National Bacon Lovers Day is Aug. 20: Here's where to celebrate in Texas and New Mexico
It's hard to beat the distinct scent of bacon sizzling in a pan. The aroma has the power to wake up sleepy people from their slumber and make carnivores salivate.
And being that Tuesday, Aug. 20, is National Bacon Lovers Day, hyping up bacon is where it's at.
Top of our list to find meaty, tasty bacon is Chala's Wood Fire Grill, which we discovered in Mesilla, N.M. The restaurant is at 2790 Avenida de Mesilla.
The restaurant, known for its brunch and smoked meats, cures and smokes its bacon and other meats at least once a week. A glass window in the entryway allows guests to see the chef's cooking, which evokes confidence and trust.
And locals seem to know since the restaurant was packed on a Saturday evening when we stopped in for dinner.
Bacon was the hero of the night, so we had to order the A-Mountain hamburger, $14, which features thick-cut house-made bacon and green chile and a side of seasoned fries, and a Hefty Cuban sandwich ($12) with smoked pork, ham and the house-made bacon and Swiss cheese.
There was a bit of a wait for our meals but it was worth it. The bacon in the burger almost waved to us, sticking out firmly about three inches from the burger. The burger was perfectly cooked and juicy, with melted Cheddar cheese and enough green chile to break a sweat.
The hefty Cuban Sandwich is another winner, true to its name. The aroma of the smoked meats greets you as it is placed on the table. Shredded pork pours out of the sandwich, while the smoked ham is extra flavorful. It was such a hefty sandwich that half went home for another day.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Here are some other suggestions to celebrate National Bacon Lovers Day.
Cheba Hut offers bacon-loaded Sensi Kush sandwich
New and popular sandwich place, Cheba Hut, is drawing El Pasoans with its variety of tasty sandwiches and fun snacks.
For National Bacon Lovers Day, let's focus on the Sensi Kush, bacon, honey siracha, mayo, avocado slices, provolone, lettuce, tomato, Shake & house dressing.
Another fine choice is the G-13, a turkey, roast beef and bacon sandwich with chipotle mayo, provolone cheese, and the rest of the fixings.
Cheba Hut locations: 3001 N. Zaragoza Road S., 730 Sunland Park Drive Ste 200.
More: Puff, puff, pass the sandwich: Blazing preview of first Cheba Hut in El Paso
La La Bang has tasty Bacon Ranch Fries
La La Bang, at 414 E. San Antonio Ave, is known for its Detroit-style pizzas and flavorful wings. You can always have bacon as part of their meaty pizza, El Sancho Pizza. But for National Bacon Lovers Day, try the Bacon Ranch Fries, $7.99
The fries are loaded with generous amounts of bacon and drizzled with ranch.
Orange Cow Burgers offers great burgers with bacon on West Side
Orange Cow Burgers, at 4018 N. Mesa St. and 955 N. Resler Drive, Suite 110, is consistent with its tasty, fresh hamburgers. The buns are soft and all the ingredients, from patty to lettuce and tomato, peek out of the buns.
The bacon has to be added for ($1.54) but totally worth it.
More: Orange Cow Burgers: El Paso's answer to In-N-Out? Here's our take
Maria Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com, @EPTMaria on Twitter; eptmariacg on Instagram, eptmariacg on TikTok.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: National Bacon Day: New Mexico restaurant cures, smokes its bacon
