Sushi Zen–El Paso, TX

Sushi Zen
7040 N. Mesa St.
El Paso, TX
(915) 585-8848
Sushi Zen

Sushi Zen in Coronado


El Paso is actually replete with sushi restaurants, and I think the only parts of town where they are not in abundance are the lower income areas near the International border where it is also hard to find such amenities as grocery stores (other than neighborhood convenience stores). I am not one to start a crusade saying that the people there should demand that something be done about the situation, because it is a matter of economics whether anyone has what could be considered a necessity such as a grocery store or a luxury such as a sushi restaurant. Although both of these are unequally distributed throughout the city’s neighborhoods, market demand dictates that both are in abundance in the area. I think that many people who have the money to go out to eat have sushi high on their priority list, judging by the number of restaurants that have opened.

In El Paso the sushi restaurants are not only all over the map geographically, but this also applies to the quality of the food. Many are not even owned by Japanese people (I would say this is true in the majority of cases). Sushi in El Paso usually refers to the California roll branch of this cuisine rather than trying to import fish that is fresh enough to make a decent nigiri or sashimi. I do not want to get into the argument right now about whether California rolls and other rolls are actual sushi, although the same argument is even made for sashimi.

From reading other web sites I understand that Sushi Zen is owned by Japanese people and that it has some of the best sushi in town, if not the best. I did not try anything from the sushi menu, so I will not attempt to give a rating to a place for which I am unable to evaluate their most popular and best rated dishes. Even though the sushi here is supposed to be the best in town, I will say that I would not expect it to be like places on the west coast, Florida, etc. Still, though, I only want to report on the food I have tried.

Miso and hot tea

A very good miso soup and Japanese green tea are served

What I did find out about Sushi Zen is that they give customers a quality product for their money. A la carte items are fairly inexpensive, and you can arguably get an even better deal with a lunch combination plate consisting of three items for $10.95 (this was the price when I ordered it). Of course I also felt that it was my duty to readers to be able to report on as many items from the menu as possible, and I found the lunch combination plate a good way to do this.

Lunch Special
The A La Carte menu is effective for both lunch and dinner, and is divided into Appetizers (about $3 to $5), Kitchen ($5 to $6), and Sushi ($4 to $8). These prices are for 2018 when I visited. For the lunch special ($10.95) you can pick any three items from any of these categories. I picked two from “Kitchen” (Salmon and Tofu Veggie Plate), and one of the appetizers (Shrimp Tempura).

Shrimp tempura

Shrimp tempura from the “Appetizer” menu

My favorite was probably the Shrimp Tempura, although all three had elements of them that I liked better than others. For instance, I liked the shrimp tempura very much, but I thought the eel sauce that came with it was very thick, very sweet, and not very flavorful.

Salmon

Salmon is one of the “Kitchen” items

The Salmon was very fresh (it did not have a “fishy” taste) and it had a good flavor, but the color was not anywhere close to the red that I associate with high quality salmon. The sauce was also somewhat lacking in flavor. For El Paso this was very good salmon and I would order it again, especially compared to what I find in other restaurants.

Tofu vegetable plate

Tofu vegetable plate from the “Kitchen” section of the menu

The Tofu Vegetable Plate was certainly good quality, but just lacked flavor. I would rather it be this way than the other way around, and like the other two dishes I would order this again. It is a good value for the money, especially if you get it on the lunch combination as I did.

Dinner Menu
For dinner you can also order anything on the three menus I mentioned except the lunch combination special. Dinner also includes some much more expensive items such as special sushi rolls and grilled steak (these items are also available for lunch but they are not available on the lunch combination special).

In short, except for the lunch combination special they serve the same items at lunch and dinner, and they are at the same prices.

Other Observations
The restaurant was quite busy when I went, and I think if there is anything El Pasoans know it is a good bargain. I believe Sushi Zen certainly gives people their money’s worth on the lunch special, and individual items are not expensive compared to other restaurants.

