El Farolito Restaurant

A tiny gem in an out of the way corner of New Mexico. They fed our large group with tolerance and hospitality. I had the most creamy, delicious guac of my life, with crispy fresh made chips. I had the enchiladas with both red and green sauce which were lovely, but the highlight were the chewy, hot, and utterly delicious sopapillas drizzled with honey. If you're in the neighborhood, do stop by.

Stumbled upon this place while going from Taos to Abiquiu. Food and service were both very good and when we mentioned this great "out of the way" place to a local in Abiquiu we got a knowing smile. Definitely worth a side trip if you're in the area.

This reviewer, Mixmaster Mez, is a 2-souled being. One soul is green, the other red. Together, we have been making pilgrimage to El Farolito since well before the turn of the millennium. Let the Green soul speak.

Chef del Farolito is the High Priest of green chile. I let out something like  the gospel cry of The Staple Singers'  "I know I Got Religion"  when I taste this soul food: savory, meaty, juicy, earthy, hot. Makes me wanna quit my day job, buy the vacant general store across the road from the restaurant, and set up shop just so I can take green chile lunch breaks at El Farolito.

Okay, now Red. It's hard get more deeply divey than El Farolito, but what a little light it is. Slightly smaller than my first studio apartment and packed with picnic tables that literally have you booty-to-booty, this place is peopled by locals and in-the-know tourists alike. Want to overhear conversations that range from how Hans Kung's Stiftung Weltethos is a misguided attempt to homogenize faith traditions, to how-in-hell the "N" in the new "El Rito Community Center" center sign was plasma cut backward but still welded on to the gate, then this is the place for you. The deep red chile is complex with a little heat and is vegetarian, and goes perfectly with burritos filled with frijoles enteros and cheddar. The rellenos are fresh and well prepared, and twice as good (at least) as at places charging three times as much. Eating here is like being invited over to a local's home for dinner--if you got to order off a surprisingly large menu (including fresh pies and cookies) and had to pay cash for your meal (they take no plastic and charge extra for IOUs). The service is usually very friendly (perhaps a bit less so when they're packed, understandably), and it's BYOB if that's your thing.

Definitely check this place out--unless it's Monday or between 2:30 and 4:30 pm when they're closed. Oh, and do note that their area code has changed from 505 to 575, contrary to what the Yelp info says.

Let your little light shine. And while in El Rito, why not visit the studio of potter/multimedia artists Kathleen and Terry Vanderbrook? Beautiful work, gracious people, fair prices.