VAN HORN, TEXAS (March 18, 2010) -- Heading west out of Fort Stockton late in the afternoon while en route to Las Vegas, we were suprised at how few amenities appeared over the ensuing 100-or-so miles; even at the intersection with I-20, where we had imagined there would be a couple of motels and maybe a decent truckstop restaurant, there was literally nothing but roadway. The twinkling lights of Van Horn, Texas, a little crossroads community of about 2,500 people, thus appeared very welcomingly on the darkened horizon ahead of us, and we were pleased to find plenty in the way of places to stay and eat, as follows.
Chuy's Restaurant: This Mexican restaurant was recommended to us by my friend Karen Russell Holmes, a native of Van Horn, and she did not steer us wrong. I ordered the Catfish Picata, nice chunks of fish sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos, with rice and beans on the side. My wife, however, ordered the Pork Asado.
"Oh my God! You've got to try this," she said after tasting it.
Humoring her, I tasted it, and was stunned. In short, it was very literally one of the best things I have ever tasted, immediately moving into the top 10 of favorite things I have eaten. (Prompted by this wonderful dish and inspired by a recent article in Texas Monthly magazine, I am starting my own "Texas Bucket List," and "Eating the Pork Asado at Chuy's in Van Horn" is on it.)
Knights Inn and Suites: This place on the I-10 Business bypass was reasonably priced at just $45 plus tax and had nice, clean rooms and good proximity to restaurants and other services. We could not, however, get an Internet connection! For some people this may be irrelevant, and for them or the people for whom the computer in the lobby would be sufficient I can recommend this place without qualifications. If you need to be online with your own computer or for any length of time, however, you should pick one of the many other places to stay in Va Horn.
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