Curb Side Bistro preps to serve Thanksgiving meals at both Odessa and Midland locations

Alejandro Barrientos, chef and owner at Curb Side Bistro, says he’s especially looking forward to his restaurant’s famous free Thanksgiving meal this year. That might be in part because Curb Side Bistro recently opened a second location in Midland. Now, the chef and his staff have two locations from which to pass out meals to community members in need.

Winner of the James Beard Foundation award as part of the Blended Burger Project in 2018, Chef Barrientos has enjoyed a momentous 2023 after he won the Food Network’s Chopped competition earlier this year and also saw the expansion of Curb Side Bistro, which now operates at both the original location at 3816 Andrews Hwy in Odessa, and also at 607 N Colorado St. in Midland.

Recently, Barrientos announced that Curb Side Bistro’s 9th annual free Thanksgiving meal for the community will hold distributions at both locations. Last year, the event provided meals to 1,600 people from its Odessa location. After the event, Barrientos expressed the goal of serving 2,000 people this year.

Meals will be distributed from the Midland location on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and from the Odessa location on Thursday, Nov. 23.

The distributions will be done via drive-thru format and will start at 11 a.m. and continue “as long as we can,” Barrientos said.

Per usual, folks can just drive up to get their meals “no questions asked, no registration,” the chef said.

“Let us know how many plates you need, and we got you,” he said.

The event has been in the works for months. Chef Barrientos expects this year’s distribution to be record-breaking. At least 300 pounds of cooked chicken must be prepared for the event, he said, emphasizing that cooked chicken weighs less than raw chicken. Ham, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, cornbread stuffing, gravy and green beans for green bean casserole are some of the other items on their shopping list.

Sponsors and volunteers from the community step up every year to help .On Curb Side Bistro’s Facebook page, Chef Barrientos expressed excitement that Sams Club of Odessa recently called to pledge support again this year. Sams Club will provide all the pies and drinks for families in need, the chef said.

“We have amazing, amazing partners in the community,” the chef said.

The chef also thanked the community for spreading the word so that families in need know about the event.

“We can cook all this food and prepsare it, but if nobody knows about it and comes by, what’s the point?,” Barrientos said, adding, “It’s because the generosity from the community coming together and helping out that we are able to do what we do.”

To learn more, follow Curb Side Bistro on Facebook and Instagram.