I was in Santa Fe for a ridiculously niche lawyers conference and wandered into El Matador on a…read morerandom Thursday night. Then I came back Friday. And Saturday. Not because of the drinks. Not because of the atmosphere. Not because of the location. Because of Katya. Katya is not my favorite bartender. She is my favorite human being. I've spent enough time in bars to know when someone is good at their job. Katya operates on an entirely different level. She can take what feels like sixteen orders at once, remember every single one, deliver them with absolute precision, keep the entire room moving, somehow do the math in her head, and still make every customer feel like they're the only person sitting at the bar. The basement bar itself is exactly what a great dive should be; a shithole. Heavy hobo stab vibes upon entry, including Katya. Smell: multiple buttholes farting at once. Climate control: sweaty patron dependent. Lighting: liability. TV: playing a rotation of trash 80s DVDs . If business schools were smart, they'd study her. If hospitality groups were smart, they'd clone her. If Santa Fe has any sense at all, they'll do whatever it takes to keep her exactly where she is. Cash only, so come prepared. And bring plenty of it, because she deserves every penny. Katya must be protected at all costs.

Kind of a grungy, punk, divey vibe. Not exactly my thing, but where that feels unique to me this is…read morethe kind of place to remind yourself it takes all kinds. A busy setting and top candidate for beginning or ending your Santa Fe drunk parade. That is to say, it is fun. It is not refined. But it clearly does not want to be. :)

Another great meal at Boxcar, again with the Santa Fe Foodies. All nine of us enjoyed the meals. We…read morewent for Taco Tuesday; you can get $2 beef tacos, which many members did and said were very good. However, I decided to go with an appetizer I've never tried, the Bang Bang Shrimp, which was dynamite! You get four very large, crispy shrimp in a sweet-and-spicy sauce, though I didn't find it spicy, if that's a concern for some. The sauce was very tasty; the shrimp had great flavor, were plump and tender, and they were indeed crispy. This went very well with the arugula under the shrimp. I'd order this again in a second. I then had two tacos à la carte: Baja Fish beer-battered cod and Carnitas. Both were very large and excellent. The pork on the Carnitas was indeed crispy as it should be, and the cod was perfectly fried and delicious. My wife had the Asian Tuna Noodle Crunch Bowl: seared tuna, lo mein noodles. The dressing was superb; the Tuna was perfectly seared raw, and all the items that came with the salad (mango, red cabbage, daikon radish sprouts, kale crunch, edamame, cilantro, peanuts, toasted sesame) made for a lovely and delicious meal. Our server, Tony, did a fantastic job of keeping us all happy. My only 'complaint' was that Boxcar doesn't serve their amazing Brussels sprouts, or at least not all the time. Not on the menu. I told Tony and the manager how much I love them and was told it may come back as a special from time to time. Man, the Boxcar Brussels sprouts are amazing! Boxcar has very, very good food, and I would usually avoid what appears to be a 'sports bar,' but James Beard Foundation-recognized Chef Eric Stumpf will please the foodies every time. What is nice is that Boxcar has several seating areas, so if you're into food and not the 'bar scene,' they can seat you in an area that is quiet.

They do not offer fried pickle as a side and cannot order it in half order. Ordered the burger and…read moreI had to put the burger together myself,not sure if this is a Mountain West thing. Also the bacon was sticking out. Have to pay for ranch dressing, was told after the food was served. Waited for the dressing to come and the Orion rings got cold. Wasn't that busy but still took a while for the food to arrive. Out of tacos for Taco Tuesday by 10 pm, but they still offer the tacos at the regular price. After I asked for the check, the waiter offered drinks from the happy hour menu, dessert and asked me if I wanted to place an order of vegetable "something healthy" for the next day? First time that I been offer that. Would not go back again.

It's a Saturday night and we (out of towners) returned from our day trip to Taos. Tried to get in…read morefor dinner somewhere within walking distance from our hotel and were rebuffed by a couple of local eateries since we hadn't made a reservation. Walked by The Cowgirl and figured "may as well try here". We were promptly seated inside, but by a door, so that was fine. Our server, Luis, brought waters and took our marg orders. They came out quickly and we ordered the squash flower app. It was DIVINE! So delicious! We did not expect such a culinary delight. My GF ordered the vegan tacos with real cheese and I had the Ortega chile relleno as my main. The tacos were "make your own" and came with a bowl of tasty crisp veggies plus so many sides (guac, spicy salsa, cheese, lettuce, rice & beans which were quite tasty). Props to Luis for his attentiveness despite how busy it was. The decor is fun to look at and next time, I'd like to sit outside. As we left, a band as preparing to play. Would recommend if you're looking for tasty vegetarian food!

