"Hotel El Capitan was built in 1930 by the Gateway Hotel Chain, led by Charles Bassett, at the crossroads of the forthcoming Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe and Big Bend National Parks." And that's exactly how I found myself in Van Horn, Texas.
     

After traveling through three national parks, I needed a place to fill my belly and rest my head. That's what brought me to Hotel El Capitan.



"House favorites include the Pistachio Fried Steak, Pecan Salmon and 14oz Hand-cut Ribeye. Our homemade Pecan Pie features local pecans, which you can also purchase in our gift shop. We offer a full bar with creative cocktails, Texas wines and craft brews. Don’t miss our historic vault located behind the bar. Our beautiful oasis courtyard is available for dining. Pets are also allowed to dine with you in the courtyard area."



The courtyard space was neat - it was almost indoor/outdoor, but thankfully indoor was super air conditioned. They were kinda busy, but I sidled up to the bar to place an order: the pistacho fried steak, which is an 8 oz. cutlet, in-house pistacho breading, jalapeno gravy, house potatoes and grilled asparagus.



I'm not sure how much a role the pistachio plays into the flavor, but I did enjoy it overall. I liked the crisp breading, the gravy and the potatoes. I wouldn't have minded something acidic here - like a pickled onion or even just a lemon wedge to brighten it all up because as it was, it was fairly heavy and kinda dense. I think the heat really played into my overall feelings, too, because I just felt weighed down - both from the heat and within my belly. My tastebuds weren't mad at it though.



Grade: B