The Beth Lists
  • Homepage
  • Little Bear's Adventures
  • Diverse Dining List
  • 90 Notable Nights
  • Happy List
  • Quilt Adventure Blog
  • Not So Happy List
  • The Texas Twenty List
  • Mom's Picnic List
  • 18+ Dance Adventures
  • 55 Strangers
  • The Barbie Bucket List
  • 60 Celebrations
  • 57 Celebrations of the Fifties!



Diverse Dining List

Stop and Eat Drive In New Mexico

10/17/2018

2 Comments

 

Road Trip Dining in New Mexico!
​
​
Don and I were traveling through New Mexico in September. ​We weren't hungry for lunch yet, but Don suddenly grew worried.  
Picture



"We'll be out of New Mexico in less than 2 hours and we never tried a Frito Pie!" (Supposedly, this food delight was invented in NM) I quickly searched the internet and found the perfect place!

Since 1967
​
​
I was pretty delighted when we pulled in the lot! It looked like the iconic drive-in hadn't changed much, since it opened in 1967.
Picture
Although there was no curb service, we could have eaten in the car, under any of the shady roofs. But we'd had enough car time.

​Walk Up Window

​
We parked and headed to the walk up window. A smiling face peered out, so I asked if I could take a photo. The cheery person answered, as she moved away from the window...

Picture
"Sure! Take as many as you like... just not of me!" The good humored woman teased another employee, to pose for my photo. I could tell we were going to have some fun.

Busy Kitchen
​
​
After snapping the window pic, Don and I headed for the door. We wanted to eat inside where all the action was.
Picture
There were at least 5 people working in the tiny kitchen behind the counter.

​Photos on Display

Alma, who was the first to greet me in the window, welcomed us. "Be right with you!"
Picture
That gave me a minute to study the display of framed photos. When Alma turned to take the order, she pointed with enthusiasm. "Those are my parents."

Cars at the Drive-In
​

​Jeannette, who had played along and posed in the window, was also glad to see me admiring the photos.
Picture
"That's a picture of my car! Last week we had a big group of low riders that stopped here." There were a few car photos, so I'm not sure if this is her car

​
​Kitchen Talk

Don and I announced that we had come, to sample a Frito Pie! The kitchen seemed eager to help us out.
Picture
Luckily there was a short lull, with no new diners arriving. While our order was prepared, we had lots of time for kitchen banter. Gerald, (who is Alma's sister) teased from the grill, when I asked to take some photos. "No!" He answered with a lame scowl. Then he smiled as big as his Dad, in the photo. 

Want to Buy a Restaurant?
​
​
The activity behind the counter was loud and playful. Gerald pretended to be annoyed when I asked for another photo, since the first one was blurry.
Picture
 He asked more than once if we wanted to buy the restaurant. He hammed it up, as if he'd had enough of the stresses of ownership. But Gerald and the rest of the crew seemed to be having a pretty good time. I wasn't convinced they would sell. 

Frito Pie Time 
​
​
Suddenly our Frito Pie was handed to us in a paper bag. We chose 2 of the 10 red stools and got ready for our feast.
Picture
We said hello to our fellow diners, hoping to strike up conversation and continue the fun. But they answered my question with one word, "California." Clearly they were not about the whole experience. We left them alone.  

The Pie

​
Don and I grinned at each other as we opened the bag and pulled out a Styrofoam cup and a paper bundle, secured with a toothpick. I wondered why our feast wasn't being served in a Fritos bag.
Picture
I pulled off the lid and pushed the spoon down, past some melted slices of cheese. How curious. When I lifted the spoon, it held a soupy mixture of red chili, cheese and  a few Fritos, that were just beginning to soften. Hmm? We could have added shredded lettuce and tomatoes, but we were quickly starting to enjoy the "soup" just as it was. This hardly seemed like a pie of any kind. The crazy goodie in a cup, was pretty yummy. We passed it back and forth. "I like how the Fritos are absorbing the chili!" "This tastes so much better than it looks!"

