Art spaces abound in Marfa, where old buildings have been transformed.
This article is a part of a package on traveling on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited train.
If you want to get to know a small town, follow the locals. That’s exactly what I did during my most recent stay in Marfa. Visiting during a sleepy Tuesday and Wednesday meant fewer tourists and that many businesses, including the highly recommended Bordo, were on their off days. Although sad to forgo a sandwich from a James Beard Award semifinalist, I used the slower days to my advantage. While out and about, I teetered between full-on eavesdropping and asking residents and tourists as clueless as I was where I should go. In some ways, I felt I got to know the town and its everyday rhythms better than I would have if I had visited on a busy weekend. Here’s where Marfans pointed me—and the places they didn’t, but I still went anyway!
In a town that can feel like it’s in the middle of nowhere, this discount store feels unexpectedly grounding and useful despite seeming randomly placed. It’s an easy spot to pick up toiletries, phone chargers, and other forgotten essentials. The home goods aisle is also surprisingly well stocked.
The always-photogenic Prada Marfa.
Marfa Burritos
Here’s a place that celebrities, locals, and tourists can all get behind. Start your morning here to see lines filled with travelers, state park officials, and Marfans getting their burrito fix. Walls are ornate with signatures and photos of famous faces, including Matthew McConaughey. The Gordo, stuffed with beans, cheese, chorizo, and potatoes, is a top seller, but you shouldn’t leave without trying the spice-laden pork asado, once ordered by the late food icon Anthony Bourdain (I added potato to mine because I’m extra). If it says anything about the burritos, I came here twice.
A hot spot among the people who live here, this restaurant is known for its comforting fare, including a hefty tuna melt served with slaw, bowls of Bolognese that line nearly every table, and key lime pie. Travelers dining alone can cozy up to the U-shaped bar for one of the best seats in the house.
This is where a lot of eavesdropping went down. The town depends on this coffee shop for far more than its caffeine fix. The Big Bend Sentinel, a newspaper that recently changed ownership, operates out of this eclectic hangout. In addition to matcha lattes, coffee drinks, and breakfast and lunch bites, you can help keep journalism in the area alive by buying a paper or purchasing some Print Is Not Dead/Sentinel swag. (The coffee shop also underwent some expansion this year, which had locals buzzing with excitement during my visit. It’s a great place to get the tea, literally and figuratively.)
This small-town dining destination may move at its own pace, but the burgers earn their reputation. The rotisserie chicken has also drawn high praise.
Quaint shops and galleries populate Marfa’s downtown area.
Other cool spots to get your Marfa education
Learn how Marfa’s artsy reputation came to be at this expansive art exhibit. Artist Donald Judd repurposed a former military base, transforming its buildings into large-scale exhibits, which now include his 100 untitled aluminum boxes and concrete sculptures. The 90-minute Focus tour ($15) is a strong intro, offering views of artist Dan Flavin’s fluorescent light exhibits over six buildings. Those looking for a deeper dive can book the more thorough full-day tour.
Mention this as a stop on your Marfa itinerary, and you’re likely to get an indifferent shrug from both locals and tourists. The Texas version of the northern lights (I guess?) is an unexplained light phenomenon that is quite elusive. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying. Plug “Marfa Lights” into your Google Maps for the popular viewing area off US 90 and try your luck after nightfall.
Most agree that seeing the stars in Marfa is breathtaking. Book a reservation for a Star Party at this observatory, which is home to one of the largest telescopes in the world. Here, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye and peek through telescopes set up on the grounds for zoomed-in views of star clusters and planets. A daytime drive here also offers sweeping views of the Davis Mountains.
One of the funkiest bars and coolest hangouts in Texas, this local drinking den lets you choose your scene, whether it be the bar area, the upstairs deck that seats eight, a spot near the live music stage, or a decked-out school bus, which makes for a fun place to imbibe with good company.
On your way back from snapping a few pics of the Prada Marfa, a permanent installation critiquing consumerism and fashion culture, stop at this one-of-a-kind watering hole. More than a thousand people used to travel from all over to visit this bar when it was officially open—only on Valentine’s Day—which was somehow enough to pay the bar’s bills for an entire year. Otherwise, the owners would open whenever they felt like it. As of earlier this year, though, the bar is open daily from around noon to midnight, according to bartenders. Grab whatever’s cold from the limited beer list (on my visit, the options were Coors, Modelo, and Lone Star) and chat up the bartender and the travelers who made it their pit stop. Don’t forget to take a picture with the bobcat behind the bar.