quest for menudo in Canutillo
One of the luxuries I allow myself is a hot bowl of menudo con pata on Sunday mornings when I am around a supply. Luckily this small town is blessed with many such venues. The image to the right is a Google Maps search for menudo near me; a target-rich environment to be sure.
As a norteamericano I do not claim to know what good menudo is, but I do know what I like: a flavorful bowl of angry red with enough heat to let you know you’re alive. Servers who pay attention without hovering. Calm environment.
a pilgrim’s progress
I try to arrive at ~9am before mass lets out.
La cruda realidad - Dec 14, 2025
- Flavor: spot on
- Color: angry red-orange. Yes!
- Heat: could have used a bit more heat
- pata: very nice size and cartilage cooked down well
- ambiance: nice, calm
- service: good.
- coffee - serviceable
- other: nice heavy homemade tortilla chips.
- value: quite good, large portion and fair price
- my subjective gringo grade: A-
6874 Doniphan Dr, Canutillo, TX 79835
Speedy’s Mexican Food - Dec 21, 2025
- Flavor: nondescript, almost perfunctory. Didn’t feel like it was anyone’s abuela’s recipe.
- Color: sad, unsaturated orange
- Heat: perfect level of spice (although the menudo itself was not caliente; I suspect it sat on the Ready table a while before being brought to me.
- pata: small but nice cartilage
- ambiance: louder music than I’d like, perhaps because almost all the tables were already filled.
- service: I was handed off and the new server didn’t bring the water side or pata. I did ask for the pata but let the water slide.
- coffee - serviceable
- other: n/a
- value: I dunno. The portion was average and the menudo wasn’t special. I am very tolerant of different recipes but this one felt like a “we have to have it on the menu” feel.
- my subjective gringo grade: B-. I won’t be repeating the experience.
401 Talbot Ave, Canutillo, TX 79835