You’ve heard me bitch, and you’ve heard me moan about the lack of New Mexican food in Central Texas (hell, in ALL of Texas, including freakin’ El Paso!). But no more, dear readers, for I have found (thanks to a tip from a friend from The North [aka Round Rock]) a trailer that slings up chow from the Land of Enchantment in none other than Georgetown. Word on the socials is that the chef worked at Tomasita’s in Sante Fe. The contact number has the area code 505. This was all promising…
“This is a long way to drive for a trailer,” observed The Bride during our 30-minute jaunt down three toll roads to the far eastern is-that-a-wood-ape fringes of Ye Towne of George. But a drive to downtown Austin to hunt for parking, dodge panhandlers, and wait for a not-ready table takes a similar, if not longer, amount of time. As we approached out destination, the ruralness of the final mile worried me that The Google had steered us wrong, but there she was, the New Mexico Kitchen, parked proudly in the gold of the state flag at the corner of Highway 29 and County Road 103. Oxsut front are four golden picnic tables under an auto awning that protects the front of the trailer.
After a quick perusal of the menu, which smartly includes more standard Mexican fare (to feed the sadly unenchanted), I ordered a New Mexico Stuffed Sopapilla with chicken smothered with red chile ($14) while The Bride went with the New Mexican Enchiladas with chicken, Christmas style (half red, half green; $14). A side fridge offered an array of bottled water, bottled Coke (and other sugary drinks), and a platoon of Honduran sodas, including a banana-flavored one (which, of course, I had to try).
We ate at one of the golden picnic tables (be careful about sitting on one side!). First impressions were good: sauce, cheese, beans, rice, and the traditional strips of lettuce and tomato-heavy pico to add at least the spirit of veggies to the plate. A dab of sour cream came without extra cost or request. And the heft! You definitely get your money’s worth. And the taste? Pretty dang good, the red and green chile adding richness to the high-quality chicken, cheese, and masa or bread. I’d place the chow at 90% of Rio Grande Valley New Mexican cuisine, and that’s a major win for being 600 miles away from New Mexico’s Rio Grande. We quickly agreed that a monthly trip to New Mexican Kitchen could be easily justified (and could be paired up with a trip to IKEA). We forgot to order a fried egg on top (they should ask!), so next time…
The banana soda was quite a-peel-ing (bwah-ha-ha!!!), although I only enjoyed a few swigs before a couple flies decided to go swimming in the bottle. If you eat there, cover your drinks! Next time, we may bring a hot bag to bring the goods home to enjoy with margaritas. I managed two meals out of my order, but The Bride–thoroughly enamored–somehow shoveled the whole plate into her smiling maw. I could have used a higher level of heat, but I’ll take weak chile over no chile anytime. The Bride thought the red was hot, the green not so much. Regardless of our quibbling, this little trailer is serving up the goods and is well worth an enchanted excursion to the Northern Territories.
New Mexican Kitchen ATX, (505) 479-4429, https://www.facebook.com/p/New-Mexican-Kitchen-ATX-61583148764768/
Check their socials or call to make sure they are open if you are long-hauling. They seem to be rain-adverse, and the posted hours aren’t necessarily their posted hours.
austin wanderlist 