Alpine – In the vast reaches of West Texas, you may be surprised to find some fine establishments to sit down and eat at. In Alpine, The Reata Restaurant has been the go-to for good food since 1995. “Reatta’s creed has always been to offer white tablecloth service in a very casual environment,” said Mariah Brooks, the GM at Reata.
Brooks got roped into the job during what she thought was a return trip to her home state. “I thought I was on my way back to California,” said Brooks. “I thought I would maybe go back there, and I changed my mind. The vibe here is really good. It really is a neat place.”
Being secluded in this part of the state is what she needed. “It’s out in the middle of nowhere,” said Brooks. “There’s just a feeling of openness out here. I can grab my dogs and be on Hancock Hill, which is right behind Sul Ross, and be on a really good hike in 15 minutes. I love it. I absolutely love it.”
The Reata Restaurant is another reason people fall in love with Alpine, and the experience starts when you walk into the restaurant which was an old adobe home that was built in 1895. “It’s crazy how well it’s held up,” said Brooks. “And it’s all adobe. All adobe except for the kitchen in the back and then the bar area.”
The food also floods folks into town. “It’s legendary Texas cuisine,” said Brooks. “It’s sort of an upscale Tex-Mex mix of different things.”
“It’s got its own little unique style, little flavor,” said Head chef Jose Apolinar, who has been a part of this place since 2015. Both Brooks and Apolinar wanted to showcase Reata’s signature dish. “Carne Asada. Best one,” said Brooks. “Most recommended. It’s a skirt steak with the ancho enchiladas on it, and it is our most requested item.”
Chef Apolinar starts off the legendary dish by seasoning a huge 12-ounce skirt stake with salt, pepper and the “Reata grill blend,” a house specialty seasoning mix. He then sets it and forgets it on the char broiler. “So that way you get your nice grill marks on there,” said Apolinar. “Everybody likes their steak to look real nice and pretty.”
Next, Apolinar gets started on the enchilada segment of the dish. He grabs two cheese enchiladas and covers them with a deep red ancho chili sauce before piling on shredded cheese. Finally, the enchiladas are placed right next to the steak on the broiler. “We’re going to set it and forget that too,” said Apolinar.
Once everything is cooked to perfection, the chef prepares a giant platter with rice, beans, and salsa. Then, he lays down that beautifully charred steak, and tops it off with the cheesy enchiladas. “Yeah, we serve big around here,” said Apolinar. “One thing’s guaranteed, you’re not going to leave very hungry.”
Despite the massive plate of food already prepared, Apolinar wasn’t done, as he wanted to show off Reata’s bacon and jalapeno mac and cheese. Everything but the noodles are added to a bowl and thrown on the fire, and once everything gets nice and bubble the noodles are added, as well as an extra mound of cheese. “It’s a mac and cheese,” said Apolinar. “You got to have the cheese.”
Now that we have all our food, we’re going to start off with this mac and cheese. This spectacular side is served in a cast iron dish and is piled higher with mac and cheese than you would ever think possible. The cheese is everything you could ever want, but the bacon and fresh jalapenos really take it to the next level.
From there, we move on to the main dish of steak and enchiladas. The obvious method for attacking this plate is to get a little bit of everything in one bite. When you have the enchilada and steak together, you’re instantly hit with the flavorful ancho chili sauce and the richness of the cheese, but then you get into the skirt steak and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever had. The steak is cooked to perfection, and is more reminiscent of a filet mignon than a skirt steak when you bite into it. Everything complements this dish perfectly. From the cheese on top to the enchiladas, to the ancho, to the sauce, it is the complete package.
Well, if you’re looking for some incredible cowboy cuisine that really does buck the trend, coming all the way to Alpine to visit the Reatta is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List. “It’s a really special place,” said Brooks. “It really is.”