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Maria's New Mexican Kitchen
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
190 reviews for Maria's New Mexican Kitchen
Review Highlights
"Had the blue corn enchiladas, superb."
(in 23 reviews)
"The real draw though is the green chile."
(in 25 reviews)
"The carne adovada packs strong red chile punch."
(in 15 reviews)
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190 reviews in English
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Review from Mark F.
Best lunch value in town.
Plenty of parking in rear.
Great, spicy salsa keeps coming and coming.
House margarita $6.50 all around
Tequila flight
Guacamole is huge with great, Southwest flavor. It's similar to what I make at home.
Steven B & Me, Pork Tamales $9.75 and loved it. A little small in the filling but with all the other food stuffing my face, it was all good. Tried both the red and green sauce. I lean red state (only in sauce) but enjoyed the green.
Rob R Barb M & Julie H devoured their Tacos $8.50 and Andrea T smiled while making the Enchiladas $8.50 disappear.
Sopapillas came out for the finishing touch.
With our week in Santa Fe, these foodies only found one other place that touched Maria's. This was a huge hit and for that, we thank you! -
Review from Edward H.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012
Kept hearing things about this place and know it is a local favorite. To be honest, I don't get it and perhaps my taste buds are different. My partner is a native and he also agrees that this is not as great as what the reviews are.
Yes, it has great value for the price, but I think the flavors are not as good as other New Mexican restaurants I have eaten at the past seven years in coming here. Found the cheese to be burned on the top, soggy tortillas and over all bland, but hot. I don't mind spicy food by any means, but it must have flavor. -
Review from Terrence B.
Austin, TX
1/1/2012
I've constantly traveled the past 6 years and always try to find the best places to eat. Maria's is one of the more memorable places I've stopped at...usually in my top 3 or 4 when people ask. I felt obligated to post a review since I ate here 2 years ago and I still talk about it!
The place had a really great vibe, beautiful wood floors, and a friendly and helpful waiter.
I couldn't resist trying the deep fried chicken dish that came with rice, beans and tortillas. Being from Austin, I am very picky about mexican food and this place was great!!! -
Review from Jeff E.
Carlsbad, CA
2/9/2012
There are really 2 reasons to go to Maria's -- the margaritas and the sopapillas. Both are excellent with one of the longest list of maragritas I've ever seen, although truth be told, most of them are the same but with different tequillas. Nevertheless, they were very good, very strong and reasonably priced. And now, to the sopapillas - they were the best we've had in SF, hot cripspy, soft on the inside but not doughy.Although they were served with our dinner, We ordered 2 extra for dessert.
Unfortunately the food is average. We tried the adovada,cheese enchiladas, and chile rellenos.Being new to SF, a week ago I would have given the food 4 stars, but after visiting the Shed and Tomasitas, I realized that by SF standards, Maria's doesn't quite match up. -
Review from Joe L.
Santa Fe, NM
12/30/2011
I will begin by saying that everything tastes good when you're drunk.
Look, this happens all the time in Santa Fe, everybody raves and raves about a restaurant, so you go. You try out the food and discover that it's not really all that good and it took forever to get your food.
"What the hell?" you ask "I thought this place was supposed to be good?" then you remember...every one you ever heard about this place from, has told you "you have got to try the margaritas! they have SO many different types of tequila" Therefore, you need to think about it. Why is this place so popular?
oh yeah, when you've experienced the breadth of their tequila selection, the service isn't so terrible and the food actually tastes good. But, if you're like me and you don't like to get drunk while you eat then this isn't worth your time. I've been here several times over the years in an attempt to see if they stopped relying on the standard clientele of drunk folks, but no luck.
The food is either bland and paste like or inedibly spicy. That and the service is slow and inattentive. One night my wife and I sat and waited almost an hour for our appetizers. I'm sure that this is no worry if you're drunk or "tequila sampling" but if you actually want to taste the food then this place isn't really worth your time in my opinion.Listed in: Do you drink? No? Then don't…
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Review from Mike G.
Austin, TX
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
My partner and I visit Maria's on our yearly pilgrimage to Santa Fe. The food is some of the best New Mexican cuisine we've experienced and the margaritas are fantastic. Margaritas are a big deal here. Every tequila under the sun is behind the bar, and they have about two hundred different margaritas on the menu. For tequila lovers like us, this place is paradise.
