Allsup’s burritos now come as tortilla chips, too

New Mexicans have a new way to eat a popular and ubiquitous convenience store food – the deep-fried Allsup’s beef and bean burrito. The chain recently introduced beef and bean burrito-flavored tortilla chips to its store shelves.

The new tortilla chips come 50 years after Allsup’s sold its first beef and bean burrito in 1974 – the first convenience store to sell deep-fried burritos, according to the company. Allsup’s says it sells 27 million of the burritos each year.

The goal of the tortilla chips is to emulate the flavor of the burritos, which are handmade with slow-cooked beans, beef, cheese and a special blend of spices. It appears that customers approve so far. The Allsup’s location at 1605 Indian School Road NW was sold out of the chips Jan. 5. Store staff said more were on the way.

The Allsup’s story is a uniquely New Mexican one that began almost 70 years ago when Lonnie and Barbara Allsup opened their first store in Roswell in 1956. As part of a 50th anniversary promotion of the sale of the first beef and bean burrito in 1974, the company offers online orders for home delivery. In addition, there are limited edition 50th anniversary T-shirts, hats, koozies and an Allsup’s burrito blanket and pillow.

Allsup’s was acquired by Fort Worth, Texas, convenience store chain Yesway in 2019, but it agreed to maintain the Allsup’s brand. There are more than 400 Allsup’s locations in nine states, including 188 in New Mexico and five in Albuquerque.