The 10 Best Restaurants In Las Cruces New Mexico

Las Cruces is, as might be expected, an oasis of delicious Mexican food, but the city isn’t short of other culinary delights. Cuisines from all over the world can be found in the city, including Greek, Lebanese, and Asian offerings. Las Cruces even delivers quality seafood and sushi in the middle of the desert, as well as some of the best frozen custard in the States.

Savoy De Mesilla

One of Las Cruces’ finest restaurants, it’s not only the food that excels at the Savoy de Mesilla, the outdoors patio provides a lovely scenic setting for a meal on a sunny day. The menu features traditional American dishes as well as some more unusual options, such as alligator tail and Kobe beef sliders. The liquid nitrogen ice cream for two is an exciting way to finish off a meal. Their weekend breakfast is the one of the best in the city, and is served between 8am and 1pm, meaning it’s perfect for both a business breakfast and a long brunch with friends.

Savoy de Mesilla,1800 Avenida de Mesilla, Las Cruces, NM, USA, +1 575 527 2869

Habanero’s Fresh Mex

Habanero’s Fresh Mex, 1275 S Solano Dr, Las Cruces, NM, USA, +1 575-524-1829

1. Ándele

Restaurant, Mexican

Located in historic Old Mesilla, Ándele has been serving fine Mexican food for over 18 years. Its busy and exciting atmosphere make Ándele perfect for a large gathering, but it also offers take-away and catering services. The Ándele team have opened the Ándele Dog House just across the road from the current premises, which serves all the traditional Ándele favourites as well as hot dogs and burgers. With a big screen TV and dog-friendly ethos, this more casual branch of the Ándele restaurant is sure to be just as popular as the original. At the Ándele Mercado you can even buy some of their most popular products and try to recreate the Mexican experience at home.

Luna Rossa Winery & Pizzeria

In 2001 Paolo and Sylvia D’Andrea founded the Luna Rossa Winery, inspired by the skills Paolo learnt growing up in Friuli, Italy. Their wines are made of grapes from New Mexico, grown in their own vineyards, and have been awarded several international accolades, including a Double Gold at The Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. They host wine tastings and wine festivals, as well as running the Luna Rossa Pizzeria in Las Cruces which serves pizza, pasta, paninis and salads, as well as a tasty selection of 22 flavours of gelato, made in-house. Unsurprisingly, the wine list is excellent.

Luna Rossa Winery & Pizzeria, 1321 Avenida de Mesilla, Las Cruces NM, USA, +1 575 526 2484

2. Caliche's Frozen Custard

Caliche’s Frozen Custard

Some have described Caliche’s Frozen Custard as a local institution, and it’s not hard to see why. The choice at Caliche’s is second to none, and their range of sundae choices includes kiwi berry, mango-dango, and hot fudge, as well as banana split and strawberry shortcake options and seasonal specials, which are updated regularly. These can also be served in a homemade waffle bowl when you’re looking to really indulge your sweet tooth. But beware, a small cup is the equivalent of two whole scoops of frozen custard, so order carefully!

Caliche’s Frozen Custard, 590 S Valley Dr, Las Cruces, NM, USA, +1 575 647 5066

Katana Teppanyaki Grill

Sushi restaurants are few and far between in the desert, so the Katana Teppanyaki Grill is a real find, offering a wide array of fresh sushi. But while the sushi is enjoyable, the real reason to go to this restaurant is for the visual spectacle. The food is cooked in front of you, meaning it is particularly popular with children and families, as the chefs are always friendly and put on a good show as well as serving up delicious food. We recommend making a reservation if there are more than two of you, especially for dinner, as this restaurant isn’t huge.

Katana Teppanyaki Grill, 1001 East University Avenue, Las Cruces, NM, USA, +1 575 522 0526

Chef setting oil on fire for flambing in japanese teppanyaki restaurant, closeup

International Delights Café

The middle of New Mexico might seem like the last place to find good European, Asian and African cuisine but the International Delights Café serves up excellent food from all over the world. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this restaurant imports ingredients from a number of different countries, giving its dishes an authenticity lacking in many multi-cuisine restaurants. Between mezze plates with hummus and tabouli, gyro (a Greek meat sandwich), and a variety of kebabs, the International Delights Café provides a plethora of exciting dining opportunities, and its espresso bar serves such good coffee it could rival some Italian cafés.

International Delights, 1245 El Paseo Rd, Las Cruces, NM, USA, +1 575 647 5956

Santorini

Santorini is an unassuming little restaurant with a big menu, overflowing with quality Lebanese and Greek dishes made from traditional recipes by their very experienced chef. It’s one of the best places for vegetarians to eat in Las Cruces, and staff will go out of their way to accommodate customers’ special requests. The falafel is second-to-none, and always a popular choice with customers, but we recommend ordering a few of their tasting platters to share so you can try a little bit of everything.

Santorini, 1001 E University Ave, Las Cruces, NM, USA, +1 575 521 9270

Nellie’s Cafe

Unsurprisingly, there’s no shortage of excellent Mexican food in Las Cruces, so it’s only natural that a few Mexican restaurants feature on our list of the top restaurants in the city. Nellie’s Cafe is certainly up there with the best of them. A lively restaurant with a buzzy atmosphere, get there early to avoid queues at lunchtime as word of Nellie’s good prices and great food travelled fast and the restaurant is always packed.

Nellie’s Cafe, 1226 W Hadley Ave, Las Cruces, NM, USA, +1 575 524 9982

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.