and bus.

What a great food experience at the town pavilion! We ordered our food from the Food Shark truck, then took a seat inside the old Blue Bird bus, while our food was cooked.

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Worth the Wait!
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​It took about 20 minutes till my name was called, over a speaker in the bus.  

I didn't mind killing time, staring out the windows.  I watched the line grow longer at the food truck, and I gazed at the nearby train tracks, hoping a train would rumble by. The twinkly lights were festive. The mixture of  blue grass music and static on the radio, added some warmth to the cozy wait. 

The food was excellent, but incredibly messy!   We ordered a BLT with avocado, a Greek salad, plus the Marfalafel sandwich.  Crispy and oozing with fresh toppings!  

Nothing better than munching away while eavesdropping. I listened to mostly newcomer locals, talking about their galleries and film festivals. I think the longtime locals like Pancho and Angel, were too busy or tired to stop for lunch at the Food Shark!

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I rate 50 points for the overall food experience in Marfa! 
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Unusual people encounters and great food variety, in a curious small town in West Texas!