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    El Jacalito

    4.7 (210 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Order El Jacalito Delivery

    El Jacalito Photos

    EL JACALITO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Reviews With Photos - El Jacalito

    Hamburger
    Lisa N.

    Decided to stop by to grab a bite before heading to White Sands National Park. The exterior is unassuming but they make one of the best burgers. I ordered a hamburger and it came with fries. The fries are definitely not frozen. You can tell they make it themselves. The hamburger was fantastic. All the ingredients were fresh and perfectly balanced. They also give free chips and salsa!

    Nice clean interior
    Susanne R.

    Family owned. Burritos were good but the bacon and egg breakfast burritos had no cheese (?). I'm glad I asked to add potatoes. I'm used to a breakfast burrito having potatoes and cheese in it but maybe that's not the Las Cruces way. As a single woman I was slightly alarmed by all the bars on the building (see picture) but it makes sense since all the walls are glass. Way too easy to break into otherwise. I would come here again.

    Green Chile Cheese Burger

    The food is delicious! We had the enchiladas and green Chile cheeseburger. The burger was that old-school Mexican kitchen hamburgers that I grew up with. I ordered a pint of their salsa to-go, the one that comes out with the chips . The staff were very friendly and polite. Definitely recommend to visitors if wanting a local hole-in-the-wall taste. The local cars never stopped driving thru their drive-thru the whole time we sat there.

    Breakfast burrito
    Jordana G.

    When you start off with a killer green chile salsa and hearty chips, you know it's gonna be good. It's a small place with only 7 tables but was pretty quiet on a Saturday morning. Breakfast burritos are the way to go. The prices are very reasonable and you can get any burrito smothered in chile for only 75 cents. The red is especially delicious today. Highly recommended.

    Carne Asada Tacos a la Parrilla

    We tried out this spot on a show weekend afternoon. It didn't look like the place was open, but once we stepped in, we were warmly greeted. Service was very good. My wife had the carne asada tacos and I got the green chile cheese burger with fries. We were both blown away at how good the good was. All freshly made! Will be going back soon.

    Crispy Jalapeño Burger

    This totally lives up to the 5 Stars! Great service and the food was excellent! You know a burger is good when you don't need any mustard or ketchup on it! Fries are homemade! You gotta give them a try!!!!

    Huevos Rancheros

    Wonderful, delicious, yummy! Amazing food. We have eaten here twice. Unfortunately we don't live in NM but when in Las Cruces this will be our go to restaurant. Charming interior with 7 tables. The staff is friendly and accommodating.

    Double green burger
    Ray C.

    This is a great little place! I found it on Yelp and so glad I did. The burgers were simple amazing and filling. I couldn't stop eating the fresh chips and green salsa. The tacos were outstanding and so good we went back for dinner.

    Huevos rancheros - to die for!

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    6 months ago

    The burgers and fries were so tasty! The device was friendly and quick. Would definitely go back!

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    Believe the reviews! Wonderful food and great service! Drive through or eat inside. Homemade Mexican food Nana would be proud to serve.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Local recommended this place for their green chilie burgers. It did not disappoint. Great staff and fantastic burgers

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    1 year ago

    Great taco, service and price. I go every time I'm in Las Cruces. The cashier is friendly. The food is flavorful and generous.

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    4 years ago

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    La Nueva Casita Cafe

    La Nueva Casita Cafe

    4.4
    (677 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    I stopped at La Nueva Casita just passing through town, Then…read moretasted the chile and nearly fell down, Red chile! Green chile! Christmas delight! Smoky and roasty and cooked just right, No thick soggy batter all gooey and mean, Just peppery goodness in red and in green, With crunchy chips, salsa, and honey so sweet, Sopapillas bouncing right out of my seat, Five stars for flavor, for joy, and for fun-- I'd drive four whole hours for another round with my son!

    First impression wasn't too good. We walked into the restaurant to first see a tub of dirty dishes…read moreand seat ourselves at a sticky table. The complimentary (first round) of chips and salsa was above par. The menu was descriptive and the service was friendly. We ordered the fajita tacos and the combination lunch plate (chicken hard taco, green chile con carne, green enchilada, and a chile relleno) with borracho beans and rice. The fajita tacos and chile con carne were okay, but the enchilada was weak and the relleno was filled with some sort of liquid cheese that poured out in the first lukewarm bite. Rice was okay. Beans were overwhelmingly over-seasoned with oregano. The combo plate was drowning in broth from the chile con carne. We were disappointed hearing that this place had such great green chiles, but it was all so watered-down that we didn't taste much of the chile flavor. :(

