Set on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, the New Mexican city of Las Cruces boasts beautiful natural scenery, a rich history, and vibrant culture, plenty of outdoor adventures and unique culinary experiences. Located in the heart of the chili capital of the world, the city is home to some of the best Mexican food in the state, as well as authentic Italian cuisine, and New Mexican-style fare and has several excellent restaurants at which I found you can enjoy sublime cuisine.
Best Restaurants in Las Cruces:
1. Savor Sunset Vibes at Hacienda de Mesilla and Cantina
Rating: ★★★★★
If you are like me, you'll be hungry as soon as you get to Las Cruces. You can't go wrong with Hacienda de Mesilla and Cantina.
This festive restaurant serves a creative menu of Mexican and Southwestern cuisine in a bright and colorful atmosphere.
It's set in a traditional adobe building with intimate balconies boasting beautiful views of the Organ Mountains.
If you arrive on a Friday or Saturday night, head out to the rooftop terrace where musicians play live music on most weekends.
Decorated in tones of vibrant cobalt blue, the family-friendly restaurant serves heaving plates of fresh seafood, prime beef, lamb, and chicken, fresh salads, pasta plates with housemade sauces, and traditional favorites such as arrachera steak, green chile crab bisque, and queso fundido.
A full-service bar serves a variety of craft and draft beers by the bottle and the glass, fine wines from around the world, and classic cocktails made with top-shelf spirits. The Hacienda de Mesilla Grille and Cantina is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.
Hacienda de Mesilla and Cantina, 1891 Avenida de Mesilla, Mesilla, NM 88046, Phone: 575-652-4953
2. Step Back in Time at Josefina’s Old Gate Cafe
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Mesilla Plaza, Josefina's Old Gate Cafe is a charming family-owned and operated café that offers a comfortable home-away-from-home dining experience.
Open for breakfast and lunch, daily; the restaurant is set in a historic building that dates back to the early 1900s and boasts thick walls, well-worn tiles, and a lovely patio for alfresco dining.
The café serves an inventive menu of seasonal farm-to-table cuisine prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients such as omelets and breakfast chilaquiles, homemade quiche, fresh salads and soups, frittatas, and bowls of green chile papas. The café serves weekly specials, a wide range of libations including casual wines, craft beers, and cocktails and hosts live music on the outdoor patio.
Josefina's Old Gate Cafe, 2261 Calle De Guadalupe, Mesilla, NM 88046, Phone: 575-888-4799
3. Dine in Grandeur at the Double Eagle Restaurant
Set within a beautifully preserved historic home that dates back to 1849, Double Eagle Restaurant is an elegant steakhouse that offers an exceptional fine-dining experience. The high-end eatery features several intimate dining rooms decorated with precious antiques, period furnishings, crystal chandeliers, and turn-of-the-century art, as well as a spectacular 30-foot hand-carved Eastlake style bar with gold leaf Corinthian columns and classic French Baccarat chandeliers. Guests enjoy an award-winning menu of house-butchered cuts of USDA choice steaks, free-range chicken and pork, fresh seafood, and a range of vegetarian options. The full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Double Eagle Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, daily.
Double Eagle Restaurant , 2355 Calle De Guadalupe, Mesilla, NM 88046, Phone: 575-523-6700
4. Taste Tradition at La Posta de Mesilla
La Posta de Mesilla is a landmark restaurant and highly acclaimed dining destination in the Mesilla Valley. Set within in a beautifully preserved 18th-century stagecoach station, that was a stage stop on the Butterfield Trail, the restaurant features several bustling dining rooms, a vestibule with lush, tropical plants and a resident parrot. Specializing in Southwestern cuisine, the menu features traditional and native dishes such as tostadas compuestas, chili Rellenos, tacos, guacamole salad, and quesadillas. Signature entrées include green chili enchiladas, flautas, sunset-hued Carne adovada, and delicious steaks with green chili sauce. The full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. La Posta de Mesilla is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, and weekend breakfast and brunch.
