Nopalito Restaurant

I came to Las Cruces for the first time to see my mom and stepdad. My stepdad and I had an amazing meal. Two #3s Christmas style. Best food I’ve had in a long time. Ernest was friendly and it was nice to find out some of the history. Thanks!

Nopalito Restaurant has been part of the Las Cruces eating scene for over 60 years. I use to dine here back when I was a student attending New Mexico State. For me it served as a bridge of years past and though it has since added a few modern amenities like large flat screen and a proper hostess station it is basically the same place as I remembered. The service was great and the waitress was very attentive. The food though, in my opinion, is not the best of the best, Nopalito Restaurant serves better quality food than a lot of the new restaurants I have tried in the area and at a fair price. The red chile was good and the taco was top in the combo dish I tried. The meal precursor was a copious amount of wonderful crunchy homemade corn chips with a bowl of really savory salsa verde that was indeed made fresh. The Nopalito Restaurant offers a genuine taste of southern New Mexico cuisine in Las Cruces and is worth a visit for those seeking authentic flavors.

Came to have lunch here our server was Ernest. Very welcoming, suggested combination plate served our chips and salsa with drinks upon arrival after our meal. He also gave us complementary sopapillas Great customer service we will return

Good Mexican food in older historic building. Green chile salsa is excellent, as are chips. Enjoyed delicious chili relleno.

The food was good, the waitress was excellent. However, we don't plan on ever going back as we experienced a racist atmosphere. The owner came in while we were eating, He welcomed the table behind us and the table on the side, then instructed a waitress to give both tables sopapillas at no charge.....common denominator, both tables were Anglo customers. Us, being Hispanic...no offer. Although the food was good and our waitress was awesome, we won't be going back as the feeling of not being welcomed was evident.

We LOVE this restaurant!!! Victor the owner was so welcoming. The staff is very friendly and the food is very good and you need to try their fresh sopapillas!! Wait time was also very minimal. Very clean restaurant too. We will definitely return. Thank you Victor and staff for making us feel welcome!

Customer service was great, our waiter was quit and polite. The food was fair at most, the chili relleno was terrible. My boy did enjoy the tostada/nachos. The red chili pork was ok. The salsa need more chili 🌶.

Really good green Chile salsa with fresh tortilla chips. Like, probably the best fresh green Chile salsa in town. They had a menudo special last Sunday and it was also the best menudo I've had in town. Their regular menu items are decent with fair prices. Made fresh to order.

This is one of the OG restaurants at this point in Las Cruces. They deliver. In my opinion there food could be a little spicier, But I'm a masochist. Been coming here since the 90s. The ambience is wonderful. Great location, great food, great service. You can't go wrong?

Great service and delicious food! We have a tradition to stop in and eat crispy tacos on our drive back to El Paso! They always hit the spot! Great salsa too!

The food was amazing, I never had New Mexican cuisine and was kinda hesitant of trying it , service was great , definitely will be coming back here again .

Have been eating at Nops since the 70s. Great food, pleasant atmosphere and fun staff make it agreat place to go

Great service & fantastic authentic New Mexican food. Very friendly food servers very nice atmosphere very clean dining room. And clean restrooms.

What is there to say, I've been coming here all my life (my family has been visiting since they moved to Las Cruces in 1963). Whenever I'm in town, this is ALWAYS my first and last stop (and I usually take a thing or two of their green salsa home with me!). This is easily my favorite restaurant on the planet. Their green salsa is incredible and the red chile colorado is the best you can get anywhere. Get Combo #1 or 3 (red) and enjoy the green salsa with the chips - food doesn't get any better than this!

One of my favorite place for a weekday lunch. They have my best chile rellenos in town using beautiful, big thick peppers. I love the warm green chile salsa too, but am disappointed they stopped putting out their red salsa. Inexpensive with good service . A Las Cruces institution for those of us who've been here awhile.

