Where to Have Lunch in Las Cruces, New Mexico

So it's mid-day and you're starving. Sure there's the requisite fast food and chain options, but eating at places like that will mean you miss out on the really great local places. The Las Cruces/Mesilla area has several local venues to wet your palate, and all can be found with a fair amount of ease with the aid of a local telephone book. The only question becomes what type of food to check out.

For a light lunch of the sandwich/wrap/soup persuasion, Spirit Winds, Sweet Indulgences (know also as SI), Milagros, The Shed, and The Bean are all good choices. Spirit Winds, Milagros, The Shed, and The Bean specialize in coffee as well as munchies. Each is vegetarian/vegan friendly and I've never had a bad item from any of their menus. SI is an Italian Bistro that has wonderful homemade soups, pizza, and sandwiches. They also have amazing desserts.

Lunch with a Mediterranean flare is available at Phoenicia, Tiffany's, Meridian, and International Delights. Both Phoenicia and International Delights have great humus and falafel. International Delights also has a specialty store with imported foods as well as several types of baklava and other sweets. Tiffany's has amazing gourmet pizza as well as other excellent menu items. Meridian has quite a variety within their menu. My favorite lunch when there is a wonderful pita bread sandwich served with the best potato salad I've ever eaten.

If you're thinking something a bit more heavy and greasy, try Blake's Lottaburger, Guacamole's Bar and Grille, or High Desert Brewing Company. All three make delicious hamburgers and onion rings. On a day when you're in a hurry, Blake's is a better choice; however, both Guacamole's and High Desert serve a much juicier burger. Of the three, I enjoy High Desert the most because they have a great selection of fried things-cauliflower and cheese, zucchini, mushrooms, jalapeno poppers, and mozzarella sticks to name a few-as well as a variety of fries. There's the old stand by fries, garlic and herb spiced fries, green chile cheese fries, and (my personal favorite) sweet potato fries. The only thing I've tried on the menu that was below par is the jalapeno cornbread, but I have to qualify that statement by saying I grew up in a state where cornbread was sacred and always highly enjoyable. Since moving from my childhood home I've been hard pressed to find a decent variety of cornbread which I have not made myself.

For lunch with an Asian flair, try The Mix Pacific Rim Cuisine, Joy Luck Chinese Restaurant, or Lemongrass Thai Cuisine. If you're looking for good sushi, then The Mix is the place for you. Serving cuisine from China, Korea, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Vietnam, and Hawaii, The Mix has a great selection of items on their menu. They also have a lovely dine in restaurant as well as an express counter right next door so you can get a good lunch no matter what you're schedule is like. Joy Luck has the typical fare of a Chinese restaurant and is one of, if not the best places for Chinese in the immediate Las Cruces area. Lemongrass is a very tasty Thai option; however, it can be a bit pricey. It's well worth the extra cash if you have it.

There are also a few choices available if you're interested in an Italian lunch-Casa Luna, Lorenzo's, and Pullaro's. Casa Luna has a generous buffet that comes with a service they call "pasta station" where you choose from a list the types of pasta, sauces, and other additions you would like as a fresh addition to the buffet table. This option is available as well as various menu items that include calazone and pizza. Lorenzo's has wonderful fresh baked bread and a great menu of various Italian favorites. The quality of their food items is much higher than most that can be found at Casa Luna; however, the portions are usually smaller. The only item available on the menu that I've had mixed results with is the calamari, which I believe has more to do with the lack of fresh options for this item than with the preparation. Their pesto creme sauce is very tasty and the triple layer chocolate mouse available for desert is delicious as well.

A discussion of the Mexican food options available in this area is too large to try to manage here. Check out "Tacos and Burritos 101" for a detailed description of Southern New Mexico Mexican food options.

Whatever food choice and restaurant you go with, enjoy yourself and bon appetite.