The Best Mexican Food in USA!
September 8, 2026
“Where Billy the Kid, Kit Carson & Pancho Villa once roamed.”
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Sometimes the best meals are found where you least expect them.
When my wife and I drive between California and North Texas, the Las Cruces area has become a natural halfway stop. Recently, after an exhausting 11-hour day on the road, we decided to try La Posta de Mesilla in historic Old Mesilla, just outside Las Cruces and set amid the adobe buildings, tree-lined streets and unmistakable charm of this beautifully preserved Southwestern town. We weren’t expecting much more than a good margarita and a decent Mexican dinner. Instead, we walked away convinced we had stumbled onto some of the best Mexican food we’ve had anywhere in the country—and that is coming from a couple who lived in Southern California for 34 years. The flavors are unmistakably New Mexican, with red and green chile playing starring roles, but what impressed us was how comfortably traditional the food felt. Nothing seemed overly complicated or designed to be trendy; the ingredients and flavors simply came together in a way that made every bite memorable and the entire presentation unforgettable. It was simply very good food served in a place that immediately makes you wonder about its story.
And what a story it is. According to the National Park Service, the sprawling adobe compound that houses La Posta was constructed as early as 1854, became an important stop on the Butterfield stage line and later opened as the Corn Exchange Hotel in 1874. The National Park Service describes the 10,000-square-foot building as part of Mesilla’s historic transportation and commercial center and notes that La Posta has occupied it since 1939. That was the year 25-year-old Katy Griggs opened what she affectionately called her “little chile joint.” According to La Posta’s history, her uncle transferred the property to her for the memorable consideration of “one dollar, love and affection.” Katy started with four tables, a dirt floor and no running water, while her mother prepared dishes based on recipes passed through the Fountain, Chavez and Griggs families. From those humble beginnings, Katy built a Southwestern institution and remained closely involved with it until her death in 1993.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of La Posta is that the family story continues. Katy’s great-niece, Jerean Camuñez Hutchinson, and her husband, Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson, eventually took stewardship of the restaurant, preserving both the historic property and the traditions that made it famous. La Posta celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2024 under the same family’s stewardship, and Jerean described their responsibility beautifully: “Tom and I feel we truly are stewards of an important legacy.” That’s really what you feel when you eat there. You’re not sitting inside a manufactured version of the Southwest; you’re dining in an adobe compound that witnessed stagecoach travelers long before anyone thought of interstate highways. After 11 hours behind the wheel, my wife and I walked in tired and hungry. We walked out talking about the meal—and already knowing that the next time the road takes us through Las Cruces, La Posta de Mesilla won’t simply be a convenient stop. It will be the destination.
The Takeaway: La Posta de Mesilla has earned a permanent spot on our must-stop list whenever our travels take us through Las Cruces. If you ever find yourself in the area, I would suggest making the short trip to Old Mesilla and experiencing it for yourself—the food, history, and atmosphere make it well worth the stop.