After driving through an ice storm and past 3 accidents we were ready for the warm sopapillas and honey. We call at 5:47 pm and Yelp says they close at 8:30 pm. She tells us they are closing at 6 pm, YIKES!!! I tell her we are 21 mins away and we've just driven from California. She asks me to hold. Comes back and asks what we want. I of course over order. A pint of Chile con queso with extra chips, chicken enchiladas (Christmas), Gorditas and sopapillas. They make such delicious con queso, a nice heat with the right saltiness with the creamy cheese. The Gorditas are full of ground beef and finished with shredded lettuce and cheese. Tender chicken wrapped in corn tortillas and generously sauced with red and green sauce. Finish off with a crispy sopapillas and honey. Yum. Good to back in New Mexico.

Looking for a "classic" old school NM food restaurant in Las Cruces and this place fills the bill. They had the best "Taco Tuesday" special I have found thus far in town. Friendly, efficient waitress and very good "Family Taco Special" at REALLY cheap prices. (I believe it was 8 tacos, 1/2 pint of beans and 1/2 pint rice for $14.00). Located in a historic building in the center of town, it appears to really be where "locals" eat. If you want a fancy bar scene with "trendy" food this isn't your place. If you are a seasoned citizen and/or with a family with kids and prefer a quiet atmosphere (no music blaring) in an old school restaurant with quality food at reasonable prices, this is your place.

Today was my second time at this restaurant. I went about a year ago because my boyfriend swore it would be better than our typical Mexican restaurant. The service was good but I felt the food was just "alright" in my opinion. Today however, he suggested we go there again and I agreed. We went and our server was good in terms of service. The food didn't take very long to come out which we appreciated, but the food was rather cold. The flour tortillas were over cooked so once they cooled down (which wasn't very long since the air was on pretty cold), they just turned really hard and cracked to pieces. Once salsa tasted a little "earthy" if you will. The other was just the chopped green Chile you buy from the frozen section at Walmart, warmed up, with some salt. After leaving the restaurant we tried to go about our day but I got super nauseous within half an hour of leaving the restaurant and have been like that for the last 4 hours or so. Both times weren't the greatest, but after getting sick post-meal today We agreed we would not be returning. I think there's way better options in Cruces considering our location.

Came to Las Cruces during COVID and this one of the few restaurants that was open near the old town area where I was staying. They are currently doing to-go orders. Everything that I tried was flavorful and quality, they have a great NM salsa and the green enchilada sauce is excellent. The prices are pretty reasonable and I had great service in the drive through pick up! I noticed that a lot of other people from out of town were in the drive through as well. Since they do not have indoor seating at the moment, I ate at the Pioneer Woman park nearby which was perfect for a fall day!

Amazing food, friendly service, and homey ambiance! Stopped in for an early lunch before driving out to White Sands National Park. Everything was delicious. Can't wait to come back!

Food is delicious, fresh and hot at a great price. Service during the week is so so. The little older lady is not very pleasant but does the basic stuff. Don't expect a friendly attitude or a refill. On the weekends there's a younger college age girl who's the complete opposite.

Located in a quiet part of Las Cruces, I arrived on a crowded Mother's Day. At least, the parking lot was full. I was able to secure a table fairly quickly and got my order in after a brief wait. The Green Chile salsa that is served with the chips was great; it tasted home-made and was a little spicy but not too much and had a nice smooth green chile taste. The Taco plate came with 3 tacos and were authentic in that they looked and tasted like tacos you would have in Mexico. Very good. The wait for the tab at the end was too long. I know they were busy because of Mother's Day but waitresses walked by constantly and I ended up talking to 3 of the waitresses because they were not used to the crowds. I'm sure it is not like this all of the time, so I am just mentioning this in case anyone visits on a Mother's/Father's day.

