Memorable | One of the Best
Joe & Aggie’s Cafe
Review by: Michael Stern
At the front of Joe & Aggie’s, cases and shelves display souvenirs of Route 66: decks of playing cards, key rings, hats, and nostalgic books about the “Mother Road” that took travelers through Holbrook long before Interstate 40 bypassed town. Despite the interstate, Holbrook remains one of those places where you can get a real feel for what life was like along western roads in the two-lane days. It still has the famous “Sleep in a Wigwam” motel; there are some fascinating pawn shops and Native-American jewelry emporia; and at Joe & Aggie’s you can have a real old-fashioned roadside diner meal.
Tables are outfitted with squeeze bottles of honey for squirting onto sopaipillas (puffy triangles of fried bread); and meals begin with a basket of chips and an empty bowl in which you decant pepper-flecked hot sauce for dipping. The sign on the front window boasts of “Mexican and American food”; but in fact, the menu at Joe & Aggie’s is not quite either; it is a blend of Mexican, New Mexican, Texican, Navajo, and American food that is unique to the southwest. After the chips and salsa, you move on to such meals as enchiladas made with red or green chili, big stuffed burros, crisp tacos, or chicken fried steak with potatoes and hot sopaipillas on the side.
Joe & Aggie’s is the oldest restaurant in Holbrook, dating back to 1946, the year Bobby Troup headed west in his Buick convertible and wrote the song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.”
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Joe & Aggie’s Cafe Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Joe & Aggie’s Cafe?
3 Responses to “Joe & Aggie’s Cafe”
Paul E LeSage
July 3rd, 2022
Owner died and then shortly after, Covid killed the restaurant.
Charlene Mason
February 5th, 2022
Joe and Aggies appears to be closed [February 2022]
Carol Bayer
April 21st, 2011
Only a half-mile down the road from the classic and wonderful Wigwam motel, Joe & Aggie’s is a great place to eat in Holbrook. Our server was wonderful: friendly and attentive as she sang to the radio.
The food was exactly what you want from a place like this: home-cooked Mexican fare swimming in perfectly spiced green chile and cheese. While the rice was a bit dry, the beans more than made up for this. The cheese enchiladas, though small, were delicious. On the other hand, the chili relleno was huge and cooked perfectly. Be sure to get a sopapilla, and take advantage of the honey on the table.
Two big plates of wonderful food, a raspberry iced tea, and a beer for under $20. It’s really hard to beat this place.