Find comfort food and brews at Baca House 

RJ’s at the Baca House brings fresh food, local beer and new energy to downtown Socorro. 

When Mark Martin reopened the doors of the historic Baca House last fall, it wasn’t part of a long-term business plan. It was, he said, a leap of faith rooted in community.

Martin, owner of RJ’s at the Baca House, officially took over the space Sept. 8, 2025, after closing his previous restaurant on California Street earlier that year. Though he briefly considered rebranding the location, he ultimately decided to keep the Baca House name.

“There’s so much history here,” Martin said. “I didn’t want to lose that.”

Martin’s background is firmly planted in food service. He has worked as a district manager for Burger King and McDonald’s, served as a director of operations, and later became a child nutrition director for multiple school districts, including Socorro Consolidated Schools and districts on the Navajo Nation and Tohono O’odham Nation.

That experience shaped his philosophy at RJ’s: fresh food, made in-house, without shortcuts.

“At McDonald’s and Burger King, I learned systems,” Martin said. “In child nutrition, I learned what food does to people. Once you really understand that, you can’t unsee it.”

At RJ’s, nothing arrives frozen. Chicken is hand-cut, marinated, battered and fried to order. Fries are made from whole potatoes through a four-hour process that includes washing, cutting, blanching and chilling to remove excess starch.

“A good French fry is make or break,” Martin said. “If it’s not right, we don’t serve it.”

The menu centers on comfort food classics — chicken strips, catfish, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches and house-made pizza — alongside coleslaw, potato salad, desserts and a lineup of scratch-made sauces. Martin personally prepares the restaurant’s sauces, including dipping sauces with a kick, and barbecue, chipotle and a green chile barbecue sauce made with chile sourced from Socorro County and using agave nectar for added sweetness.

“I want everything here to be the best version of itself,” he said. “If I can’t do it the best, I don’t want to do it at all.”

RJ’s also features on-site beer brewing, a rarity in the region. Local brewmaster David Chambellan — who previously operated a brewery in the space — continues to brew beer at the Baca House using commercial-scale equipment. The lineup includes several IPAs, amber ales and wheat beers, brewed with New Mexico-grown grains.

“He takes pride in his beer the same way I take pride in my food,” Martin said. “If something’s off, we don’t sell it.”

Wine from nearby Black Smuggler Winery is also available.

While Martin initially envisioned RJ’s as a quick-service restaurant, he acknowledges that downtown Socorro operates on a different rhythm. Hours have varied as he adjusts to local patterns, though he hopes increased visibility will help bring in more residents alongside travelers passing through town.

“Small businesses are the backbone of a community,” he said. “If small businesses are thriving, the community is thriving. If I grow, that means more jobs here in Socorro.”

Though RJ’s wasn’t originally part of his plan, Martin now sees the restaurant as an investment in his community and is hoping to secure an investor to help him expand and create more jobs.

“There’s a lot here worth fighting for,” he said.

Doors are open from 4:00-10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11:00 a.m-10:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.