Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited El Paso Burrito Lady

[JoeShmo]

Who else loves the burrito lady in El Paso as much as I do?
https://findery.com/AllOvertheMap/notes/the-burrito-lady-meets-amtraks-sunset-limited

 

[Asher]

Never had one of those burritos, sounds like a plan tho- Bought a lot of tamales from vendors selling out of the trunk a car here in LA.

 

[bratkinson]

As of 3 weeks ago, she had moved from the front of the station to out on the platform in the area of the coaches. I enjoyed 2 of them!

 

[tim49424]

October 29, 2015, Eastbound TE/SL

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

While it has been a few years since I have been through ELP, I never missed the chance to get a burrito or 2. One time I was even taking lunch in the Diner when we pulled in; I ran down, grabbed a couple, came back to the Diner, finished lunch and took my late afternoon snack back to the roomette. One of the Diner crew even got off to grab several.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Ok, so a slight thread drift, is there a similar vendor in ABQ? I’m thinking about ordering some (good New Mexican red and green chili covered) food that either I can run and grab or get delivered to the station. Any knowledge or thoughts?

 

[tim49424]

Ok, so a slight thread drift, is there a similar vendor in ABQ? I’m thinking about ordering some (good New Mexican red and green chili covered) food that either I can run and grab or get delivered to the station. Any knowledge or thoughts?

AFAIK, No. Same trip as I took the picture I posted of the burrito lady, I took the SWC out west and through ABQ. There were a bunch of vendors on the platform selling trinkets and blankets and related stuff but no food sales. The stop was long enough to receive delivery, at least on that trip. Being that's the only time I've been there via Amtrak, I don't know if the length of the stopover was customary.

 

[Barb Stout]

If the train is on time, there is a 50 minute stop in ABQ westbound and a 28 minute stop eastbound. If you decide to meander off into the local neighborhood during the stop, head north, west or east, but not south as there isn't much good to see south of the station. I wish I could give you endorsements of "good New Mexican red and green chili covered food", but even though I live here, I still have my northern plains tongue and GI tract that can only handle northern European type food like pickled herrings with sour cream. lol. So I don't pay attention to who has the best New Mexican food.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Thanks Tim and Barb! In that case I’ll call ahead and see what I can do. There are a number of good restaurants not too far from the station, so hopefully I can talk one into delivering or be able to pre-order and hoof it or cab/Uber there and back. I grew up in the PacNW, and absolutely love pickled herring, but since moving to Texas, I’ve developed a great ability to eat spicy and extremely spicy food. So New Mexican dishes with the red and green are a leading favorite of mine and the wife (she loves the stuffed sopapilla’s) enjoys it too.

 

[tricia]

Thanks Tim and Barb! In that case I’ll call ahead and see what I can do. There are a number of good restaurants not too far from the station, so hopefully I can talk one into delivering or be able to pre-order and hoof it or cab/Uber there and back. I grew up in the PacNW, and absolutely love pickled herring, but since moving to Texas, I’ve developed a great ability to eat spicy and extremely spicy food. So New Mexican dishes with the red and green are a leading favorite of mine and the wife (she loves the stuffed sopapilla’s) enjoys it too.

Most states have a state flower. New Mexico has a state question: red or green?

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Most states have a state flower. New Mexico has a state question: red or green?

EXACTLY!! I’m a Christmas kinda guy. Ya gotta love it!!

 

[me_little_me]

EXACTLY!! I’m a Christmas kinda guy. Ya gotta love it!!

Green myself but how many others know what Christmas is in NM restaurants?
Can't believe it but in Asheville, Zia Restaurant has red, tomatillo (but real green if you ask) and offers Christmas upon request.

We go to home to NM every year and a half by train to visit our hearts. Next trip is December and we'll get to see the luminarias.

 

[JoeShmo]

If everything goes as planned I should be on this route in a couple weeks. There are many highlights of a cross-country train trip. The burrito lady is definitely one of the highlights.

 

[nti1094]

If everything goes as planned I should be on this route in a couple weeks. There are many highlights of a cross-country train trip. The burrito lady is definitely one of the highlights.

I have noticed that the burrito lady does not meet the westbound train that arrives Sunday into El Paso (Ex. NOL Saturday).

