The Vitals:
the spot: Cree-Mee Drive In 31089 Cimarron New Mexico 87714
the eats: Green Chile or Red Chile, Strawberry Shake
the bucks: $5 or less – CHEAP EATS
the full nelson: maybe the best hole in the wall in all of New Mexico
Cimarron New Mexico is about as small town as it gets. Even still, I got recognized at the local market that doubles as the only gas station where you can get air in your tires. Next door to that market is Cree-Mee Drive In, one of the most memorable hole in the walls I have ever been too.
My family made the trek from Austin to New Mexico to hit the slopes of Red River NM. I’ve been to Taos before and if you recall we did an episode of Cheap Eats in Albuquerque NM. New Mexican food is unique, and unlike Tex-Mex, it’s far less polarizing. That might be because the cuisine doesn’t tread too far from the state lines. Regardless, if you’re in New Mexico you need to eat something that involves hatch chile.
I suppose you could get red or a combo which New Mexicans fondly call “Christmas”. The bowl of green chili above is the celebrated New Mexican stew where pork is simmered for hours with hatch chile. You can choose green or red, green being the spicier one. We were in a hurry and decided to forgo any exploration into green chile cheeseburgers and get the chile. I knew that would be quick because it has to be made in advance of service.
At just $5 this bowl of Green Chili with a flour tortilla and a little shredded cheese is a perfect road trip meal. Skip the burger bloat and get a bowl of piping hot New Mexican tradition. That being said, as I probed their facebook posts, I can tell the smothered chicharron burritos and diner style breakfasts are legit Cheap Eats as well. Gems like this only happen so often, so hit this spot if you’re heading to or from the ski slopes of New Mexico.
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