La Salita in Albuquerque

Chips and salsa

A great New Mexican experience. And I have to respectfully disagree with an ol' Urbanspoon Prime acquaintance on their B.O.G. Burrito. It was fabulous, and lordy was there a ton of braised pork in it. I got it 'christmas' and boy it did bring the heat. But they have Sopapillas a la carte for $.25 per, so I got the table eight of those beauties for sopping up the goodness. The thing that surprised me most was the kiddos really enjoyed the house salsa and queso dip. Great flavor, and also had quite the bite. I guess they'll experience their first 'ring of fire' sometime in the near future (wink, wink). Service was stellar. Hostess, manager, and our wonderful server were checking on us the whole time with smiles, making sure we were in want for nothing. Their service was genuine, with a place packed on a Tuesday night. They were treating the whole dining area the same. My takeaway thought for you: this joint is professed to be one of the top NM restaurants in the ABQ, and I believe that to be true, because they cater to regular folks. Not a fake, uber-expensive experience for the tourists. They've been there since 1965. That's staying power, Gunga Din. We loved it...

Some of the best Rellenos in town.. My wife is from up in northern NM Santa Cruz/Penasco area, so we're always on the look out for authentic Northern New Mexican cuisine. La Salita definitely delivers. From their tender stuffed sopaipillas to their interesting relleno choices, La Salita's execution is authentic, great tasting and consistent. I find the chips served with warmed green chile salsa and the cinnamon sugar & 100% clover honey for your sopas a nice yet simple touch. The restaurant holds somewhat odd hours ie: closed on Sundays, so check to make sure they're open before you cruise for a seriously delicious bite. Plates average around $10-12.00+ and this may seem a bit excessive for standard potato, corn, bean based NM fare but I assure you, the flavors, small details (a few listed above) and level of hand-crafted execution is worth the extra dollar or two per dinner plate. If you are a relleno fan like myself, get the swiss cheese relleno and a avocado stuffed relleno - the swiss is creamy and wonderful and cooking the avocado brings out a wonderful sweetness and a firmer, potato-esque texture. My wife and I usually get out of there after 7% sales tax and drinks for around $35-38.00. If we stick to water, around $30.00. It's a great little gem in...