The Waylon

Frito Pie’s Quirky, Delicious Journey From the Southwest to NYC | Eater NY

"In Hell’s Kitchen I found a honkytonk that channels the Lone Star State, decked out with longhorns, wagon wheels, Willie Nelson memorabilia, and kitschy items like a battered cowboy boot in glass cases flanking the bar, where Lone Star and Shiner Bock taps are favorites. The menu leans on Texan classics — queso and chips, bean-and-cheese tacos, chili con carne, and a jalapeño-cheese corn dog — but what caught my eye was the Frito pie ($9). It’s served in a Fritos bag with chips, perhaps too much chili, and grated cheddar, with pickled jalapeños and sour cream on the side; the chili (with pinto beans) is a little bland and tomato-ey but comforting in a mom-made-it sort of way. Mix the pickled chiles in before chowing down and skip the sour cream, which I found unnecessary and not true to the dish’s history." - Robert Sietsema