Ok...I still love their taco Tuesday deal. There tacos really are good. Just know the deal doesn't go on all day. I think it starts at 5 or 6. This update on my usual 4 star review of this place is based on the appearance of the restaurant. What the heck? Tables are always dirty. Floor is never swept after a guest leaves a booth or table. You usually have to ask for silverware. Half the time they are out of sodas. Service is always friendly once you wave someone down. I get we're still in the pandemic. But jeesh...we never see the place packed and the tables still aren't bussed and there's always crap on the floor. Still the best green salsa in town. But we ae starting to go elsewhere for taco Tuesday.

Food was not as good as 30 years ago. Food is bland now, salsa not spicy. Don't the automatic 20 percent gratuity on four people.

I have heard so many good things about this restaurant so I thought I would give it a try. To be honest, I am not a huge fan. There were a few things wrong with my visit. First, I had no silverware to use. Even after my food was brought to my table I had no silverware. I had to ask twice, and by the time I got my silverware (about 10 minutes after my food was at my table) the food was cold. I had asked for red sauce on my chili relleno, and there was just a drizzle. I also ordered a beef burrito with green chili, and it was nothing special. I really don't think I will be back, especially with all the other choices here in Las Cruces.

Food is great and great services. Very consistent. One of the best green chilies in town! Never go wrong with Enchiladas and Green Chili Rellanos(?) Waiters and waitresses are always smiling and quick services. My wife and I love to go there for lunch. It's our "go to lunch" place. Even lemonade is good. Highly recommended!!

If you call in an order to go, you better get the name of who's taking your order. Called in an order to the Mesquite location at 2:35. I was told it'd be ready in 10 minutes. When I got there she said she didn't have an order for me. I showed her my phone and the number I called ... which was 524-0003 (the Mesquite location). She said I must have called the location on Missouri... so I drove over there (which was out of my way).... and nope, no order. I called the mesquite location back.... she could have cared less. Tried to argue with me.

I was first exposed to Nopalitos way back in the 80's when I was a student at NMSU. My sorority sisters and I were regulars at the Missouri location. After graduating we all would reminisce about their green chile salsa. Fortunately for me I got the chance to move back 30 years later and it is still my favorite go to for the salsa and simple / flavorful enchiladas. If you like it really hot - this is NOT your place. But if you like the flavor of green chile they do it well. Menu hasn't changed - remember it's a restaurant- not a fast food place but a local businesses having the same issues everyone else is with staffing.

Great food and service! Try the gordita plate or the Chile relleno burrito, you will not regret it! And don't forget to ask them to smother the burrito in both red and green salsa!! Def coming back!!

I have been going to Nopalitos since the mid 80s and I have never had a bad meal. Green queso and green salsa for an appetizer, red enchiladas with egg, beef and sour cream, and awesome sopapillas for dessert. It is the best southern NM Mexican food in town!

You're in New Mexico very close to the Mexican border. It's a pretty safe bet you're in for a great Mexican dinner, right? Wrong. This was the most disappointing meal I've ever had. Let's start with the chips and salsa. The chips were very overlooked and so bland I had to add salt to them. Still inedible. The salsa was good and spicy, though. We used it for our inedible entrees. My entree: Red Enchilada style Burrito. It was bland and the meat was tough. Oh and to top it off...no hot sauce on the table, hence my using the salsa to heat my burrito up. I know I was a stranger in a strange land here, but being from New Orleans I have to say our Mexican food is wayyyyy better than this was. Way better.

