40 Years Of Christmas At Famous Campo Verde Mexican Restaurant
Nothing says Christmas like holiday traditions. Across the United States, people have unique ways of ringing in the holiday season. In Arlington, Texas, a Mexican restaurant named Campo Verde has been putting an extravagant spin on Christmas celebrations for nearly four decades.
Campo Verde
Campo Verde is a Mexican restaurant based out of Arlington, Texas. James Smiley Williams, who considered himself a renaissance man, founded the restaurant. As the restaurant’s website describes, Williams was likely the only American-born gourmet Mexican cook anywhere in the world.
The restaurant first opened on July 10, 1983. If you were to visit the restaurant, you’d see that Williams put his mark on the establishment with flare that is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The restaurant serves an Arizonan-Sonoran style of food, as opposed to the Tex-Mex style of cooking that is typically seen in the area. The menu features a wide array of items, from calabacitas rellenas and cabrito. They also serve exciting meats, such as elk and bison fajitas as well as more traditional food such as a charbroiled rib eye with a baked potato and salad. But it’s not the food that finds customers returning to the restaurant, it’s the experience.
Nearly 40 Years Of Christmas Celebrations
Campo Verde is unique in the fact that it celebrates Christmas the entire year! When first walking in, customers are taken aback by the strands of lights that engulf the establishment – there are 160,000 lights, to be exact. Additionally, there are 40 Christmas trees inside of the restaurant and too many Santa Claus pictures and figurines to count. As if that were not enough, there is also five miles of garland inside the restaurant. As one reviewer put it, “It’s like dining inside of a Christmas tree.”
Additionally, many adults may remember growing up with model trains in their home. Setting up Lionel tracks during the holidays was a tradition for many, and continues to be to this day. Williams tapped into this, setting up two model trains that travel through the rooftops of the restaurant. Williams says that there are more than 635 feet of train track running through the building.
If you’re planning on visiting the restaurant, so may want to consider doing so in the non-winter months. Once November and December come around, the wait eat at the restaurant becomes very long, especially on the weekends. Campo Verde is open for lunch and dinner. After celebrating Christmas 364 days of year, the restaurant closes at 9 PM on Christmas Eve and remains closed through Christmas Day. However, they are right back at it preparing for next year’s Christmas when they reopen on December 26.
Celebrating Christmas Year-Round
Just because it’s not Thanksgiving yet does not mean that you cannot begin celebrating Christmas! As James Williams’ spirit shows, spreading Christmas cheer can make for an enjoyable experience, no matter what time of the year. Perhaps an excellent way to kick off your mid-summer Christmas celebrations is by making a visit to Campo Verde in Texas.