 

[JoeShmo]

I have noticed that the burrito lady does not meet the westbound train that arrives Sunday into El Paso (Ex. NOL Saturday).

I hope she is still there on Sundays. For many years I have always taken the Friday schedule from Chicago on TE/SL 21/421 which arrives in El Paso on a Sunday and she has always been there.

 

[dogbert617]

Good to hear per this thread, that El Paso still has a burrito(and tamales? not sure) person who sells those on the platform, during the 1 and 2 Sunset Limited extended stop. I'll definitely take advantage of this, whenever I ride the SL someday!

AFAIK, No. Same trip as I took the picture I posted of the burrito lady, I took the SWC out west and through ABQ. There were a bunch of vendors on the platform selling trinkets and blankets and related stuff but no food sales. The stop was long enough to receive delivery, at least on that trip. Being that's the only time I've been there via Amtrak, I don't know if the length of the stopover was customary.

Thought I did once read there was at least one food vendor that sets up shop selling food on the platform there, per other online reports about Albuquerque's Amtrak station during the train stop for 3 and 4. Too bad that isn't the case, albeit that there are vendors that sell other items like blankets.

If the train is on time, there is a 50 minute stop in ABQ westbound and a 28 minute stop eastbound. If you decide to meander off into the local neighborhood during the stop, head north, west or east, but not south as there isn't much good to see south of the station. I wish I could give you endorsements of "good New Mexican red and green chili covered food", but even though I live here, I still have my northern plains tongue and GI tract that can only handle northern European type food like pickled herrings with sour cream. lol. So I don't pay attention to who has the best New Mexican food.

Not sure about New Mexican food per se, but I remember once researching places in downtown ABQ, thinking I'd do a Southwest Chief trip further west than Albuquerque. While that never occurred, I clearly do see a few places one could walk to for getting a drink or some food to go, such as Espresso Fino(keep in mind they close earlier on weekends, and aren't open after 4pm), Hartford Square(looks like this is mainly a cafe/diner, and I wonder if they'd allow one to call in an order to be picked up to go? or heck, even head up to the station to deliver food to the platform?, and Zendo(coffee house, this is open the latest of those 3 places and till 6pm). This was just what I found out, via doing a quick search of nearby places to the Amtrak station on google.

 

[Chey]

Lately I've been reading lots of praise for her. I won't disagree her burritos are good. But I would advise that you carry a lot of one-dollar bills so you can give her the exact amount. She says the burritos are $2.00 each. If you give her a $5 for 2 burritos, you will got zero change. If you ask her for it she turns away.

If you want to give her a tip then use a higher bill. If you don't then use exact change.

I should mention that I always carried 5s, 10s and 20s for tips to the diner people, the sleeper people, the redcaps. It was the Burrito Lady who made me learn to have 1s.

 

[cubeguide]

I hope she sells salmon burritos. Those are my favorite.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I hope she sells salmon burritos. Those are my favorite.

Never eat Fish where you cant smell the Ocean or the Water is poluted!( El Paso is 600+ Miles from the Ocean and the Rio Grande is a Sewer!)

 

[tim49424]

She's already being discussed here:

https://discuss.amtraktrains.com/threads/texas-eagle-sunset-limited-el-paso-burrito-lady.75173/

 

[pennyk]

She's already being discussed here:

https://discuss.amtraktrains.com/threads/texas-eagle-sunset-limited-el-paso-burrito-lady.75173/

The two threads were merged. Thanks for the head's up.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Lately I've been reading lots of praise for her. I won't disagree her burritos are good...

In all honesty I find the endless praise to be rather excessive. Her burritos are nothing special for El Paso. They're made and packaged hours before the train arrives with tortillas that have long since become moist and gooey. So far as I can tell the bean version has little or no cheese and overall quality of both types is rather subpar. Buying these burritos on the platform is a lark and a curiosity but not much more.

 

[cubeguide]

Never eat Fish where you cant smell the Ocean or the Water is poluted!( El Paso is 600+ Miles from the Ocean and the Rio Grande is a Sewer!)

I forgot about that!

 

[SanDiegan]

This is the one I walk to if there’s time: https://yelp.to/qTKq/rLhHSdJTKW

 

[Asher]

I hope she sells salmon burritos. Those are my favorite.

Did you never see the movie Airplane