We were staying in Las Cruces for the night and we needed a place for dinner. Yelp came through in the clutch! I looked this place up, saw that it has been in business 50 years!, was close to our hotel, prices were reasonable, plus it was a break from eating burgers the last 3 days. I'm always down with Mexican food so we decided to try it out. We drove down, parked, sat down (seat yourself) and looked over the menu. Our waitress took our drink order and brought over some chips and salsa/green chiles. A few minutes later we placed our order. I went with the crisp beef taco plate, my wife went with a bean and cheese burrito plate and my mother in law went with tostadas compuestas. Here is how they were. Taco Plate- This plate came with 3 tacos, rice and beans. I went with the crispy beef taco option. They use ground beef here which is different than what I usually see at Mexican restaurants. The only other place I have had ground beef tacos are at El Tarasco in LA, or the ones I make at home. This plate comes with 3 small tacos which are topped with lettuce, cheese and a slice of tomato. The ground beef was excellent! It was seasoned really well and almost mashed up. It had a great texture and I was surprised at how much I liked them! The tacos are pretty darn small though. 3-4 bites and they were done. The rice and beans were just ok. I got a few crunchy bits of rice and some dried up beans, but for the most part, they tasted good. Bean and Cheese Burrito- My wife and son seemed to have liked it. I didn't sample any of it, but they ate the whole thing along with their rice and beans. Tostadas Compuestas- My mother in law ordered these. These came with 3 small, crispy, tostada cups/shells stuffed with refried beans, pork (she got 2 with red chile and one with green chile), lettuce, tomato and avocado. She gave me one red one and the shells from the other 2 (she's doing low carb...just ate the ingredients). These things were delicious! The pork was nice and tender and the red sauce was flavorful. It wasn't too spicy/hot but was definitely warm. The shells were nice and crispy and the avocado was tasty. I liked these little cups a lot! Service was fantastic! Our waitress was friendly and on top of everything. The feel of the place was very homey and it seemed like the staff knew most of the people coming in to eat. The only odd thing was that they had a TV on in the joint and they were playing Forensic Files with the volume up kind of loud. A little odd, but whatever! Our meal was very reasonably priced (a little over $30.00). I can definitely see how they have been open for over 50 years already and I hope they remain open for another 50. I would definitely come back if I am ever in Las Cruces again! We all really enjoyed our meal!

We paid with a $50 for $31.37 of food. Waitress returned with 3 $5 and 3 $1 and no change. She stated "here is the money without the change." In other words she stole the change and thought that this was okay. I did not make a big deal of it, but will NEVER return here as stealing is not OKAY in my book under any circumstances. The food was good, but had certainly changed over the last couple of months.

One the best in Las Cruces. A lot of places are struggling and have had to deal with mediocre cooks. NOT Nopalito. They have maintained the quality we all know and love. A Las Cruces staple for sure. I'm getting hungry just thinking about their salsa and tacos.

Was a little late getting my food, but it was still great. Paula was kind and and friendly. The flautas are my favorite. Thanks!

Liked this little neighborhood place a lot! They serve you two salsas as you sit down, one was a warm green chile deal, tastey! The other red salsa was very spicey, also very good. The chile Rellenos were excellent, far exceeding expectations. Service was really great, super friendly, would come here again if near by.

Absolutely delicious. The green chile salsa is served warm with tortilla chips. The menu hasn't changed in thirty years. Consistently delicious Mexican food, with a friendly wait staff. The sopapillas are always a nice treat for desert, served piping hot with honey.

Actually , this visit was pretty disappointing ... this used to be , I thought , the best New Mexican restaurant in Las Cruces. But honestly I thought the food has gone downhill a little bit ... I had last eaten there about a year ago .. service was great, the waitresses were very nice and friendly ... place is clean ... but the food just seem to be lacking something. A side of guacamole was $3 & the serving it was the size of a sewing thimble! Disappointed....

My boyfriend brought me here for a late birthday dinner. Omg yumm!! We both ordered the chicken enchiladas with green Chile sauce. Came with the works, rice beans sour cream and of course had to have a side of guacamole! It's definitely different from California's enchiladas. Authentic and taste like real Mexican food. A big plate and definitely filling. I thought it was interesting that the chicken was on top of the enchiladas instead of stuffed inside the tortilla. Never had it like that. But the The complimentary chips and salsa dip... OoOoH to die for, one is the warm hatch chile and the other is, not sure but it's spicy! Loved it tho! Definitely a must go whenever you're in town.