I have not tried the sushi, but I hear that it is good. The menu lists only rolls, though, and there is no traditional nigiri listed. I do not know if any of the rolls contain traditional sushi fish, and if this is true I would question the restaurant’s use of the name “Sushi” although that does not diminish the quality of the food they do serve.

I complained about the flavors of some of the dishes, but the restaurant does not have a sweet Americanized flavor–I think it is real Japanese but perhaps modified because of the ingredients available in the Southwestern desert and also the tastes of the people in the region (which would make it “Americanized,” if true, but I just do not believe the food here is what I would normally classify as being Americanized).

There is another Sushi Zen at 2400 N. Mesa Street (I believe this is the original restaurant). I think that both of them have the same food, and the one at 7040 N. Mesa would certainly be easier in terms of finding a parking spot.


RATING: N/R

Cuisine: Japanese
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking

Most Recent Visit: Mar. 30, 2018
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: Shrimp Tempura

 

Asian Food Details

Tea: Green
MSG: No
Buffet: No

 

Special Ratings
star 5 Shrimp Tempura
star 4 Salmon
star 4 Tofu Veggie Plate

Kiki’s–El Paso, TX

Kiki’s Restaurant & Bar
2719 N. Piedras St.
El Paso, TX
(915) 565-6713
Kiki's

Kiki’s


Kiki’s has been around so long it is an El Paso tradition, yet even though the items served are similar to the ones found at just about every other restaurant in the city, they are done with a unique twist. Kiki’s has solid Mexican food, and I especially like the fact that everything is cooked in vegetable oil (it was one of the first Mexican restaurants in El Paso to cater to El Paso’s small vegetarian community). For years it was also home to live blues music on Sunday nights, but I have not heard about this being the case recently.

The building shows obvious signs of age, and although the restaurant is not quite at the stage that it would be considered as a historic landmark, that honor might be bestowed upon the large bar if such a designation existed. A history I read about Kiki’s said that the building has been in continual use since 1928, and was home to several businesses until it became the Manhattan Beer Depot and Bar in 1937. The bar had two more names before the Keg and Fork opened in 1974 (which seems to be the first time it could be considered a real restaurant). In 1976 it became Kiki’s (named after the owner’s two year old daughter), and in 2012 the restaurant’s long time manager bought it. Thus it is clear that the attraction here was the bar before the food attained equal popularity.

When the city’s first anti-smoking ordinance was passed the non-smokers were afforded a small dining room with about eight tables, while the large dining room and bar area remained smoke friendly. With all restaurants being forced to be smoke free under the current ordinance, I think the atmosphere has changed somewhat and I would say has become more family friendly than previously when it mainly had a bar atmosphere. If anything, though, Kiki’s seems to be more popular than ever leading to even worse wait times for a table and having to park even farther down the street as the parking lot becomes perpetually full.

I can understand its attraction, though, because it serves “real deal” border Mexican food. It does not seem to me to be typical of El Paso or Ciudad Juarez Mexican food because it makes such liberal use of chile con queso as a topping rather than the more ubiquitous red or green chile (although Kiki’s does have dishes with red chile and the chile con queso is their version of the green sauce). Even though the style is a little different, the flavors are very much in keeping with the fresh and local style food served in restaurants throughout El Paso.

Some of the highlights of Kiki’s include the superbly flavored Spanish rice, the refried beans, and a huge, homemade, and always fresh flour tortilla served with all of the combination plates and some of the “Specialties” (I think they adjust the prices upward to pay for such a work of art, but what you don’t eat you can take home and use it for breakfast the next day). I sometimes tend to take these normal accompaniments to a Mexican dinner for granted, but when you come to Kiki’s you will likely realize how important they can be to the overall quality and enjoyment of the meal. If anyone thinks Mexican food has to be cooked with lard to taste good, I challenge them to come to Kiki’s to see how good food cooked with vegetable oil can be.

Appetizers

Chips and salsa

Chips and salsa

The green chile Salsa here is much spicier than any of the food they serve with green chile, and is excellent as is the norm in El Paso. It seems that they serve a small amount of chips, but it usually seems to be enough to be able to enjoy the potent salsa (and I believe you can get more chips if you request them).

