Where to Eat in Marfa, Texas

This small West Texas town is big on art and flavor. Well-seasoned locals share their favorite pit stops for a memorable weekend trip.
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As a longtime Marfa resident, I’ve heard plenty of theories about why our high desert town is so beloved. Some people think it’s the quality of light; or the expansive Trans-Pecos sky; or the particular collection of creative humans who have ended up in a place with a population the size of a suburban high school. Whatever your preferred explanation, by now you’ve almost certainly heard about Marfa, a perennial road trip destination for everyone, from your favorite yoga teacher to Beyoncé.

Marfa was once known as a ranching and railroad hub, the home to a lively dance hall whose wood floor shook with the enthusiasm of “dippers and heel lifters,” as Texas Monthly reported in 1977. Around that time, minimalist artist Donald Judd established a base here, and in the decades since, a parade of galleries, stores, and restaurants have popped up to serve a motley group of locals, part-timers, and tourists. It’s the kind of place where you can see world-class art, eat a meal cooked by a James Beard Award semifinalist, and see a guy riding his horse to the bar.

Heading to Marfa does require some advance planning. You’ll need a car (the closest airports, Midland-Odessa or El Paso, are both about three hours away). Opening hours are more of a suggestion than a promise, so be prepared for your perfectly laid plans to be disrupted. Be gracious to your servers—you’ll likely see them around town again. Check Instagram pages for a more up-to-date and realistic version of a business’s operating hours. The town is pretty quiet on Mondays and Tuesdays, while on busy festival weekends it can feel as bustling as a neighborhood in Brooklyn. And it’s worth noting that all the attention has been something of a double-edged sword; a thriving tourism industry has bolstered Marfa’s economy but has also led to skyrocketing housing costs that threaten to price out locals. So think twice before regaling your bartender with your fantasy about buying a second home to rent out on Airbnb. Be friendly and flexible, tip well, and you’ll have a great time.

The best way to get to know this special, strange place is through the eyes of the people who live and work here. You’ll find some of their recommendations below (I’ll go first). So tune your dial to Marfa Public Radio at 93.5 FM, put on your boots, and get ready for a West Texas adventure.

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A rancher in Valentine, near Marfa.

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Post-nuptial celebrations at Valentine Texas Bar.

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Moody sunset at Prada Marfa.

1. Start with a Sight and a Sip (in Valentine)

Though it may seem counterintuitive, your first stop, Prada Marfa, is technically a good half-hour drive outside of town in Valentine, Texas. To get to this roadside art installation, sponsored by contemporary art gallery Ballroom Marfa, head the 38 miles west on Highway 90 and pause for an obligatory selfie at the uncannily accurate facsimile of a high-fashion storefront. (No, you can’t shop there.) Then you can grab a beer or soda at Valentine Texas Bar, the best, and only, drinking establishment around.

Why Folks Love It

Cramped, dim, and decorated with the odd piece of taxidermy, Valentine Bar is full of dusty charm. While the building has changed hands over decades, little else has.

Keep in Mind

As owner Jeff Wilson puts it, “I’m open when I’m open.” If you see the sign painted on an old car door posted outside (usually weekend evenings), you’re in luck.

What to Order

Coors Light (by far the bestseller, Wilson says.)

Local Lore

The bar’s walls are lined with dollar bills. Years ago, thieves allegedly broke in and stole the cash. Once they got caught, the sheriff forced the would-be bandits to replace the money exactly as they found it.

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Dawson Plowman and Lee Ouellette working the line at Margaret’s.

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Key lime pie with coconut graham cracker crust.

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Diners enjoying another round.

2. A Melt at Margaret’s

Recommended by Valentine Texas Bar owner Jeff Wilson:

“Last night, I got a tuna melt to-go from Margaret’s. And, actually, two nights ago, I ate at Margaret’s too. It’s like Cheers. You walk in and you see everybody—you can’t hide in there. The feng shui is special…that [big bar] table, the high ceilings, the plants everywhere. And the food’s f*#%ing good, man! As good as the s**t that I pay three times as much for in San Francisco or New York.”

Why Folks Love It

After a stint in North Carolina, owners Marielle La Rue and Brandon Messer returned to Marfa to open their airy, light-filled neighborhood restaurant in the same building where they first met. Named after La Rue’s grandmother, Margaret’s is a haven for its contemporary comfort food, made with care and precision for locals and tourists alike. “It’s like we wrote on our website,” La Rue says. “‘A place and a plate for everyone.”

Keep in Mind

Margaret’s doesn’t take reservations. Plan ahead, as it gets crowded on weekends.

What to Order

The cheddar tuna melt; deviled eggs brightened with pickled beet brine; garlic-sesame braised green cabbage; Key lime pie; and any of La Rue’s thoughtful wine recommendations.

Dinner and a Show

Nab a spot at the horseshoe bar in the center of the room and you might overhear some juicy local gossip.

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Owner Faith Gay updating the Cactus Liquors marquee.

