Why This New Mexico All-You-Can-Eat Mexican Buffet Has So Many Tempting Choices

Chips, salsa, and a steaming tray of enchiladas can make anyone forget the plan to save room. New Mexico has an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet where the choices stretch from one end of the room to the other.

Red and green chile simmer in deep pans, and the smell reaches the door. Tacos, tamales, and sopaipillas sit within easy reach.

Rice and beans stay warm through every lunch rush. Families fill long tables, swapping plates and dares over who can handle the hottest salsa.

Regulars have a favorite route down the line and rarely change it. Dessert waits at the end with flan, churros, and sweet sopaipillas.

Plenty of diners return for a second lap before they decide what they liked best. This buffet proves that variety is the real star of a great Mexican spread.

Two Cuisines Share One Buffet Line

Picture a plate with an enchilada on one side and an egg roll on the other. At Margarita’s Restaurant, that combo is not a mistake. It is the whole idea.

The buffet mixes Mexican and Chinese food in one long spread. You might find red chile dishes sitting a few inches from fried rice and stir-fried vegetables.

It sounds odd on paper, and then it makes total sense once the flavors start bouncing around together.

Here is the fun part about a mixed buffet. Nobody at the table has to argue about where to eat.

One person can load up on tacos while another goes straight for sweet and sour chicken.

Families with picky eaters really benefit from this setup. Kids who turn up their noses at spicy food can grab rice and fried chicken bites.

Adults who crave heat can pile on the salsa and chile.

A smart move is to take small scoops on your first trip. That way you can sample both sides of the menu without filling up too soon.

Think of round one as a tasting tour, then return for the winners.

The mix also keeps things from getting boring. Your second plate can look completely different from your first, which is exactly what a buffet should do.

All of this happens at 409 E 2nd St, Roswell, NM 88201, just a short hop from downtown.

Tacos Come In More Flavors Than You Can Count

Ask five people for their favorite taco, and you will get five answers. Margarita’s seems to have planned for that argument ahead of time.

The taco lineup includes barbacoa, fajita, pollo, bistec, and picadillo. Barbacoa is slow-cooked beef that turns soft and rich.

Bistec is thin steak, while picadillo is seasoned ground beef that tastes like a cozy family dinner.

Then there are the fun surprises. The kitchen has served Chinese chicken tacos and orange chicken tacos, which are the kind of mash-up only a Mexican and Chinese restaurant would dream up. It is a little wild, and that is the charm.

Rolled tacos also show up on the menu. These are crispy, crunchy, and perfect for dunking in salsa.

Kids tend to treat them like edible straws, which is honestly fair.

Here is a tip for taco lovers. Try one classic and one oddball on the same plate.

Comparing them side by side is half the fun, and you might find a new favorite you never expected.

Fun fact for your next trivia night. The word taco was first used for small explosive charges in Mexican silver mines.

Thankfully, these tacos only blow up your taste buds, not the dining room.

Bring an appetite and a little curiosity. The taco section alone could keep you busy for weeks.

Breakfast Plates Worth Waking Up For

Some people say breakfast is the most important meal. At Margarita’s, it might also be the most colorful one.

The morning-style dishes here lean hearty. Huevos rancheros arrive with eggs, tortillas, and a zippy sauce.

Huevos a la mexicana mix eggs with tomato, onion, and chile, which gives you the colors of the Mexican flag right on your fork.

Chilaquiles get their own spotlight. There are verdes, rojos, and rancheros, so you can pick green, red, or something in between.

If you have never tried them, chilaquiles are tortilla chips simmered in sauce until they turn soft at the edges and crunchy in the middle.

That texture is the whole point. You want some chips to stay crisp while others soak up flavor.

Eating them fast is not rude here; it is strategy.

A quick history bite might surprise you. Chilaquiles started as a clever way to use up stale tortillas, so no food went to waste.

Grandmas everywhere were basically recycling champions. Not a morning person? No problem at all.

These dishes taste just as great at lunch, and nobody will judge you for eating eggs in the afternoon.

One helpful idea is to share. Order one red and one green plate with a friend, then swap halfway.

It settles the which sauce is better debate without anyone getting grumpy.

Green Chile Heat Keeps Things Honest

Visitors from Texas sometimes learn a quick lesson in New Mexico. The chile here does not play around.

New Mexico food leans hard on chile, both fresh green and dried red. That means dishes like enchiladas verdes carry a deeper, earthier kick than many folks expect.

At Margarita’s, the green enchiladas are a standout pick for anyone who likes a little heat with dinner.

The chile relleno is another local-style favorite. A big pepper gets stuffed with cheese, coated, and cooked until golden.

It is comfort food with a spicy secret inside. Worried about the heat level? Start small.

Take a bite of the sauce alone before you commit to a full plate.

