the shed

we were really looking forward to having dinner at this place, but it did not live up to our expectations. we had a party of eight and no one was happy with their meal. it is hard to write a bad review, but nothing about this experience was wonderful.

our favorite place in santa fe! great service and food. also, best margaritas we drank our entire trip.

this place not only has great food, but it also a great spot just for a drink at the end of the day.
staff was very friendly and helpful when it came to dinner suggestions.
also, love the decor!

dianna from texas. very tasty!!! garlic bread was a nice surprise .

santa fe knows how to cook folks!! i haven't had a single thing here that i didn't enjoy!!! and no, it's not mexican cuisine, it's new mexican (haven't been told yet what the difference is, just that there is a clear distinction).

the shed was highly recommended by a local foodie, an authority of kinds. her recommendation was the mushroom soup (wait, what!?). yes, mushroom soup...so of course i ordered it!! it was just what i needed after several days of tortillas, beans, guacamole and pico. i'm not even a mushroom soup fan but the flavor of this was so incredible!!! it was thin, but cream based, and had such depth of flavor. it was paired with a 1/2 green chili roasted turkey sandwich which was the perfect hearty accompaniment. in fact, many of the dishes here are spicy (and they advertise same)

my only caution is the long wait times...we arrived at 12:12pm and was told it would be a 30 minute wait. we figured a place that is constantly busy must be good, right? i suggest you plan to wait long wait times, no matter what time of day, but it's well worth it. menu is simple and affordable. our server looked like he just walked out of an episode of prison break, but he was friendly, attentive and down to earth...so really, what else would you want :)

these folks had a very dog friendly patio and welcomed our pets. the service was excellent and food was good. chili was warm too. thanks for a wonderful anniversary dinner with our 2 puppies.

great food, and a trendy atmosphere. service was excellent and very casual. the staff was very diverse, it seemed like every aspect of the city's demographic could be found working here. if you're tall, mind the low doorways.

an out-of-town request for chicken enchiladas only from the shed. on palace avenue close to the plaza, so it is bound to be a tourist favorite, but that doesn't take away from the food. at lunch time, you need to be prepared for a wait, but come a little later and much of the crowd has gone. we had a three-year-old and a two-month-old, so we were prepared for hustled service, but we were mistaken. the receptionist was very pleasant and helpful, and the server, thomas, was amazingly pleasant, helpful, and efficient. with a big crowd he had no time to hover, and he didn't, but he was always available if we needed water, a straw, or whatever. he was prompt with the bill, which was quite reasonable.

a big choice of margaritas. we chose the sangre de cristo because it had blood orange liqueur, and it turned out to be tasty and a good pour.

for one order, hot sauce was on the side with no argument. the green chile chicken enchiladas were tasty, especially with a fried egg on top. the posole was exactly the way i like and make at home - not soupy the way it is in most santa fe restaurants. ranch beans instead of the tired samo-samo refritos was a welcome change. guacamole was a bit pricey - maybe because of the limes - but it was well made. the three year old ate every bit of the gigantic scoop of rainbow sherbet. the out-of-town request was more than fulfilled.


-----11 sep, 2010-----

quintessential santa fe because it's close to the plaza in a quaint old building. popular with locals and tourists so always busy. good versions of new mexico standbys like blue corn enchiladas. margaritas ok.

opens at 5:00pm for dinner. better be there to check in at the hostess station & get your pager because the crowd forms quickly. had the chicken enchilada plate with blue corn tortillas, pinto beans, & posole, plus house margarita. everything was top drawer,. wife had mushroom soup & salad mix with walnuts & bleu cheese crumbles, excellent.

matthew was very helpful & attentive. courtyard seating was comfortable & quaint.

supports local food movement!. the shed buys fresh, local ingredients for their meals through farm to table's farm to restaurant program. the farm to restaurant program promotes a viable food system in northern new mexico by helping small to mid-sized farmers sell their products to santa fe restaurants, and by helping these restaurants source the highest quality, most nutritious and flavorful ingredients for customers like you! we thank you for supporting the local food movement by dining at a conscious restaurant like the shed. we know you will love the dishes that incorporate local ingredients; supporting local restaurants and farmers is one way to preserve santa fe’s unique culture!

a bad day at the shed. seated fairly quickly then waited an hour for our order while newly seated patrons were served ahead of us. wait staff blamed the kitchen. our lunch should have been free. instead we received a mere 20% discount. food was, after all that, nothing special.

the atmosphere here is upscale/new mexican. the green chili chicken enchiladas are literally the best i have ever had. the flavor of their enchiladas can’t get any better, they are absolutely delicious. the lemon soufflé is such a delightful dessert and has amazing flavors and texture. this is one of my absolute favorite restaurants and if you find yourself in santa fe it needs to be a must try restaurant before you leave.

heard so much about this place, but it was disappointing. margarita was very sour (used a premixed sour mix). cheese enchilada would have been good if the red sauce wasn’t burned and bitter. and what’s with garlic bread served with enchiladas?

great little hole in the wall vibe. when they tell you the chile is spicy, take heed to the advice. decent service and great food. we made it on a not so busy day but be prepared to wait a little bit.

4.5 stars (this site doesn't allow half-stars) primarily losing half of one on the long wait that was longer than stated and the use of patrón in your upper-end tequilas.

ok, new mexican cuisine is truly a bit of an outlier for me in the food world, having grown up in west texas and steeped in the rich, varied tex-mex and mexican cuisines of that region. that being said, my limited experience with new mexican cuisine in las cruces and in santa fe would clearly put the shed up against any mexican restaurant of any type in the united states. the expression of the red chile is bountiful and consummate here. 

as if it needs any more stars from one more reviewer due to its james beard award it won in 2003, this place is marvelous. here goes:

1. the margaritas offered are really tasty. the menu almost looks trite with the many variations they offer off of their base margarita, but the st. rita (elderberry being the added in this one) was quite marvelous. the other margarita, the elite silver, was really tasty (use herradura -- it's better).

2. the chile con queso (basic in the mexican cuisine world, yes, but rather tasty) has marvelous green chiles that make it truly a more-than-one-chip offering. even the kids cleared the bowls.

3. carne adovada [sic] in most places is overcooked and has been sitting in a pot for ages. this was marvelously delicious with red chiles setting off further taste buds, and the enchilada on the plate and the hominy side were simply divine. truly unique.

4. the desserts were fine, but i left with fond memories of red-chile-immersed fairies dancing on my tongue.

this is a must for all to visit in santa fe. the end.