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Welcome to the only source for artful, bite-sized stories and diverse perspectives on the New Mexico food and drink scene. This week, Leah Romero visits a restaurant that’s been getting a lot of buzz in the southern reaches of the state.
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A Guadalajaran Oasis in Southern New Mexico
The road to Guadalajara is a long one—about eighteen hours from Las Cruces by car. But if you take a slight detour on New Mexico State Road 28, you’ll come across a little Guadalajaran oasis by the name of Casa El Camino Restaurant & Cantina in La Mesa.
Right across the street from longtime local favorite Chope’s Bar & Café, Casa El Camino celebrated its two-year anniversary in December 2025. An explosion of color, warmth, and aroma hits you the moment you walk through the door. Inside, the bar sits to your right, the main dining room to your left—and no matter where you land, you’re likely to find a regular enjoying a meal and a drink.
New Mexico Roots, Guadalajara Soul
I’m not a complete newcomer to Casa El Camino, but I’m still exploring the menu’s many offerings. It’s clear early on that this isn’t the standard “Mexican restaurant” fare you often find in New Mexico. While the influence of local flavors is unmistakable—you can’t operate in the Land of Enchantment without honoring the holy grail of green chile—there’s a deeper Guadalajaran through line running throughout the menu.
Green chile appears atop the queso fundido, inside La Tradicional Burger, and blended into the restaurant’s specialty green sauce used in its house enchiladas. But the molcajete dishes, red menudo, and carne en su jugo firmly anchor the menu in western Mexican tradition.
Queso Fundido and First Impressions
On a recent visit, I started with the queso fundido, topped with both chorizo and green chile—though you can choose one, the other, or just plain queso (not to be confused with the chile con queso ubiquitous throughout the Southwest). The steaming-hot dish arrives with warm complimentary corn tortillas, perfect for scooping up the gooey melted Monterey Jack blend.
The chorizo adds smoky spice, while the Hatch green chile delivers a gentle bite without overpowering the dish. It’s rich, comforting, and instantly sets the tone for the meal.
Food Inspired by Family and Place
One of Casa El Camino’s three co-owners, Adalberto Orozco, grew up on a pig farm outside Guadalajara, Jalisco. He later relocated to the borderland region, joining Nicole Stewart and Daniel Fernandez as co-owners of House of Rock and House of Rock Early Bird Grill and Bar in El Paso.
Two years ago, while riding his motorcycle through the area south of Las Cruces, Orozco was struck by the landscape. “Oh my God, I am in Jalisco,” he recalled thinking, referencing the green fields and trees that reminded him of home.
Orozco now oversees much of the kitchen at Casa El Camino, drawing inspiration from his childhood, when his mother cooked meals the family shared together after long days working on the farm. While the food isn’t strictly “typical” Guadalajaran cuisine, it’s contemporary, deeply personal, and shaped by the flavors and essence of home.
The carne en su jugo is among the more traditional offerings: slow-roasted beef and bacon in a tomatillo broth, topped with onion and cilantro. “He likes to incorporate dishes people recognize, but still introduce them to flavors they may not be familiar with,” said Casa El Camino manager Andrea Landeros.
Tacos de Fideo Seco and the Star of the Menu
On my latest visit, I ordered the tacos de fideo seco—a dish I was familiar with only in soup form. Three toasted corn tortillas arrive filled with savory fideo cooked in a house blend of spices to a rice-like consistency, topped with fresh avocado, cotija, chipotle salsa, and sour cream.
It’s simple on the surface, but deeply satisfying—like a bowl of sopa de fideo wrapped in a tortilla and finished with cool, creamy contrast. You can also order the fideo seco as a side or on its own.
Then there’s the molcajete, which Orozco calls the “star of the restaurant.” Served in a traditional volcanic stone mortar, the dish arrives bubbling with your choice of protein—chicken, shrimp, sirloin, or all three (“cielo, mar y tierra”)—alongside panela cheese, grilled chorizo, green onion, and nopal, all bathed in a house sauce of chipotle, green chile, and tomatoes. Heads turn as it makes its way through the dining room.
Menudo, Mariachi, and Weekend Magic
Weekend visitors can enjoy red chile menudo, served with two fresh bolillos for dipping. While I’m not personally a menudo fan, I have it on excellent authority—my mom—that Casa El Camino’s version is bold, hearty, and deeply flavorful without being heavy.
On Sundays, the dining room may come alive with live music from Mariachi Águilas de Las Cruces. During one visit, a table requested “El Noa Noa,” and the room transformed into a spontaneous dance party of musicians and patrons alike. Though Orozco’s passion is the kitchen, you’ll often see him mingling with guests and enjoying the music.
A Sweet Ending: Pastel de Elote
To finish your meal, don’t skip the pastel de elote: a warm corn cake served with vanilla ice cream and a maraschino cherry. While the dessert is often custard-like in Mexico, Orozco opted for a moist, cornbread-style consistency.
Made with half white corn from Mexico and half yellow corn from New Mexico, the dessert is another thoughtful blend of cultures. Not overly sweet on its own, the corn’s savory notes shine when paired with cold ice cream. It’s ideal for sharing—or keeping entirely to yourself.
Orozco believes every Mexican restaurant has its own special touch, and he’s proud of the mark Casa El Camino has made. “This is for the people,” he said.
Casa El Camino Restaurant & Cantina
109 E Corpening St, La Mesa, NM
575-448-7115