    Photos
    Artwork on the outside of the building
    Artwork on the outside of the building
    Refried Beans ($3/side)
    Refried Beans ($3/side)
    Horchata ($3)

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    Horchata ($3)
    La Posta de Mesilla

    La Posta de Mesilla

    3.6
    (1k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Party of 4--we stopped in for drinks and dessert and ended up really enjoying it…read more Everyone ordered something different--margarita, wine, beer, and an old fashioned with a smoked twist--and all of them were really good. Prices were about what you'd expect, nothing crazy. The desserts were just as solid--very tasty and a great way to wrap things up. Our waitress was super nice and always nearby if we needed anything, without hovering. Overall, a great spot to swing by even if you're just going for drinks and dessert. Definitely worth it.

    While on a Southwest road trip, we found ourselves spending the night in Las Cruces, New Mexico…read more When we asked the staff at our hotel for a local dining recommendation, they pointed us toward the historic village of Mesilla, just south of Las Cruces. It turned out to be excellent advice. Mesilla is a charming, historic community with an unmistakable Old World feel. Founded in 1848, it once served as the Confederate capital of the Arizona Territory and is perhaps best known as the site where the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid was tried and convicted of murder in 1881. Today, the village centers around a picturesque plaza surrounded by beautifully preserved adobe buildings, shops, and restaurants that make it well worth a visit. One of Mesilla's most famous restaurants is La Posta de Mesilla, which has been serving traditional New Mexican cuisine since 1939. Over the decades, it has expanded into a sprawling 17,000-square-foot complex made up of a maze of interconnected dining rooms. Its menu is built around century-old family recipes featuring the renowned red and green chiles grown nearby in the Hatch and Mesilla valleys. After what felt like a two- or three-minute walk through the restaurant to reach our table, we ordered margaritas and waited for the customary basket of chips. I added an order of chile con queso along with both the red and green salsas. Our drinks, chips, and salsas arrived promptly. The salsas were pleasantly spicy and packed more heat than the average restaurant version, something I appreciated. Unfortunately, the chile con queso never arrived. After unsuccessfully trying to catch the attention of one of the busy servers, we finally flagged someone down to remind them. By the time it reached our table, our entrées were only moments away, leaving little opportunity to enjoy it with the chips. My wife ordered two tacos with rice and beans. I chose the Folded Tacos--three deep-fried folded corn tortillas filled with seasoned ground beef and chicken, then topped with lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese, served alongside refried beans and rice. So, how was the food? It was simply okay. Nothing on either plate stood out. The dishes lacked the bold flavors, vibrant presentation, and satisfying textures that make New Mexican cuisine so memorable. My impression is that, over the years, La Posta has evolved into a destination built to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit annually. In doing so, its food seems to have been toned down to appeal to the broadest possible audience, sacrificing some of the authenticity and character that made it famous. Service added to the disappointment. It was slow, disjointed, and often difficult to find a server when we needed one. Since we visited on a Sunday evening, it's possible the restaurant was short-staffed, but regardless of the reason, the overall dining experience suffered. If you're visiting the Las Cruces area, don't miss Mesilla. It's one of southern New Mexico's true gems and absolutely deserves a stop. As for La Posta de Mesilla, however, I'd recommend looking elsewhere for dinner. In a town with this much history and character, I'm confident you'll find a restaurant that delivers a more memorable meal.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Flan
    Flan
    La Posta de Mesilla

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    Andele Restaurant

    Andele Restaurant

    4.2
    (687 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Holy smokes!!! I'm so glad we stopped here! I'd seen the…read morefamous Christmas enchiladas featured on TV, and while we were on our road trip, my husband searched for a great place to eat. We are so happy he found this gem! I ordered the cheese Christmas enchiladas plate, my husband ordered the build-your-own taco plate, and the kids ordered burritos. Everything was absolutely delicious! The green enchiladas were my favorite--the sauce was creamy, rich, and incredibly flavorful. I can definitely see why these enchiladas have earned such a great reputation. The tacos were completely decimated in our family...not a single bite was left! From the delicious food to the friendly service and welcoming atmosphere, this was one of our favorite meals of the trip. We'll absolutely be back the next time our road trips bring us to Texas. HIGHLY recommend!

