Anita's New Mexico Style Mexican Food — Restaurant in Fairfax

I grew up on the border between El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico. Not to far away was Las Cruces, New Mexico. I know a thing or two about Mexican food, and food infused with chiles from New Mexico. The lunch combo was a chicken tamal (not tamale, that extra E is too much), a chicken enchilada, accompanied by rice and beans. The chicken was perfectly seasoned. The rice and beans were well-made. What impressed me the most was the tamal. It had been a while since I had tamales, and this one did not disappoint. Not too firm and not soggy at all. The spice level was perfect for me, but your mileage may vary. The enchilada sauce was nice and silky, not smothered in cheese or with oily drops separating from it. It’s clear to me that the people cooking taste their food AND they know how Mexican food should taste. This was a nice reminder of the “comidas corridas,” the fast food prepared at little hole-in-the-wall places near business centers that cater to people who need to eat something good and inexpensive. The chips and salsa were just extra and probably not needed... But it was nice to have those extra chips to scoop up the beans and rice. Four out of five stars only because it was so crowded and loud. The wait staff were on it, though. No one was standing around. They came by often enough to refill my drink but not too often that they interrupted me. Might give it five stars if I come in when it’s less busy, less crowded, and the food remains just...

Full disclosure: I was born and raised in Southern Colorado and grew up on "New Mexican style" Mexican food.

Bottom line up front: Lower than average, overpriced, Mexican food that does not live up to the New Mexican style claim.

After three years living abroad without the availability of Mexican food, we wanted Mexican food bad! We found Anita's via Google, read a few reviews and decided it would be our first meal.

It was a beautiful evening in early May 2013, and my family of four ate outside in Anita's (in Fairfax) quaint outside dining area. The service was fast and friendly enough. We were provided free tortilla chips and salsa. The chips were stale and soggy with oil and the salsa was watery, but with a good flavor.

I ordered a burrito with shredded pork marinated in "New Mexican" roasted green chile and smothered in the same green chile. The green chile tasted just like the canned green chiles that are purchased at a typical grocery store and not the roasted green chilies that are found throughout the Southwest. The tortilla was clearly not homemade and the green chile was underwhelming. Admittedly, the shredded pork tasted pretty good.

Overall, if you're in the mood for below average Mexican food, you've found your place.

My kids both had the taquito and taco platter. Certainly....just average with crunchy taco shells that tasted just like the kind purchased at your average grocery store.

It's too bad; we...

Visited for first time on a Friday morning just after opening time to have breakfast with a friend. My work had ordered breakfast burritos for a few events I had missed, so I was curious to see what my colleagues were tasting. To balance eating lighter with wanting some form of breakfast meat and fruit in my breakfast, I ordered a vegetarian burrito, pork pupusa, and plantains without beans. The burrito was pleasantly warm, vegetables were cooked well without being over cooked, and the salsa portion and flavor dressed everything well. The pupusa had some welcome crispiness on the outside (I could have had a little more personally) and the pork was reasonably portioned inside. The plantains had a good crunch and light brown exterior consistent with a good fry in regularly cleaned oil. Our server was attentive throughout as one might expect given the few customers present that early in the morning. She had a pleasant demeanor and brought food within a reasonable time from ordering (felt like 10-12 minutes). The interior appeared clean even if the space might be less used in favor of drive-through service which had a few cars in line for the better part of our time there. My friend and I decided we could have future meetings here at this time, so I anticipate trying other menu items in the future with hopefully the same cheerful and efficient service and good cooking in...