the shed

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

these folks had a very dog friendly patio and welcomed our pets. theservicewas 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.servicewas 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.

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

lunchservicewas a little wait but you can peruse the nearby shops while waiting. i had the red sauce and it was delicious. servicewas quick and food was ready pretty fast. chicken taco in blue corn tortilla was very good. definitely a fork and knife type of taco. the red sauce on the cheese enchilada was excellent. beans and rice were ok.

the worstserviceever will never return! my husband was there to get seated they wouldn't seat him. he had to wait till i got there. when i finally went in to get seated with my husband they still we're going to make us wait 15 minutes. definitely does not cater to the local population! and to top it all off thereserviceat the table couldn't get any worse!

we put our name in at 4:30 for a table at 6:30, when we returned had about a 45 second wait.  servicewas good, waiter was helpful with suggestions for both cocktails and food.   food was good, with enough spice and kick but not overwhelming heat.

great food - the green chili stew and sauces are fantastic.
prices are very affordable and theservicewas very good.
we will be back whenever we're in santa fe!

awesome!!!!! we had lunch here today and it was outstanding! we sat on the patio. excellentserviceand the food was to die for. everything was hot and tasty. highly recommend the shed.

always good. this is one of our favorite places to eat in santa fe. yesterday we had #5 (cheese enchiladas) and the chicken enchiladas. both were great.servicewas a little slow (too be expected on a saturday at lunch), plus my plate broke when it was placed in the blast furnace to melt the cheese, so our server brought us salsa, guacamole, and chips. that definitely warded off the hunger, but it also filled us up to the point where we didn't have a piece of the chocolate cake for dessert. too bad, maybe next time. and there definitely will be a next time.

what people must realize is that this isn't mexican food. you're in santa fe! you're in new mexico! the food is going to be different here, especially in santa fe. it is the city different, after all. the food is going to be different in every local restaurant you go to here --- and that's a good thing! try it. enjoy the differences! expect them to be different.


-----12 jun, 2013-----

always good. we were there on saturday, may 25th. one order of cheese enchiladas with red chili and one order of chicken enchiladas with red chili. both were great! we split a mocha cake. also great!

authentic food & tasty margs!. i do love a good margarita, and the shed has them! although this wasn't the best mexican food i've had, it was certainly delicious. they aren't lying when they say the red sauce is spicy...i warned you! the bread that comes with every meal is delicious and hits the spot, theservicewas great and the proximity to the plaza is a plus. overall a tasty little lunch spot!

food is overrated, margaritas are mediocre (can get better elsewhere for less $) andserviceis definitely the worst i've ever encountered in the us. waitstaff was outright rude. thats hard to say about my native nm. the manager had to apologize for the treatment and offered us free meals upon our return but it was too late. not worth the wait.

great food and drinks. the margaritas were top notch and very flavorful. the food was well prepared, tasty and wonderful. goodservicemade the evening a fondly remembered experience.

the best new mexican food in town.. i have been eating new mexican food since 1952 and in my judgment, the shed is as good as it gets.

contrary to some of the reviews, the shed is not solely a tourist place. it is very busy in the off-season when it is full of locals. almost without exception, my long-term new mexican friends and relatives prefer the shed to any other new mexican restaurant in town-though there are many other very good restaurants. one of my very best friends, a ft. worth texan no less, actually prefers the shed food to his otherwise beloved tex-mex.

this is new mexican, not tex-mex (an aberration in comparison) or mexican. the food is always fresh and in my experience, always well-prepared. what sets new mexican food apart is the chile. you simply will not find it anywhere else. while the shed green chile is very good, it is the red chile that is most exceptional. in my opinion only mary & tito's in albuquerque has red chile that is better. both chiles are tasty and piquant.

among my favorites here are the taco and enchilada plate and the carne adovada (available only at lunch). the margheritas are generally very good as are the deserts, especially the mocha cake and hot fudge sundae.

some people have trouble getting a table in the evening. i have found this to be a problem, also, on occasion. i prefer eating lunch here. i show up around 11:30 in tourist season and 11:45 in the shoulder seasons to avoid the crowds. also, it seems to me that the food is a tiny bit better at noon.


-----23 nov, 2011-----

hot fudge sundae. the shed makes their own hot fudge and it is simply the best i have ever eaten.


-----23 nov, 2011-----

taco & enchilada plate w/red chile. the taco can be ordered with ground beef or chicken. it is a soft taco, meant to be eaten with a fork. i like it with beef and smothered in the shed's great red chile. this is quintessential new mexican food, and it is delicious. posole (very good) and beans accompany the dish.


-----27 oct, 2011-----

the best place in santa fe to sample new mexican food.. i was raised in abq and have lived in santa fe for 12 years. i have eaten nm food in perhaps 100 restaurants. in my judgment, the shed is one of the two best best restaurants in new mexico for new mexico style food. (the other is mary and tito's, in abq.)

what makes new mexico food unique is the chile. the shed has the most consistent chile; it is unadulterated by cumin or other spices and is made fresh multiiple times daily. the red chile at the shed is exquisite. the green chile is very good. i particularly like red chile, so that is what i usually order on my enchilada plate or my taco and enchilada plate (both with blue corn tortillas). i ask for a side of "red" as well, to slather over anything left uncovered. the carne adovada, available at lunch, is also quite good. the posole is quite good, also.

i have had perhaps 100 meals here and have never been disappointed. lunch is best in my experience, i know not why. since the shed is always crowded, arrive around 11:30 during tourist season and prior to noon during off-season. for dinner, make an early reservation. by arriving early, i always avoid the crowds and myservicehas been good to great all but once.

note that this 16th century building. if you are seated to the left, enjoy this historic building. it is likely you will not eat in an older building in the states. also, because of the building, they do not accommodate large groups very well.

in addition to the new mexican food, their soups and salads are surprisingly good, their margaritas are fresh (not made with a "mix") and good, and they have several good desserts. i particularly like the mocha cake and the hot fudge sundae.

finally, when eating here, if you are an out-of-stater, remind yourself that this is new mexican food-not mexican nor tex/mex. the names of the dishes are the same, the tastes are different. i hope you enjoy the food and visit as much as i do.

the food was very fresh and delicious. theservicewas fast and our waiter was wonderful. i would recommend this restaurant to anyone.