Great old historic building, porch overlooks the sleepy village, people show up on horses, bikes, and in trucks, and yes, great atmosphere. The low rating is for a few reasons. Meat eaters only welcome. 30 or so items on the board, two without meat. Even though it'd be easy to offer many of the sandwiches, burritos, etc with the meat taken out, they refuse. If you ask about gluten free bread or corn tortillas, nope. If you ask for decaf coffee or non alcoholic beer, nope. They have a take it or leave it arrogance that keeps me away. So it's great for tourists but not locals. read more

This place is awesome! Burgers are the best I have had. The staff super friendly and happy. We had a large party on a Thursday afternoon and didn't wait long. Beer cold food warm. Great place to hang out away from everything and relax and enjoy great food. Well worth drive from Santa Fe or Albuquerque while traveling Hwy 14. read more

Went for the Friday lunch and found the food exceptional. This place makes a short fun "day trip" outing from Santa Fe or Abq. I'll be back soon!!! read more

Driving from Albuquerque to Santa Fe (via the 14, not the 25), just beyond the more touristy/crowded area of Madrid, we found Black Bird Saloon. You can't see it from the road, It's about a minute off of the 14 located on Main Street in the charming town of Cerrillos. We were going to stop in the more touristy area because we were HUNGRY, but so glad we went a few minutes north and went to black bird. All of the food was hearty, unexpectedly innovative, well-sourced, and most importantly, delicious. We had the elk burger, lamb, shishito peppers, and potato chips. Authentic western decor enhanced the meal. Patrick (the owner) gave us suggestions and background on the menu and dishes we had. Get the Elk burger! read more

We've been going to this place since it opened. It started out good, and just keeps getting better. Friendly service, great food, and an awesome motorcycle destination along the Turquoise Trail. Very friendly proprietors and good beers on tap. Don't expect lightning fast service because their food takes time, but it's worth the wait. read more

So we were in town to see the balloon festival, thanks to my mother in law (the best by the way) and she took us to this new place. We live in Southern California. It was my husband and I and our 3 boys which vary in age and I've never been to a more charming place!! We only had a beer, (soda for the kids) and one appetizer which was called The Queen of Hearts.. oh my lord! All I know is my kids were saying they wanna go to the black bird everyday and we want to try everything on the menu! The owner was so endearing for the little town. You MUST stop here if you have time and want great, fresh food and a place that's part of real history! read more

Black Bird Saloon - New American Near Me - Los Cerrillos, New Mexico

Great destination for hot burgers and a cold one. Staff is friendly and the food is worth the wait.

i gave it a try twice and each time i left feeling underfed and overcharged. Tries too hard to be artsy and forgets that people are actually coming there to get fed. read more

While visiting Santa Fe, we took a drive down to Cerrillos and Madrid. A shop owner in Madrid told me to go to the Black Bird Saloon for lunch and we were so glad we did. It's a small old saloon with a mix of old a new decor. You order at the register then have a seat and they bring the food out to You when it's ready. Most of the people in our group got burgers and while you can get burgers anywhere, you won't a better burger anywhere! The burgers were juicy and flavorful- and filling! And don't forget to grab a basket or two of shoestring fries that were done to perfection. If you are in the Santa Fe area you have to make the trip to Cerrillos for the best burger you'll ever have! read more

Been coming to the Blackbird basically since they opened. Patrick and Kelly are great hosts. They will make sure you are taken care of. The food is most excellent and for that reason don't expect it to roll off of a conveyor belt. Good food is created, not produced on an assembly line. The Chips and Nest fries are the best. You really Can't go wrong with any of their menu offerings!!! Yes there are no substitutions but the menu items don't need them. read more

Pros: This is one of the best and only restaurant in town. With twangy new mexican food, cooked to perfection by chef Kelle Torres, I wouldn't miss this place if you're passing by or just want to show the folks around... My favourite Menu items: Probably the Ortiz, a wonderful twist of the Egyptian Gyro (Hy-ro), made with lamb and served with spinach and other greens, and onions. The second is The Monte Carlo, a ham sandwich with spicy pimento cheese, lettuce and whole grain bread. Perfect. Not a good selection for heat sensitive individuals, though. Cons: The place can be a bit cold on the winter, so make sure you pack a coat or winter jacket!!!! read more

Good beer selection on tap but The sandwiches are quite pricey and do not even come with fries or chips, this plus the paper plates and utensils and the fact that you have to empty your own trash is enough to keep me away read more

