Austin | Dairy Queen

When we come to Marfa, it’s inevitable that we end up at the local Dairy Queen. It’s in the center of town and, in some cases, the only thing open when all the restaurants decide to close for the day. But in a town full of bespoke cuisine, sometimes you just want some old fashioned steak fingers or an honest-to-goodness Blizzard. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the cheaper places to eat, which is a welcomed sight to the wallet.

On this day we met Austin. He delivered our Dude Sandwich and Steak Fingers. He is 15 years old and goes to Marfa Schools, the K-12 school that happens to be the ONLY school in Marfa. This year, Marfa Schools had a graduating senior class of 18.

When he was 10 years old, he and his Mom left their hometown of Houston to help his Grandmother during the pandemic, who was living alone in Marfa. As he dropped off our food, I mustered the courage to ask him if he was aware of how great his new hometown was, and in true teenage fashion, he gave me a sheepish shrug and said that he “kinda” understood. While we we ate, he had friends come in, grab some food, and crack a few jokes. He would then go back to his duties and take the next order. A sweet little life in a sweet little town.

After a few hours meandering through down town, we decided to pull through DQ one last time for a late afternoon dessert, and Austin was there to hand us our Blizzards, which is where this photo was taken.

After he graduates, he wants to go to college far away from here. But something tells me that he’ll be back.