The building was originally constructed in the 1840s. In 1984 the current owner acquired the property and has made it an up-scale restaurant. Today, some of the furnishings are museum-class antiques.
The Imperial Bar is absolutely gorgeous with a 30', hand-carved oak bar with four Corinthian columns in gold leaf. The mirror backlights are French "corones" with Lalique glass shades circa 1890.
The French Baccarat chandaliers measure 7' by 3'. Beautiful paintings can also be seen on the walls.
There are several more formal dining rooms in the Restaurant, but we ate lunch in the casual Peppers Cafe. The atrium in the center is lovely.
They are famous for their "World's Largest Green Chile Cheese Burger (20 oz. beef patty, green chile, queso fresco, pico de gallo) for $24.95. I ordered one of their house specialties, Plato Mexicano, that was a cheese enchilada, brisket taco, and relleno with beans and rice. I couldn't decide what I wanted, so this dish provided a little bit of everything. I really enjoyed it along with a prickly pear margarita! John had a cheeseburger with fries that he said was very good as well. I am a little more adventuresome in ordering the local cuisine than he is!
I always like going to these fancy restaurants for lunch so we can enjoy them without spending a fortune.
Another reason I wanted to visit this restaurant was to check out the reportedly haunted Carlotta Salon. Legend has it that in the 1850s when the building was a residence of a wealthy Mexican family.
The family had a teenage son who fell in love with their maid. Of course, the his mother totally disapproved of this! The mother came home one day to find the lovers entwined. Enraged, she grabbed scissors from a bureau and stabbed the maid to death. During the conflict, she accidentally stabbed her son as well. He died three days later. It is said that the ghosts of the lovers haunt the room to this day.
It is reported that broken glasses and overturned chairs are found. And that, even though no one sits in the chairs, there are impressions of two people (small in stature) sitting in two of them. Who knows?!?
Website: www.double-eagle-mesilla.com
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