I wanted to love this place. Fantastic atmosphere. The patio is great but we had to sit inside…read more They have a nice bar and the inside is nice. The service was great. The issue was the food. I had the chicken fried steak. It was downright awful. The breading crumbled off and the meat was tough. I could barely eat it and did not come close to finishing it. My son had the brisket and I had some too. It was dry and the sauce was terrible. It wasn't all bad. My sister ordered the sweet potato fries which came with a dip that was absolutely fantastic and my dad loved his burger. My brothers ordered nachos and something else and said it was just okay. So, a couple of bright spots but bad brisket and chicken fried steak killed the food mood. I loved everything about this place but the food.

This spot was a neat hang out with a nice selection of Bosque craft beers. The server was by…read moreherself and pretty busy. She told me they could do flights but then basically wouldn't let me get one. So that was kind of odd. But she ultimately let me sample 3 I was considering.

It's a bar that is one of Bosque brewery. A group of us went there to meet up for karaoke. The…read morelarge room is divided into two sections. One side for karaoke and the other one is for patrons who are not interested in singing. Plenty of tv screens front of tables and some in the back. With one screen showing the music to sing to. When ordering drinks and food just get in line and order with the one bartender. Very efficient service and drinks come out fairly quickly. Overall very fun night to meet up and just enjoy some singing along with friends.

Great beer, great patio- pizza from next door, beautiful music and just a great place to hang in…read moreSanta Fe.

Not a brewery. They haven't brewed in over two years and their trap lines are hot. I would pass on…read morethis one if you are looking for local craft.

Special place Tinys is. Been around for almost 80 years…read more Live music 5 nights a week. Patio is nice. Boyfriend loves the club sandwich and I am a big fan of wings and their burger. Specials all the time.

Great mariachi music, excellent service, terrific Mexican food - nice outdoor patio…read more This is a locals place but with great prices and food all should visit

We stayed here recently and don't think we'll ever do it again. The rooms are very poorly…read moremaintained. The blinds were broken, the film on the windows was peeling off. The carpet had stains. Not enough bedding provided. Lighting inside the room was very dull, at least one bright light should be optional. Being located on the street itself made it very uncomfortable.

This restaurant is CURRENTLY CLOSED…read more When they are open, which is off and on, it can be decent. Used to have great music. Dough went to Rio Chama, I believe. Open soon so we can try out your new vibe!

I absolutely love this place! good vibes, good people, good music, and really affordable pricing…read morecompared against most places in Santa Fe these days. Thank you for the fun times and karaoke!

I LOVE this place! It's exactly what I've been looking for in a dive bar in Santa Fe. Some decent…read morefood, drinks that are poured well, chatty patrons and staffers... 2 great appetizers and two mixed drinks for $20? What's not to love? I'll be coming here again!

My friend informed me about their 29.00 prime rib special on Weds so we decided to give it a try!…read more We were seated immediately (no reservations required) and our server was very efficient and helpful (although a bit snarky and sarcastic). BFF and I ordered the prime rib special (well done) and it was fantastic (served with mashed potatoes and veggies). Mom was going to order the SF enchiladas but the server did not recommend them so mom ordered a salad instead (we appreciated the honesty). My friend does not eat meat unless it is Halal (she is married to a Pakistanian) so she ordered a side of mashed potatoes and an order of nachos (w/o meat). Everyone enjoyed their meal and also opted for dessert! Mom and I got the pecan pie (she got hers a la mode). BFF and my friend got the apple pie a la mode. We all really enjoyed the meal but the only thing was our server was just a bit too snarky which we did not appreciate. For example, she came by as we were finishing up our dessert and I thought she was picking up our plates so I was going to hand mine over and she said she would be by to take them (no problem); however, she was just right behind me asking the other table if they needed anything and then she picked up our plates. I felt as if she was doing this on purpose (some servers just have an attitude and are not "people persons" as they say). Other than that, I would definitely return!

This evening, we had a late dinner at the Cottonwood Kitchen. We started our meal with a plate of…read morecorn chips with pico de gallo, guacamole and salsa. Then, we had a chocolate tort with ice cream and a slice of peach cheesecake for dessert. Everything was fresh and delicious. Service was outstanding. Ambiance was typical of a casino eating establishment.