Best green Chile salsa and good taco Tuesday deal. My neighborhood Mexican restaurant.

weve been eating at Nopalitos for decades. In fact, it was my first job as a teenager. I understand the prices have to go up, but your quality should not go down and that is certainly what has happened. There are the green chili enchiladas with sour cream no rice, extra beans, totally wrong my husband ordered hamburger meat green chili and cheese burrito. Totally wrong, ordered two chIle con queso didn't come with chips and had to go back and get that. When I called to let them know, they did apologize but going back out to get your order redone and have to wait. It's just not an option. you can do better, Nopalitos.

Wasn't too bad. Not a fan of the warm Chile sauce. Love the Pico De Gallo. Cheese enchilada was good. Overall not my favorite place but some of our friends really love it.

Don't go here! Food takes forever, and is not worth the wait. My cheese enchilada was just a paper thin tortilla and was filled with lukewarm canned green Chile. The burrito is dry and bland.

This is a spot I have to eat at every time we come to town and this time (like all the others) didn't disappoint. I had juevos rancheros with red. It was mouthwatering and so flavorful. My kids tried gorditas for the first time and they loved them. The carne was marinated low and slow so you got so much flavor. I am a thoroughly satisfied customer!

I've been eating at Nopalito's since I was a kid. Their food and atmosphere has remained unchanged. By far the BEST green chile salsa in town. Try the Christmas enchiladas or a chile relleno burrito (my two faves) along with an iced cold Mexican coke! Delicious!

Customer service was great, our waiter was quit and polite. The food was fair at most, the chili relleno was terrible. My boy did enjoy the tostada/nachos. The red chili pork was ok. The salsa need more chili .

Thank you NM Yelpers! Y'all got this one right! Bang for the buck...get one of the combo meals. I got the combo #3, which included taco, flauta, rolled enchilada, chile con carne, beans, rice, & chile relleno. The only flop of this plate was the chile relleno. The dish came out very hot & the cheese was nicely melted. But the coating on the chili relleno was soggy. I prefer a crispy coating. The flavor was good though. The flavor of EVERYTHING was good actually. Well seasoned...flavorful...spicy...truly representative of Southwestern cooking. Made me crave more. So the next day I came back for crispy tacos, gordita, & half order of sopaipillas. All fantastic! The complimentary chips and salsa came with a red and a green salsa. Both were good. But that GREEN one was extra special. It came out warm & I went through 4 bowls each time. Yes, practically spooning it up like soup...it was THAT good! Thankfully, the waitresses were very nice & didn't make me feel bad about eating so much of their green salsa. They said everybody loves it and always ask for more :) Can't wait until I have business in this area again. Would definitely come back to Napolito!

This place has gone downhill. I grew up loving this place. Their service is awful, food was cold, and the prices have increased quite a bit. The food has also changed and is definitely more NEW Mexican than Mexican. Very unfortunate.

I don't get why the rating isn't higher. I think it's in the top 3 restaurants for Mexican food in Las Cruces. I eat there along with El Sombrero and Nellies every time I visit Las Cruces. The combination plate is very consistent with every food item being amazing. Their salsa is the best in town easily.

On our drive from Houston to Orange County, my brother and I were in need of some tasty New Mexican eats. A quick YELP search later and we found Nopalito Restaurant in Las Cruces. The restaurant looks quite unassuming from the exterior---though I heard it used to be a church. The inside has bright decor with traditional motif. But since it was a beautiful day, we asked the server if we could eat outside at the lone table in the patio. I don't think they usually serve food out there but they were happy to oblige us. I asked our server for some recommendations and he suggested a combination plate to get a little taste of everything. And since it was Monday, all their combo plates were $1 off. YAY! I opted for the Combo Plate with a Flauta, Enchiladas, and Taco---all smothered with their green chile. The food was delicious. The verde chile was light but still had the wonderful notes of chile and my enchilada was DELICIOUS. And I would be remissed if I didn't mention how delish their chips and salsa were---and the green salsa was steaming hot when it came out, too! Now that's fresh! The highlight of our meal were the Sopapillas. Deep fried "quick bread" that is served with honey. Crispy, slightly sweet, not greasy, and darn good. These are a MUST order. Service was quick, friendly, amiable, and quite accommodating. I would definitely recommend if you're in the area.

