Between Alpine and Marfa

[Dave Martin]

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[OldSausage]

Looks inviting

[TheGourdsFan]

I've been there many times...great burgers!

[Mandolin Cafe]

Just drove by it three weeks ago. It's in Marfa which has several fine Tex-Mex burrito places where Hispanic grandmothers are cooking. I suppose the town is getting a lot more business since the Tony Bourdain episode. Marfa displays some of its gentrification with pride. I've driven by Mando's four times coming and going from El Paso and it hasn't drawn enough of my interest to pull in to date. I love a good dive restaurant but I'll leave someone else to tell us about this one. Paul Glasse gets down that direction from time to time, maybe he can give us a review. I'm passing through Marfa and Alpine on the way to Big Bend National Park to hike, one of the hidden gems of the National Park system in my opinion, and the greatest distance from any public airport. Spectacular destination like no other.

Personally a big fan of the desert Prada art installation a few miles away which is just the best in that part of the country.

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[Mandolin Cafe]

I've been there many times...great burgers!

OK, I promise to stop next time. My preference though is to fly into Midland (where I've found excellent Mexican chow) and save the extra 90 minutes of driving but the rates to fly in there can be astronomical depending on the time of the year.

I know we have a few hard core Big Bend types on here--love to hear from you. Next planned hikes include Marufo Vega and Chimneys. Have done two solo Outer Mountain Loop hikes (3 days, two nights--60+ hours off the grid) and a 3-day/two night Pinnacles/Emory Peak/Boot Canyon/South Rim/Laguna Meadows, etc. And yes, I have crossed into Mexico illegally (shocking, arrest me!) several times on foot. Easy, but there's usually a 1,500 foot sheer cliff in front of you once you get across, like at St. Elena Canyon.

[Dave Martin]

We have good friends in Alpine. I don't get that far south too often these days. I know of a goat ranch/organic farm for sale in Alpine if any one is interested. I have no financial interest. I did not eat there, we had BBQ in Alpine. Really. Good. Barbecue.

[oldwave maker]

Last time we dined alfresco at the Boquillas Yacht club we were ferried across the river for $2 a head in an aluminum johnboat that had been broken cleanly in half and stuck back together with 1x4's, baling wire, and roofing tar. We bailed while we sailed! Nearly every adobe residence in town had a small wooden table set up in the yard where you could buy 7,000-12,000 yr old used mando luthiery tools, mostly scrapers, for a quarter each!

[Mandolin Cafe]

The "Boquillas International Ferry" into Mexico is now $5 per round trip and the rowboats quite nice. Have eaten at both restaurants in the town now, prefer what they term the "poorer" restaurant. Comes with street entertainment. This guy was dreadful, the guitar was tuned down an octave and was horribly out of tune but he got $5 off me. He couldn't sing but took naps between songs so tolerable. I have a video of him singing but you may thank me in advance for not posting it.

The people there could not be prouder, and though poor, really seem happy.


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