Located along the interminable Highway 67, Marfa is one of Texas’ quirkiest destinations and a center of minimalist art. We take a look at 10 of the best restaurants in Marfa to try while you’re in town.
The figurative water of Marfa is warm, but infested with the famed Food Shark. This is Marfa’s foremost food truck serving ‘Mediterranean-by-way-of-West-Texas’ grub to hungry passers-by from noon until 3pm, Wednesday to Saturday. Food Shark’s innocuous metal-clad exterior with red detailing belies the extravagant food served within. This menu offers a multiplicity of dishes guaranteed to get your jaws gnashing. Sink your teeth into the fatoush salad: a jumble of romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion, fresh mint, kalamata olives, pita chips, salty feta cheese and spritzed with a little vinaigrette. Food Shark has a selection of reasonably priced dishes.
If abundant tacos stuffed with heavenly ingredients and 1990s R&B classics are your thing, then look no further than Marfa’s Boyz2Men taco stand. Listen to the soothing vibes of the original Boyz II Men soundtracks while deciding upon which taco combination you will use to sate your appetite. The stand offers a range of tacos to suit your mood at breakfast, lunch or dinner. There’s a choice of eggs and fried potatoes to start the day, or spicy chicken to end it. Boyz2Men produces exemplary Mexican fare from the simplest of establishments in the heart of downtown Marfa.
Should you be partial to a spot of wholesome breakfast while imbibing floral aromas, look no further than Buns n’ Roses, the florist-come-breakfast restaurant. This delightful, quirky Marfa setup offers frequenters a range of savory delights such as a mushroom-Swiss burger with fries. As well as these savory daily specials, Buns n’ Roses also bakes plentifully. It produces delights such as their giant lemon poppy muffin. Nestle in among the flora and enjoy one of Marfa’s most idiosyncratic diners.
Marfa restaurant, Cochineal was opened in 2008 and places emphasis on good, wholesome home cooking. The chefs here endeavor to provide a simple and fresh menu. The restaurant prides itself on its diverse array of wines, all hand-picked by the restaurant’s staff. Sip a glass as you enjoy the delicately pan-seared barramundi, which is served with tomato confit, potato puree, poached romanesco and a side of roasted rainbow carrots. Many of the Cochineal team are ‘native Marfans’ making this restaurant a Marfa classic and a must-see for anyone in the area. Cochineal is a consistently popular destination. So, be sure to call in advance to make a reservation.
Pay a visit to FAT Lyle’s food truck for gourmet, outdoor dining and enjoy ‘sandwiches, sandwiches, sandwiches all day long’. The food truck offers daily specials depending on the best and freshest available ingredients. For example, sample FAT Lyles’ ‘Taco Tuesday’ for some salsa-drenched fun. Choose from a variety of fillings and sauces such as pulled pork or succulent fried chicken on greens. With a constantly evolving menu, every trip to FAT Lyle’s is different. Guests are invited to call ahead to order.
Part of the trendy Hotel Paisano, Jett’s Grill offers Marfa’s visitors the choice of hearty eating in its restaurant or thirsty drinking at the bar. Slink into this light and airy establishment and either recline inside and enjoy the simple, elegant decor. Or, pop outside and perch adjacent to the beautiful tiered fountain in the restaurant’s patio area. Enjoy some sumptuous chips and salsa while browsing Jett’s Grill’s menu. Choose Jett’s Grill’s speciality dish, a juicy, pistachio crusted sirloin steak, slathered in jalapeño gravy and coupled with fluffy mashed potatoes and the fresh vegetable of the day. Reservations for Jett’s Grill can be made online.
Should the hot desert air have induced a considerable thirst, be sure to make your way into the Lost Horse Saloon. This is the ‘most cowboy-kickin’-est bar in town’. Kick back with an ice-cold beer and shoot some pool while being refreshed by the much-needed breeze from the in-house air conditioning. Music-lovers are able to languor evenings away listening to the variety of bands that come to perform in the bar. The majority of these events are free to attend. The Lost Horse Saloon often promises customers great deals on draft beers, especially for big sporting events. Enjoy some of the excellent food prepared and served at the bar, such as carefully sourced juicy burgers.
Maiya’s restaurant was opened in April 2002 by the eponymous Maiya Keck, who first moved to the area in 1994 after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in painting. The food on Maiya’s menu is always the freshest, as it alters according to the change in seasonal produce. Indulge in the delicious lamb kofta and mezze plate, which includes tender traditional middle-eastern lamb meatballs, tahini, beet tzaztiki and butternut squash. Wash this down with a Maiya’s own daiquiri, a heady melange of Myer’s dark rum, fresh squeezed lime juice, simple syrup and served with a sugared rim. Maiya’s is available for private lunches and other events, contact the restaurant to find out more.
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Museum of Electronic Wonders & Late Night Grilled Cheese Parlour
An offshoot of the revered Food Shark, the brilliant yet bizarre Museum of Electronic Wonders and Late Night Grilled Cheese Parlour is a Marfa must-see. As the name suggests, the Museum of Electronic Wonders and Late Night Grilled Cheese Parlour offers patrons the chance to ingest juicy grilled cheese dishes. You can do this while being surrounded by all manner of electronic wonder; a potent combination. Mini monitors display pieces of art created by Food Shark’s owner, Adam Bork. The menu includes items such as the Gruyére cheese grill, with sweet potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. For the hungriest of visitants, the ‘Motherf**ker’ dish should suffice; a sandwich complied from one of everything from the menu in ‘ONE GIANT sandwich’.
Enjoy the stimulating West Texan air at Planet Marfa, ‘when ‘the best’ is being outside’. True to its motto, Planet Marfa has an extravagantly styled beer patio, or the ‘beer garden oasis’. It consists of earthy wooden chairs, sturdy tables, cozy chimineas and even an enormous tepee erected over a large pit. Enjoy some cool beer while listening to one of the many musical acts that Planet Marfa’s bandstand has to offer. Planet Marfa’s has become famous for its crunchy and handsomely garnished nachos. It’s also known for owner Aase’s hearty rice and bean burrito. After reclining in the shade with a tall beverage, peruse the eclectic items in Planet Marfa’s shop that have been handpicked by Aase himself.
