Favorite Las Cruces Restaurants (Santa Fe, Sunland Park: appointed, eat, relocate)

[joninaz]

Being located in the Mecca of chile growing, I found very little discussion on here (and other sites) reagarding Green vs. Red or even who has the best chile-related dishes. I'm heading to LC this week and am interested in seeking out some dishes that'll make me cry (from heat and taste). Thoughts? I'm very happy with the little mom and pop place in a run down divey strip mall - these places are often the best places in any city.

Thanks!

[tecpatl]

Originally Posted by joninaz

Being located in the Mecca of chile growing, I found very little discussion on here (and other sites) reagarding Green vs. Red or even who has the best chile-related dishes. I'm heading to LC this week and am interested in seeking out some dishes that'll make me cry (from heat and taste). Thoughts? I'm very happy with the little mom and pop place in a run down divey strip mall - these places are often the best places in any city.

Thanks!

If you look, not only in the relatively new Las Cruces forum but in the larger New Mexico forum, you'll find a threads with many restaurant recommendations and even some tasty home recipes. Cross reference some fave restaurant lists and you'll come up with some fine choices that appear on a number of lists.
Red vs Green? With all due respect, chile-head, how is that a question??
They're different, plain and simple, and, while we all have personal preferences, there is not a comparison to be made between the two in terms of superiority. On some dishes and in some places I prefer green, in other situations only red will do, and there's always Christmas
I rarely find cryin-hot food here..though a couple of times the green chile at Chope's has brought me close.
Hot ain't neccessarily tasty, and I'll take sabor over picante any day of the week.
Have fun, enjoy your visit. You'll be coming to see my town of Mesilla, by the way. At least a few of the good choices are here, plus it's just a cool town.

[joninaz]

Thanks Tecpatl,

I'm heading to Chopes for sure. Any others in the same vein?

I did do a lot of searching on various sites and became more confused than ever. Nellies and La Posta, for example, are oft mentioned as favorites, but also panned by others as being overhyped.

They are on my "to try" list, but I need to narrow it down as I don't have enough time to try them all:

Chopes
El Comedor
La POsta
Nellies
Andale
Las Trancas
Napolitos
Robertos
El Sombrero

Thanks.

[tecpatl]

Originally Posted by joninaz

Thanks Tecpatl,

I'm heading to Chopes for sure. Any others in the same vein?

I did do a lot of searching on various sites and became more confused than ever. Nellies and La Posta, for example, are oft mentioned as favorites, but also panned by others as being overhyped.

They are on my "to try" list, but I need to narrow it down as I don't have enough time to try them all:

Chopes
El Comedor
La POsta
Nellies
Andale
Las Trancas
Napolitos
Robertos
El Sombrero

Thanks.

IMHO La Posta is an atmosphere and history choice, but probably worth a visit for that reason. The chow, again IMHO, is uneven, but the tostadas compuestas please me and most guests I've taken there. Stop in at the Double Eagle, just around the corner in the Mesilla Plaza, for a Margarita before dinner. The bar there is also an atmosphere choice, and worth a visit for that alone, plus the Margs are muy sabrosa. .
Robertos has zero atmosphere but decent food (with plastic utensils). You can buy stuff in bulk there, like red chile sauce by the quart and dozens of tamales, etc.
I like Enrique's on Picacho as my simple hole-in-the-wall choice (huge chicken tostada and a drink for 5 bucks) and the Ranchway bbq and mexican food on Valley (very close to Picacho) is also a good HITW choice.
If you go to Nellies, go at an off hour (like for a late lunch) as it tends to be stupid crowded at prime time. Not open for dinner.
If you'd like to savor some New Mexico wines, check out Vintage, a small NM-Wine-only wine bar just off the plaza in Mesilla. Nice folks, great place, great wines. I highly recommend if you're a wine drinker.

[AmberLynn]

Just tried a new restaurant........Sara's on Solano, not far from Madrid, on the left coming from Main. VERY good Brisket Tortas! Well worth the price...clean, nice open floor plan/atmosphere.

Give it a try!

[dawnbender]

I'm shocked, SHOCKED that no one's said La Casita Nueva, in the historic Mesquite district, or Taqueria Chavez, the "roach coach" on Lohman right where it splits with Amador. The salsa, menudo, coffee and chimichangas at Casita rock (as do the "borracho beans") and the Tacos Estrellas are awesome at Chavez. You're not going to go wrong with either.

[shanedog]

Chope's is great, don't get me wrong, but across the road is another must-try that is the equal to Chope's... Severo's.
If you hit Chope's, eat in the bar.

[shanedog]

Originally Posted by GuyOutWest

One day LC may be ready for a BBQ place again.

Las Cruces can and will support BBQ! The little rib joint on main is swamped every time I go in there!
They don't have the capacity to cook a lot, there's a trailered offset sitting out front chugging along every day, and that's it, but the 'Q is good and the price is fair for what you get.

I think the secret is to make the 'Q like it's for your own family. I have a smoker and do my own because there hasn't been a joint in town that is consistently great BBQ.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by shanedog

Las Cruces can and will support BBQ! The little rib joint on main is swamped every time I go in there!
They don't have the capacity to cook a lot, there's a trailered offset sitting out front chugging along every day, and that's it, but the 'Q is good and the price is fair for what you get.

I think the secret is to make the 'Q like it's for your own family. I have a smoker and do my own because there hasn't been a joint in town that is consistently great BBQ.

I think it's very good, howver, not as good as State Line in Sunland Park. And, I might add, I found the prices here to be very expensive, not enough to justify a return visit.

[tecpatl]

Originally Posted by mike0421

I think it's very good, howver, not as good as State Line in Sunland Park. And, I might add, I found the prices here to be very expensive, not enough to justify a return visit.

Are you guys talking about the newish place, the Rib Cage, just north of Main/Picacho?
We got some ribs, brisket and pulled pork there a few days ago to check it out. Quality was good, sauce was good (if stingy in our takeout cup) and I'll go back for sure. Plus, it's a lot closer than Sunland Park.
You're right about State Line being a good spot, though ribs from there have been uneven in my last few visits. Just a bit further down 10 (at Artcraft, I think ) there is a Rudy's BBQ which is also pretty good.
I always want to like the ribs from Ranchway on Valley, but they always seem to disappoint. The Mex food there is fine though.