Kiki’s “Specialties”
For the most part my favorite items here are the ones listed as their “Specialties” on the menu. While I like exploring the menus at many restaurants, I have also wished that others would do what Kiki’s has done and tell customers what they consider to be their specialties. I have a few favorites at Kiki’s that are not on their list of specialties, but for the most part I think their list is right on the mark.

Here is the entire list of Kiki’s Specialties as listed on their web site and menu:

  • Machaca
  • Green Crab Enchiladas
  • Caldillo
  • Chicken Mole
  • Fajitas
  • Caldo de Res
  • Burrito Special (with green sauce)
  • Picadillo

Chile colorado was on an older list I had but is not currently listed as one of the Specialties.

Kiki’s green sauce is a key component in many of the Specialties. From my research and past experience it seems that their green sauce and chile con queso sauce are the same thing (or at least the flavor is very similar). One thing I have found to be true, though, is that Kiki’s green sauce is the reason that many of their dishes are so enjoyable and stand out from the ones at other restaurants.

Burrito with green chile con queso sauce

Beef burrito with green chile con queso sauce

I think the dish where I most enjoyed Kiki’s “legendary Green Sauce” (the terminology from their web site) is the Burrito Special which is listed as one of the restaurant’s “Specialties.” This is one example where I think following the restaurant’s suggestions will in fact give you their best food.

Another one of my favorites is the Crab Enchiladas (served as the Saturday lunch special but available any time at the regular price). For these I recommend the green sauce because the crab gives an extra flavor component that for some reason seems to bring the green sauce to its full potential (I am not really a crab lover but I think having it on this dish is something a lot of people are going to want to try).

Chicken mole

Chicken mole

Chicken Mole is one of the specialties that does not have green sauce but which I think is very good (it  is their Sunday lunch special in addition to being on the Specialties menu and available all the time at the regular price). The mole served here was spicier than most I have tried in El Paso, and it was also very much on the sweet side (these two attributes together make a good combination, and this definitely was a very good mole).

Many of my friends and co-workers have talked about the machaca over the years, and there are others I have yet to try but which I am sure will prove to be very good.

Other Chile con Queso Dishes

Hamburger steak con queso

Hamburger steak con queso

The Chile con Queso Hamburger Steak is the Saturday dinner special (although it can be ordered any time at the regular price). The now defunct La Paloma Restaurant had a chile con queso hamburger steak that was spicier and a little more flavorful than the one at Kiki’s, but I think Kiki’s is still ahead of most every other restaurant in town that tries to serve the same thing. Probably the key to the preparation of this dish is the inclusion of large chunks of green chile that make this a large flavor component of the dish.

Huevos rancheros

Huevos rancheros

Kiki’s is not the only restaurant in town which tops Huevos Rancheros with chile con queso, but this is a very good version of it. Kiki’s opens at 10:30 daily and offers several breakfast items such as this one (or the machaca) for a late breakfast or for any time of the day.

Other Items
Items that are my favorites at most restaurants are not so here, with the Red Enchiladas being a case in point. They do not have a lot of red chile spice, although I think their toning down has been a fairly recent development (the flavor is still good, though).

Green Enchiladas are similarly not my favorite although the sauce is still good. The use of Kiki’s unique chile con queso as their green sauce on the enchiladas gives a fairly bland version of this dish in my opinion, although the same sauce on other dishes gives a quite satisfying contrast of flavors.

The Chile Relleno is something that I found to be tough and somewhat lacking in flavor, although I liked the Spanish sauce they serve on top (this sauce is not very spicy because you get enough spice with the chile itself). Chili Rellenos (as the restaurant spells it) are the Thursday dinner special, or you can order the same plate from the regular menu or get a chile relleno as part of a combination plate.

For a change of pace you can order Black Beans instead of the refried–both are very good (and vegetarian).

An Overview
The “Specialties” listed on the menu are definitely worth considering, and I think they are generally the best items at the restaurant.

