A Mesilla Meal With Birds, Piranhas and New Mexican Flavor

A meal here can begin with fresh chips and salsa and end with fried ice cream, but the route between those two points may include a chatty bird, an enormous cage, a fish tank and a look through rooms decorated with entirely different personalities. This historic Mesilla restaurant is a dining destination with eight themed rooms, each offering another corner to inspect.

The setting carries much of the pleasure. Its architecture, decorative layers and room-to-room variety have the warm, transportive quality many people associate with dining south of the border, while the menu stays grounded in New Mexican cooking. Come for lunch, a leisurely family dinner or a stop during a larger Mesilla outing; there is plenty here to keep a table talking.

Rather than one large dining hall, the restaurant spreads out through eight rooms. That arrangement gives a meal a more exploratory rhythm. A party might settle into one distinct space, then wander after eating to see what is around the next turn.

The rooms are not merely overflow seating. Their individual themes, architecture and decorations give the restaurant an old-fashioned sense of discovery. A family can spend a few minutes looking at the details between courses without feeling as if it has left the restaurant behind.

The mood can be calm enough for conversation or more animated during a busy service. That range suits the place: it can accommodate a couple settling in over margaritas just as readily as a table where grandparents, children and visiting relatives all have something to point out.

The live-animal displays are a memorable detour from the usual restaurant décor. Large bird cages and fish tanks are woven into the interior, and one tank includes piranha. They turn a post-meal stroll into a small browse rather than a straight line to the door.

Some birds may greet arriving diners with a hello or welcome, an unexpected bit of conversation from the décor. The animals are especially handy for children, but grown-ups tend to pause, too. The displays and specific animals can change over time, so they are best regarded as pleasant discoveries rather than a checklist.

There is also a connected gift-shop or jewelry-and-souvenir area. It gives visitors another reason to linger and brings a little of the restaurant's decorative spirit into a take-home browse.

The food has a strong regional New Mexico character, with Mexican and New Mexican standards served in generous portions. Fresh or homemade-style chips and salsa set the tone, a simple opening ritual that makes it easy to settle in while the table studies the menu.

Combo plates are a natural starting point for someone who wants a broad sampling. Shredded beef tacos, including crispy versions, chimichangas and pozole appear among the dishes diners seek out. Red chile salsa and green chile preparations provide the familiar regional fork in the road, and Hatch chiles show up in several dishes.

There is more than casual comfort food on the menu. Steak and tenderloin give a table some heartier options, and the steak has been noted for careful cooking, tenderness and flavor. That range helps when one person wants a plate of tacos while another is in the mood for a more substantial entrée.

Servers are known for having a solid command of the menu and its available adjustments, as well as for offering recommendations without making the ordering process feel fussy. With a menu this broad, that sort of guidance is useful.

The bar is a destination of its own, particularly for margaritas served on the rocks. A standard margarita works nicely with chile-rich dishes, but the spicy margarita is the more distinctive order.

Its rim combines salt, roasted pecan and honey, bringing a smoky-sweet note before the drink's heat even arrives. It is an unusually specific flourish, and one that suits a restaurant where ordinary details are rarely left entirely ordinary.

Indoor dining is joined by a bar area and an outdoor patio or terrace. The available seating gives a visit a few different rhythms, from a full dinner in one of the themed rooms to a drink-oriented stop at the bar.

Fried ice cream is a standout finish, the sort of dessert that gives a shared table an easy final decision. After a big combo plate or chimichanga, splitting one is perfectly sensible.

Sopapillas may also arrive as a meal-ending treat. They provide a simple, distinctly Southwestern closing note after the deeper flavors of red chile, green chile and slow-cooked meats.

This is a restaurant that works across generations. Some families return because it has long been part of their Mesilla routine; others arrive on a relative's recommendation and find that the food, rooms and animal displays give everyone at the table a different favorite detail.

Larger gatherings can use private rooms with advance reservations. The restaurant has hosted lunches of around 30 people, including customized preprinted menus and attentive table service, making it a practical choice for reunions, celebratory lunches and organized group meals.

Reservations and waits can vary with the day and time. Some visits move quickly from arrival to table, while busy periods can bring a longer pause. Parking includes a free lot and free street parking, though finding a space is not equally easy at every hour.