    This was our first time dining at Andele's following from many recommendations from friends…read more Upon walking in the door, we were greeted by a friendly hostess who sat us promptly. Our waiter, Chase, quickly came to our table to offer us drinks. Chase was very attentive throughout the entire meal. He brought our food out quickly and checked on us as we ate to ensure we were not lacking anything. Excellent service!! Now for the food... The small bowl of chips didn't have a chance to empty before Chase brought another bowl (without us having to ask). We loved the salsa bar where we were able to select the salsas that we wanted to try. We chose the traditional, jalapeño and tomatillo, pico de galio, and chipotle. We agreed that all of them were delicious. My husband had the fish tacos. The serving size was great!! He would have preferred grilled fish rather than the breaded and fried fish; but all-in-all he said it was good. (For non-fish eaters like myself, the fish smell was quite strong and overpowered the smells of the rest of our meals). My daughter got the Monster build your own burrito with chicken. She loved it and said the grilled chicken was delicious!!! My daughter's boyfriend had the chicken enchiladas Christmas (green and red sauces for those who may not be familiar). He loved it! Like my daughter, he too enjoyed the grilled chicken that came in his enchiladas. I had the cheese enchiladas Christmas with 2 fried eggs and sauce on the side. The sauces were both delicious!!!! Everyone at the table enjoyed tasting the green sauce which had a creamy and cheesy consistency with the perfect amount of green chilies and heat. The red sauce was a traditional New Mexico red enchilada sauce with exactly the right amount of heat. My single complaint about my meal is that I could have counted the number of cheese shred pieces between each tortilla of the enchiladas. All of us liked the refried beans and Spanish rice that came with our meals.

    Photos
    Indoors
    Indoors
    Pork Tacos al Carbon Plate - pork
    Pork Tacos al Carbon Plate - pork
    Tostada Compuesta

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    Tostada Compuesta
    Chaviras

    Chaviras

    3.4
    (11 reviews)
    5.3 mi

    The smell when the door was opened was amazing. It was a bit like home which was nice. The food…read morehowever tasted like a different story. I now understand the "greasy" comment regarding the tacos. Yes, they were a little bit but it wasn't horribly offensive. Also, tacos can simply be a little greasy. It's fine, not a deal breaker. The tacos were very small portions, a bit smaller than the street tacos I'm used to. The carne asada was OK. It had a decent flavor but was like "pow" flavorful or OMGosh I have to have more. It satisfied my craving. The carnitas were also OK. Nothing super exciting. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here for food but wouldn't be offended to have it again. I appreciated that it's also a small store which sells a variety of meats with some decent sales. Spices and a small amount of fresh produce. Customer service was pleasant and efficient.

    Chaviras a local food market with two locations in Las Cruces. They also prepare mostly Mexican…read morefood items to take out. This location even has drive through service. They have butcher shop for those looking for fresh meat. Chaviras has a great selection of fresh Mexican pastries, fresh produce and a selection of frozen food options and canned goods. My wife and I picked up a couple of bean and cheese burritos to take home. I just wish that they didn't use LARD on their beans, as we do not eat pork. As an observation, Chavira is a Spanish family name.

    Photos
    The butcher shop
    The butcher shop
    Chaviras
    Chaviras

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    Chala's Wood Fire Grill

    Chala's Wood Fire Grill

    4.3
    (408 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Once we sat down, we were given a bowl of chips and salsa. While enjoying those, we ordered our…read moretacos and burritos. We liked that everything was not oversalted so that we could actually taste the food itself. I appreciate the portions for the price as well and felt we got a good value. The service was pleasant. The only thing I didn't like was that after we ordered, we noticed that other people had other foods on their tables... and it occurred to us that there was another menu, maybe a bar menu that we were never offered. Not purposely, but I really wasn't interested in tacos and burritos but would have really liked the nachos or other items on there, so it was a missed opportunity to get something I really wanted and had a more enjoyable experience.

    I forgot to take a picture of my steak and my brunch mates food. I wish I had because the food…read morelooked just as delicious as it tasted! I ordered just the steak without any rub. Not only was it cooked perfectly but it was thick, juicy, and utterly delicious. Service was amazing. Family run business and you can tell staff really cares about the customers. I also really appreciate that everything is made fresh that day. No freezers so they do not have any flash frozen foods that they throw in a microwave and call their own. Nope! Not here. Every single thing is made fresh and they donate anything left to those in need. The prices were reasonable too. There is outdoor seating which is great and inside is a little bigger than the outside would lead you to believe. There is also parking across the street if the parking lot is full. I definitely plan to return.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Found this inside my burrito!!  Not food. Halloween was yesterday...is it a melted Halloween thing?!!
    Found this inside my burrito!! Not food. Halloween was yesterday...is it a melted Halloween thing?!!
    Chala's Wood Fire Grill

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    El Jacalito - mexican - Updated July 2026

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