gabriel's restaurant

on a warm sunny new mexico afternoon sit under the portal with an icy margarita and you feel like the don of the hacienda. the guacomole is a tableside show but well made with perfectly ripe avocados. it would benefit from a little salt. the chips are freahly fried from homemade tortillas so you may not like them if you're used to getting yours out of a bag. the enchiladas are only so-so, but all in all it's definitely worth the drive.

i was taken there by local resident friends after a modest build- up. first: wayyyy out of town- might as well eat dinner in taos (the food would certainly be better). second: harried, forgetful waitstaff, maybe gabriel's tries to serve too many diners on the patio. third: very marginal chiles rellenos served cold! when is mexican food ever cold? fourth: nice mountain views, and the people-watching is not bad.

another restaurant that shows delivery but we're very offended when we called and ask for delivery. we are in our motorhome and don't want to drive to a restaurant and try to park.

great!. very good authentic mexican-texican. prices are reasonable and the service was quick, even without a reservation.

located fifteen miles north of santa fe, just south of pojoaque and within minutes of two garish native american casinos, gabriel’s is a culinary oasis back-dropped by nearby cedar and pine tree laden hills and the santa fe mountains further to the southeast.  gabriel’s entrance is flanked by unpeeled latillas, a precursor to one of the best restaurant settings in the santa fe area.  in the early spring and fall, weather permitting, the sprawling dining room and its spanish colonial theme are often rebuffed in favor of an outdoor dining experience.

we found this restaurant on a dog friendly restaurant site and saw decent reviews so we decided to try it since we were going to be hiking in tesuque. we were seated on the patio and within a couple of minutes had chips and salsa and a bowl of water for our pooch. then the wait began. we watched the two other tables that were seated on the patio get their food, eat their food, get their food packaged to go, receive their bill, pay their bill, leave, and then have their tables cleared of the post-repast detritus. we had not had a drink order taken or even been acknowledged by a waiter. finally as the last of the other tables was being cleared, the waiter for that table asked us (from 20 feet away) if we had been helped. i answered "nope" and he quickly headed inside shaking his head. a couple of more minutes passed. three confused looking waiters came on to the patio and seemed to be looking for the table that was not being helped. one of them timidly approached our table and asked if our dog was going to bite him. our dog was not. perhaps the first thing out of his mouth should have been "i am so sorry for the wait" or "a thousand apologies, may i get you some drinks from the bar", or "i am the manager and would like to offer you a dessert in exchange for the 40 minutes that you sat neglected on our patio". instead: "is your dog going to bite me?" perhaps a waiter had been bitten in the past. perhaps this particular waiter had been attacked by a tourist's chihuahua. perhaps a less terrified waiter could have been assigned our table. i have noticed a trend lately of waitstaff being aloof when something has gone wrong at my table. this is not the correct response to a problem with a diner's experience at your restaurant. redouble your efforts! offer something in exchange for the inconvenience. don't get weird. your tip will suffer. the food was ok. nothing to write home about. the view from this restaurant was fantastic. the patio was large and quite nice. we won't be back.

on the way to bandelier national monument, consider stopping to eat before or after your visit at gabriel’s. i loved the tableside guacamole, there's options for omnivores as well as vegetarians, and the inside and outside have great atmosphere, with a huge courtyard outside with views of that classic new mexico bright blue skies and the inside is full of unique bold bright southwest art with nods to nature, especially the ornamental birdhouses.

do you want a taste of old mexico and its cuisine? just travel 10 minutes north of santa fe, and you will find an indelible experience of mexican food. the table side made-to-order guacamole is highly recommended, and it is a joy to watch them prepare it right in front of you. the beef fajitas are excellent and sizzle with as much flavor as the skillet they are served upon. finish off your meal with the softest sopaipillas in the state.  you will undoubtedly satisfy that craving for authentic mexican food when you visit gabriel's.

terrible. attended a banquet here. horrible food. $25.00 cold quesadilla with six tiny cubes of cold chicken. stale tortillas. save your money. the only edible thing was the quacamole. never again.

the food was pretty good but the service was almost non-existent

a favortite near santa fe. my wife and i have eaten at gabriel's quite a few times on our way back to pagosa springs, co. always good food, good selection and fun watching the guacamole being prepared at your table..

horrible!!! overpriced, rude staff, and gross food. i will never recommend this place to anyone!

awesome guacamole and food. i highly recommend a stop!

eeh.. food was ok but not up to the standard i was expecting. drinks and service could have been better with a little caring about your position. really was expecting a destination dining experience but was disappointed.

utterly the worst meal of my life!!!!. ate there 3 years ago and returned again for a repeat performance. this place has gone down hill big time. server could of cared less if we were there or not, food was the worst i have had in some years. ordered the fish taco's and any cat in their right mind would have not eaten this utter filth of a meal. was totally smelly of rotten fish and had the consistency of runny oatmeal. can you imagine?

disappointment is the best word i can use to describe our experience. never will return to this place again and would encourage readers to continue on into santa fe as there are many restaurants that exceed this one starting with mcdonalds!