For items that are not the “Specialties,” I think my favorite is the chile con queso hamburger steak. Not to be discounted, though, is the fact that the rice, salsa, and flour tortillas are some of the best in El Paso (flour tortillas come free with the combination plates and some of the “Specialties”).

The green sauce may be the most distinctive feature of Kiki’s, and is one of the reasons I keep coming back. The Burrito Special and Green Crab Enchiladas are two of Kiki’s Specialties which I think especially showcase the restaurant’s green sauce. The green cheese enchiladas, though, are something that did not quite hit the mark for me here.

Not all of the dishes here come with a free flour tortilla, but this is another item that I think is especially worth seeking out.


RATING: 24

Cuisine: Mexican El Paso
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Has a bar

Most Recent Visit: Mar. 25, 2018
Number of Visits: 10+
Best Items: Beef Burrito with Green Sauce, Crab Enchiladas with Green Sauce, Mole, Hamburger Steak, Salsa, Rice, Refried Beans, Flour Tortilla

 

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index: chile 4
Cooking Oil: Vegetable

 

Special Ratings
star 5 Burrito Special (Beef Burrito with Green Sauce)
star 5 Hamburger Steak con Queso
star 5 Green Crab Enchiladas
star 5 Mole
star 4 Red Cheese Enchiladas
star 4 Green Cheese Enchiladas
star 4 Chile Relleno
star 5 Flour Tortilla
star 5 Rice
star 5 Refried Beans
star 5 Chips
star 5 Salsa

A Bite of Belgium–Las Cruces, NM

A Bite of Belgium
741 N. Alameda Blvd.
Las Cruces, NM
(575) 527-2483
A Bite of Belgium

A Bite of Belgium


When my dad and uncle were growing up, Belgium was referred to simply as “the old country,” with their grand-maman trying in vain to pass along a working knowledge of the French language to the grand-kids. Another item that seemingly did not get passed on was any tradition of Belgian food in the family. This has led me on somewhat of a quest to find anything that might be a true representation of food from the “old country.”

A Bite of Belgium was my first successful attempt at getting an actual Belgian meal as opposed to novelty items such as chocolate candy or waffles that were Belgian in name only. I will have to say the restaurant was quite impressive, and a large crowd in both the dining room and outdoor patio seemed to agree. The restaurant has a large breakfast and sandwich menu, which has actually expanded since I first dropped in to pick up a menu in 2017.

One thing I like about the breakfasts is that they are not oversized, and the restaurant believes you might actually want to eat lunch somewhere and have enough appetite to enjoy it. The sandwiches I saw at other tables were fairly substantial and appeared to make a good lunch.

Waffles

Waffles with bacon

Waffles with bacon and vanilla cream cheese

The menu now includes more waffle choices than it did in 2017, and I could see that this was the area I would probably want to explore the most. I have had “Belgian waffles” at other restaurants, but the ones here were obviously the real thing and opened up what seemed to me like a whole new world in waffle enjoyment.

A Bite of Belgium serves Liège style waffles, and to me the waffle itself was the best part of the meal. The Waffles, Bacon, and Cream breakfast serves the waffles with two bacon strips and vanilla cream cheese for a very nice combination of flavors (in addition to fruit and powdered sugar on the plate). The cream cheese turned out to be a little too sweet for the type of breakfast I like, but the good thing here is that you can order the waffles in a variety of ways, including plain with just the powdered sugar. I really enjoyed the waffle and will definitely want to come back for these again.

The bacon was excellent as well–they have a very good quality bacon here.

 

Desserts
This restaurant has pastries to eat here or for take-home orders as they do at Le Rendez-vous, but the selection at A Bite of Belgium seems small. I have not tried any of the pastries and cannot comment on them. What I can say, though, is that Le Rendez-vous would probably be the place most people would want to go if their primary concern is finding a large selection of items.

Other Comments
For much of my life I have wanted European food to be considered as “normal” in the United States, and for this style of restaurant to be popular places where people would eat all the time. This seems to be the case with A Bite of Belgium–the place was packed and people were obviously enjoying the food (most people were eating sandwiches at the time I went).