It's autentica. An old saloon off a dirt road somewhere between Santa Fe and ABQ in a sleepy little town called Cerrillos. The beer is cold, both the flavors on tap and in cans or bottles will surprise you (Boddington's from Manchester England in New Mexico?), and the food is straightforward but made much more interesting than what you've probably had before (for instance, the grilled cheese includes smoked trout and the grilled chicken sandwich is slathered in a scratch made melted pimento cheese - wow). Chef Kelly and her side-kick Kate know what they're doing in the kitchen. A must stop if you're in the area. read more

I really wanted to like this place. Local organic ingredients, cool location in a rustic ghost town fifteen minutes from my house. Unfortunately, I had a terrible experience. Thing started off fine. Walked to the counter to place our order, told the counter dude we were excited to have a new place to eat nearby. I asked if I could have the burger with lettuce instead of a bun, and the guy said he could put it on some greens. All good, right? Well ... we waited and waited and waited for our food. Literally a half hour later, still no food, even though there was only one other table ahead of us and the place was mostly empty (now I know why). I peeked into the open kitchen door on the way back from the bathroom, and I saw a big bun with avocado and onions on it, waiting for a patty. My burger was supposed to have those exact fixins, so I was a bit perplexed. I told the counter guy that it looked like the cook had my order wrong, that I had asked for lettuce rather than a bun. And then things got REALLY weird. He told me that they couldn't do substitutions. I said, "um, you had said that greens would be no problem. So I'd like this with greens and no bun, please." The guy told me that when I ordered he didn't realize the burger I ordered was on the 'no substitutions' part of the menu. I was totally stunned and confused by this. I repeated, 'You had said you could put the burger on some greens. So that's how I'd like it, please." He said "We can't do that. We can give it to you without the bun, though." I asked,"Could you please bring me some lettuce as well?" He said "No, we can't do that. It's no substitutions." I probably should have just asked for a refund at this point (had already paid at the counter), but we'd already waited over a half hour and were pretty hungry, and I figured they'd send the burger out with some extra veggies of some sort. Let me mention here that this was a FIFTEEN-DOLLAR BURGER. This is not a sketchy downscale place. It's trying to be rustic-upscale in every way. I'll also mention here that this is how I always order burgers. Every burger place I've ever been to is totally cool with the greens-no-bun request. Most food establishments have gotten the memo by now that not everybody wants gluten and carbs with their burger. Even fast food chains have gotten on board with this simple ask. Anyway, ten minutes later, our food finally came. And set before me was the saddest plate I ever saw. A naked little patty sat forlorn in the middle of the plate, flanked by a few slices of avocado, some sliced onions, and a tiny paper cup of mayo. I asked again, "Is there any way you could bring me a little lettuce to have with this?" But my request was met with a staunch refusal. In decades of frequent restaurant-going, I've never run into such rigidity and lack of generosity before. I work in the food industry, eat out all over the world at all kinds of places, and went into Blackbird with the highest of hopes for a good experience. It was really very sad and startling to encounter this level of awful service so close to home, at a place that I would have assumed would have welcomed some locals (they're located on a touristy corridor between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and most of their patrons are probably just passing through). I can understand 'no substitutions' policies at high-end cutting-edge places where chefs are doing creative complex innovative work, and simply don't have the bandwidth to deal with endless requests from picky eaters. And even at these sorts of places, there's still a level of sensitivity to people's desires. But this place is NOT NOMA. It's not Alain Ducasse. This is a rustic/hipster little sandwich/burger joint in an old mining town. They serve salads and burgers, so they clearly have lettuce in the kitchen. SO WHY COULD THEY NOT GIVE ME SOME, to eat with my fifteen-dollar burger? I am still totally perplexed. How was the food? Totally unremarkable. Shoestring fries too salty and oil-sodden. Sad nude burger meh. My partner ordered a burger w/ bun and some other fixins, and found it totally meh as well. The place was mostly empty even during peak lunch hour on a Saturday, so I'm guessing that they won't be around too much longer. But there are a bunch of positive reviews here, so I wanted to inject a reality check from a food-obsessed and well-traveled local who is not easily seduced by the superficial charms of olde-west trappings. Consider this review a warning if you're passing thru or live nearby: if you want an awesome burger, served with whatever you want on/around it, DO NOT GO HERE. Go to Bang Bite instead. Or Santa Fe Bite. Or the Ranch House. Or the Hollar. But do not waste your precious calories, time, and money here. read more

