El Palmar

Caught in slow traffic on I-​40 due to some wrecks up ahead and decided we needed a break from the grind and asked the GPS device to find us a workaround. In the meantime, my bride was suggesting she was hungry (we had skipped lunch on the highway), and truth be told, I think we were all feeling it. The workaround brought us right by here, to El Palmar, about an hour prior to the beginning of a normal dinner rush
Chips/​salsa were immediately brought to the table along with a drink order request. Service was very friendly and very prompt and the much needed beer after 5+ hours on the road was cold and refreshing.
Telltale sign this is not a place that just grabs pre-​prepped food off a steam table or from the freezer and pops it in a microwave — it took more than 3 – 5 minutes to get our food order — in fact, it took about 15 minutes, which was good in my estimation.
My Chile-​Relleno (stuffed with beef) was good (not over the top great), but the real plus that makes me a fan here — the hot sauce. Sure, there are a couple bottles of hot sauce on the table, one somewhat mild and meh, and the other a brand I like on the hotter side, but when our server asked if we would like to try some hot sauce from out back, my tired eyes lit up — of course I want to try something other than the run of the mill bottled stuff. Good choice, and of course, kudos to whoever made it!
My teen daughter did not want to leave, so I asked the personable server if they needed someone to wash dishes and she replied in the affirmative. Of course, my daughter, noticing that she was being volunteered for dish duty, decided it was also time for her to go so we could get back on the road.
Note — the parking lot is tight, especially tight by the signage by the road. Just be aware of your surroundings.

Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, authentic style food, and it’s delicious. Will eat here again!