We visited last night around 6:45 PM. We went for an early dinner thinking we'd miss any potential crowds. No such luck. The wait was 1.25 hours. I think we must have miscalculated and hit peak après ski hour. In any case, we waited, which we would have never done for any other restaurant, but we had margaritas from the bar while we waited and they were able to seat us in about an hour.
The service this time was good. The last couple of times we visited, that was not the case, but this was primarily due to one particular server who I did not see there last night. We ordered the ribs as an appetizer which were tender and delicious with a sweet sauce and just a hint of spice. For my entree, I had the blue corn enchiladas with an over easy egg on top. Holy moly! They were out of this world. The fried egg is pretty much essential in that dish so be adventurous and add it for 50 cents. My partner had the carne adobado which is Maria's signature entree. It was super spicy but I thought it was tasty. My partner could not finish it due to the spice level, and he can usually handle his spice. Nonetheless, the dish was fantastic and spice enthusiasts will love it.
I highly recommend this place. As I mentioned, the service can be hit or miss which is the only downside, but it's worth it. -
Review from Cecilia T.
San Mateo, CA
12/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
As a Chicago native, I can describe this New Mexican hotspot as the Bob Chinn's for New Mexican food - casual, amazing food, crowded, with multiple rooms to house the seating demand!!
On a Tuesday night at 6:30p.m., we arrive at this historical hotspot, and find the waiting area filled. We waited 45 minutes - save your appetite, I mean it! The portions are HUGE.
The FOOD/DRINKS:
House Margarita - Super good, super strong, just like everyone said. And only $6.50. I had one and was already feelin it.
Green Chili Stew - THIS WAS THE MOST OUTSTANDING THING HERE. TOTALLY STANDOUT. TOTALLY A LIP SMACKING MUST HAVE. I actually wish I came here for lunch or something and just had this dish. The broth is just so naturally homemade tasting and soo soooo good. It's spicy for me, but I can't handle that much spice. The pork is a tiny bit dry but seriously it's made up by the yummy tasty broth. I could have a whole gallon of this stew.
Guacamole salad - I would order this was this only if you have like 4-6 people who want to split this dish. It's huge and filling but very good. The guac is very tasty and the salad and veggie are very fresh. It's just too huge for 2 peeps.
Main dishes - By the time we got to the 2 dishes we ordered, we were too stuffed to really know whether this was good or not, to tell you truth. I can tell you the portion are HUGE. We ordered the Blue Corn Enchiladas and the Carne Adovada, both of which were probably good if we weren't so stuffed. I definitely don't care much for their salty sides of beans and rice - bleh, I've had much better in Mexico.
My recommendation? For chicks, it may be smart to share plates or do a "family style" if you're worried about taking home too many leftovers. I definitely think this is a spot where you want to come with 4 or more peeps so you can experience everything without leaving feeling overstuffed. Would be perfect for a bachelorette pre-party - over 100 quality margaritas on their menu. Turns out my cousin came here from NYC and did do a bachelorette party! Good idea! -
Review from Kris D.
Norcross, GA
11/27/2011
Very good food, interesting atmosphere, lots of locals. Service started out very slow, but once our regular waitress got to us (she had a big table and someone else helped us at first) she was very attentive and service was quick.
I always have to critique the green chili, so my take on Maria's is that it has a wonderful flavor with chili, stock, onion, and garlic, but it was pretty thinned out. I prefer my chili to be dense with peppers, but again, the flavor was great. We'll go again next time. -
Review from Garth E.
11/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's pretty hard to get onto my list of favorite Mexican restaurants but one meal at Maria's and I knew this place would make my list. The food is authentic and flavorful and well spiced. I ordered one of the combination platters and it was very good- I recommend it if you like to have a sampling of several different dishes or are visiting for the first time and aren't sure what to order.
One of the best parts about my meal was the margarita. I had read before that many thought this was the best margarita around and I have to say I'm inclined to agree. They have a HUGE list of margaritas, so many that it's totally overwhelming. But if you go with the basic house margarita, trust me you won't be disappointed. It was clearly fresh and really tasted like lime. In my opinion, this is what a margarita should taste like, without tons of sweetener or other flavorings. Good stuff. I'm sure if you were looking for something unique, this place would have it. Their margarita list (read: book) was extensive.
My one complaint is that they have people selling stuff to you occasionally while you're eating. We were only visited twice by the peddlers but it was enough to disrupt the meal. I'm not sure if this was just something Maria's does, or if it's common in Santa Fe, but I don't think it's appropriate. -
Review from Katha S.