Black Bird Saloon is a culinary gem with an atmosphere that respects and echoes the history of this mining town. They've restored the building with a creative and classic homage to it's history. Their food and service is phenomenal. Their menu is incredibly adventurous and varied. I know I can order anything here and be extremely satisfied. I love this restaurant and know it's a recently opened hidden gem. It's already a destination spot. A loyal customer and someone who has been to Blackbird many times, not once, response to the 1 star rating. Any business owner or person who looks to reviews of places they want to visit knows there is always one. And in this case, literally just one outlier. Eleven paragraphs of revilement due to not getting her lettuce and lack of fast food service. She should stick to her name-dropping restaurants and chefs "NOMA, Alain Ducasse." The well-heeled crowd at Blackbird last night were definitely not on their first culinary rodeo. This person thinks she is the only foodie in an area that has a sophisticated restaurant culture, while those that enjoy Blackbird must be ignorant dupes. Insulting the owners and patrons who enjoy Blackbird is quite nasty. "...superficial charms of olde-west trappings" This young couple have revived an old building that was in very rough shape and kept the feel of what it once was, hardly superficial. Had this person bothered to talk to the condescendingly described "counter dude" instead of being miserable, she may have known that. Reviews like this can really hurt a new business and this young couple who have put in countless hours and money at a huge risk, (which restaurants always are), deserve better. One with more grace and class would have walked away and not tried to ruin this new business and nice couple who do know what they are doing and do it well. read more

The Bavette steak in the Crow Jane salad is savory, fresh and delicious! The Black Jack Ketchum burger was cooked perfectly and it was delicious. The homemade chips we're out of this world. We look forward to coming back soon. We loved the low-key and casual atmosphere. Thank you. read more

The Black Bird is a treat. Delicious sandwiches and a nice selection of local beers. Worth the drive over from Santa Fe.

So glad there they are back open. One of my favorite places to eat. Creative menu. Great food. Unique setting and feel. Wonderful people. Well worth the drive down from Santa Fe! read more

First time at the Black Bird Saloon yesterday while in Cerrillos to photograph the Jam at Mary's Bar.... first stop was this unique place.... as New Mexicans we are accustomed to unique places, but somehow this place is different... you have to watch your step... the tables are not always steady.. the feeling of being in a historical place permeates.. it is a happy, good feeling...... sparse but perfect decor... old things... good things... and then came that cold draft beer and that magnificent burger and I knew that this visit was only the first of many.... please go, but don't get my seat on Sundays...:) read more

Black Bird is awesome! New restaurant and the owner was the nicest, coolest restaurant owner I've met. Very humble, and sweet guy. Plus my burger was delicious! Oh, and way to go on making this saloon old school! You will feel like you're back in the 1800's in an old western movie =) read more

Great burger, and friendly staff. I only wish they had a veggie burger or would let you sub the porta bella with other toppings.

Love this place! Our hamburgers were prepared just right. I ate every bite of mine. The owners were really welcoming even though we arrived 15 minutes before they closed. And the ambience is very well done. Loved the vibe. Will definitely be back! read more

You can't find a real old west saloon serving a Blackjack Ketchum burger and a good NM beer or fine wine anywhere else in the southwest - at least not like this place. Hours and days are limited but worth checking out. read more

AMAZING menu options and everything is made from quality ingredients. My favorite is the Trailblazer Burger - made from elk that is not gamey in the least and the flavor is perfectly enhanced with blueberry mustard. Indoor or outdoor seating, lots of drink options (beer on-tap, wine, sodas, fizzy water, etc). Eclectic and unique menu items, including vegetarian options. Nice place to have lunch or dinner if places in nearby Madrid are really crowded or you just want something different. Only about a 20-25 min drive south from Santa Fe. read more

The owners do everything here -- cook, serve, tend bar -- and their attention to detail is evident. The dining room is heated with a wood stove, giving the whole place a special warmth and ambience. This place is a true gem, hidden in plain sight in a tiny, dusty town off State Road 14 (the Turquoise Trail) between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. But don't let the location fool you -- the food here is better than anything we had in Santa Fe. The Rogue Cowboy was spectacular: Wagyu beef pastrami piled high with slaw, mustard, Gouda cheese, and pickled jalapeños. The Smelter took grilled cheese to 11, with creamy mascarpone superbly complemented by the smoked trout. The Rustler pork skewers were simply amazing, and the potato lollipops were perfectly cooked. Even the coffee was nice and strong. We will definitely be back! read more

We ate at the Blackbird Saloon twice when we were in Cerrillos a couple weeks ago. Patrick and Kelly and staff made us feel welcome! The food was great and made from scratch. My husband, Allen, got the El Chavito burger and the chilies were not for wimps! They were fiery and tasty, as they should be! I ordered the El Real de los Dolores, ground lamb meatballs with yogurt sauce and flatbread. They were cooked to perfection with wonderful spices. We also ordered Crow's Nest fries and they were fresh cut and fried in peanut oil. Yum Yum Yum! You could choose to sit in the old time saloon or on the porch outside. But the coolest part was the antique mirrored bar backing and real bar with brass foot rest. The spittoons were on the floor but filled with beer bottle lids (Whew!). Great food, great service and great atmosphere in a great place. I recommend the Blackbird Saloon highly! read more

One of the best burgers we've ever had. Locally owned and locally sourced ingredients. You gotta stop here.

