Mesilla, NM
(575) 524-3524
La Posta
La Posta was founded in 1939, and has been a popular tourist destination ever since. Mrs. Josephine Griggs came from a pioneer Mesilla family, and her daughter Katherine used Mrs. Griggs’ recipes when opening La Posta. Other Griggs children founded Griggs Restaurant in El Paso and El Pinto in Albuquerque.
Across from the Mesilla Plaza, the historic building in which La Posta is located is quite interesting (and I recommend a visit to the building whether or not you eat at the restaurant). While inside you can visit the gift shop, see the indoor patio with plants and birds, or simply wander around the building.
The entrance
La Posta represents a milestone to me, being my first experience with New Mexican food in the southern part of the state. At that time it had authentic spicy New Mexican food, and was almost too hot for me to eat. Since that time the restaurant became a tourist destination spot where many people from across the fruited plain and far-flung regions of the country came to experience the Southwestern culture but not necessarily to subject their taste buds to a trial by fire by the local chile to which the area’s residents were quite accustomed.
This led to a long period where I found the food here to not have the spice level that I thought was necessary to really call this New Mexican food. After a visit in 2005 I gave a low rating to almost all of the food except the iconic sopapillas and the mild but very flavorful green enchiladas. Spoiler alert: Now (in 2025) I find the food to again have a healthy amount of chile heat as well as the delicious flavors of the Griggs family recipes.
Gift shop
As you enter the building there are some shops, including the La Posta Chile Shop where they sell gifts, bottles of La Posta’s salsa, and a cookbook with the restaurant’s recipes. Also here is the Matteo Jewelry Store.
The waiting area at Christmas
In the area where a receptionist will greet you is a large indoor patio with fountains, live birds, and indoor plants which provide a pleasant atmosphere if you have to wait for a table. The area is also festively decorated for any approaching holidays.
The waiting area during Cinco de Mayo
A Look Back To a 2005 Visit
Plates of food are just about to reach a large group of hungry patrons
I was impressed that the Chiles Rellenos did not have sauce on top, so diners could get a glimpse of what the New Mexico style relleno should be. The chile had almost no discernible heat, but being in the heart of chile growing country assured that La Posta would offer fresh and flavorful chiles.
A highlight of the restaurant was the Green Enchilada (this was also my favorite dish at Griggs Restaurant in El Paso). Abuelita Griggs’ recipe came through fairly well here, and it did have a little bit of spice.
I did not try the Sopapillas on this visit, but the ones I saw come out of the kitchen were large and fluffy as they should be. This is something I always remember as one of the special treats at La Posta.
Flan and guacamole spotted in the kitchen
I also liked the fact that La Posta uses vegetable oil for all the cooking, including the refried beans (but I don’t know why they don’t serve whole pinto beans instead of refried).
Chips and salsa were one of the better parts of the meal, and I did like the salsa they sold in the gift shop.
Fast Forward to the Present
My recent experience at La Posta has again made me rank it among the top tier of New Mexican restaurants in the area. The spice level is there and the flavors offer a good representation of New Mexican food. Adding the ambiance of the historic building, this is a good choice for the Las Cruces area.
Chips and salsa
I think the Salsa follows the Griggs family recipe to a great degree as described in the book Enchantment: A New Mexican Cookbook (pp. 266- 267 Green Chile Sauce and Jalapeño Sauce recipes from “A Family Affair”). La Posta’s salsa has a potent heat that I think many people can enjoy even if they want the meal to be on the less spicy side. La Posta initiated a new policy that I first heard about in 2025 in which any spicy food can be prepared to be mild upon request (with the mild food containing tomatoes to tone it down). Giving customers a choice sounds like a great idea, and I think La Posta can do it because of the volume of business that they do.
Combo plate
The Combo Plate (of which there are four choices) is a good way to experience various dishes here. Mine had a choice of a red or green enchilada. Along with it came a taco, chile relleno, rice, beans, and slaw. The Chile Relleno came with a sauce on top but I asked them to omit it, and I was pleased with the result. It had a flavorful cheese and the chile was easy to cut (along with other features that are done the right way).
Other items were about standard for Las Cruces except for the Slaw which has stood out as a genuine treat since the first time I tried the Griggs family version at the El Paso Griggs Restaurant.
Due to my failure to read the menu closely I ended up with a Green Enchilada with Ground Beef. I could not judge whether the green enchilada was as good as I remembered because just about all I could taste was the ground beef. To me this was not really something to get excited about. I am assuming that I would still like the green enchiladas with cheese as much as before.
Red enchilada
Fortunately for me, I had ordered a Red Enchilada a la carte, which comes as a default with cheese but no meat sauce. This was the proof to me that La Posta is now a very good New Mexican style restaurant. Perhaps it has been this way all along, but now I know and will want to return. The spice level on this is about average for Las Cruces but far into the upper range on a national scale. The red chile flavor is among the best I have tried in the area.
Flan
The Flan was a fitting end to a very good meal. I liked the fact that it had a consistency that was neither runny nor overcooked.
Summing It Up
There are few restaurants which seem to have the variety of items that are served here, so it could be that there is a great choice of items I have not yet discovered.
The kitchen
No restaurant in or near Las Cruces can match La Posta’s beautiful old building, charm, or historic setting. Stop by for drinks, dessert, a snack, looking in the gift shop, or just seeing the historic building, even if you do not want to order a meal here. I think it will be worth it.
View of La Posta from the Plaza
The town of Mesilla is a well known tourist attraction, and is one which I find very interesting and worthwhile visiting. Most of the restaurants and shops are located on the Plaza, where there is free parking either on the Plaza or not far away. I think the town lost a number of small shops and other businesses during the pandemic, but the food, scenery, architecture, and people keep me coming back.
Mrs. Griggs cookbook published in 1968
RATING: 24
Cuisine: Mexican New Mexican
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer, wine, drinks
Most Recent Visit: Feb. 24, 2025
Number of Visits: 8
Best Items: Red Enchiladas, Green Enchiladas, Chile Relleno, Slaw, Sopapillas
Mexican Food Details
| Chile Index: |  |
| Cooking Oil: | Vegetable |
 |
Red Enchiladas |
|
Chile Relleno |
|
Slaw |
|
Chips |
|
Salsa |
|
Sopapillas |
The staff at La Posta de Mesilla are excited to be open and serving you. For your safety and peace of mind, we have instituted recommendations from the CDC to protect you from COVID-19. This includes indoor dine-in at 25% capacity, and plenty of outdoor and patio seating. And of course, disinfecting our tables, chairs and menus, requiring mask while sitting at the table and for our staff. Thank you ‘y buen provecho’! “Still Everyone’s Favorite Stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach Line!” Registered National Historic Landmark
I’m so glad La Posta has reclaimed its rightful spot as one of the Las Cruces area’s best New Mexican restaurants–and especially that the chile once again has the piquancy we both love.