Colorado Springs, CO
1/30/2012
Hands down the best chili rellenos I've ever had. Order them, you won't be disappointed!
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Review from Robert M.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2011
My wife and I encouraged my entire family to come to Santa Fe for Thanksgiving. Maria's was the first restaurant we ate in town, the place we stopped for drinks in the afternoon, and will be last meal we eat before leaving town tomorrow. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. The food is extraordinary, staff both competent and helpful, margaritas stunning and perfect. No one in my family could possibly disagree.
New Mexican food is in my top three favorite cuisines. Maria's is everything you would want in a local restaurant. After a few days of asking locals where they recommend in town for real New Mexican food I stopped asking, as they all replied "Maria's!". Even the chef we talked to at the Santa Fe School of Cooking told us to go here.
Thanks Maria's for the amazing experiences. I am not a green and red chile FIEND! :) -
Review from Holly P.
Austin, TX
Updated - 10/10/2011
After a 13 hour drive, what's the first thing you do once in Santa Fe? That's right. You drive directly to Maria's and order Carne Adovada stacked blue corn enchiladas and dig in.
What's the last thing you do before you leave Santa Fe? That's right. After Zozobra, you go drink margaritas at Maria's bar.
Then you cry because you skillset won't yet support moving to one of the most beautiful places on Planet Earth.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/29/2009
Dining with people for whom I desperately did not want to discover that, in fact, my hillbilly… Read more »
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Review from Amy K.
Troy, OH
11/5/2011
Was this better than anything we could get in Ohio? Probably...but we have found a couple comparable places in the Dayton OH area. Were we disappointed? A little but primarily because we can get similar near Dayton Oh for much less than $50. Guacamole a disappointment because it was delivered on a sea of bagged lettuce mix with grocery store shredded cheese. Too much sauce and melted cheese for my taste. A shame because the flavor was there amongst the mess on my plate. I am in a the minority as it was packed. Parking was a nightmare.
Sopaipillas almost made me a covert as it is likely why many return. The table next to use bought extra to go. -
Review from Marianna W.
Scottsdale, AZ
10/21/2011
We think Maria's is the BEST, most authentic, Mexican food in Santa Fe!!
They make their tortillas in house daily and they are the best we have had, ever! We live in Santa Fe part of the year and Arizona part of the year so we are privy to restaurants that make their own flour tortilla's, these melt in your mouth.
If you like Margarita's....they have the best in town and don't scrimp on the booze.
Who would think to order ribs in a Mexican restaurants???? Don't go to Maria's without at least trying them as an appetizer!! They are the best ribs we have had anywhere! Every time we have out of town guests we take them to Maria's and order the ribs...they don't want to leave town! The last guests we had took tortillas from Maria's back to California with them and tried to figure out how to take ribs home.....go figure! -
Review from Kiri M.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2011
I was visiting Santa Fe with a friend in late August, and after a long day at the Annual Indian Market, we stopped here for dinner. It was a little hard to find for an out-of-towner in the dark during a torrential thunderstorm and a doozy of a flash flood. My GPS was all, whatever you're on your own, bitches!
We eventually found our way there, and discovered the place was packed, on a Sunday night, during terribly inclement weather. But we decided we'd rather wait an hour for a table than swim back through the parking lot to our car. Which we hoped was indeed still in the parking lot and not floating down St. Francis Dr.
Maria's was totally worth the drive and wait. I loved the food here, and I can see why it was so busy. Granted not everything was 100% amazing. The free tortilla chips looked store bought, but the salsa was really tasty. The complimentary sopaipillas were not the greatest I've ever had - they were too thick and doughy, and sweeter than I personally like. But I didn't pay anything for that stuff, and it wasn't not-good, just not stellar, so I'm not marking them down for it.
For dinner I enjoyed the chicken enchiladas with green chile. During the week I spent in New Mexico I sampled a lot of enchiladas and a lot of green chile, so I had plenty to compare them to. Maria's were hands down the best. The chicken was tender and moist and so flavorful, and their green chile sauce was phenomenal. I could have done with a little less cheese on top (hell, it had so much flavor it didn't really need the cheese) but that was my only complaint.
I regret I didn't have a chance to go back a few more times, but I'll definitely stop at Maria's when I visit Santa Fe again. -
Review from Patrick K.
