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Dining In An Antique Railroad Car in Willcox Arizona - A Restaurant Review
Situated along Interstate-10 in Arizona just east of the New Mexico border and laying about halfway between Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas is the city of Willcox.
Originally founded in 1880 as a minor stop for the Southern Pacific Railroad, the city grew and was incorporated in 1915. The area is ideal for cattle ranching and this, plus being a stop for the railroad resulted in the city becoming a major center for cattle raising.
While cattle are still important to the local economy, agriculture is also important with cotton being a major product earlier in its history.
While the railroad still passes through the city, the main transportation link today is Interstate-10 which crosses the southern border of the United States linking Atlanta on the East Coast with Los Angeles on the West Coast.
Interstate-10 is the major southern thoroughfare for the transportation of both goods and tourists and Willcox caters to both with the cattle, cotton, pecans and other crops it ships to the rest of the nation along with its growing U-Pick farms and wineries that cater to tourists. Willcox is also a convenient jumping off point for visitors to nearby Chchise Stronghold recreation area and those hiking to the ruins of nearby Fort Bowie.
Whether you are spending a day or so visiting the sites in the Willcox area or simply driving past on Interstate-10 and if you are hungry or just looking for a unique dining experience swing by Big Tex BBQ for a meal.
While the railroad still passes through the city, the main transportation link today is Interstate-10 which crosses the southern border of the United States linking Atlanta on the East Coast with Los Angeles on the West Coast.
Interstate-10 is the major southern thoroughfare for the transportation of both goods and tourists and Willcox caters to both with the cattle, cotton, pecans and other crops it ships to the rest of the nation along with its growing U-Pick farms and wineries that cater to tourists. Willcox is also a convenient jumping off point for visitors to nearby Chchise Stronghold recreation area and those hiking to the ruins of nearby Fort Bowie.
Whether you are spending a day or so visiting the sites in the Willcox area or simply driving past on Interstate-10 and if you are hungry or just looking for a unique dining experience swing by Big Tex BBQ for a meal.
A Bit of History With Your Dinner
Situated in an old red railroad car at 130 E. Maley St. in Willcox and in the immediate vicinity of the Willcox Historic District, the old train depot (which is now the Willcox City Hall) and Rex Allen Theater and memorial, the restaurant provides good food in an old time atmosphere.
While Barbecue (Bar-B-Q or BBQ) appears to be their specialty, the menu includes a number of other western and traditional American casual dining meal and sandwich selections. The food is very good with hearty serving sizes and reasonable prices. The service was friendly and fast the two times my wife and I have visited so far.
If you have time after your meal, you can enjoy a stroll down S. Railroad Ave. through the historic district with its old buildings and monument, theater and museum all dedicated to 1940s cowboy singer and cowboy star Rex Allen who hailed from Willcox.
Inside the Dining Car
Links to My Other Willcox Area Hubs
- A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch
Ever since my two sons were young we have made an annual pilgrimage in the Fall to nearby Wilcox, Arizona to pick apples and pumpkins. While driving 70 miles to pick some pumpkins that could be purchased at... - THE THING?
A momentary step back in time where my children get to experience road travel as it was in mid-twentieth century America. - A Visit to Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone Arizona
A couple of hours drive southeast of Tucson, Arizona is the old silver mining town of Tombstone. Best known for the gunfight at the OK Corral, Tombstone lives on despite the depletion of the mine. Instead... - A Trip to Twin Lakes Resort in St David Arizona
A little over an hour's drive from where I live in Tucson, Arizona is the little town of St. David, Arizona. Founded by Mormons in 1877, St. David is a small community that is in the process of moving... - A Trip to Apple Annie's to Pick Apples
About 100 miles southeast of Tucson is the city of Wilcox. Wilcox and the surrounding area sit in a valley that was once an ancient lake. The chief industry is farming and, in the past couple of decades, the... - A Stop At Texas Canyon
About an hour's drive southeast of Tucson along Interstate 10 is the Texas Canyon rest area. The rest area is at the north end of the canyon and the scenery in that area is fantastic. There must have been... - An Afternoon Visit to the Crop Circle Winery
Traveling down Interstate 10, on what has recently become an annual autumn visit to Apple Annie's Orchard in Willcox, Arizona, I noticed, among the many signs that dotted the highway just before Exit 340 for...