Eating Wyoming: Tony’s Mexican Grill In Wamsutter Is A Spectacular Dive

WAMSUTTER — It’s lunchtime on a Thursday, and the parking lot at Tony’s Mexican Grill is lined with dirt-covered pickups drawn in from around this speck on the map off Interstate 80 between Rawlins and Rock Springs.

Hungry oil field workers make a beeline for Tony’s every day — sometimes twice a day if they’re picking up breakfast burritos on their way to the job site. And it’s not because Tony’s is the only place to eat in town that’s not under the roof of the Love’s Travel Stop across the street.

“This is the only spot to go to, and not just because it’s the only one,” said Josh Cozzens, who’s grabbing a breakfast burrito with friends and coworkers.

“It’s the only place you can get real food in Wamsutter,” he said. “Yeah, there’s the gas station or Subway (inside the gas station), and that’s it. But I wouldn’t call that ‘real food.’”

Even if it weren’t the only independent restaurant in town, Luis Mascorro said he’d still choose Tony’s tiny dining room and menu over anything else.

“This is by far my favorite place. I could eat here all day,” he said between large bites of tacos pastor. “Most of us (in the oil field) live in Rawlins, but we work (around Wamsutter). We all come here pretty often.”

Tony’s also is as worn down and comfortable as all their work boots, said Cozzens.

“Here, you can sit and bullshit with your crew and have a good meal,” he said. “It’s about sitting down and having a good, home-cooked meal.”

Hole In The Wall

Tony’s Mexican Grill is the textbook definition of a hole-in-the-wall local joint. It’s a spectacular dive that oozes authenticity.

With a backdrop of Spanish music playing loudly from a pair of speakers, the tiny dining room starts to fill up as fast as the parking lot as a steady line of Carhartts make their way through the doors and to the counter.

Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day but Sunday, the menu is small and simple.

It also takes up most of the wall behind the counter next to a small pass-through window to the even smaller kitchen. There are 15 items, each with a color photograph showing the food.

It looks appetizing, even if there are a few typos. Or maybe it looks so good because of the wash of Mexican spices, roasted corn tortillas and oil that permeate the air throughout the room.

There’s the Smother Burrito, Chilaquiles, Nacho Supreme, Torta Perrona and Huevo Ranchero.

But the specialty is Tony’s signature birria, a deep, rich broth that’s good with everything. There are Birria Tacos, Quesa Birria, Birria Consome and a customer favorite, Birria Ramen.

All the recipes are authentic, perfected over generations by owner Tony Abadia’s family.

It’s the food he grew up with, Abadia told Cowboy State Daily on a quick break from manning the grill in the kitchen.

“The food is fresh, and everything is cooked the way it should be,” he said. “Nothing is faked, it’s all (authentic).”

That’s not just a restaurant owner talking up his own food, Mascorro said.

“Not to be funny, but I know Mexican food pretty good,” he said. “This is as legit as it comes.”

Those who don’t make time for Tony’s as they get off I-80 at Wamsutter — it’s about 100 feet from the exit on the west side of the road — are missing out, Mascorro said.

“They may say it’s a hole-in-the-wall and dive, but hole-in-the-wall and dives are the best,” he said. “If you see a little hole-in-the-wall by the railroad tracks, you gotta go there.”

Probably the best endorsement of Tony’s is that it’s the No. 1 choice of the local workers.

“This place gets busy with oil field workers and with the semitrucks coming off I-80,” Mascorro said. “They all stop here.”

Started As A Food Truck

While Tony’s Mexican Grill has only had its dining room at 279 McCormick St. for about seven months, Abadia and his family have been serving people around southwest Wyoming for years.

He started with one food truck, Tony’s Tacos, which is still popular in Rawlins. Then he brought another truck to park in Wamsutter. When Jerry’s Pizza closed up shop, Abadia said he saw an opportunity.

“I like it better here because there’s space for the customers,” he said about having a dining room. “In the truck, there’s just the window and it’s hard to (interact) with the people.”

On this day, there’s just Abadia and Chrystal Calix working — Tony doing the cooking and she in the front of the house. The lunch rush keeps her hopping, but she’s up to the pace.

It’s clear she also has a passion for the food at Tony’s that goes beyond a paycheck.

“I love this place, and I love all these people. It’s like a family,” she said. “They all say this is the only actual Mexican food they can find.”

While she said everything is great, her favorite is the Quesa Birria tacos. “I eat them every day, I love those.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg@cowboystatedaily.com

Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.