Favorite Las Cruces Restaurants (Santa Fe, Mesilla: hotel, house, university)

[move2nm]

I am getting closer to visiting and am beginning to wonder, where are some great places to eat while doing my house hunting in Las Cruces?
I will have my mom with me and expect we will be going out to dinner in the evenings. What are some great spots?
Also, any recommendations for some great lunch locations. Am hoping to not go the fast food route.
If you live in Las Cruces and have some suggestions, I would love to know more. Afterall, the best part of vacations is the food!!

[Vinegaroon]

I like High Desert Brewing Company and Farleys. There is an abundance of good Mexican, but I usually don't eat that since we have so much of it here in Santa Fe.

[funkymonkey]

Here's some of my favorite places
Mexican: Ranchway, Andale, La Posta
Italian: Si Bistro
Misc: St. Clair Winery & Bistro
Thai: Lemongrass

For lunch try Nellie's or The Shed.

[1i11ian]

International Delights is a nice lunch spot.

[TigerLily24]

Blue Agave in the Best Western Mission Inn on W. Main St.

Pepper's in Double Eagle on the Plaza in Old Mesilla

Mix Pacific Rim on University if you like sushi (The restaurant, not the express place next door.)

[funkymonkey]

Originally Posted by TigerLily24

Blue Agave in the Best Western Mission Inn on W. Main St.

Pepper's in Double Eagle on the Plaza in Old Mesilla

Mix Pacific Rim on University if you like sushi (The restaurant, not the express place next door.)

The Aqua Reef on Telshor also has some awesome sushi & other stuff.

[ibarrio]

For a sit down New Mexican Meal - Chopes
For a best "fast" food burrito - Go Burger
For a green chile burger - Blakes Lottaburger
For Thai - Lemongrass
For a Mesilla Experience - La Posta, Double Eagle, El Comedor Restaurant (best food but not in plaza).
For a bar in Mesilla - Palacio Bar or El Patio
For a Dive/College bar - Hurricane Alley
For a Night Club - Graham Central Station
Best Margarita - Double Eagle, Hilton (now the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces), La Posta...

[Six Foot Three]

Originally Posted by ibarrio

For a sit down New Mexican Meal - Chopes
For a best "fast" food burrito - Go Burger
For a green chile burger - Blakes Lottaburger
For Thai - Lemongrass
For a Mesilla Experience - La Posta, Double Eagle, El Comedor Restaurant (best food but not in plaza).
For a bar in Mesilla - Palacio Bar or El Patio
For a Dive/College bar - Hurricane Alley
For a Night Club - Graham Central Station
Best Margarita - Double Eagle, Hilton (now the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces), La Posta...

Thanks Ibarrio and Others who posted as these are some good ideas i'll check out when i get down there. Wondering if anyone has seen the ''''La Posta Ghost'' while visiting there

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by ibarrio

For a sit down New Mexican Meal - Chopes
For a best "fast" food burrito - Go Burger
For a green chile burger - Blakes Lottaburger
For Thai - Lemongrass
For a Mesilla Experience - La Posta, Double Eagle, El Comedor Restaurant (best food but not in plaza).
For a bar in Mesilla - Palacio Bar or El Patio
For a Dive/College bar - Hurricane Alley
For a Night Club - Graham Central Station
Best Margarita - Double Eagle, Hilton (now the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces), La Posta...

Ibarrio,

I have to say lately I've been hooked on Day's burgers, in the downtown mall area, next to Coa's. Have you ever had these? I know this is border line sacrosanct, but they are I think better than Blakes. Also, Mr Bill's on El Paseo makes really good burgers, including a 6 pounder that is free if you can eat it inside of 30 minutes.

[tecpatl]

New Mexico/Mexican
Chope's (a SPICY local experience in La Mesa, do not miss)
Andale & El Comedor (in Mesilla but not on the plaza)
Si Senor (slick, but I must admit it's pretty good)
Enrique's (very humble surroundings, great chow for lunch)
Nellies breakfast & lunch only, come late for lunch, it's crowded
La Posta in Mesilla, a famous atmosphere choice, but worth one visit
Beltran's Meat Market, when you want a top quality BIG lunch
Las Trancas
Italian
SI Italian Bistro (great desserts as well)
Lorenzos de Mesilla (not the ones in LC)
Savinos
Asian
Lemongrass (Thai, only one in town, dinner)
Asian Mix (Pacific Rim, come for dinner)
Aqua Reef (sushi, etc.)
There really is no great Chinese food in LC, but we get "to go" food from Wok n World and enjoy it.
Misc.
International Delights (Middle Eastern lunch, great desserts pastries)
Taste of India (decent,not amazing, but the only Indian food in town)
The Shed great breakfasts & lunches
St. Clair Bistro (owned by St. Clair winery, nice for lunch or dinner)
Meson de Mesilla (pricey but as good as fine dining gets in LC area, great live jazz!
I'd eat a couple cheap dinners to save up for this.
Double Eagle/Peppers (actually, I usually just have a Margarita in the bar, which is worth a visit. If I'm going to spend a bunch of money at dinner (DE is pricey) I'd have my Margarita visit at DE, do a Mesilla walkaround and do dinner at Meson de Mesilla)

Steaks: the local choice Cattlemans is inferior. I pick Cattle Baron, a chain, because it's better quality.
Seafood: Oh man...when Red Lobster is as good as it gets, you know there's trouble.
Mariscos Cancun is decent Mexi-seafood, but inferior to what you get in
Mexico. Maybe someday.......
Asian Mix has some good seafood entrees as well as sushi/sashimi

LC can be a challenging place to find anything but basic NMex food, but it IS out there and worth the effort to find. A lot of interesting places have come and gone because of lack of support from local clientele. Maybe when the town grows a bit more we'll get a good Chinese, more and better Thai, and any Vietnamese (you have to go to El Paso now)
Good luck in your house search, and buen provencho!