Restaurants in New Mexico

New Mexico eaters make the point that the state’s cuisine is NOT Mexican, Tex-Mex, or California-Mex. It may have glimmers of them all, but it has a personality all its own. Chile – spelled with an “E” to honor the official state co-vegetable (along with the pinto bean) – rules in the Land of Enchantment, but it is rare to find chili, spelled with an “i,”as a meal. Chilies define the great state version of a hamburger, the green chile cheeseburger, and restaurants everywhere serve chilies rellenos (cheese-stuffed pods), and carne adovada (chile-marinated roast pork). Chilies infuse bread loaves and pizza crusts, ignite huevos rancheros, and are used to add snap and sunshiny flavor to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Beyond the ubiquitous pod, nearly every New Mexico table has a basket of sopaipillas – airy little warm pillows of quick-fried dough, brought to perfection by a drizzle of honey. Frito pies are another state signature dish. In fact, Santa Fe is one of two places that claim to have invented it (the other place being Dallas, Texas). It is today a southwestern-accented dish found in diners and cafes far beyond state borders.

New Mexico’s Most Famous Dishes

Cross section of a buned rare burger topped with chopped green chilies and cheese

Green Chile Cheeseburger

Basket of puffy, pillow-like sopaipillas

Sopaipillas

Burger on a tender bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo ... car hop service

Grilled Hamburger

Blue corn enchilada, Christmas style -- with both red and green chile

Enchiladas

New Mexico’s Best Restaurants

Mr. Powdrell’s Barbeque - Portrait
Mr. Powdrell’s Barbeque

ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Santa Fe Tortilla Company - Tortillas
Santa Fe Tortilla Company

SANTA FE, NM

Five and Dime General Store - Frito Pie
Five and Dime General Store

SANTA FE, NM

San Marcos Cafe - Cinnamon Bun
San Marcos Cafe

SANTA FE, NM

El Bruno’s

CUBA, NM

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen

SANTA FE, NM

Casa de Benavidez

ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Los Ojos Restaurant and Saloon

JEMEZ SPRINGS, NM

Sadie’s of New Mexico

LOS RANCHOS DE ALBUQUERQUE, NM

La Michoacana De Paquime

ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Mesilla Valley BBQ

LAS CRUCES, NM

Santacafé

SANTA FE, NM

Chunks of slow-roasted pork deeply saturated in a hot-chile marinade
La Posta de Mesilla

MESILLA, NM

Sugar’s

EMBUDO, NM

Frontier

ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Plaza Café

SANTA FE, NM

El Farolito

EL RITO, NM

Roque’s Carnitas

SANTA FE, NM

Buckhorn Tavern

SAN ANTONIO, NM

Sparky’s

HATCH, NM

Tecolote

SANTA FE, NM

New Mexico Articles & Guides

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Smashed crispyburger, fully dressed

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Double bacon cheeseburger, fully dressed

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Paper-thin crepes, dusted with powdered sugar, envelop bananas, walnuts, maple syrup and brown sugar

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The Varsity - Exterior Night

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Five and Dime General Store - Frito Pie

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Granola is loaded with nuts, berries, raisins, coconut, etc., etc.

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A plat of sopaipillas at Nellie's restaurant in Las Cruces, NM

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Santa Fe Carnitas

Caramelized Onion Quesadilla

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