Honestly, what we loved about this experience was the company we were with. Unfortunately, the execution didn't live up to the hype of a place that is trying to position itself as an upscale venue. To be clear, our server, Summer, was a real standout in how she handled our group of ten. The food was the let down here. While the presentation was visually pleasing; my pork was not seasoned whatsoever. My Wife's chicken was very dry and also unseasoned. There is potential here, we just didn't see what we might have expected in the food. read more

Wendell's - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

For the price this restaurant is mediocre. Food was warm, not good and hot. Very price for quality and taste of food. Disappointed read more

The food was amazing. Me and my husband got the ribeye 16 oz and it was the best steak we have ever had. It was so tender even though I got it medium well. The service was amazing as well. The atmosphere was very nice as well. We will be going there for special occasions. AGAIN BEST STEAK EVER. read more

The service at this location was absolutely terrible. One of the worst experiences at a fine dining restaurant of my entire life. Our server in addition to being incredibly slow and barely checking on us throughout the night deposited a near empty dining room brought us the wrong orders and overcharged every single person at the table for items they did not order. It was either incompetence or a deliberate scam but it took so long to get our cheques that we decided just to pay and cut our losses (fitting for a casino restaurant). He also struggled to do basic math when we asked to split a menus item cost between two people. The food was extremely overpriced for what was served to us. The steak was fine but not at the value of the cost. The one redeeming factor was the Green Chili's Lobster bisque. One of the best things I'd ever eaten. Just wish the rest of the food and service had been to the same level. Only thing saving this from being a 1 star review. read more

Wendell's - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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Best fine dining in the area.. Service was excellent, food was excellent and dessert was over the top!!! Highly recommend read more

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We have been to Wendell's several times. It's really a hit and miss kind of restaurant! First let me tell you about the guy that's there taking requests and playing guitar! He's fantastic. The appetizer we got was the shrimp and crabmeat martini. Way overcooked shrimp and no crabmeat. Hubby and me split the 14 oz Strip and it was cooked perfectly! The cousins had the same thing. They said theirs was cooked perfect also. Cuz ordered the Mac and Cheese with truffles as a side. Very good! I had the chopped salad for my side. Also very good. The service was ok. Not crowded at all and very slow service. Maybe short on help. My cousins have had the Sunday brunch and said it was delicious! Like I said hit and miss. Try it, you might like it! read more

Great food, great service and excellent atmosphere. The steaks and table side salad are some of the best in the area. If you can't afford get John as sever, all the better read more

We have been to Wendell's three times. The first time was amazing (2023), second time was not great ( March 2025) but this last time was beyond fantastic. We had the prime rib, Wagyu filet, elk tenderloin, broccolini and bacon, truffle macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake and creme brulee for dessert. The waitress Johnnie was fantastic and everything was delicious. read more

Wendell's - Chocolate cake - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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We were so disappointed. For the price you think we would've got a good steak. We ordered a 16 ounce ribeye, medium. We got a rare steak and it was almost half grizzle and not chewable. We told the manager and he said ribeyes are fatty. There's a difference between fat and grizzle. One of the worst steaks we've had for $65-$75 read more

Wendell's - Ribeye 16oz - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

We went for the Christmas Buffet 2025 and it was phenomenal. Our table had a beautiful view near a window overlooking the lake. A panoramic view of the Inn of the Mountains God's White Mountain. Good job read more

Went there for our 1 year anniversary dinner. Venue, view and atmosphere are great but the service was horrific. Everything took forever we ended up finishing the appetizers before our drinks came. Appetizers plates never bussed even after asking politely multiple times. Tried to speak with a manager but no one in sight. We ended up cancelling the dinner entrees and expressed to a server multiple reasons why and he just rolled his eyes. They brought the food even after we said we do not want it and that we were simply waiting for the bill to pay and then she said it's here I can just give you a free dessert with attitude. For the price you expect good service at least mediocre but it was horrid. Cannot speak on the food because we only had a couple of apps. read more

0/10 do NOT recommend. We had a horrible experience from the moment we walked in until the moment we left. The man at the front was extremely rude, which set the tone for the entire visit. Once we were finally seated with our friends, things were okay but definitely not great. Toward the end, everything went downhill again. The same rude man from the front brought our check, still with an attitude. We weren't ready to leave our friends even wanted another drink (which she said was honestly terrible) but we asked for the bill to be split between us and our friends. The waitress came back more than once and it still wasn't split correctly. She told us she needed to cash out the cash portion first and then run the card afterward. Our friend paid his part fully in cash, and we were going to cover the rest on our card. Instead, they ended up charging our card twice after already taking the cash. We only signed for one of those charges. We had no idea the second charge even happened until we checked our bank meaning the waitress pocketed the extra money. We immediately called management once we saw the duplicate charge. They apologized and said they would issue a full refund. That refund NEVER happened. My husband called and left multiple messages, and no one has bothered to call us back. It's been over a month. We will absolutely not be back, and I do not recommend this place at all. read more

