NIBBLES FOOD REVIEW
All-American treats await in Aztec
A road trip stop at northern New Mexico's beloved A&W delivers root beer floats, fresh-fried onion rings and a taste of all-American tradition
When I think of all-American food, I drool at the thought of hot dogs, fried things and root beer floats.
In a sleepy town in northern New Mexico, you can find it at a classic A&W.
Carhops serve A&W’s root beer to your car in Aztec, though the treats are delivered in to-go bags rather than on its ubiquitous orange trays.
Recently, in nearly 100-degree heat, I ordered a root beer float, rolled tacos, a Papa burger, onion rings and a corn dog that tallied up to about $36 with a tip. It was much more than a nibble for me. Since I was returning from a jaunt to Montana, I had plenty of room in my van’s mini-fridge to bring leftovers to share with friends.
I parked and sprinted into the sparkling bathroom — my dear readers, you know I was going to get the restroom in this report — and as I exited through the steamy dining room, I asked the man-in-charge in the kitchen if the store still served its root beer in frosty, glass mugs.
“We haven’t been able to do that for about two years,” he said, as he told the sad story of how the dishwasher had broken and hadn’t been fixed to the required state health standards.
My carhop brought the order to my shaded van. American flags fluttered in the hot wind at every stall.
The root beer float cooled my throat with its blend of made-in-the-store sassafras-flavored beverage and ice cream better than Dairy Queen. You can now also order frozen drinks with caffeine for those who need a jolt.
The rolled tacos served with an interesting warm tomato-ey sauce instead of salsa were filled to the top with a meaty filling. Hot out of the fryer, the corn tortillas crunched with each bite. I didn’t love the sauce, but devoured the pinwheel tacos, which cost $2.50 each
The menu proclaimed “Everything is cooked to order to ensure freshness.”
Each item fulfilled the promise, and the staff worked with true American grit.
Through the door where the carhops emerged, I could see the cooks working like in a display kitchen in a fancy, upscale Las Vegas, Nevada, restaurant.
Can I describe the crunchy perfection that jumped from the fryer to the paper wrapper and into my mouth? Let me try.
A perfect crunch. A sweet onion yielded to my bite rather than tear out of its salty coveralls. This was not a normal fast food onion ring that tasted of chopped, processed vegetables. It was much more and needs to be consumed to be believed. The rings were so impressive I saved more than half the order for my friends in Albuquerque, where even after serving time in the refrigerator, each one warmed up to a decent crisp. The Papa burger was delivered to Julia in Albuquerque. The perfectly browned corn dog still crackled after a quick microwave rebirth at home.
I last enjoyed this orange-roofed A&W — an Aztec favorite — with my mom and dad more than 30 years ago on a trip across the Southwest. I think my late mother, Sharon, of blessed memory, would still approve of the root beer, though she would certainly kvetch about the lack of the frosty glass mug that reminded her of her teen youth in Milwaukee.
MORE AZTEC FARE: I saw the sign. Fresh peaches. Fresh cherries.
Townsend Farms says, "Follow Us To The Farm."
Brakes screeched. The tent on the east side of the road beckoned.
“We have the freshest local produce,” the Townsend Farms says. The Colorado Palisades peaches were perfectly ripe, firm yet juicy. The local cherries were luscious. But the highlight of every trip to Durango is a stop for the salsa. Red salsa, green salsa, fruit salsa and more.
Fresh chile from the fields behind the stand is scheduled to start roasting Aug. 19.
Find Townsend Farms at 16340 Highway 550 in Aztec.