A Bite of Belgium is more expensive than the diner or fast food options around town (you can see the prices from the menu I have included). The portions are good, and I do not think many people will complain that they did not get enough food (although these are not the huge portions that some breakfast and lunch restaurants serve).

It is very encouraging that there were very few tables available at A Bite of Belgium. Perhaps this means that in the future it will be easier for other Belgian restaurants to open around the country than it has been up to this point. I do think, though, that restaurants with good quality (such as this one) will do well no matter what type of cuisine they serve.


RATING: 24

Cuisine: Belgian
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily 7:00 am to 2:00 pm; Dinner Wed.-Sun. (5pm-9pm)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer, Wine

Most Recent Visit: Mar. 22, 2018
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Waffles, Bacon

Special Ratings
star 5 Waffles, Bacon, & Vanilla Cream

 

Menu (Mar. 2018):

 

Sunny’s Sushi–El Paso, TX

Sunny’s Sushi
910 E. Redd Rd.
El Paso, TX
(915) 842-9508
Sunny's Sushi

Sunny’s Sushi on Redd Rd.


To me the national restaurant review web sites do not help much for restaurants such as Sunny’s Sushi. The information they give is that this is a Japanese restaurant, but my friends told me that the owners are Korean and that Korean food is really its specialty. I know that the name indicates that it is Japanese (and it does have some Japanese food, including sushi). There is a sushi craze in El Paso that I know restaurants want to use to their advantage, including this one. I only had a small sample of the sushi that came on the lunch special, and I do not know how their sushi ranks with other restaurants. What I can say, though, is that the Korean food is pretty solid.

For lunch they offer Lunch Box meals as their specials. I really do not think that you save any money eating these or coming at lunch, but what you get is a sampling of numerous items with a total quantity of food that was almost more than I could eat and was definitely more than I should have eaten (although sometimes I know it is all right to splurge).

Sunny’s has three locations in El Paso, and two are on the west side. My friends are familiar with the restaurant on Viscount, and judging from their comments it sounds as if the food is the same at all three locations.

My long time favorite Japanese restaurants in El Paso are Matsuharu and Riyoma, and for Korean food I like Han Il (some other Korean restaurants in northeast El Paso are also very good). The bulgogi was good, but otherwise Sunny’s did not serve anything that would rank it among these top restaurants for me. I have only tried it one time, though, and everything is always subject to trying new dishes and having different experiences.

Lunch Special

Miso and house cucumbers

Miso and house cucumbers

The two items pictured above come with all lunch specials. The Miso soup was very good, and tasted as if it was made from scratch (some in El Paso taste like they are made from a mix).

House Cucumbers have a red sauce that looks like kimchee, but I did not think it was nearly spicy enough. It may be the restaurant’s own version of kimchee, but in any case the cucumbers are good, and anyone can enjoy them even if they do not want to go anywhere near something spicy like kimchee.

Bulgogi lunch box

Bulgogi lunch box

I am not sure if I got the Bulgogi Lunch Box because the waiter recommended it or because I did not see anything else I wanted to order, but I would say this makes a good choice. The meat is marinated and has a very good flavor, and its other qualities (tenderness, lack of gristle, etc.) are similar to those found in the Dyer Street Korean restaurants. The meal here is packaged differently than at the standard Korean restaurants, with this one concentrating on Japanese side dishes.

I thought the mixed vegetables and salad were the best side dishes on this plate, relegating most of the Japanese side dishes to “disappointing” status (not that I did not want to eat them, but only that they are better at some of the city’s Japanese restaurants). In my mind this is a pretty good Korean restaurant but a not very serious one for Japanese food (but my time spent in Seattle eating at some excellent Japanese restaurants enters into this).

The tempura was not disappointing in its flavor as much as I thought they should have given me some sauce to go with it.

The sushi and gyoza (dumplings) that came on the plate did not seem to be anything notable, but they were enjoyable.

