10 Best Restaurants in Southwestern New Mexico, New Mexico

Come here to see 1860s Western decor and stay for the food—including some of the best steak and seafood in the region. The bar is a friendly place to gather; the dining rooms are cozy, the tablecloths white, and the walls replete with photos from the last 140 years of the area's history. The property also includes the Opera House, where live music is performed (on Friday and Saturday at 8).

Pronounced cho-pez, it looks like a run-of-the-mill adobe building from the outside, but inside the 150-year-old former Benavidez homestead you'll find happy locals and many turistas eating well-seasoned Mexican food and drinking ice-cold beer and tasty margaritas. Bikers join the convivial crowd in the bar next door; like the restaurant, it's still owned by the Benavidez family. It's worth the 15-mi drive south from Old Mesilla for the local flavor.

Chandeliers, century-old wall tapestries, and gold-leaf ceilings set the scene at this elegant restaurant inside an 1848 mansion on Old Mesilla's plaza. Some say ghosts, including one of a young man who incurred his mother's wrath by falling in love with a servant girl, haunt the property. Continental cuisine, steaks, and flambé dishes are served, formally, in the main restaurant. The restaurant has its own aging room for its renowned steaks, and you can sample all sorts of delicious alcoholic infusions from the bar (the chile vodka makes a fantastic Bloody Mary). Pepper's, the adjoining Southwestern-style café, has more casual fare including chiles rellenos served with colorful tortilla chips. The Double Eagle Sunday Champagne brunch is excellent and a good deal (reservations are recommended).

This beloved local joint—it opened as Scoopy's in the 1990s and longtime fans still call it that—offers all kinds of mix-ins (such as regional faves, salted and unsalted pecans) and toppings to embellish the luscious custard-style ice cream. Chili dogs are among the savory treats. There are three locations in Las Cruces.

Here's a great little place to stop on NM 12 in the northwestern reaches of the Gila National Forest. Not just because of the spicy enchiladas and chicken-fried steak, but because once you leave the hamlet of Reserve, New Mexico (population about 500), dinner options are scarce—Quemado is about 55 miles to the north. Alma and Glenwood are about 40 miles south.

Fresh flowers grace the wooden tables and light streams through the large windows at this cheerful bakery and eatery. Owner Diane Barrett's menu includes Hatch-green-chile Benedict, "Grandma's" spaghetti, steaks, and a deftly prepared lemon-caper chicken. The sandwiches are all made with wonderfully tasty house-baked bread; if you're in the mood for something sweet, don't hesitate—this chef really shines when it comes to desserts. Bottled microbrews and well-chosen wines are available. There's a popular Sunday Champagne brunch.

For a family evening out with no worries about the kids being loud or throwing their peanut shells on the floor, Farley's is the place. Choose from a huge menu of basic pub victuals: popcorn shrimp, burgers and sandwiches, salads, wood-fired pizzas, all sorts of appetizers, and, of course, beer. There are TVs everywhere, plus a few video games and pool tables.

The Mesa family serves up hunger-busting traditional Mexican food here, all based on old family recipes. Enchiladas and chiles rellenos (ask for the green chile on the rellenos—strangely, they charge extra for it, but it's worth it) satisfy big appetites in the cheerful dining rooms decorated with art from local artists and packed with families.

Once a way station for the Butterfield Overland Mail and Wells Fargo stagecoaches, this restaurant in an old adobe structure has hosted many celebrities through the years, including Bob Hope and Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. Some of the Mexican recipes here date back more than a century; among the best menu choices are tostadas compuestas (red or green chile, meat, and pinto beans in tortilla shells), and enchiladas with red or green chile. Exotic birds and tropical fish inhabit the lushly planted atrium.

Craft beers and classic comfort fare that favors locally grown ingredients are the draws at this bustling spot with a smart layout, excellent service, and inviting outdoor dining—complete with a view over the Mesilla Valley. Pecan wood is used for grilling steak and chicken, and burgers and rib-eyes come smothered with green chile and Amber Ale–grilled onions. Try the Napa salad, with just the right balance of candied pecans and fresh greens.