Here is a sneaky trick from chile country. Rice and beans calm your tongue better than water does. A tortilla works too, so keep one nearby like a fire extinguisher.

Fun fact time. New Mexico is the only state with an official state question, and it goes like this: red or green. If you cannot decide, you can say Christmas and get both.

That little tradition says a lot about how much people here love chile. It is not just a topping; it is part of the culture.

Tasting it at a buffet is an easy, low-pressure way to find your own answer to the big question.

Chinese Favorites Bring The Crunch

Nobody expects to find fried rice in a place named after a Mexican classic. That surprise is exactly why the Chinese side of the menu gets people talking.

Sweet and sour chicken is one of the big hits. It comes out crispy with a shiny, tangy sauce. Egg rolls, Chinese vegetables, and steamed rice usually round out the spread.

Then there is jalapeño chicken, which feels like the moment the two kitchens shook hands. It brings Chinese cooking style with a Southwest bite.

If any single dish explains this restaurant, that might be the one.

The fried rice deserves its own shout. It is loaded with shrimp, chicken, and beef, and portions can stretch into leftovers for days. Bring a hungry friend or plan on lunch tomorrow.

A practical tip for the buffet is timing. Chinese dishes can move fast when the room is busy, so grab them early.

Fresh trays tend to show up as the crowd rolls through.

Here is a fun little history nugget. Sweet and sour flavors have been popular in Chinese cooking for centuries, especially in the Cantonese style.

Restaurants in America made the bright red version famous. Mixing a scoop of fried rice with a spoonful of salsa sounds strange. Try it anyway. Some of the best food ideas started with someone ignoring the rules.

Quesadillas Sopes And Gorditas For Snackers

Not every hunger calls for a giant platter. Sometimes you just want something cheesy, warm, and easy to hold.

That is where quesadillas, sopes, and gorditas come in. A quesadilla is the simplest joy on Earth, melted cheese folded inside a tortilla. Add meat, and it turns into a full meal.

Sopes look like little edible boats. The thick masa base has pinched edges that hold beans, meat, lettuce, and salsa. They are sturdy, so toppings stay put instead of landing in your lap.

Gorditas are the puffy cousins. The name means little chubby one in Spanish, which is adorable and accurate. They get split open and stuffed like a pocket.

Burritos are on the list too, for anyone who wants everything wrapped up neatly. And for the fearless, the chimichanga turns a burrito into a crispy treat.

Here is a helpful idea for groups. Order a few of these small bites and share them family style.

Everyone gets to taste three or four things instead of being stuck with one.

Kids especially love finger foods like these. Quesadillas are a safe bet for younger eaters, while sopes let older kids build their own bite.

It turns dinner into a mini craft project, minus the glitter cleanup.

Hearty Fajitas And A Cozy Beef Stew

You hear fajitas before you see them. That sizzle across the dining room turns heads every single time.

Margarita’s offers fajitas with chicken, beef, or a mix of both. Peppers and onions get grilled until soft and slightly charred.

Wrap it all in a tortilla, add salsa, and you have built your own perfect bite.

On quieter, chillier days, the guiso de res might be the better call. It is a Mexican beef stew packed with tender meat and a savory broth.

Think of it as a warm hug in a bowl.

Stews like this are classic home cooking in Mexico. Families often let them simmer for hours so the flavors blend. Every spoonful tastes like someone cared.

A handy tip is to ask for warm tortillas with your stew. Tearing off a piece and dipping it into the broth is half the experience. Spoons are optional, honestly.

Here is a fun bit of food history. Fajitas trace back to ranch workers in Texas who cooked cheap cuts of skirt steak over open fires.

Now they are a star on menus across the country.

Between the sizzling skillet and the slow-cooked stew, there is something for both hungry moods. One is loud and flashy, the other is quiet and comforting. Both deliver.

Salad Bar Seafood And A Sweet Finish

Every great buffet needs a plot twist near the end. Here, it comes in the form of salad, seafood, and a dessert with a double identity.

The salad bar gives you a fresh break between heavier plates. Crisp greens and toppings help balance out all that cheese and chile.

It also lets you tell yourself you ate a vegetable today.

Seafood fans have options too. Shrimp, Mexican style, is cool, tangy, and loaded with tomato and lime.

Fried fish and shrimp dinners also appear on the menu for anyone craving something golden and crunchy.

Then comes chocoflan. People sometimes call it impossible cake.

That is because chocolate cake and creamy flan are baked together, and the layers magically swap places in the oven.

It sounds like a science experiment, and kind of is. The heavier cake batter starts on the bottom, then rises above the flan as it bakes.

The result is rich, silky, and topped with caramel.

A smart plan is to save a little room. Many people fill up on round two and skip dessert, which is a real shame here. Even a few bites are worth it.

Wash it all down with something cold, like a fruity agua fresca. Then lean back, look at your empty plate, and start planning the next trip.