Sandra’s Mexican Food/Sandra's Little Villa — Hotel in Ely

I visited while on a road trip and had been craving good Mexican for days. Getting overpriced white-washed "Mexican" in Salt Lake City only made my cravings worse.

Sandra's was absolutely amazing. I got the gorditas (which I don't order often because many places don't do them well) and I was in heaven. They were amazing- the best I have ever had. They were simple but so flavorful and not too greasy. The sauce they came with was flavorful and the right amount of spicy. I ordered two, which was the perfect amount for a filling lunch.

My order took a little while, but only because she made all the food so fresh and the people in front of me had a very large order. The outdoor seating was comfortable and the place was cute, so I didn't mind waiting.

Everything was also very clean- Sandra emerged from the food truck with a rag in hand and waved me away when she saw me trying to wipe up a bit of sauce I had spilled.

This place is an absolute must if you are in Baker, but maybe try again if you are in a rush and see a bunch of people there (which seems unlikely in the off-season, as Baker was practically a ghost town when I visited in mid-october). My food was done surprisingly fast once she finished the other order- and I ate it even faster.

The prices are super reasonable, too! I tipped the highest amount the credit card reader suggested, but would have tipped more after eating the food if I would have had cash in my car. That's how good it...

We ate dinner here since the sugar salt and malt cafe was closed during our stay and this was the only place that was open. They serve from a food truck that looks to be semi-permanent. This allows for a nice sitting area outside that looked pleasant. We took our dinners to go. Because they were open I’ll automatically give them 3 stars. I’ll also keep the rating since the rice was top notch and the salsa was amazing. Beyond that the food was lackluster. We ordered the veggie burritos and I also had the veggie taco. The veggie burritos were really bean and cheese burritos for eight bucks. Maybe adding some onions or peppers would have been welcomed, or change the name to bean and cheese? The taco had a thimble portion of cheese and beans in a corn tortilla that looked like it had been soaked in water and microwaved. All in all it did the job, just nothing to...

So thankful for the amazing people in this little town — truly some of the kindest we’ve ever met.

We had to leave a hotel near the Utah-Nevada border because the cabin smelled like smoke and mold, the toilet was broken, and the kitchen didn’t work. Out of options, we drove to Baker, hoping for a miracle.

Both inns were full, but the lovely owner of Stargazer Inn sent us to her friend Sandra’s taco truck — they had cabins for rent. Sandra welcomed us with a key to check it out, and it was perfect: clean, cozy, modern, and right inside Great Basin National Park. Her family was so kind and helpful — even her son came over to greet us while working.

Didn’t get to try the tacos, but the place was busy and smelled incredible. This town turned a rough night into something we’ll never...