BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANTS – ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

LITTLE ANITAS
2105 Mountain Road
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104
(505) 242-3102
www.littleanitas.com

Little Anita’s Restaurant, sits on the border of historic Old Town Albuquerque.  Founded by the Gutiérrez family in 1981, they have since opened up branches in  Los Lunas, New Mexico and Denver, Colorado–proving you can’t keep Little Anita’s good food down.  This modestly priced restaurant offers quintessential New Mexican dishes like red and green chile, tamales, sopapillas, enchiladas and posole. Without pretense, Little Anita’s has managed to deliver quality New Mexican food that keeps locals as well as tourist coming in droves. LATINOPIA RECOMMENDS the excellent combination Plate #5 which includes carna adovada, cheese enchilada, a beef or chicken taco, and a chile relleno topped with either green or red chile or (for those of you who know) Christmas.

LAS BARELAS
1502 4th Street SW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
(505) 843-7577

Legendary Las Barelas is perhaps the best known down-home food eatery in Albuquerque.  Las Barelas defines what we know as New Mexican cuisine. A popular meeting place for politicians, educators and neighborhood people alike, the restaurant is almost always packed, an indication of the good meal ahead. The friendly waitresses will lead you to a table and offer a wide selection of freshly made native New Mexican dishes. The only drawback seems to be the much contested fact that they do not offer sopapillas, causing deep consternation among native New Mexicans and possibly an identity crisis. To sopapilla or not? LATINOPIA RECOMMENDS the scrumptious green chile stew, though a coin toss might result in an equally satisfying adovada plate. Or chicharones wrapped in tortillas? How can you go wrong?