Pacifica, CA
12/25/2011
Maria's has the best New Mexican food, in Santa Fe, for dinner! The Red and Green Chile here are excellent. The Tortillas are home made in the restaurant, and they are effin' great! I recommend the Carne Adovada, the Chicken Enchiladas, or anything smothered with Chile! Maria's also has a great Margarita selection.
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Review from K G.
Laguna Niguel, CA
12/28/2011
During a 5-day vacation to Santa Fe, we grilled the locals on where to get great NewMex cuisine, but kept getting steered away from Maria's. Lucky for us, we disregarded the advice and tried it anyway... around 10 pm on Christmas Eve, of all things. You'd think that was a recipe for issues, but instead was a total hit.
11 hours into his shift, our insanely friendly server highly recommended the chile relleno, and after one bite, we enthusiastically agreed with his choice. Best meal we had in 5 days of restaurant-hopping. Big portion, solid value, absolutely mouth-watering taste. So good we returned a couple days later.
The free chips and salsa were fine. Not the best we've ever encountered, but definitely munchable, especially with one of their massive number of margarita selections.
As for the margs, we tried 4 across two occasions. All were good and fairly well described in the menu, and fairly priced based on the apparent strength of each serving. In terms of our choices, we had better margaritas elsewhere, but surely there are choices somewhere on that massive menu that exceed expectations.
Good atmosphere and decor on the inside. The outside doesn't sell it, being near a bunch of chain stores and with a bland sign. Perhaps the locals are trying to keep it their little secret... -
Review from Matt M.
Dallas, TX
9/5/2011
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I have to comment on the margaritas. They're phenomenal. If you're feeling especially festive, try the tequila sampler. I don't think any other restaurant in town has nearly the in-depth selection Maria's does. Don't feel overwhelmed. I've never tried a bad one.
The food is continually good and always reasonably priced. The chips and salsa are a knockout. The service has always been top-notch. The ambiance is great for both intimate get togethers and large parties. Highly, highly recommend. -
Review from Jamie V.
Albuquerque, NM
12/27/2011
Love the food and warm atmosphere... Our favorite New Mexican food in Santa Fe. Great enchiladas and combo plates. Lunch menu offers the best value.
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Review from Lane P.
Westminster, CO
12/22/2011
Best blue corn flat chicken enchiladas topped with a fried egg I've ever had. The service was by far the best we've had while visiting Santa Fe.
I wish that it was later in the day and I could have had a margarita from their EXTENSIVE list - 11am was just too early for that day.., -
Review from Heather M.
Dallas, TX
8/12/2011
The best margarita in Santa Fe - hands down. On top of that, the house margarita is the same price as Del Charro's, and it tastes better, and it won't give you heartburn.
The food is also good: the enchilada's are tasty, although the combination fajitas are mediocre.
The ambiance is great and the service is friendly.
Absolutely the best place to go in town for a margarita and atmosphere. -
Review from Mike P.
Phoenix, AZ
9/15/2011
Even though I live in Phoenix with probably fifty Mexican eateries within two miles from my home, I rarely eat it. It's not that there aren't good places, but I'd rather not get into the habit of putting on more pounds than I already have. However, on a recent business trip to Santa Fe, I figured it was the best game in town. When checking into my hotel, I asked the woman at the desk what the best Mexican place in town was, and without letting me finish my sentence, she blurted out Maria's. It's a local institution for 50+ years.
It was near closing, mid-week, so it wasn't full. However, I later heard that the place can be packed on the weekends and occasionally, with a celebrity with a place in the area or shooting a movie. I was given two menus. The first was a drink menu of 10 pages, made up predominately of their tequilas (180 to be exact). The menu described each tequila in detail. Unfortunately, it was a work night, so I opted for just a house margarita. I don't know if my expectations were built up with the menu, I'm a cheap margarita snob, or because I asked for no-salt and it arrived with salt; but it was okay. Strong, but okay.
Upon a consultation with the waitress, I ordered the local favorite, the pork Adovada. OMG! I literally ate to the point of tears; whether it was from the awesome quality or the spiciness, I still don't know. The refried beans had a baked crust that transcended anything I had every had before. The staff was incredibly friendly too.
So, my take-away is that I would eat here at least once a week if I lived locally. If I'm fortunate to come back again, I'll make sure to get here early, taste many tequilas, and then will change my review to 5 stars. -
Review from Stephanie P.
