Upon learning that a new Mexican restaurant named “Las Villas Taqueria” would be launching in Rio Rancho, the bilingual lexicologist in me didn’t immediately ponder the menu. Instead, my ruminations were of the translation of “Las Villas,” a Spanish term with several meanings depending on context. I pondered whethr the restaurant was named for small towns or settlements or for luxurious country homes, both translations of the term “las villas.” Then again, “Villas” is a common Spanish surname. After a superb meal with my dear friend Bill Resnik, I came to the conclusion that “Las Villas” is actually a diminutive form of “las maravillas,” or “the wonders.” That’s wonder as in “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration caused by something beautiful or unexpected.” I had not expected for Las Villas to be quite as good as it was.
Las Villas had its grand opening on 11 October 2025. It occupies the very high turnover space which most recently housed Whiptail and before that Banana Leaf. Visionaries (residents of Rio Rancho) have long surmised that one of the reasons tenants don’t last long at the space is because there is no direct entrance or egress. in fact, if you didn’t previously visit previous tenants, you’ll probably be confused as to how to get to Las Villas. Most of us just drive through the Twisters parking lot. You won’t see many vestiges of Whiptail though the space’s configuration is unchanged. Table seating is at floor level while booth seating is in an elevated platform.
Step inside and you’ll quickly espy a colorful array of Mexican papel picado banners (traditional folk art banners resembling decorative handkerchiefs) hanging from the ceiling. A few framed items hang on the restaurant’s walls, but honestly, Las Villas won’t win many awards for its aesthetics. It might, however, earn accolades a plenty for its food. Several of the usual suspects adorn the menu: tacos, burritos, quesadillas and tortas, but you’ll also espy such unique menu items as “alambre” (grilled meat (usually steak) chopped and mixed with bacon, onions, bell peppers, and topped with melted cheese), “mulitas” (essentially a “tortilla sandwich” made with two corn tortillas filled with cheese, meat (such as carne asada, chorizo, or carnitas), and other toppings such as onions and cilantro, then grilled until crispy and the cheese is melted), and “vampiros” (a cross between a taco, tostada, and quesadilla. Vampiros feature a crispy, toasted tortilla (often corn) covered in melted cheese—typically Oaxaca—and topped with meat such as carne asada, adobada, or birria).
Each table is adorned with three salsas in plastic bottles. Both may resemble avocado, but they’ll kick you back. You’ll find a bit more texture in the tomatillo salsa which has herbaceous notes and an acidic, tangy flavor. The other green salsa is made from cilantro and jalapeño. It’ll bite you back. So does the red salsa made from chile de arbol which has elements of smokiness and piquancy. Shortly after you’re seated, a server will ferry over a basket of chips and a bowl of the house salsa. The salsa isn’t especially piquant. It’s flecked with onions and cilantro, but is mostly liquid, akin to pureed tomatoes. After you scoop up all the onions and cilantro, you’re left with the messier option of having to dip your chips. The chips are low in salt and though somewhat thin, won’t fall apart under the weight of Gil-sized scoops of salsa.
I’ve visited many a taqueria in which I haven’t had a single taco. That wouldn’t happen at Las Villas. Not when tacos are constructed with your choice of al pastor, carne asada, barbacoa, pollo, nopal or vegetal. You can also request tacos de alambre where you’ll be treated to a melange of meats, cheese and condiments. Alambre may also be a Spanish term for wire, referring to an uninsulated, long piece of metal commonly used for tying, fencing, or construction, but there’s nothing wiry about tacos constructed with this meat mix.
13 February 2026: In recent years, thanks mostly to No Te Rajes (my favorite food truck in the world), the first item I typically order (if it’s available) during our first visit to a Mexican restaurant is a torta constructed with barbacoa. All too often I’ve been left disappointed because the barbacoa just doesn’t measure up to No Te Raje’s version. At Las Villas, this quandary was remedied by ordering two tacos de barbacoa. Bill described the barbacoa as “so meaty.” Indeed, the beef cheek meat is rich and unctuous. You’ll appreciate the onions and cilantro for tempering that richness. Salsa would have done so even more, but the barbacoa is so unbelievably delicious that I couldn’t think of altering it further. The corn tortillas have a pronounced flavor of fresh corn. The tortillas are just thick enough that you don’t need two of them to hold in the meat.
