Excellent | Worth a Detour
Stop and Eat Drive In
Review by: Michael Stern
Stop & Eat offers no carhop service or picnic tables. Dine either in your car or at one of the few counter stools inside, some of which offer a view of the busy kitchen. Place your order and wait for your number to be called. Food arrives in a paper bag. The cuisine is New-Mex Drive-In fare, ranging from chile and eggs wrapped in a flour tortilla to tamale plates and “Mexican dinners,” either red or green.
The Frito pie is good and plebeian (could there be such a thing as an aristocratic Frito pie?). It is a soupy heap of red chili piled atop corn chips that are turning soft as the chili seeps into them; it is served in a plastic container rather than the iconic Fritos bag. We like the crisp rolled tacos, the jumbo twin burger built of patties that are thin and greaseless and topped with chopped lettuce and pickles, and the well-packed burritos. Hot chilies and creamy melted cheese do a nice balancing act on either side of a green chile cheeseburger. You can also get the chili-and-cheese treatment on a hot dog. Baby burgers are available for pint-size appetites, and there is even a menu for vegetarians. That one includes bean tacos, green chile Fritos pie, burritos topped with meatless green chile, and a fried fish sandwich.
To drink, there are milk shakes, frosties, slushes, and floats as well as soda pop, coffee, and tea.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | undefined |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch |
| Credit Cards Accepted | No |
| Alcohol Served | No |
| Outdoor Seating | Yes |
What To Eat
Stop and Eat Drive In Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Stop and Eat Drive In?
3 Responses to “Stop and Eat Drive In”
Trip
June 23rd, 2021
Your description (although not Jane & Michael’s comment below) commits a New Mexico deadly sin.
It’s always “chile” not “chili” here!
Adam Platt
July 1st, 2013
Stop and Eat has a nice roadside vibe and the staff of local ladies who operate it are kind and dedicated. But, the green chile cheeseburger consists of dry, desiccated patties of hamburger, unmelted cheese, and so little green chile as to be barely noticeable. This is a destination burger only for eaters who value period charm above food quality.
Christie Bundy
October 14th, 2012
I recently found this great little place. Maybe it doesn’t look so hot on the outside — it’s an old drive-in with a gravel parking lot — but it’s clean and has a decent restroom.
The best part is the food, especially the hamburgers and the hand-made burrito. The burrito holds the best refried beans, green chile, onions, and cheese around. The tortillas are the best around, too! My husband and I plan trips there just for the burritos (we live about 40 miles away). They are so good I still haven’t tried the posole or the enchiladas, but I will one day.
I didn’t like the lemonade, but they have a large drinks menu, and I’m sure you’ll find something you like. Besides the great food and low prices the people who work there are very nice and friendly. I highly recommend the Stop and Eat drive-in if you’re in Espanola, NM.