Other Observations
Although the bulgogi on the lunch box special was as good as I have found at most of the city’s Korean restaurants, I also have to consider how it is packaged. The side dishes were not really disappointing as much as I have had better at many Korean and Japanese restaurants in various cities. Also I thought the price for lunch was pretty steep, but this is a disturbing trend I find at the city’s “Sushi” restaurants (as opposed to the traditional Japanese or Korean ones). Also the quantity of food on the lunch box special was more than I really wanted.

My bias is that I like traditional Japanese or Korean restaurants rather than fusion ones that serve both. I especially have very little desire for the “California Roll” type of sushi that is popular in El Paso. I should note, though, that I did not order the sushi at Sunny’s, and I am basing my comments on items that I like to order at other restaurants.

I looked at Sunny’s menu on their web site and it appears that the only choices at lunch are sushi or the various lunch box specials. Based on this it looks as if they have good food but everything comes in large servings (or at least expensive ones). I am not sure about the serving sizes at dinner menu but it is more expensive than lunch.

For those not familiar with El Paso, though, the Dyer Street Korean restaurants are on the other side of the mountain from Sunny’s and might as well be in another city. It is great to have good Korean food on the west side, and I am glad Sunny’s has not only one location but two in the area.


RATING: 22

Cuisine: Korean and Japanese
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sun.
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking

Most Recent Visit: Mar. 15, 2018
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Bulgogi, Miso, Mixed Vegetables, Salad

 

Asian Food Details

Tea: N/A
MSG: N/A
Buffet: No

 

Special Ratings
star 5 Bulgogi
star 4 House Cucumbers
star 5 Miso
star 4 Tempura
star 5 Mixed Vegetables
star 5 Salad
star 4 Gyoza

Jerusalem–El Paso, TX

Jerusalem Grill (Closed)
5380 N. Mesa St.
El Paso, TX
Jerusalem Grill

Jerusalem Grill


Jerusalem Grill joins a long list of El Paso restaurants that has made an effort to reinvent itself to reflect the changing dining scene, while keeping many of the features of the old restaurant that people liked. Jerusalem Grill was formerly located in the same building as the Market (5360 N. Mesa), but the restaurant has now moved to 5680 N. Mesa while Jerusalem International Foods (the market) is still in the original location.

Jerusalem Market

Photo showing the original Jerusalem Market and Jerusalem Grill, which used to be next door to each other

As I understand it, Jerusalem Grill is now operated by one of the children of the original owners, and it has become more upscale. I think there is really no difference in the food from the original restaurant, except that they have added a few items including a new hot tea that is very good. There is now a lunch buffet, which to me seems to be the best feature of the new restaurant.

Because the food is basically the same but is just packaged differently, I am fairly confident in merging the review of the old restaurant into this one.

Lunch Buffet

Lunch buffet

Lunch buffet

The lunch buffet is definitely the best way to try the most items at the cheapest price (the buffet currently at $12.99 is not cheap but is very competitive with lunches at other restaurants).

A serving from the lunch buffet

I served myself hummus, salad, rice, kofta, roasted chicken, and moussaka

I should first make the comment that there are not a lot of selections on the lunch buffet, but I found every one of them to be very good. Two items were really the best, one of them being the Roasted Chicken (I have also had this from the dinner menu). The Moussaka was also excellent. The only other place I have found moussaka in El Paso was at Casa Pizza, but the one at Jerusalem was vegetarian and had an excellent sauce that really made it my favorite.

The rest of the plate really reminded me of the combination plates at many Mexican restaurants–there are usually several items that I would not want to order on their own but were excellent as part of the combination. The Kofta is something that many would want to order on its own but I happen to like the chicken better.

Fruit salad

Fruit salad

The Fruit Salad served for dessert was the only choice available, but I thought it was very enjoyable and went well after the meal.

Vegetarian Dinners

Veggie sampler plate

Veggie sampler plate

Officially called an Appetizer Plate, the “Veggie sampler plate” from the new restaurant and the “Veggie combo” from the old restaurant mostly include the same items. This is enough to make a meal, and most importantly to me it includes Falafel which is probably the best example of it I have tried. Although the flavor is very good, the most important element of it is that it tastes fresh and not from a mix (I don’t know if it is made fresh, but it tastes that way).

