Carrillos Cafe

2 Reviews on “Carrillos Cafe”

• Rob Paul

  MOM AND POP NEW MEXICAN FOOD RESTAURANTSeveral years ago I had this restaurant ranked in the top ten or twelve for Mexican food restaurants around Las Cruces, but no longer. Carrillo’s Cafe has dropped more in my rankings over the past four or five years than any other. It now finds itself ranked number THIRTY-TWO (32nd) in town. To speak frankly, the food has gone downhill.A few years ago Carrillo’s did a little renovation which improved the ambiance a bit, but this still remains a long, narrow place with cheap metal frame chairs and tables sometimes too small to accommodate four people. This place is for very casual dining only. It is not a thrilling place to dine….to say the least. Usually only one server is present and he or she is responsible for bringing your menu, taking phone orders, taking your order at the table, helping back in the kitchen, bringing your food out, following-up, and cashing you out. The server does a decent job for all that and remains personable. No complaints with the service.Keep in mind……Carrillo’s does not take credit cards; cash and checks only.The food is essentially New Mex cuisine with burgers thrown in. Prices are the norm. David Carrillo, owner and chef, used to do all the cooking but I am not certain how much involvement he has any more as the food quality has steadily gone downhill. (It appears as of late 2018 he is still back there cooking!)Carrillo’s used to have good salsa but the last few times I’ve visited it was watery and flavorless. In late 2018 it was the same……it had a bite but it was totally flavorless. The tampico steak used to be one of my favorite meals here, but the last time I ordered it the meal was nothing but a lump of tasteless hamburger meat…..overcooked and somewhat burned. I had difficulty trying to finish it. Most recently I had JAIME’S PLATTER. The salsa this day was terrible. It was like eating tomato sauce with a bit of chile added. The green chile con carne was mediocre, the chile relleno was mushy and burned, and the enchilada nothing to write home about. The hard shell taco with ground beef was mediocre stuff as well. I also sampled a red chile meat burrito. It was rather mellow as if cheese had been added to the chile. This was a very average burrito for around here….nothing special. It certainly did not have a robust red chile flavor. Their green chile cheeseburger is ok.IN LATE 2018…..I ordered their super Mexican plate: The hard shell taco was mediocre with flavorless ground beef, the red enchilada was the norm, the green enchilada was very cheesy and not so great. The refried beans were fair, the CHILE RELLENO WAS POOR with a thick tasteless batter which made it difficult to taste the wimpy chile. It seemed as if the relleno had been sitting around for awhile and not freshly cooked. The GREEN CHILE CON CARNE WAS VERY GOOD…….THE ONLY GOOD PART OF THE MEAL. After this meal I doubt I will return.What to expect if you go: A very casual restaurant, long, narrow, a little drab and somewhat dark. Folks are usually sitting in very close proximity. The one staff member waiting tables and handling the front usually does a decent job. The food quality is kind of average to poor…..depends on the dish and the day. I don’t know what is going on with the food, but whatever it is, it aint good.MEXICAN FOOD RATING = ABOUT THIRTY OR THIRTY-TWO AROUND TOWN.Restaurant rating = THREE STARS……meaning, pretty mediocre. Not a thrilling experience. I don’t go there much any more.

  January 9, 2019, 4:24 am

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• NMRawker

  Delicious Mexican Food. We’ve been dining at Carrillo’s Cafe for over twenty years, and not once have we had a bad meal at the cafe! The only drawback is they do not serve beer and wine.This tucked away place behind the Pick Quick on Amador on the north side of the building serves awesome Mexican Food along with some delicious American dishes as well. Though the establishment is narrow, and in need of a remodel, it’s comfortable, CLEAN, the service is good, and the prices are very reasonable! The owner, David Carrillo, makes some of the best green enchiladas in Las Cruces, along with his tacos, rellenos, chile con carne, and hamburgers! Yup, his green chile cheese burger is one of the best in New Mexico! Everything on the menu is made from scratch and made when you order it! The chili con-queso is superb; be sure to request either a small or large one once the waiter brings your complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa is good, but even better if you take some home and eat it the next day! The tortilla chips are the traditional New Mexican chip, and made fresh daily! They are not greasy nor over salted. One of the best things about Carrillo’s outside of the food is that you can add or change an item for another selection on any dish David prepares. So if you don’t want beans you can add rice instead, don’t want fries? Add a chile relleno instead, and smother it with David’s chile con queso! Out of all of the Mexican Food restaurants in Las Cruces, Carrillo’s Cafe is one of the top five in my opinion and many others as well!

  November 26, 2012, 8:09 pm

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