7/9/2011
#157 Seeing as how my boyfriend hadn't been in Santa Fe for a decade, we weren't entirely sure where to go for dinner our first night there. So, obviously, we turned to Yelp for some help. (I rhymed!) Let's just say, we got what we asked for - HUGE portions, delicious food, and a lively atmosphere. There were numerous large parties scattered throughout the place and the laughter was infectious. I'm sure the many margaritas served over the course of the evening helped things along, but everybody just seemed to be in such a great mood.
We ordered the Mexican Pizza to get us started and weren't entirely sure what to expect, but it turned out to be even better than what we ever could have imagined. Tons of spice, plenty of cheese and beans, served on top of a chewy dough and with plenty of salsa - if only all pizzas were served that way. For my entree, I ordered the Combination Plate (vegetarian), which came with everything under the sun - enchilada, taco, tamale, and a chile relleno with rice and beans. Everything was perfectly authentic. I loved how everything was spicy yet flavorful. Even the rice was delicious. The tamale stood out as the masa was so soft and chewy, filled to the brim with cheese and veggies. They also provided a plentiful amount of guacamole and sour cream to go with everything.
The boyfriend's Chicken Enchilada was also impressive. Again, the portion size was mind-blowing and was a bit of a feat for him to devour. I'd venture a guess to say that a single one of his two enchiladas equaled two of my single one. He had an even heftier serving of guac and sour cream. Plus, they gave him tons of salsa to dip his already spicy enchiladas in. Overall, despite the fact that we didn't imbibe that night, we had an intoxicatingly delicious time.Listed in: Southwestern Road Trip, Mexican Food
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Review from Rosemarie F.
Gainesville, VA
7/17/2011
We came here 3 times while visiting Santa Fe back in April. S.O. had been here several times and he said it was his favorite place, so here we were.
Margarita's are fantastic! Definately potent, so be careful if you haven't adjusted to the altitude! 1 drink=2! Who knew???? Well l had 2, which apparently equaled 4! Also note, they are made with lemons instead of limes, but no complaints about that here. Also they have a great selection of tequilas
They finally had a table for us and we staggered there. We both ordered the blue corn chicken enchilladas. He w/ green chilies, me with red. We waited almost an hour for the food to arrive. By the time it got there, not only did the margarita buzz fade, but I was already into the hangover! We had no idea what was going on and asked our waiter several times, who said the food would be out shortly. We were ready to walk out! Tables that were seated after us had their food, eaten, and paid their checks! We literally were getting up to leave when our food arrived.
Ok, the enchilladas were absolutely amazing! Best I had ever had (up to that point).
Came back a second time. He same enchilladas, me only 1 margarita (lesson learned) and pork adodovo (sp?). The advodovo was delicious and definately packed the heat! Service was better, but not great (different waiter).
Third time, 8 of us for business dinner. Chili relanos (best I ever had, I can't eat them here in VA anymore). Again blue corn enchilladas and pork adodovo all around. Chili stew, pozolle. Everyone raved over their food when it finally arrived.
We also ordered guacamole which was outstanding. The third experience, we found the service extremely slow. Too slow. It took forever for the entrees to come out.
The food is outstanding. This is an extremely busy place, which I think reflects on the slow service. Would definately come here again but giving this a 3 based on service. -
Review from Paul D.
6/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
What (New) Mexican should be
I have to admit that after several visits to Santa Fe, I had given up on finding a quality New Mexican restaurant. It just seems that the culture of Santa Fe, being a touristy town, that most of the places are more places to be seen. The Shed was OK, but seemed a bit overhyped. Pink Adobe was a complete waste of money (limited menu, very little actual Mexican entrees, and poor service).
This place isn't pretentious at all (the way I like my Mexican restaurants) and just focuses on good food. The absolute best Adovada I've ever found. Phenomenal tequila selection, including cool tasting flights.
It's the only place we'll be eating Mexican in Santa Fe from here on out. -
Review from David S.
Santa Fe, NM
9/8/2011
The food is excellent, as advertized the Margaritas are bomb. I have to say though that the Sopapillas are mediocre. They were served during the meal so they were cold by the end. As well, they were solid instead of hollow.
All in all though I think I can still be delighted by the rest of their food and drink. -
Review from Lillian W.
Santa Fe, NM
9/18/2011
Maria's margarita list is extensive - nearly to the point of exhaustion. But, this is what they are known for. They use only 100% agave tequila, which is a pretty cool way to make your drinks. However, I don't like margaritas, so I didn't get one. My boyfriend enjoyed his simple one.