This establishment is portraying themselves as fine dining but giving a subpar dining experience. What a disappointment. The ambiance is just ok and needs work to match what they charge. We were seated at a rocky table and asked to be moved. The man playing the guitar was a nice touch and much needed to add some type of elegance. Without him, you would be focused on the other people looking around for their food to come out. They are overcharging for their food that is no where near impressive. The only positive is it being located in the resort, but at this price, go somewhere else. They couldn't even get a chopped salad right. Drenched in ranch dressing and missing the ingredients. How does this happen? We waited 90min for unappetizing food. My husband's $65 steak was well done and had been overcooked. When you charge fine dining prices the expectations are much higher. There was an employee floating around to tables trying to help but it was giving "damage control." I would not go back here. read more

Wendell's - Presentation is awful. What is this a snowman? - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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This place is not at all "fine dining". The waitress was nice and didn't get bothered when we asked for pictures, her service was great. As for the food, some of our orders were delayed and brought out at a later time. The food was mid, if even that. We definitely wouldn't not return here. Unfortunately, we did go at our own risk. We had locals steer us to other restaurants and should've listened. read more

The food was Amazing and the service was even better! The staff were attentive and considerate. This was the best steak I've ever had.

We ordered the chili relleno, Caesar salad, Elk tenderloin and butter poached lobster with scallops. $127. The Caesar came first. It was unusual in that a lot of the ingredients were separated from each other. That have us the chance to play around with the different tastes and combinations - something that we found to be rather enjoyable. Next was the chili relleno. I don't even know how they were able to fry it so crispy yet delicately. It was really great and the cheese square was extremely delicious. It was only sad to us that we didn't have a spicy chili. The Elk was surprisingly good as well. Our host Kory steared us to it and we were both glad. It was our first elk and it was amazing. It even made us feel like we had eaten something much healthier than a typical steak. The butter poached lobster with scallops was super awesome too! Not only was everything cooked to perfection but also the butter sauce was better than drawn butter. Just as awesome as our delicious meal was the awesome service we received from Kory. read more

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So our third time eating here over the past few years, and most likely the last. We had reservations at 700 for four. Asked if we could come earlier, and were told they were fully booked. We show up at 700 and place is only 60% full. Service was adequate, not great but adequate. Waitress poured a new bottle of red wine in my wife's leftover white wine glass that still had a smidge of white wine in it. After she poured a taste, she left and never once touched the bottle again. My wife and I shared 16 oz prime rib. The meat supplier must have had special. It was the toughest prime rib ever. We ate less than half of it. The asparagus came out cold and the sauce was inert (tasteless) and the asparagus was way undercooked. On a good note, the wine list is spectacular and very well priced. We won't be going back on our next trip here. One other thing, Wendell's Bar is extremely slow with service. Only one bar tender. Took 20 mins to get a drink. read more

Let me start by saying Gabriel was the saving grace for this place. If it weren't for him we would have walked out. We stood at the host stand for about 10 minutes watching employees walk past us without acknowledgment(incredibly disappointing considering the pride that clearly went into building this restaurant). Finally a young man acknowledged and sat us. Again, we sat at our table with no service for about 10 minutes while tables that got sat after us were given water, bread and their drink order taken. My husband spotted our normal server and went to ask if we could switch to his section, meanwhile our server(Johnnie) finally showed up and immediately asked "are you ready to order?" Mind you we hadn't even ordered drinks.....so we switched to Gabriels section and our service was immaculate the rest of the evening. Lobster and scallops were fantastic, the steak was tender and juicy just lacked flavor. The highlight was the raspberry caviar, it complimented the scallops very well! If you're going to come to Wendell's ask for Gabriel. read more

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honestly the food was good but not wow omg good.. the lobster and the waiguo steak were chewy and didn't have a lot of flavor, the mac and cheese was fire though! i'd go back just for the mac and cheese, the service was pretty fast too and they were nice for the most part. read more

We went back recently and honestly had a great experience. The food has always been really good here, but in the past the service didn't always feel at the same level. This visit was totally different. I'm not sure what's changed in the last month, but the service was noticeably better--friendly, attentive, and it made the whole meal feel more relaxed and enjoyable. Everything came together really well this time, and it finally felt like the food and service were on the same page. We left impressed and are already looking forward to coming back read more

Food is always good. Our service was alright. Kinda disappointing for a $300 meal but all in all it was fine. The Wendell's Lounge on the other hand, the waitress was grumpy, her drinks reflected her attitude and the outside seating area is absolutely DISGUSTING. Cigars and cigarette butts scattered everywhere and not a single ash tray. There was one trash can with no bag. The cushions were in poor condition and not picked up and put up. Just tacky and gross. Drinks are not cheap there which I don't mind but at least have a nice atmosphere for your guests to enjoy the sun read more

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Steak, potato, and baked Alaska all wonderful. Waiter was attentive. Restaurant was clean and very well decorated.