​On Our Way


Before heading out, we made sure to let the whole crew know that we'd enjoyed our Frito Pie and our visit. There was a little more chatter... about the Houston Astros...  about some of the favorite guests who have visited the drive-in... about the summer weather... ​
Picture
By the time we got in the car, a new wave of diners had arrived. Whether they were regulars or travelers, I hoped that they would appreciate the place like we did.

It's always nice to see a happy, family owned business! When Gerald and Alma's parents opened up over 50 years ago, I wonder if they guessed their kids would be running the place in 2018. I would love to have heard some stories about the siblings earliest memories at the drive-in. Maybe next time!
​

2 Comments
Krist
10/30/2018 08:24:20 am

Have you had a frito pie in Texas? And invented in NM? hmmmm...or good marketing.

Reply
Beth
11/1/2018 12:32:32 pm

Yes, Kristi. I have had Frito pie in TX and was wondering the same thing. I wasn't going to bring that up with the happy group! lol!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
       The Dining Blog

    This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food.  Below, you can read how this started.


    On
    July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year!  (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to  join me, on some unusual dining adventures.  I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise.  Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining.  I have continued  blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned  along the way!
    ​

    Locations and types of dining adventures,  are listed further down.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    000 The Beginning!
    00 BBQ
    00 Cookbook Adventures
    00 Drive Ins
    00 Drive Ins Diners Cafes
    00 Houston Area
    00 Saloons & Taverns
    00 Tiki Time
    0 Alabama
    0 Arizona
    0 Arkansas
    0 California
    0 Colorado
    0 Florida
    0 Georgia
    0 Idaho
    0 Illinois
    0 Iowa
    0 Louisiana
    0 Michigan
    0 Mississippi
    0 Missouri
    0 Montana
    0 Nevada
    0 New Mexico
    0 New York
    0 North Carolina
    0 Oklahoma
    0 Oregon
    0 South Carolina
    0 South Dakota
    0 Tennessee
    0 Texas
    0 Utah
    0 Vermont
    0 Virginia
    0 Washington
    0 Washington D.C.
    0 Wyoming
    1 In Belize
    1 In Canada
    1 In Chile
    1 In Curacao
    1 In Guatemala
    1 In Mexico
    1 In Roatan
    1 In Thailand
    Afghani
    Argentine
    Basque
    Belgian
    Belizean
    Bengali
    Bermudian
    Bosnian
    Brazilian
    Cafes
    Canadian
    Chile
    Chinese
    Columbian
    Cornish
    Costa Rican
    Cuban
    Curacao Island
    Czech
    Danish
    Diners
    Dominican
    English
    Ethiopian
    Filipino
    French
    French Basque
    French Creole
    German
    Greek
    Guatemalan
    Honduran
    Hopi
    Houston Area
    Hungarian
    Indian
    Indonesian
    Iranian
    Iraqi
    Irish
    Italian
    Jamaican
    Japanese
    Korean
    Lebanese
    Malaysian
    Mexican
    Mongolian
    Moroccan
    Nepali
    New Hampshire
    New York
    Nigerian
    O
    Pakistani
    Palestinian
    Peruvian
    Polish
    Portuguese
    Puerto Rican
    Russian
    Salvadoran
    Scottish
    Spanish
    Swedish
    Swiss
    Taiwanese
    Thai
    Turkish
    Uruguay
    Venezuelan
    Vietnamese

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Homepage
  • Little Bear's Adventures
  • Diverse Dining List
  • 90 Notable Nights
  • Happy List
  • Quilt Adventure Blog
  • Not So Happy List
  • The Texas Twenty List
  • Mom's Picnic List
  • 18+ Dance Adventures
  • 55 Strangers
  • The Barbie Bucket List
  • 60 Celebrations
  • 57 Celebrations of the Fifties!