Yummmmmmm. My boyfriend and I actually tried going to another restaurant down the road, but they had kitchen issues and referred us here. Great tip! I ordered tacos and my boyfriend got a chimichanga. My tacos had a beef-stew-like filling, while his chimi had more traditional shredded beef- super tender. He got his with green chile over top, which was a very good call. Both were really good (his was better, dammit!) and the green chile salsa was also amazing. The rice was fine and the refried beans were excellent. Food came out super fast and our waitress was a nice lady. We are from Arizona and each of our meals was $4 cheaper than at our favorite local place, and they were tastier!!! We then discussed moving to Las Cruces for cheaper Mexican food, but decided we would gain way too much weight. Would definitely come back.

Las Cruces - Back after 30 years, so happy to see Napalito still exists: it's one of the 'old time' Mexican restaurants in Cruces. We ordered tacos, flautas, rellenos and green chile enchiladas, all of which were flavorful although too mild for my taste. Since this is the mecca of Hatch Green Chile, disappointing that a mild-to-hot option isn't available when ordering. They don't have a liquor license, which is a bummer because enchiladas and Cerveza go hand-in-hand! Overall, highly recommend Napalito's to get your Chile fix.

Passing through town and stopped in for an early lunch. Great food and service. Two types of complimentary salsas. They both tasted great and the red one has a nice spicy kick to it. We ordered the green chile chicken enchiladas with an egg and a green chile chimichanga enchilada style. The chimichanga had nice chunks of pork and enchiladas had nice shredded chicken breast. Both tasted great!

Quick service, food was out quickly and was hot. Great flavor! The pork chili con carne was flavorful and had a good kick. The combo plate number 3 was not super spicy, but very tasty which is what I wanted. We will definitely be coming back!

Recovering from Turkey Day, we went on a road trip to Las Cruces. We decided on Nopalito since we hadn't yet gone to any Mexican restaurants on this trip. I don't know how "authentic" the food is, but the consensus at our table was delicious. I had the chicken enchiladas with the works, that means it comes with egg; I had mine soft, over easy. I requested a side of the green chile salsa. That salsa was so delicious. At the end of the meal, little brother surprised us with an order of warm puffy sopapillas, served with honey.

p5*Nopalito's Mesilla Mexican Totally delicious Mexican; in fact, the best I've had in a year The combo plates were awesome Come with red or green chile sauce (or Christmas, both red and green) Can also order an egg on top Great service by Paulette

My wife and I were in Las Cruces for the day and we went to try another local Mexican restaurant we typically eat at but there was an hour wait. I made the decision to try Nopalitos from using my Yelp app and just selecting a place at random and am I glad I did! This place has it all - fresh salsa/meals, outstanding service and prices that are right on target. I'm not a fan of green chile, I know, don't shoot me, but the green chile salsa they provide you is a mix between sultry and smooth. In addition they have a smaller bowl of hotter homemade salsa that it perfect in the way of heat - not so hot it just burns and not too weak. We ordered the taco and gordita plates...see the pictures I posted with this review to get a visual. The rice was perfect and the flavor is better than the standard fare. I had the gorditas which were cooked perfectly and filled with exactly the right amount of ingredients. The outside shell wasn't too thick which can really take away from the flavor. My wife thought the tacos were delicious and considering she tries tacos at most Mexican restaurants we go to her review is a definite plus. I have to mention the sopapilla's - cooked to order and so soft/warm. Two for $1.50 so give them a try. I will be craving these for sure. Okay, food aside which by itself would get an awesome review I must mention the service. To me service is almost as important as the food. Nopalitos was top notch when it came to the way we were treated and the attention provided by our server. Two thumbs up - thanks for the great meal!