My fiance and I had the pleasure of eating at Chuy's last summer, while driving cross-continent from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Las Vegas, via New Orleans and El Paso.

John isn't a big fan of Mexican food, but when we stopped for the night around 10pm, it was the only game in town (I was secretly delighted).

The food was great, the people were nice - it's all true. But the reason I would recommend eating at Chuy's was that the owners' peculiar reverance for John Madden and other important figures. Verging on the creepy.

A handpainted, cartoon-like mural spans one long wall of the restaurant, illustrating a cleaned-up Chuy's on the main drag in Van Horn. A godlike figure (complete with halo and arms outstretched) watches over the restaurant and John Madden's tourbus pulling up at the door.

The two-page laminated menus also told of Chuy's fortuitous meeting with Mr. Madden, who, over the years, has bestowed all manner of football and personal memorabilia which adorns the restaurant.

I ordered the Johnn Madden special, Pollo Picante (it was delish).

Best of all, the Madden seat of honour featured a worn leather armchair under an enormous flat screen TV. A small, neatly-typed white card reads "Reserved for our Friend, John Madden."

Apparently, another notable celebrity also stops in a few times a year. On one occasion, he wrote in pencil:

"And Tommy Lee Jones."

Returning from a recent trip to Big Bend National Park, enroute to El Paso for my flight home, I needed to stop somewhere for lunch. I remembered from my previous stop in Van Horn, just 2 days earlier, the signs for a place called Chuys. It seemed to be a bit of an institution in a town that had obviously seen better days. So rather than going for the predictable fare offered by the local DQ and Pizza Hut, I decided to see for myself what Chuys was all about.

It was only when I pulled into the parking lot that I noticed the sign stating that Chuys was in John Madden's "Haul of Fame" -- if that isn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is!

Part of what I dislike about being a female traveling alone is dining by myself in restaurants. I needn't have worried. Despite the considerable football and other sports memorabilia hanging off the walls and the very prominent big-screen TV, this is a family kind of place. I was treated very nicely by the staff.

It was either 1:30 or 2:30 in the afternoon -- I'm not exactly sure whether Van Horn observes Mountain or Central time -- and the place was doing a steady business.

As the name suggests, Chuys is best known for Mexican food, so I ordered my standard favorite -- chicken enchiladas with green sauce. The menu also features "American food" -- burgers and the like -- for those who prefer something other than Mexican.

It took a bit longer than I would have expected for my food to arrive, but my wait time was in keeping with that of the parties at the other tables. in the meantime I had chips and salsa to munch on as well as a refill of my iced tea. I could also watch the football highlights on the big-screen while I waited, which I particularly appreciated having missed all of the playoff action while I was at Big Bend over the weekend.

My meal was, in a word, delicious. Just the right portion size. The price was also quite reasonable, at $7.95.

I also had the pleasure of speaking with the owner, Chuy himself, who reminds me an awful lot of my dad -- a true gentleman.

Should you find yourself on I-10 anywhere near Van Horn, I recommend that you forego the fast food joints and head for Chuys. You won't be disappointed.