Lone Butte General Store

I went for the tamales. Were they spicy, yes. Were they good, yes. Were they nice and moist, yes. All good… but then I saw that they were made in Santa Fe. So, why did I drive out into the country to buy tamales? I’m not quite sure. They weren’t the best tamales I’ve ever had but by no means were they anything less than great. I was hoping for the home-​made by the abuelita type.
Go, buy tamales, take a sidetrip, buy some gas or make it a stop on your way down the Turquoise Trail. Support your local business. Buy some junk food and it’s all good.
The staff is terrific!

OK, so I am having breakfast up the road. Keep in mind, I am in the middle of nowhere (South of Santa Fe on Hwy 14)… I strike up a conversation with a couple of people who seem to know what’s what and they tell me the best tamales can be had at the Lone Butte General Store…
Now, I am not one to pooh pooh a great tamale — especially in New Mexico. However, when I pull into the Shell gas station, I seriously had my doubts. Here? Really? So, I go in to the mini mart and see all the usual suspects… cheetos, beer, smokes, etc… I had to ask if they had tamales to which the nice gent behind the counter pointed to the back. I had to look twice but next to the dried out egg roll in the warmer I spotted a chaffing dish and small sign. Tamales $ 1.79.
I opened the lid to a Hallelujah chorus of steam rising to the heavens. I selected two tamale parcels and a To Go container (remember, I had just come from breakfast.)
At the very first sign of my ebbing tide of fullness from my earlier huevos rancheros, I unwrapped the still warm tamales and had, what I consider, two of the penultimate tamales of my life. These were tasty mo’fo’s! I’m just sayin…