Little Anita's

Little Anita's
Company typePrivately held
IndustryCasual dining
FoundedAlbuquerque, New Mexico, 1976 (1976)
Headquarters
Albuquerque, New Mexico
,
United States
Number of locations
13[1][2]
Area served
New Mexico and Colorado
ProductsMexican and New Mexican cuisine
Websitelittleanitasrestaurants.com//

Little Anita's is a Mexican and New Mexican cuisine restaurant chain from Albuquerque, New Mexico.[3][4][5] The chain has nine locations in Albuquerque and four in Colorado.[6][7] The chain comprises its traditional casual dining locations as well as Little Anita's Express fast food restaurants.

History

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Anita Tellez is responsible for the creation of multiple restaurants across the United States, and her children and grandchildren often took over the individual restaurants. Little Anita's is a restaurant chain established in 1976. It was owned by her only grandchild, K. Starrs Ortiz, and was named after one of Mrs. Tellez's own great grandmothers.[8][9] The restaurants have become well known in the Albuquerque, New Mexico restaurant scene since then.[10] The chain expanded to Denver in 2001.[11] Another chain of restaurants started by Anita Tellez, Anita's New Mexico Style, serves Little Anita's New Mexico inspired food in the Washington D.C. area. Both chains are independently owned but borrow heavily from each other's menus.[9] There was also a solo Anita's restaurant in Fullerton, California.[12]

Specialties

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The restaurants serve their critically acclaimed sopapillas and red/green chile-smothered foods, as well as other New Mexican fare like enchiladas made with blue corn, huevos rancheros, and green chile cheeseburgers.[13][14]

Reception

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In Colorado, they have won multiple awards, including multiple accolades from Denver Westword, including "Best Taste of New Mexico"[15] and "Best Red Chile".[16]

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Their location at University Blvd. in Albuquerque was featured in Breaking Bad (season 5).[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Locations - Little Anita's in New Mexico". littleanitas.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  2. ^ "Locations - Little Anita's in Colorado". littleanitas.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  3. ^ The Beat. Bongo Productions. 2001.
  4. ^ Kathy Barco; Valerie Nye (2006). Breakfast Santa Fe Style. Sunstone Press. pp. 84–. ISBN 978-0-86534-501-0.
  5. ^ Mobil Travel Guide; Tere Drenth; The National Scenic Byway Program (1 March 2004). America's Byways: The Mountain Region. Mobil Travel Guide. ISBN 978-0-7627-3104-6.
  6. ^ Kathi Schroeder. "Little Anita's presence isn't so little anymore". New Mexico Business Weekly. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  7. ^ John Lehndorff (2005). Denver Dines: A Restaurant Guide and More. Big Earth Publishing. pp. 160–. ISBN 978-1-55566-349-0.
  8. ^ "Little Anita's Mexican Foods Albuquerque NM, 87105". Manta.com. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Lauren Wiseman. "Anita's founder spiced up D.C. area diets". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  10. ^ "Little Anita's debuts NE Heights bar and grill". Albuquerque Business First. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  11. ^ Lehndorff, John (March 22, 2002). "Comforting glow priced just right". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  12. ^ Emmis Communications (March 2003). "Orange Coast Magazine". Orange Coast. Emmis Communications: 90–. ISSN 0279-0483.
  13. ^ "Little Anita's Mexican Food". The Santa Fe Reporter. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 27 June 1990.
  14. ^ Blair, Billie (23 March 1989). "Limo Service Great Fun For Taoseño". The Taos News. Taos, New Mexico.
  15. ^ "BEST TASTE OF NEW MEXICO Denver 2006 - Little Anita's". Denver Westword. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  16. ^ "Best Red Chile Denver 2013 - Little Anita's New Mexican Foods". Denver Westword. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  17. ^ OldeSaultie (Jul 13, 2012). "Breaking Bad 5 - filming / shooting locations for season 5". Retrieved July 30, 2014.
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