While at most Middle Eastern restaurants the Hummus is my other favorite item, here it is not. I found this one to have an ordinary flavor compared to the restaurants in Oklahoma City, although I still like the one here. The sumac on top gives it some spice and a good flavor, but I prefer the ones that have more olive oil.

In contrast, though, the Baba Ganoush was quite good compared to ones I have tried at other restaurants.

The Grape Leaves are the only item that I have found to be not as good as at the old restaurant, although it is something I would want to try again to be sure this was not a fluke.

Veggie combo

Veggie combo from the old restaurant

The vegetarian platter has changed a little bit from the old restaurant, but the most important thing to me is that the falafel is still served.

Lentil soup

Lentil soup

Lentil Soup is not part of the vegetarian platter (appetizer plate) but it is flavorful. It is also on the spicy side.

Chicken Shawerma

Chicken shawerma

Chicken shawerma from the old restaurant

The Chicken Shawarma is an item I liked at the old restaurant but I have not tried it since Jerusalem Grill moved. Still, I think I can say it is one of the best items here

Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken

Oven roasted chicken

Lebanese oven roasted chicken

The Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken from the dinner menu is the same as the “roasted chicken” on the lunch buffet, but presented with more garnishes. It also would have been too much to eat, but in this case it was shared by three people (along with with the vegetarian appetizer plate). My feeling in general about the dinner menu is that the items are too large for one person, although the restaurant does not make it difficult to share and the concept of family style meals seems to be part of the Middle Eastern culture.

Tea
The Middle Eastern style tea is made with loose leaves and was very good, although it was not a mint style tea. For the lunch buffet I found the iced tea to be good and a lot cheaper.

Other Comments
I have long considered the falafel here to be the best I have ever tried. Even so, the outstanding dishes at Jerusalem are probably the chicken dishes.

The vegetarian appetizer plate (veggie combo plate) makes a good meal from the dinner menu which is not too expensive. In general, though, I consider the vegetarian items at Jerusalem to be the weak point of the restaurant compared to other Middle Eastern restaurants. Of course the exception is the falafel.

The lunch buffet is not cheap but I definitely think it is a better deal than in many other restaurants. While some restaurants give you their cheapest stuff in order to have a good price, Jerusalem seems to include their best dishes at a price that is lower than ordering from the dinner menu.


RATING: 25

Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: BYOB
Special Features: Lunch buffet M-F; Sunday brunch

Most Recent Visit: Mar. 12, 2018
Number of Visits: 9
Best Items: Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken, Moussaka, Falafel, Chicken Shawerma, Pita

Special Ratings
star 5 Chicken Shawerma
star 5 Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken
star 5 Moussaka
star 5 Kofta
star 5 Falafel
star 5 Baba Ganoush
star 5 Spinach Pie
star 5 Hummus
star 4 Grape Leaves
star 5 Lentil Soup
star 5 Pita
star 5 Fruit Salad

La Posta–Mesilla, NM

La Posta de Mesilla
2410 Calle de San Albino
Mesilla, NM
(575) 524-3524
La Posta

La Posta


La Posta was founded in 1939, and has been a popular tourist destination ever since. Across from the Mesilla Plaza, the historic building in which it is located is quite interesting (and I recommend a visit to the building whether or not you eat at the restaurant). While inside you can visit the gift shop, see the indoor patio with plants and birds, or simply wander around the building.

La Posta represents a milestone to me, being my first experience with New Mexican food in the southern part of the state. At that time it had authentic spicy New Mexican food, and was almost too hot for me to eat. Since that time, though, my taste buds have become much more accustomed to New Mexico chile, but I also think La Posta has had a substantial decline in its chile heat index. Even those who have never tried New Mexican cuisine before can probably feel safe that the food at La Posta will not be too spicy, but that the flavors found in this type of Mexican food can still be experienced.