Johnie did a great job as our server. We loved our scallops and steak and lobster! It was great! Our server Johnie was awesome! I had 2 glasses of Sauvignon Blanche wine! So yummy ! The lobster tail was so good! The scallops were excellent! The man playing the autistic guitar was fabulous! He played our wedding song! Thank you Wendell's Steak House! It was our anniversary and we loved our meal and experience! read more

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To begin, a short history which underscores how important this facility is and how it all came about. "Wendell's" is named in honor of Wendell Chino, who was President of the Mescalero Indian Tribe from 1954 until his death in 1998. He helped his Tribe out of bankruptcy, poverty, high infant mortality rates, and families living in shacks without running water or indoor plumbing by promoting and overseeing the development of a Hotel, Convention Center, Golf Course, and Lake Mescalero which opened as "The Inn" in 1975. The "Inn of The Mountain Gods Resort and Casino" was reborn in 2005 and is now a magnificent facility. Today the Tribe is the leading employer of Lincoln County and contributes about $55 million annually to the local economy. It provides jobs and income for Mescalero Apache tribal members pursuant to an ordinance that requires tribal preference in hiring and training. ........................................................................ Dining at Wendell's is a delight. I've eaten here twice and thoroughly enjoyed each experience. They have a nice wine menu to get started featuring by the glass or by the bottle. I tried their Charles Krug, 2016 Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon ($15/glass). It was very good. For entrees they have a nice lineup of signature selections including: crab legs, sautéed jumbo prawns, scallops and lobster, smoked salmon, prime rib, and elk tenderloin. They also offer premium steaks in filet mignon (6 or 8 oz), NY strip (14 oz), or ribeye (16 oz). I have to admit after tasting their elk tenderloin the first time, I had to get it a second time ($44). It was moist, tender, and had an excellent taste! I made a promise to try something different next time, ha. (I hear the scallops and lobster are very good.) The service was great with the pleasant and attentive employee coming by constantly checking on us and making sure everything was good. The prices are comparable to other restaurants of similar style and offerings. The views of the mountains from your table during sunset are inspiring and photo worthy, and everything makes for a memorable and positive experience. If you're visiting the Inn of The Mountain Gods, be sure to put Wendell's on your itinerary! Hours of operation are: Thursday & Sunday: 5-9pm Friday & Saturday: 5-10pm Reservations are required read more

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After a poor dining experience at a different restaurant in Ruidoso, we decided to try Wendell's. Sadly, this experience wasn't much better. We had a reservation and waited about 10 minutes to be seated which was not a big deal & they had fantastic live music in the meantime. The restaurant had several open tables as it was a Sunday night. Once seated, it took nearly 15 minutes for a server to come to our table and another 20 minutes to get a drink. We ordered our dinner at the same time as our drinks since we had plenty of time to look at the menu; my husband and I were very simple with our orders (steaks, medium & medium rare, along with mashed potatoes and mac & cheese). While waiting for our food for an hour, we saw three couples complaining of the poor service and their food served cold, making us quite nervous. During this time, our waitress only came to the table one time to refill our waters. For $170, the food was extremely subpar & cold and the service was even worse. All in all, I'm sad to see this type of service becoming consistent in Ruidoso. I hope these restaurants, that were once our favorites, turn things around ASAP. read more

Hubby and I wanted a romantic dinner and chose Wendell's due to location and from recommendations we had received. It was also one of the only places open. We made reservations on Open Table. When we arrived, there were only 2 other parties there. The ambience is romantic. Dimly lit and intimate. Our server was friendly and polite. We had our drinks quickly and was served warm bread. We had the Caesar salad and shared the bison tomahawk. The Caesar salad was kind of strange. I've never had a Caesar server that way with a piece of anchovy on the side? Kinda gross. I know Caesar dressing is made with anchovy but to see it. Yuck! No thanks. The bison tomahawk was humongous! So happy we decided to share it. Also ordered the lobster Mac n cheese. So grateful that we did because the "side of mashed potatoes" was less than stellar. The tomahawk was tough and dry. The butter on top didn't do much to enhance the flavor. There is a potato chip on top of the mashed potatoes. The host came over to ask about our food and said, "that's a potato chip. You should try it because people put a lot of work into it" Definitely did not appreciate the condescending and demanding tone. I'm a grown and can decide for myself what I want to try. It definitely turned my off to the whole meal. The highlight was the lobster Mac and cheese. The lobster was still cool, but at least it was flavorful. Overall, over priced and over hyped. read more

