Shipman's favorite Socorro (NM) restaurants

Below are some reviews of area restaurants that I find generally pretty decent. This list by no means includes all the places I eat; it is just an attempt to reward the places that I feel are consistently a cut above the local norm.

• Old Town Bistro: A bit off the main drag, north of the Historic Plaza. Good food and service and often great live music. [WiFi]
• Bodega Burger: At the old Rancher's Club/Roadrunner location. Creative, delicious, and a lot more than just burgers. [WiFi]
• Socorro Springs Brewery: Big menu, great food and service. [WiFi]
• San Antonio Crane, San Antonio: Best Mexican food in the county, in my opinion. Formerly Acosta's, run by a daughter of the original, reopened April 2011. The definitive carne adovada south of Chimayó.
• M Mountain Coffeehouse, between the main drag and the Plaza, at the former location of Manzanares Coffeehouse and also Martha's Black Dog. You can find me hanging here many midmornings. Pluses: real gelato, espresso machine, nice pastries, breakfast and lunch choices. They just started staying open until 9pm and feature dinner specials and sometimes live music. Tuesday night is Indian Night, but get there right at 6pm; the specials sell out quickly. [WiFi]
• The Crane Cafe, in the Roadrunner Truck Stop on the west side of the Lemitar exit, 6 miles north of Socorro on I-25. Good, trucker-oriented food, solid value, tasty; all their cooks are competent short-order cooks who will, for example, get eggs over easy exactly right every time. Standard menu with some nicely done Mexican specialties. My usual order is the taco salad with chicken (and add bacon for real decadence), but their club sandwich is the best version in the county, and their onion rings are huge. [WiFi]
• Owl Bar and Grill, San Antonio (burgers)
• El Sombrero (Mexican)
• El Camino Coffee Shop, on the main drag in the middle of town: clean, decent, ample, reliable, full-service, open 24 hours. [WiFi]
• La Pasadita (Mexican)
• LJ's Branding Iron is a barbecue shack located at 102 Calle de San Miguel, on the short street between California and the Catholic church. Opened in March 2007; nice selection, pretty good meats. Warning: Open sporadic hours.
• `Vegetarian food in Socorro, NM'
• ...and if all else fails, there's always home cooking

Disclaimer. No two people have the same taste. Your mileage may vary. None of these places are flawless; on any given day, you may be happy or unhappy. If you have had an unpleasant experience at one of these restaurants, or I didn't mention one of your favorites, please post or send me e-mail; I'm always interested.

Gone but not forgotten

Here's some nostalgia for restaurants that have Passed Beyond.

• The Warrior Grill was a new, local operation at the northeast corner of the main drag at the Otero Street stoplight. Decor in the blue and white colors of the Socorro High School Warriors, with team memorabilia. Comfort food: burgers, fries, fried chicken. Wholesome, tasty, cost-effective. Opened and closed in spring 2011. However, their chef, Victor Chavez, has moved over to the Old Town Bistro, Socorro, NM.
• Stage Door Grill: Fine dining, opened in October 2007, closed September 2010.
• Martha's Black Dog: Nine years of ecstasy. Closed at the end of June 2005.
• Hong Kong: closed October 2005. However, you can still get the same chef's great food at 328 Chinese Cuisine in Albuquerque.
• The Coyote Moon, located at the Lemitar exit six miles north of town, closed in October 2005.
• The Valverde Steakhouse has closed. For many years, Lewis and Mary Gillard ran the fine dining place in town at this location.
• `Eat at Dan's, Socorro, NM': Closed in early November 1999, unfortunately.
• For those who remember Socorro in the 1950s through the 1970s, there will never be a place like La Casita. The flakiest sopaipillas, the definitive chile relleno in a batter of beaten egg whites, and heat to melt the wax in your ears.
• Copa Cabana Restaurant: Another promising newcomer bites the dust in the early summer of 2000. There are two restaurant locations in Socorro that have killed more restaurants than remain in the town today. One is this location, atop the Days Inn (former Golden Manor), but with no handicap access. The other is the dumpy little building on the east side of California just north of Southwest Feed and Supply, home of the late lamented Hungry Dragon, the Schnitzel House, and many more.

Last updated: 2012/04/22 19:39:21
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/~shipman/food/socorro.html