Legendary La Mesa Restaurant Honored By State Of New Mexico

Chope's in La Mesa on Highway 28 between El Paso and Mesilla has been listed on New Mexico's Register Of Cultural Properties by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.

Chope's Town Cafe was established by Chope Benavides and is still being run by his daughters. One of the daughters, Cecelia Yanex, told the Las Cruces Sun News:

"It's much deserved for all our work."  "We were raised in this house, born in this house, and that is the best reward." "They are all wonderful memories of course." "My mom running the restaurant and it was all her own recipes we still use in the restaurant, and my dad running the bar. It was always a family."

The restaurant may also soon be named to the National Register Of Historic Places. The LC Sun News article laid out the restaurants history:

Named for José "Chope" Benavides, the son of original proprietors Longina and Margarito Benavides, the restaurant was established in 1915 when Longina opened her dining room to sell enchiladas to local residents. Their son José, who took over the restaurant in the 1940s, was nicknamed Chope by his father because he constantly wore chopos, or overalls, and his mother named the restaurant after him.