El Encanto — Restaurant in Las Vegas

El Encanto, a family-owned and operated restaurant, has been a fixture in the northwest corner of the plaza in Las Vegas, NM, for about 30 years. Upon entering, I immediately noticed a strong local presence, with patrons greeting each other and enjoying their meals. The waitress addressed several customers by their first names, a clear sign of a beloved local establishment. The sight of the restaurant's family members working together added a heartwarming touch that is rarely seen.

I opted for the chile relleno combo plate with red chile, as green chile was out of season. A local struck up a conversation with me—a common occurrence in New Mexico towns like Las Vegas or Española—and we discussed the different types of chile and regional foods from northern and southern New Mexico. When my food arrived, I was impressed by the generous portions. However, they were a bit sparse on the mashed beans, which I suspected were not fresh. The red chile sauce, while good, contained chile flakes, which might be their signature style, so I won't fault them for it. The taco was decent, though the meat was a bit dry and overcooked. The standout of the meal was undoubtedly the chile rellenos—they were excellent. Overall, the food at El Encanto surpassed many other so-called New Mexico restaurants I've...

We were traveling through from camping in the mountains. We wanted a good breakfast & Mexican food hits the spot always. Esther L. greeted us with a smile, quickly got our drink order, then gave us time to make our decision. She did a great job working the room, fulfilling everyone’s needs quickly. This is a NEW Mexican food place, not TexMex. Both are good, but don’t be confused when you go here. I had the Breakfast Smothered Burrito with sausage & Wife had 1/2 order of Huevos Rancheros, both were delicious. Wife tried my burrito & said she liked it more, but it was too big for her. The inside is a basic cafe not fancy, clean, & felt like down home. Place was most full of locals, not even needing the menu to order. Right down town in the square (really a circle). It was early morning so we found a place for our 30’ RV on the other side of square by an closed building. If we would have had more time, would have hit the shops. If you like New Mexican food this place...

The food had absolutely no flavor. I'm not exaggerating one bit. The food was TERRIBLE. My potatoes were undercooked. The breakfast burrito my bf ordered was also tasteless and cold in the middle. When we walked in, I saw the cook who was a little old lady & thought 'this food is going to be amazing!' It wasn't. The waitress brought out only my boyfriend's food, another employee had to tell her to get my food, and even asked her sarcastically, if she worked there. The staff was sitting at a table, obviously family, talking very loudly about their personal lives. It was unpleasant. I don't go into restaurants wanting to hear the dirty details of...