Publishers Stephanie and Walt Cameron are sharing some of their finds around New Mexico in edible’s new department, Eight Around the State. Traveling the state in search of great food and stories demands a tasty taco from time to time, so in this issue they share some of the taco joints where they’ve stopped in during their travels. They would love to hear of readers’ favorites. Drop them an email at info@ediblenm.com with your best finds from anywhere in the Land of Enchantment.
Silver City
What we are eating: Carne asada and barbacoa served with rice, beans, guacamole, and corn tortillas to build your own tacos.
Worth noting: Small drive-thru taco truck with funky outdoor seating options. Great value for the price and all the carne asada, barbacoa, carnitas, and adobada are made from scratch with care by sisters from Mexico. Silver City locals swear their burritos are the best around.
Find: 202 E Broadway, Silver City
Elephant Butte
What we are eating: The daily special of Jamaican jerk, Yucatan pork, and shrimp tacos.
Worth noting: Not fast food. Everything is made from scratch. Taco shells are cooked on a griddle, which gives them that crispy goodness everyone loves without all the grease. They also have a location in Albuquerque, and on Mondays have $1.50 taco nights at both locations.
Find: 704 Highway 195, Elephant Butte
Pojoaque
What we are eating: Shredded beef tacos with guacamole and red salsa.
Worth noting: El Parasol has six locations in three counties, all franchised to members of the founding family, extending to the third generation. Although the tacos are our go-to, they have many other New Mexican and Mexican offerings on their menu, including tamales, burritos, enchiladas, and menudo.
Find: 30 Cities of Gold Road, Santa Fe
Alamogordo
Rizo’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant
What we are eating: Mini street tacos with barbacoa, carne asada, carnitas, carne deshebrada, and al pastor, served with cilantro, onion, and lime.
Worth noting: This is the real deal, with Ana and Jose Rizo at the helm. They pride themselves on serving traditional Mexican food, not Tex-Mex or New Mexican. Everything is made from scratch, including the tortillas.
Find: 1480 N White Sands Blvd, Alamogordo
Las Vegas
What we are eating: Pork belly and Three Sisters tacos.
Worth noting: The Skillet is not just a restaurant; it’s an art installation. With vibrant murals, funky sculptures, and unique furnishings, your senses will be on overload with the great food and eye candy. In addition to more than a dozen kinds of tacos, you will also find eleven different burritos and many other comfort food offerings.
Find: 619 12th Street, Las Vegas
Las Cruces – Stop One
What we are eating: Vegetarian tacos made with grilled squash, bell peppers, cabbage, refried beans, and salsa.
Worth noting: Offers a farm-to-table menu. The owners have a three-acre farm in Mesquite, and if they aren’t using ingredients from their farm, they are sourcing from the farmers market and local grocers.
Find: Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery on Friday nights; follow them on Facebook for other locations & times.
Mesilla
Chala’s Wood Fire Grill
What we are eating: Citrus marinated chicken tacos with red chile citrus vinaigrette.
Worth noting: Great patio for outdoor dining and fresh, heritage inspired southern New Mexican dishes. We also highly recommend the Chala’s Benedict, two masa biscuits filled with red chile carne topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
Find: 2790 Avenida de Mesilla, Las Cruces
Las Cruces – Stop Two
What we are eating: Carne asada tacos.
Worth noting: This food truck has been a staple of the Las Cruces street food scene since 2013. Mexican street food is their speciality and they celebrate lucha libre and Mexican folk culture. Their menu changes often, always with a focus on high-quality ingredients.
Find: Las Cruces Farmers Market on Saturdays; follow them on Facebook for other locations and times.
Edible celebrates New Mexico's food culture, season by season. We believe that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing. With our high-quality, aesthetically pleasing and informative publication, we inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, beverage and food artisans, and other food professionals in our community.
