Boxcar Cantina is Nancy Allen Roper’s homage to the restaurants of her youth and her love of simple, well-prepared meals with wholesome ingre-dients. Raised in Albuquerque, five miles north of Route 66, Nancy frequented cantinas from Taos to Santa Fe on down to Belen—enjoying simple regional food to the constant clatter of dishes, bustling waiters and jukebox cowboy music. The chrome-legged chairs and linoleum-topped tables didn’t match. The booths were so dark you couldn’t see the food. But they were friendly places serving fun meals that were delicious.

Opened in 1994, Boxcar features an authentic Northern New Mexican cuisine, which moves beyond typical Southwest/Tex-Mex food. The South-west is actually divided into distinct regions, each with its own cooking style and heritage. While each has its roots in Mexican cooking, Northern New Mexican is a blend of the three cultures—Native American, Spanish and Anglo-European.

“Our menu today is very similar to the original. Our customers have learned the difference between red and green chile (some are even quite cocky about it). We make our own tortillas and chips. The salsa, beans and Spanish brown rice are all made fresh daily. Our lettuces are organic. Our pork is Niman Ranch and our beef is Connecticut pasture raised. We locally source our ingredients at every opportunity. We think you will notice the difference.” – Nancy Allen Roper.