13 February 2026: Only a handful of Mexican restaurants in the Albuquerque area have introduced diners to mulitas. As a reminder, mulitas are essentially a “tortilla sandwich” made with two corn tortillas filled with cheese, meat (such as carne asada, chorizo, or carnitas), and other toppings such as onions and cilantro, then grilled until crispy and the cheese is melted. The chosen protein for my mulita was al pastor, magnificent pork marinated in dried chilies, spices, achiote, and pineapple. Rarely have I experienced al pastor this good. It was truly “una maravilla,” a delicious marvel that balanced sweet and savory notes in perfect harmony. This tortilla sandwich also included lettuce (just a little, unlike American sandwiches), onions, melted cheese, cilantro, salsa and guacamole. The melted cheese lent its salty, creamy qualities while the pineapple provided a much-appreciated tanginess. This is an outstanding (in all caps) sandwich!
23 April 2026: It’s bad enough that pinto beans (frijoles)–despite being one of the two official state vegetables of the great state of New Mexico–are a source of sophomoric humor. The groundbreaking Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles may best be remembered by the “campfire symphony” of outlaws enjoying a pot of beans. Predictably, the campfire victuals quickly devolves into a chorus of belches, burps, and farts that goes on for nearly a minute. The memorable scene is onsidered the first time there was an audible fart in American cinema, or at least the first film to popularize the joke. If it sounds like potentially embarassing bodily emanations are a reason not to order beans at a restaurant, I’ll give you a reason TO order them.
That reason is Taqueria Las Villas’ charro beans. Yeah, I know you’ve probably had charro beans before. More than likely they left you much more gaseous than impressed. These charro beans are outstanding! Picture a serving of pinto beans simmered with carne asada, Mexican wienies and onion seasoned to absolute perfection. Only one thing could make them better (I’ll suggest this). That’s including a flour tortilla with which to fashion New Mexico “spoons” in which to spoon out bite-size portions of the charro beans. No matter what else I may order during future visits, I can’t imagine not ordering charro beans at Las Villas’.
11 March 2026: When she married a New Mexican, my Kim didn’t know she’d be cooking a pot of beans with some regularity. Pinto beans the way her son likes them is one of the first things my mom taught my Kim. She didn’t teach my Kim how to create a quesadilla, probably surmising that this popular tortilla “sandwich” is simplicity itself. Simplicity, of course, can be delicious. That’s certainly true of Las Villas’ quesadilla filled with carne asada and a beautiful Mexican white melting queso served with sour cream and guacamole. The tortillas have a characteristic pinto pony charring and are stuffed generously with some of the best carne asada we’ve found.
23 April 2026: According to TasteAtlas, the Mexican torta is consistently ranked among the world’s best sandwiches, often appearing in the top 10 list (including an eighth place ranking in January, 2025). That places Mexico’s favorite sandwich in elite and rarefied company along with such sandwich stalwarts as banh mi, lobster rolls, brisket sandwiches and shawarma. In the January, 2025, the eighth-ranked torta was recognized for its mix of salty and spicy flavors and its ability to be eaten at any time of the day. It finished one spot ahead of the Maine lobster roll. Tortas are “luscious traditional sandwiches filled with delicious, mostly authentic Mexican ingredients,” noted the Croatia-based TasteAtlas.
My own ranking of the world’s best sandwiches would likely place the torta among the top five. As with all sandwiches, not are created equal. Some purveyors create a more delicious version of the torta than other torterias. Count Las Villas as among a handful of Mexican eateries in the Albuquerque area who serve a fabulous torta. The torta de barbacoa (served on a toasted telera with your choice of meat, lettuce, guacamole, beans, and cheese) is among the best you’ll find anywhere. As with all tortas, it starts with the bread, the canvas upon which proteins and additives are nestled. Las Villas sources its telera bread from Lindo Mexico Bakery, a Mexican bakery on Broadway. The telera is pillowy soft, slightly sweet and absolutely delicious. It’s so soft, however, that you might find yourself eating your torta with a fork. Pick it up and you risk depositing the contents of the torta onto your lap. You wouldn’t want to do so. The barbacoa (beef cheeks) is rich and unctuous, as delicious as the best barbacoa you’ve ever had.
Las Villas es un restaurante muy maravilloso. Denizens of the Duke City have yet another delicious reason to climb the hill to the City of Vision!
Las Villas Taqueria
355 Pat D’Arco Highway
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
(505) 892-7010
LATEST VISIT: 23 April 2026
1st VISIT: 13 February 2026
# OF VISITS: 3
RATING: Excellent – High quality dining experience; very good to excellent food, attentive service, and a well-maintained atmosphere; worth a detour.
COST: $$
BEST BET: Barbacoa Tacos, Mulita Al Pastor, Horchata, Chips and Salsa, Charro Beans, Quesadilla with Carne Asada, Torta De Barbacoa
REVIEW #1517