La Posta de Mesilla, 2410 Calle De San Albino, Mesilla, NM 88046, Phone: 575-524-3524
5. Savor Italian Comfort at Lorenzo’s Italian Restaurant
Located in the Pan Am Plaza, Lorenzo's Italian Restaurant is a family-owned and operated restaurant that offers an authentic Italian dining experience. Inspired by delicious recipes passed down through the generations, the restaurant has been serving traditional Italian cuisine for the past 46 years and continues to do so today. Using only the freshest locally sourced ingredients and imported items such as olive oil, mozzarella cheese, house-cured charcuterie and semolina flour for pasta and pizzas, the culinary team prepares dishes of homemade pasta and from-scratch sauces, wood-fired pizzas with gourmet toppings, and fresh seafood plates. Decadent desserts include tiramisu and gelato, and drinks range from craft and draft beers and casual Italian wines to high-end spirits and classic cocktails. Lorenzo’s Italian Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily.
Lorenzo's Italian Restaurant, 1753 E University Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88001, Phone: 575-521-3505
Date Ideas:
6. Sip and Slice at Luna Rossa Winery & Pizzeria
Established in 2011, Luna Rossa Winery & Pizzeria is a family-run restaurant that serves delicious, homemade Italian fare in a warm and welcoming setting. The family prides themselves on using the highest quality Italian ingredients such as homemade mozzarella that is prepared daily, prosciutto Cotto di Parma and prosciutto Crudo di San Daniele, San Marzano tomatoes, and Trifoglio extra virgin olive oil to create sublime dishes. The menu features paper-thin, wood-fired pizzas with gourmet toppings, fresh seafood, and fish dishes, handmade pasta and sauces, prime beef and veal dishes, fresh salads, vegetables and decadent desserts such as raspberry-lemon or tiramisu and chocolate ganache. A selection of award-winning wines produced at the family’s vineyard in Deming, New Mexico is served with the food, along with other libations, and the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, daily.
Luna Rossa Winery & Pizzeria , 1321 Avenida de Mesilla, Las Cruces, NM 88005, Phone: 575-526-2484
7. Find Flavor Off the Beaten Path at Paisano Cafe
Paisano Cafe is a casual restaurant that serves traditional Mexican cuisine in a warm and welcoming setting. Located in the heart of Las Cruces, Paisano Café is owned by Oscar Ibave and Alehandro Dimakis who pride themselves on providing guests with an unrivaled dining experience with seasonal menus of inventive, farm-to-table cuisine. Using fresh locally sourced ingredients, the kitchen prepares and serves dishes of fresh seafood, prime steaks and chops, pasta and sauces, fresh salads and vegetarian options, and sweet desserts. Signature dishes include chiles en nogada, Pescado poblano, grilled chicken breast, west salmon, vodka dill salmon, achiote swordfish, and zucchini flower pasta, and the cuisine is accompanied by fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Paisano Café is open for brunch, lunch and dinner, and early breakfast on the weekends.
Paisano Cafe, 1740 Calle De Mercado, Las Cruces, NM 88005, Phone: 575-524-0211
8. Grab a Brew and Bite at The Pecan Grill and Brewery
Located in the Mesilla Valley Mall, The Pecan Grill and Brewery is a casual eatery on Telshor Boulevard that serves locally-sourced Southwestern fare and craft beers in a relaxed atmosphere. The upscale bar specializes in a wide variety of unique micro-brews, in-house cocktails, and easy-drinking wines to accompany the Southern New Mexican-inspired cuisine. Signature dishes stuffed green chilies, certified Angus bacon-wrapped filet, drunken mussels, meatloaf, pecan-crusted salmon, and the famous lava burger, and guests can enjoy dining in the elegant dining room or out on the beautifully manicured patio. The Pecan Grill and Brewery is open for lunch and dinner, daily.
The Pecan Grill and Brewery, 500 S Telshor Blvd, Las Cruces, NM 88011, Phone: 575-521-1099
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