Three Things You Probably Won’t Hear About in Marfa (But Should)

The Familiar Scene

Marfa has its Greatest Hits album: Prada, Judd, the Courthouse selfies, the outdoor art installations everyone posts, and the $17 wedge salad that’s probably art.

We all love them, they’re part of the experience. But as Anthony Bourdain once said, “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”    

Because for every art installation and boutique retail or coffee shop, there’s a quieter, dustier, more queso-covered version of Marfa waiting just off the map. The kind of places you don’t tag, mostly because you don’t have cell service.

Three of them deserve a little spotlight: Ranch Road 2810, Angel’s, and the Sul Ross Rodeo, the unofficial antidote to curated desert minimalism.

Ranch Road 2810 — The Long, Quiet Climb

If Marfa had a reset button, it’d probably be Ranch Road 2810.

Head southwest out of town, and the road starts climbing until you’re looking down on everything, the town, the trains, the tourists trying to figure out if they’re allowed to touch the art. Up on the plateau, it’s just you, the wind, and a view that looks like it’s been Photoshopped by nature herself.

Keep driving, and the pavement eventually throws in the towel. The road turns to gravel and drops into Pinto Canyon, where you stop checking your phone because, well, there’s nothing to check. It’s the kind of drive that makes you forget you ever had notifications.

Local photographers love it for the sprawling views above Marfa, especially as a backdrop for elopement photos. It’s a favorite spot where couples come to say ‘I do,’ and the wildlife stares back like it’s their turn to watch the humans for once.

Bring water, a camera, and your best “yep, this is the middle of nowhere” face.

Angel’s Restaurant — Where Queso Replaces Gravy

When you finally roll back into town, there’s only one logical destination: Angel’s. It’s the kind of spot that doesn’t advertise, doesn’t posture, and definitely doesn’t charge $17 for a wedge salad. If Marfa’s picturesque cafés are a photoshoot, Angel’s is the afterparty.

Here, the chicken-fried steak comes covered in queso, because of course it does. Texas logic says if it’s good, pour cheese on it. It’s golden, generous, and unapologetically over the top.

It’s worth noting that Angel’s serves menudo on select days, a local favorite that tends to draw regulars early in the day, especially those looking for something comforting and authentic after a long night. Angel’s is friendly on the wallet, a refreshing change in a town where even breakfast can feel like an art installation. It’s proof that not everything in Marfa needs to come with a concept or a curated playlist.

Sul Ross Rodeo — The One You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you think Marfa’s all art walks and curated playlists, take a short drive east to Alpine when the Sul Ross Rodeo rolls into town. It’s the first collegiate rodeo in the U.S., dating back to the 1940s, long before hashtags or cell phones.

This is the kind of event where the parking lot is half pickups, half dust, and everyone’s on a first-name basis by the end of the night. The air smells like funnel cakes, leather, and a little bit of adrenaline. You’ll see real bronc riding, barrel racing, and a crowd that cheers for every rider like they’re family.

It’s pure, unfiltered West Texas, no art statements, no ticketed gallery openings, just dirt, denim, and heart. If you’re lucky enough to catch it, the Sul Ross Rodeo is a reminder that just down the road, the desert still knows how to throw a proper party.

The Real Takeaway

Marfa has plenty of beauty, buzz, and boutique moments, and they’re great. But if you want to feel the real Marfa, go find the road that climbs out of town, the diner that’s been feeding it for a couple of years now, and maybe head a few miles east for the Sul Ross Rodeo, where college riders have been hanging on since the 1940s.

Because that’s the real trifecta: a drive where the wind does all the talking, a meal that doesn’t need a menu rewrite, and a rodeo that proves West Texas has always known how to put on a show, no art degree required.

Just show up hungry, for food, for quiet, for something real.

Until next time. - Rob and Becca!