Chile Verde Cafe

Chile Verde is tucked back in a shopping center on the endless strip mall that is Sawmill. The intimate eatery offers carefully prepared Southwestern cuisine.

This restaurant makes food that would be termed Tex-Mex or Southwestern cooking (they call it New Mexican cuisine). What separates them from the competition is the quality of the food. Chile Verde is a big step up from the everyday fast-casual Mexican eateries that permeate (some might say pollute) the nation.

On a hot summer day, few items refresh quite as effectively as gazpacho, a cold tomato soup that screams for warm weather. The Chile Verde version had big chunks of tomato, cucumber and onions. It was a soup of the day, making me glad I chose that day to eat at Chile Verde.

I ordered the veggie burrito with sides of peppered pinto beans and Southwestern mashed potatoes. The small burrito was more than enough with the side dishes included, leading me to believe that the large burrito is the size of a football. It was filled with green peppers, mushrooms, onions and zucchini, topped with melted cheese and a red sauce. The mashed potatoes were skin-on and moderately seasoned. The beans were vegetarian and delicious.

Chile Verde offers margaritas by the glass and pitcher. They feature on the rocks and frozen varieties made with blanco, reposado or añejo tequila, along with beer and Spanish and South American wines. The staff was exceptionally helpful picking out vegetarian items, and the menu offered a variety of appetizers, entrees and side dishes to sate your vegetarian appetite.

Chile Verde