3. Bottles and Botanicals

Recommended by Margaret’s owner Marielle La Rue

“Go down the street to Cactus Liquors, which is the greatest liquor store I’ve ever been to. The selection is incredible, and it’s a fun place to be. Find Anthony DeSimone, and ask him for a mezcal tasting. He can give you a breakdown on everything; he’s just so knowledgeable. Make sure to check out the cacti and flowers outside too. Faith always does an incredible job with that.”

Why Folks Love It

What began as a pandemic passion project has blossomed into one of Marfa’s most unexpected shopping experiences: a liquor store that’s also a native plant nursery, housed in a former gas station. Cactus Liquors celebrates the desert’s bounty with a wide selection of agave-distilled spirits: tequila and mezcal, of course, but also raicilla and sotol.

The horticultural side of the store is run by owner Faith Gay, the daughter of an orchid-hybridizer and an evangelist of desert flora. The emphasis here is on native plants—there are ocotillos and prickly pears galore—but you can also pick up organic produce or an armful of dahlias grown in Gay’s own garden. “Faith and I both really enjoy discovering different liquids made from distilling or fermenting plants, whether that’s agave or tree bark or bitter roots and herbs,” alcohol buyer Anthony DeSimone says. “What unites it all is how exciting we think plants are.”

What to Buy

Small-batch sotol made in nearby Chihuahua, Mexico; a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers

Bonus Bits

The shop also stocks local artisanal goods, including Marfa Table’s almond cookies along with bitters made with endemic plants, in flavors like juniper-lavender or prickly pear.

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Corn carbonara with pan-fried salami and Calabrian chili at Bordo.

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Chef and co-owner Michael Serva.

4. A Bite at Bordo’s

Recommended by Cactus Liquors owner Faith Gay

“Being able to make an amazing sandwich is the ultimate test of a chef, right? And Bordo’s sandwiches are just wonderful. The DeSimone is vegetarian, named after Anthony, actually. They’re always coming up with new, seasonal versions; in the summer, it has tomatoes, in the spring charred asparagus. In lots of places, a vegetarian sandwich is an afterthought, but nothing’s an afterthought [at Bordo].”

Why Folks Love It

In a little more than a year, chef Michael Serva and co-owner Hannah Texie Bailey’s elegant Italian restaurant and deli, Bordo, has already become a fiercely adored lunch (and occasional dinner) spot. Serva drew inspiration for the unpretentious yet meticulous quality-driven approach after reading about New York’s Balthazar in the 1980s, “where Patti Smith could go in and get free fries if she was broke.” Nearly everything, from the bread to the pasta to the gelato, is made in-house and the restaurant mills its own flour from heirloom grains, but you can still walk out full for under $20. Grab a spritz and sit under the covered porch, where you can watch the rustic, Puccia-style sandwich bread bake in a wood-fired oven. “The artists in town know about elevating material into something that’s meaningful,” Serva says. “That’s exactly how I feel about what we’re doing here.”

Keep in Mind

The line can get long, so show up early for Bordo’s especially limited hours (Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Thursday 6–9 p.m.)

What to Order

The DeSimone; the Cashiola with cured meats, Calabrian chili, stracciatella, and “shrettuce”; crispy, spicy patatas stronzetta showered in lemon juice, parsley, Parm, and bread crumbs; the sunny, tangy orange sorbet.

Pay It Forward

If you’ve had a particularly pleasant interaction during your trip, spring for the “buy a local a sandwich” program; the restaurant will note the recipient’s name on the chalkboard behind the counter.

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Marfa Book Company owner Tim Johnson.

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Donald Judd, 15 untitled works in concrete, 1980–1984. Permanent collection, The Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas. Photo by Brian Finke. Donald Judd Art © 2025 Judd Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

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A Marfa barfly.

5. A Bookstore Browse

Recommended by Bordo chef Michael Serva

“I feel smarter every time I walk into Marfa Book Company. It’s a special space—a reflection of who [owner Tim [Johnson] is: intelligent and really plugged into the history of this place. Once you’ve picked out a book, you can go read it at Vizcaino Park. It’s where the baseball team plays. I’d recommend going up to the announcer’s booth and settling in there for some quality reading time.

Why Folks Love It

Marfa Book Company is home to books, certainly, but also a reading series, art exhibitions, and the Agave Festival—a weekend-long event every June that’s centered on celebrating the plant’s “influence on culture through food, film, music, science and spirits.” On the store’s shelves, you’ll find a tightly curated selection attuned to Johnson’s capacious taste. The collection is weighted toward art, poetry, and “regional studies,”—that is, books about the Chihuahuan Desert, West Texas, and Northern Mexico—but there’s plenty else to discover.

Keep in Mind

Johnson hosts art openings, lectures, and other special events, so check social media for updates.

What to Buy

Books by local writers, like Marfa for the Perplexed by Lonn Taylor and poetry by Eileen Myles.

Gallery Walk

The iconic Judd and Chinati Foundations are just blocks away and worth a few hours of your time, but if you’re looking for a more low-key art appreciation experience, then scope out the bookstore’s adjacent, unnamed gallery space, which has hosted everything from plaster sculptures by local high school students to an exhibition of ceramic figures by Marfa artist Magalie Guérin.