Sofia’s: red, green and everything in between

Even on days when the parking lot is packed, the staff at Sofia’s Kitchen calmly parade out plate after plate of New Mexico favorites, like red chile enchiladas and green chile cheeseburgers, to the hungry patrons that fill this 23-year-old Socorro restaurant.

That’s because many of the employees have been there for over a decade and know how to keep business moving quickly in both the dining area and the take-out side.

When Leo Rosas first opened the doors at 105 Bullock, there wasn’t a burrito to be found. Rather, the site began as a video rental, but when that industry started to phase out, Leo decided to make a drastic change and get into the food business. What started as a cafe next to the video store eventually grew into the Sophia’s it is today, named after Leo’s mother.

Murals of Socorro landmarks by artist Ramona Montoya cover the walls and bring a sense of pride to the locals that go there and visitors passing through, many of which come back time after time because the food is consistent and uses red and green chile grown just down the road in Lemitar and San Antonio.

“He calls me up, and he says, ‘You want to be part restaurant owner?’” Leo’s son Stephen Rosas said. “So I took out my retirement and put it into the restaurant.”

When Leo passed away, his son Rosas, daughter Bobbi Gonzales and their nephew Brian Skornia took over.

When I started, dad wasn’t really the cook. It was me and my cousin Bernice that sat back there. And those recipes, the green chile, the red chile, I was all basically our recipes that I used to cook with my mom, back in the day,” Rosas said.

Popular menu items include green chile enchilada casserole, smothered breakfast burritos, and chicharones that are made fresh every day. Gonzales’ go-to order is the mushroom Swiss burger for those that don’t like spice, while Rosas loves a classic red chile enchilada with an egg on top.

While Rosas doesn’t spend as much time in the kitchen these days, he still fills the desert case with homemade treats like cheesecake and bread pudding.

While the dining side closes at 1, guests can get the full menu via take-out until 7pm, seven days a week.