The entrance

The entrance

Mrs. Josephine Griggs came from a pioneer Mesilla family, and her daughter Katherine used Mrs. Griggs’ recipes when opening La Posta (other Griggs children founded Griggs Restaurant in El Paso and El Pinto in Albuquerque). The Griggs family recipes include a large number of authentic, delicious New Mexico style dishes, but the various restaurants have had their own way of interpreting the food. I think Peppe’s Restaurant in El Paso (using the Griggs Restaurant recipes) may be the truest to the original cooking style, using local chiles and providing fairly spicy New Mexican food. El Pinto has toned down the food a bit, and as a result has become somewhat of a tourist destination for people who are not that crazy about the hotter varieties of New Mexico chile. La Posta, however, has gone the farthest of the three restaurants in making the food more “touristy” to the way they figure people from outside New Mexico would like it. Judging from the crowds, people do seem to like La Posta.

Gift shop

Gift shop

As you enter the building there are some shops, including the La Posta Chile Shop where they sell gifts, bottles of La Posta’s salsa, and as of 2015 there is a cookbook with the restaurant’s recipes. Also here is the Matteo Jewelry Store.

The waiting area at Christmas

The waiting area at Christmas

In the area where a receptionist will greet you is a large indoor patio with fountains, live birds, and indoor plants which provide a pleasant atmosphere if you have to wait for a table. The area is also festively decorated for any approaching holidays.

The waiting area t Cinco de Mayo

The waiting area at Cinco de Mayo

The Food

Food being served

Plates of food are just about to reach a large group of hungry patrons

I am impressed that the Chiles Rellenos do not have sauce on top, so diners can get a glimpse of what the New Mexico style relleno should be. However, the egg batter does not seem to be as flavorful as I think it could be, and as I have experienced in other Las Cruces area restaurants. The chile has almost no discernible heat, but being in the heart of chile growing country assures that La Posta will offer fresh and flavorful chiles.

The highlight of the restaurant may be the Green Enchilada (this was also my favorite dish at Griggs Restaurant in El Paso). Abuelita Griggs’ recipe comes through fairly well here, and it does have a little bit of spice. The heat level does not even approach that which is typically known as “New Mexico green chile,” such as is served in Chope’s or Nellie’s. Nevertheless, green chile enchiladas are authentic New Mexican in terms of flavor.

I have not tried the Sopapillas lately, but the ones I saw come out of the kitchen were large and fluffy as they should be. This is something I always remember as one of the special treats at La Posta.

Flan and guacamole

Flan and guacamole spotted in the kitchen

I also like the fact that La Posta uses vegetable oil for all the cooking, including the refried beans (but I don’t know why they don’t serve whole pinto beans instead of refried).

Chips and salsa are one of the better parts of the meal, and I do like the salsa they sell in the gift shop.

Summing It Up
To my own taste, other restaurants in the Las Cruces area serve more satisfying New Mexican food. At La Posta I almost have to rely on the traditionally non-spicy foods, such as the guacamole and sopapillas. I do think, though, that the green enchiladas, with a semi-spicy chile, are probably La Posta’s best dish. What I would suggest ordering is a combination plate with as many different flavors as possible.

The kitchen

The kitchen

No restaurant in or near Las Cruces can match La Posta’s beautiful old building, charm, or historic setting. Stop by for drinks, dessert, a snack, looking in the gift shop, or just seeing the historic building, even if you do not want to order a meal here. I think it will be worth it.

View of La Posta from the Plaza

View of La Posta from the Plaza

The town of Mesilla is a well known tourist attraction, and is one which I find very interesting and worthwhile visiting. Most of the restaurants and shops are located on the Plaza, where there is free parking either on the Plaza or not far away. The shops include some that sell local food specialties, such as pecans at the Mesilla Valley Store.


RATING: 18

Cuisine: Mexican New Mexican
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer, wine, drinks

Most Recent Visit: Apr. 6, 2005
Number of Visits: 7
Best Items: Green Enchiladas, Sopapillas

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index: chile 3
Cooking Oil: Vegetable
Special Ratings
star 4 Green Enchiladas
star 2 Chile Relleno (No sauce on top)
star 2 Beans
star 2 Rice
star 3 Chips
star 3 Salsa
star 5 Sopapillas