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These days it's hard to go to a restaurant and it be tasty and well seasoned as well as good quality! These points are what we look for when eating out! We're we're there for Christmas Brunch! Drinks! Food was excellent to us and we saw a lot of repeat customers! For Christmas it was so nicely decorated and even though we didn't win in slots, the experience was what we expected! Thank you, Wendall's for making our time memorable! Keep up the great work and you'll see people return to support you! read more

My husband and I enjoyed the magnificent Thanksgiving Buffet presented by Wendell's Steak and Seafood Restaurant located at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso. I can honestly say that I have never experienced a better or more generous buffet in my life, with such an extensive and delicious variety of foods. The appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts were all fantastic and delicious! The opulent experience was positively decadent! In addition to that, we were running late on Thanksgiving and the kind and gracious Manager of Wendell's allowed us to enjoy the buffet. The buffet servers and the waitstaff could not have been nicer or friendlier! Everyone warmly wished us a Happy Thanksgiving! This was gracious and beautiful service at its best! This experience at Wendell's made for a wonderful and unforgettable Thanksgiving for us. Thank you ALL very much! I recommend Wendell's without hesitation. We will be back! read more

Hate to say that although the view was great and the staff was excellent, I was underwhelmed by the meal I had. Mediocre at best. The ribeye had excessive fat and missed the mark for any "wow". It lacked. Others at the table were praising the food so I didn't say anything since they picked the place for our anniversary. Probably didn't help I was up half the night in pain reliving what I had paid handsomely for and my wife had to deal my misery. read more

This is not fine dining. Took 20 minutes just to get a glass of wine. Then I was served wine that was corked. Sent it back. Took another 20 to place our order. When the waitress came around, she made us feel rushed. I only ordered the lobster bisque and that took another 20 to come out. My friend ordered the elk tenderloin and it looked okay. But the bisque was so salty I couldn't eat it. Then the waitress had the audacity to gaslight me and tell me the wine must have affected my pallet. What? Awful experience. For what they charge, service and food should be top tier. Again, this is NOT fine dining. read more

Dinner was excellent. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious. We also had crab cakes and the crab & shrimp martini that were both really good. My only complaint is sitting with the open balcony above us, there were kids up there literally screaming such high pitched screams over and over and over that I'm pretty sure dolphins in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans heard them. I'm a mom of 3, so I get kids, but this was insane. I recommend not sitting in that area for a better experience. read more

Wendell's - Butter poached lobster & scallops served with pea purée and white asparagus - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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Lobster and Scallops are a great choice! Fast and friendly service. Great martinis. Beautiful view. You won't be disappointed!!!! read more

Wendell's - Lobster and Scallops are a perfect menu choice! Great food, friendly staff. - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Food was a little pricey but great, awesome environment with calm music playing, good service but a little slow. read more

Wendell's - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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Service was good even while accommodating several large groups. Food was okay but I not memerable.

The restaurant is pretty, the service is good, the people are nice - the food ..... just don't go. This is not fine dining. I wouldn't call it mediocre read more

Wendell's always delivers. The service is top notch and the views are incredible. I love coming to this spot. Make a reservation and get prompt service. The filets and prime rib are incredible. I love ordering the mushrooms for a steak topper. Wine list is extensive and prices are affordable. Shout out to John for great service. Can't wait to come back! read more

Pretty awful ngl. My girlfriend and I stopped in here for dinner while we were on vacation. Their service was subpar, the waitress was not very attentive and didn't check on us much. Bread tasted like it had been frozen. We ordered Pepsi to drink and whatever they brought us was not pepsi. Ceasar salad had a strange taste to it, almost tasted like fish. When our entrees came out, they were cold! I will say our steaks had good flavor but the temperature was off. This place is also over-priced for the quality of food. Not coming back. read more

Wendell's Lounge is nice. Beautiful view of sunset. Wed Wind Down is nice deal with music playing.

It's Thanksgiving and we are staying at the hotel here at the inn of the Mountain gods. We had reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at 5:45, but they told us we would have to wait an hour. We are now having dinner at the sports bar. read more

Wendell's - a man sitting at a table with a plate of food - Steakhouses Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Terrible service. Two waitresses showed their worst side. One of them got angry because we requested a change of table due to the AC. She was furious! The second one was mad at us for reminding her to bring utensils, napkins, a glass for our beer. The food took forever and was not cooked as we requested (steaks). We will definitely come back to this magic town but never again to this deplorable restaurant. And of course, the tip they got was based on their service, and attitude. read more