2 Best Restaurants in Northeastern New Mexico, New Mexico

Given a fresh makeover and much-improved menu in 2009, the atmospheric restaurant and bar inside the creaky old St. James Hotel now makes for the town's only notable dining option (and it's open for three meals a day). The kitchen mostly focuses on traditional American favorites, such as T-bone steaks, deep-fried catfish, and chicken-fried steaks, but several New Mexican dishes are offered, too, including hearty stuffed sopaipillas.

Don't be put off by the plain storefront; inside this long-running restaurant exudes history and nostalgia with its antiques, collectibles, and old-fashioned candies for sale (it was founded by a Greek candy maker named Pappas in the 1920s). Don't expect any surprises from the standard American menu—just reliably prepared dishes like Alaskan king crab legs, porterhouse steak, shrimp fettuccine, and a few surf-and-turf combos.