3 Best Restaurants in Raton, Northeastern New Mexico

This cheerful sit-down bakery across from the Shuler Theater has fabulous chocolate-cake doughnuts and oatmeal-raisin cookies—as well as a regular crowd of old-timers who gather here to keep up with town gossip. Breakfast burritos, chile fries, burgers, and Frito pies are big sellers.

Don't be put off by the plain storefront; inside this long-running restaurant exudes history and nostalgia with its antiques, collectibles, and old-fashioned candies for sale (it was founded by a Greek candy maker named Pappas in the 1920s). Don't expect any surprises from the standard American menu—just reliably prepared dishes like Alaskan king crab legs, porterhouse steak, shrimp fettuccine, and a few surf-and-turf combos.

A historic 1909 icehouse near the rail bridge on the south end of Downtown is the setting for this restaurant serving steaks and seafood. The high-ceiling brick structure is accented with lots of old wood, historic photos of the icehouse in its working days, local cowboys and beautifully groomed prize bulls. If a memorable steak is what you're after, the prime Angus cuts are prepared to perfection by chef and co-owner Bill Ratliff.