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Socorro Eats


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I recently ate at an excellent restaurant in Socorro, NM, not otherwise known for its food. I thought knowing about this place might help someone out who is travelling south of ABQ.

Martha's Black Dog Coffeehouse

110 West Manzanares, right off the Plaza, ample parking

505-838-0311

Martha's has an espresso machine and people who really know how to pull an espresso, which is rare in New Mexico. If you like espresso as a base, they make a wide assortment of other coffee drinks.

The atmosphere is pleasant, with eclectic decor, and it is not noisy. Students from NM Tech study there on occasion. The restaurant seats about 40, I would guess.

Martha's offers daily specials of pasta, soup and salad in addition to a fixed menu of deli-style sandwiches, nori maki, vegetarian entrees, tamales, ice cream treats, sodas and many desserts, most of them home made Martha's offers home made breakfast dishes, too.

I had a salad and, as a passionate lettuce grower, was impressed: the salad had the best grade of greens, with romaine and radicchio and other premium greens, and was extremely fresh, offered with dressing on the side. There are several full-meal salads on the menu, with smoked turkey, feta, artichoke hearts etc. The bread served with my salad was clearly home made and done very well. I often bring my own home made bread to restaurants when I am on the road, but did not need it at Martha's.

The maki was vegetarian and delicious, beautifully presented.

I did not order a soup, but other patrons told me that the soups are superb, too.

The menu is about five pages, and there is a board with daily specials that are not on the menu. Be sure not to miss the board when you come in the door.

The desserts range from fairly light, baklava and home made cookies, to rich cheesecake and chocolate desserts.

They stock a wide variety of higher-quality soft drinks like Way 2 Cool and Reed's root beer and ginger sodas, and a selection of wines and beers.

The staff is very accomodating about special diets or requests.

Service is good, but can be slow if it is very busy, since the staff is tiny.

Voted best restaurant south of ABQ by the Weekly Alibi, October 2004.

Linda

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"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."

--- Henry David Thoreau

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There is also another place north ...up the road apiece at the Lemitar exit of 25. called Coyote Moon Cafe. It's a funky roadside spot with really great green chile. He grows his own. Nothing fancy but darn good chile. The green chile stew is made with beef and shards of spicy chile.

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Thank you for the recommendation. I have a son who is about to go to Tech, so I will be using restaurants in the Socorro area. Coyote Moon sounds interesting and worth trying out, especially the green chile stew. My mouth is watering already....

Linda

-------------------

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."

--- Henry David Thoreau

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  • 4 weeks later...

Wow - I was suprised to see Socorro mentioned on here! I went to Tech for 6 long years (Math BS/Hydrology MS) and left in 2001. Martha's must have come a long way, because when they first opened I wasn't at all impressed.

Sadly, the Coyote Moon Cafe closed a few years before I left - though it may have reopened. I think the couple that owned it had some kind of falling out. That was probably my favorite restaurant near school. El Sombrero is a pretty popular spot in town - it's cheap, but not all that great, though they have some good items. Another of my favorites is Don Juan's for really authentic New Mexican - it's across the street from the movie theater.

Tell your son good luck and study hard - tech's got some rough classes. What's he studying?

Zak

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My parents are big fans of Martha's Black Dog and stop there whenever they're traveling I-25 between Las Cruces and Albuquerque.

Not far from Socorro is San Antonio and the Original Owl Bar, which should be a must-see for anyone traveling in that area of the state. Great food; great dark, seedy bar.

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Wow - I was suprised to see Socorro mentioned on here!  I went to Tech for 6 long years (Math BS/Hydrology MS) and left in 2001.  Martha's must have come a long way, because when they first opened I wasn't at all impressed.

Clearly they have done something right in the intervening time!

Hydrology sounds like a great field. What kind of work has it lead you to? Congratulations on spending so many years at Tech!

Another of my favorites is Don Juan's for really authentic New Mexican - it's across the street from the movie theater.

Tell your son good luck and study hard - tech's got some rough classes.  What's he studying?

Thank you for the recommendation of Don Juan's. Good Mexian / New Mexican is hard to find.

I am not surprised that it has some very tough courses, since it has an excellent reputation.

My son is interested in either mineral or chemical engineering. Do you have any thoughts on either department?

Thanks again!

Linda

-------------------

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."

--- Henry David Thoreau

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