We've been waiting for this place to open for awhile, and it was worth the wait! We both had the bison burgers, salads, and a glass of wine. All were delicious. The owners and staff are gracious and nice. Along with Cerrillos Station, this new restaurant is making Cerrillos a place to go! read more

If you are traveling along the turquoise trail, be sure to stop into the Black Bird Saloon for a bite. The small saloon takes you back in time with the curated vintage decor. You can't help but order a beer to round out the experience. The food was just as great! A unique take on a grilled cheese with smoked trout; it was oozing with flavor! From the look of my husband's burger, it looked juicy and he agreed on taste! A great addition was the peppers and smokies! Great service and hospitality in this hidden gem along the trail! read more

My husband and I come from on la and the food here was delicious. They have great variety as well. The atmosphere is amazing, love the authentic saloon feel but with a slight modern touch. I had the lamb meatballs which were great, just try them read more

Everything was perfect! Delicious food with thoughtful and fresh ingredients, great decor and very pleasant and accommodating owners. Tried the burgers, pimento toast, quesadilla and cauliflower soup. Win win for all! We will go again And again. read more

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My new favorite hamburger in New Mexico. A real Old West setting, the legit saloon a "must see", it's casual and welcoming. We've eaten here several times, they are serving one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten. What a gem for a laid back meal with friends. read more

We have enjoyed going to Madrid for a while now but we were more than excited to find a new place on the Turquoise Trail to stop and enjoy a bite to eat. The menu was varied and offered options for big meat eaters and vegetarians alike. We wanted to come back tomorrow but it isn't open Monday or Tuesday. Will definitely make it back again! read more

What a strange, beautiful little bar. We had passed the main stretch of Los Cerrillos several months back after a hike but everything was closed. Last weekend we happened to drive by again and Black Bird Saloon stood out like a desert oasis. A porch crowded with people intrigued us enough to stop in for a drink (dinner plans had already been made for later in the evening) and oh my gosh: sometimes you just step into a restaurant or a bar or a library or a hotel and it's just mystifyingly perfect and at best it feels a little bit like a dream. That's how this joint was. Crowded but not uncomfortable, SUPER friendly staff, great beer and wine selection, a little two-piece band - guitar and pedal steel - singing old country-western songs. Just perfect, maybe the coolest place within a couple hours of Albuquerque. We drooled over the chalkboard menu and the dishes we watched being delivered to customers - cheap gourmet burgers, unbelievable sounding. Planning on going back to eat this weekend. read more

Neat place to grab some grub if you're in the Cerrillos area. Their burgers are pretty darn good and the owner is very nice. Would highly recommend! read more

Great burgers and food Everything I have had has been great so far. Been there about 5 times. I'd give it 5 stars if they get ice for their water and soda... read more

Make The Black Bird Saloon a destination with good friends and family. The food combinations are a thoughtful array of ingredients found in 5 star big city bistros in a Wild West setting. Slow down and take it all in; enjoy the entire experience. It takes time for the small staff to prepare these specialty entrees - don't be frustrated, instead enjoy the surroundings, take time to visit with your company and the friendly staff and patrons. After lunch we unfortunately found a nail in our tire and the owner made such an effort to help us by asking around town for a tire repair plug kit - he even called the neighboring town to ask if they had a plug kit - we got home safely and rest assured, next time we visit New Mexico, we will make it back to the Black Bird - you should as well. read more

Had lunch today at this relatively new place, such a nice addition! They've done a great job with the space, the menu is wide ranging and everything sounded tempting. I went with the green chili Angus burger and matchstick fries. The burger was delicious, the fries were crispy and plentiful. I'll definitely be back for more. read more

I came all the way from California to this ignorant and unfriendly restaurant who refused to let me use the restroom after I had made a purchase. I won't be back that's for certain. Bad way to get repeat customers. Rude employees are not the way to go. read more

Love this place! The decor is so cute with the western theme and the owner was amazing. Very personable and friendly! I ordered the egg and bacon breakfast burrito it tasted very fresh! Would definitely come back if I'm ever in the area again. read more