Their food menu is not extensive, and not super-catered to vegetarians. They make their tortillas in-house and they are very good. The chips tasted stale and like Tostitos. My food was spicy without saying so on the menu, so be wary of that.
The atmosphere was loud, but we were in a room with a table of twenty-five or thirty people, so that's fine. (Our server handled the stress excellently, though we could have been checked on a time or two more.)
The coolest thing I thought about Maria's was their history page on the back of their menu. It's detailed, and though probably only one out of ten people read it, but it's really cool: this place has been in the same location since 1950! And the current owner wrote THE book on margaritas.
A fun place if you're going with friends and want an extensive choice of margaritas. -
Review from Michael S.
Colorado Springs, CO
11/25/2011
We have always loved Maria's. the food is very good and the list of tequilas for margaritas is second to none. We ate there tonight and again, excellent food and drink. We would like to comment on the server, who was very marginal. He was slow, and seemed to forget about us. The people next to us ordered after we did and got their food before us. We had to ask twice for more water and tea and then he brought us cold sopapillas. I thought there was a law against cold sopapillas in New Mexico, Other than than, Maria's is in the top three or four best Mexican restaurants in Santa Fe.
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Review from Michele G.
Round Rock, TX
1/2/2012
Ok, first a caveat: there's a really long wait to get into Maria's. I think ours was about two hours since we didn't have a reservation. If at all possible, make a reservation! What makes the wait tolerable is that these are about the best margaritas we've ever had, and we're from Texas: believe me, we KNOW our margaritas! When we finally did get seated, I had the blue corn enchiladas (beef) with the red sauce, and they were the best thing I ate during our week in Santa Fe. My partner had the pork adovada, which was too hot to eat (and she likes hot food). The others at the table thoroughly enjoyed their dishes. Our waiter was not friendly at all but he did a good job of getting us everything we needed. We'll definitely go back next time we're in Santa Fe, but we'll make a reservation and avoid the adovada.
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Review from Steven M.
Winston-Salem, NC
7/6/2011
Now - reading the reviews we went for the tequila drinks - namely the margaritas ! They we awesome ! High quality ! Had the mango, pomegranate , and the best - the Hornitos! The Soul was a good one as well, but for the price the Hornitos was the best bet IMHO,
We also had the pork tamales (awesome) and green chili egg roll ! Both. Was awesome in our opinion -
Review from Mark V.
Los Angeles, CA
6/27/2011
Simply the best N. New Mexican in Santa Fe.
A great place to kick back and enjoy.
Leave room for Flan. -
Review from Pcake l.
Albuquerque, NM
10/30/2011
this place is in a sort of weird location but delicious food! yum yum yum. and some of the best sopapillas i've had since being in NM. food came out really fast as well.
i got the vegetarian combo or something like that. it was A LOT of oh so yummy food. the tacos were my fave, the tamales were not. however, overall dee-lish
AND if you're a margarita fan. this is the place to go! extensive menu! (and i mean pages in little font)!!
service is also great! -
Review from Sarah B.
Chicago, IL
4/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was really excited about the extensive margarita list but when I started to look it over I was really overwhelmed. I asked my server for a recommendation and took his advice. I wish that I would have spent a bit more time because his choice was a pretty basic (but great) one. I was hoping for something with a bit more of an unusual or different taste. But, that is my fault, not the server's.
I ordered the Carne Adovada which was delicious but not very spicy. The server said it was one of the more spicy things on the menu and it just wasn't. But, again, I don't lay blame on him. Red chile was out of season when I went so I had a hard time finding the heat I was longing for almost everywhere I went. Regardless, the food was excellent.
The atmosphere was charming and I would go there again. -
Review from Idan S.
Littleton, CO
6/3/2011
I've eaten at Maria's about 4 times now, all of which I was very happy with my food and booze!
I've gotten several different items there but I have to say that their chicken blue corn enchiladas (xmas) with a fried egg are the best thing on their menu. Also, don't forget about the tequila and perfect margaritas (which flows abundantly from their bar).
It's always a good experience at Maria's and I will definitely return next time I'm in Santa Fe! -
Review from Erin S.
OH MY GOD I can't stop thinking about their pork adovada! Lean, mean, & spicy! The sopapillas were light & fluffy and fresh from the fryer. I opted to dip them in my adovada sauce instead of lathering them up with honey (which is always a good option too). This was by far the best meal I had while visiting Santa Fe.
And don't forget their margaritas. 170 of them if I remember correctly. I ordered the Macho Cowboy (don't ask me why, I just liked the name). It was strong as hell. Just one each got us nice & buzzed...enough so my friend flirted with our shuttle driver on the way back to our hotel! He was a good sport about it tho.
Our waiter overheard us talking to our dining neighbors about our birthdays & he promptly brought us each a yummy Mexican chocolate mousse. Delish! -
Review from Linda L.
San Antonio, TX
12/30/2011
Maybe it's our age - 60 something, but my husband and I were disappointed in this restaurant. After reading the reviews we could hardly wait to try it out; however, we were overwhelmed by the amount of food and the spiciness. We like spice, but we don't want it to overpower the taste of the food. We had the blue corn enchiladas and the pork adovada. We noticed that one couple next to us had only the soup and the couple on the other side of us shared an entree. If we return, we will follow their lead! The sopapillas were great, but you had to eat them when they arrived to have them hot. We got there at 4:45 for an early dinner and the parking lot was full. The wait persons were friendly and efficient, and our food came out quickly. No complaints there.
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Review from Bruno B.
Oakland, CA
4/26/2011
I gotta say, I was underwhelmed with the food but even more so with the margaritas.
If there's one thing I know it's margaritas; how to make them and how to drink them. There was something funny about the taste of these; kind of like when I don't put enough lime in mine. Then we read in the menu that they use LEMONS because of some taste test or consistency issues. To paraphrase my wife, if Quetzalcoatl wanted us to use lemons in our margaritas, he wouldn't have invented limes. They didn't skimp on the tequila which was a plus, but sorry, if there's no lime it's simply not a margarita.
As for the food, too salty! The beans were so salty as to be inedible.
On the plus side, nice place, good service, fun atmosphere. But as they say on Mars, "you can't eat atmosphere." -
Review from Tina B.
2/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic.
I had one of those wonderful meals that makes you want to come back over and over again and keep getting the same thing each time!
Their green chile stew was a perfectly balanced mix of tender pork, warm heat and chile flavors. Paired with their fluffy, handmade (handmade pretty much in front of you) sopapillas, a bottle of honey and their expertly crafted ("It'll get you druuunk!") 100% aguave house margaritas - one of like a zillion varieties they make - it was easily one of my favorite meals of 2010 and almost ever.
And for under about $15 bucks total.....
I guess what I really mean is more like this:
::ahem::
Mmmphff...dayum, Maria's!
Not like mmmm, like mmm mmm good.
More like mmmphfff boooy, you so foin....or guurrrl, you so foin...
Or sexy ass hot ass bowl of green chile stew, mmmphfff, you so fuhfuhfuhfooooine...hella foine, even.
Seriously, the green chile of New Mexico got me feening like a mug, shit, I almost want to move here and I don't even like heat and pink mountains and shit, maaan.
And the steaming hot sopapillas served with the bottle of honey? Bitch, please...
Don't even get me started about the tequila, hell, that meal began to take on some Jim Morrison esque coyote desert journey qualities...
Yes. Yes, I believe that sums it up more accurately. -
Review from Kate S.
Santa Fe, NM
4/24/2011
Just moved back to Santa Fe, and unbelievably, had never been to Maria's in my first time as a resident here.
This place is terrific! It's a very simple decor, and given the emphasis on margaritas, I was surprised to see how many families with small children were there! So if you have kids, apparently it's a great place to bring 'em.
We got there on the early side, which was good, because we had no trouble finding a parking place. By the time we left, around 7, their small lot was totally filled up. But I don't think it would be too tough finding street parking in the neighborhood, if you had to.
I ordered the chicken fajitas, which were good, if unspectacular. My friends both had chile rellenos, which they raved about. They said the cheese mixture is very unique. I'll have to try that next time.
We had the basic Margarita, which our server suggested we pay 50 cents extra for, to get a better tequila, so we did. It was delicious, but ONE margarita kicked my butt the entire next day. I don't think I'm used to the altitude yet, and may have been dehydrated, so visitors to Santa Fe should keep that in mind when sampling the margaritas here.
All in all, it was a terrific experience, and I'd go back. I'll just make sure to drink water all day, before I go, next time. -
Review from tiffin d.
Santa Fe, NM
10/11/2011
Favorite dish: Galisteo Chicken: half-chicken covered with fresh red chile salsa; the chicken is crisp and the salsa is incredible.
