the shed

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 longwaittimes...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 towaitlongwaittimes, 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 :)

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.waitstaff blamed the kitchen. our lunch should have been free. instead we received a mere 20% discount. food was, after all that, nothing special.

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 towaita little bit.

4.5 stars (this site doesn't allow half-stars) primarily losing half of one on the longwaitthat 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.

margaritas are spot on with an extra shot of mezcal. the red chile lives up to its reputation. wowzer. longwaitwhich is good but we decided to sit at bar. great service.

lunch service was a littlewaitbut you can peruse the nearby shops while waiting. i had the red sauce and it was delicious. service was 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 worst service ever will never return! my husband was there to get seated they wouldn't seat him. he had towait till i got there. when i finally went in to get seated with my husband they still we're going to make uswait15 minutes. definitely does not cater to the local population! and to top it all off there service at the table couldn't get any worse!

the shed is amazing and offers gluten free too!. great food - authentic. very good margaritas too. thewaitis long, but worth it. one of the sauces is gluten free and fabulous. we ate there twice during our visit. each time was delicious. highly recommend!

not bad. it wasn't bad! the red chile was flavorful and deep, which is what gets the good points here. i had the polo adobo and a cup of corn chowder which was also good. my fiance's green chile burrito was not as good and the lemon soufle wasn't fresh, which soufles really ought to be. i don't know where "creative cooking" comes in to play, this is good ol' new mexican cooking. the guac was nice, the server was nice, thewaitwas crazy long.

the shed is the gold standard for northern new mexican food. everything on the menu is a treat and excellent. you may have towaitfor a table and it is worth the wait. expect santa fe prices.

real authentic new mexican food!. i travel the entire state of new mexico for work....and this is by far the best place to get new mexican food!! i always get their blue corn tortilla chicken enchiladas- stacked not rolled- christmas style (half with red chili, half with green chili) with an over easy egg on top. it may sound strange if you are not accustomed to new mexican food--but this is how many of the locals eat it and it's amazing! their chips, salsa, and guacamole are so fresh and delicious! but be careful....when they seat you and take your drink order... they assume the sale with the chips, salsa, and guac..making it sound like its free with your meal--it is not! if you order all three its like $7.95 added to your bill.... chips and salsa alone is like $2.95 added. it surprised me the first time i visited there. this is a place where all the locals eat and almost always has awaitso put in a reservation. also, they are closed from 2 to 5 everyday for break during lunch and dinner services. the shed is located at the heart of downtown santa fe where there are numerous shops to walk around and see while you wait. if you go during the warmer months during the day/early evening, the native americans sit in the downtown courtyard (right by the shed) selling their handmade goods from the reservations. its pretty neat to see and experience. amazing food and unique atmosphere!! a must try if your in santa fe!

marvelous. this place is awesome. we eat here multiple times the week's we come to santa fe. the blue corn enchiladas are the only thing i get here along with a cup of green chile stew. i neverwait-- the week before we travel i make reservations for the multiple nights we'll eat here. check in a few minutes before, then in no time we're whisked away to our table.

margarita's are great.

i love this place.

not worth the wait.... have lived in the area for about 5 years, and finally decided to try the shed. after a very lengthy wait, we finally got seated. we had been looking at the menu the whole time we were waiting, so were ready to order when we were seated. a waitress came out to take our drink order, and i told her we were ready to order. she said, "oh, i'm just taking drink orders." more waiting... we finally got our food, enchiladas. the green chile was ok, but the red was awful! hubby makes better red at home, and i don't have towaitfor almost 2 hours!

condescending attitude and mediocre food not worth the wait. santa fe was a stop on our road trip and we heard that the shed was the place to eat. so i called to ask about their dinner hours and if i needed a reservation, they said i did not. so we show up right at 5:30 and were told that since we don't have a reservation thewaitis an hour and a half long (by the way, told this by a really rude greeter as he rolled his eyes at us for not having a reservation). i was annoyed but we decided to shop around the square during ourwaittime so no biggie. we were seated and ordered some beers and chips and salsa. the beers were kind of expensive $4+ a bottle but the salsa and guac were delicious. we ordered the veggie quesadillas as a starter and 2 chicken enchilada dishes. the veggie ques was awesome and i wish i had just stopped there. the posole and beans that came with the enchiladas were bland and really what i consider "throw away food." the enchiladas did not have a lot going for them. they were smothered in some decent, spicy sauces but other than that i couldn't taste any cheese or chicken or anything else. definitely not worth the 1.5 hourwaitor the slow/rude service of the waiters.

santa fe as i remembered. in the santa fe of my youth, the shed was a restaurant where visitors could eat decent mexican food while absorbing the cool lifestyle of us locals. after a 20+ year absence, we recently experienced it from the visitor side of the equation and were amazed at how well the concept has withstood the test of time. on a cold, windy monday night in the off-season, the place was jammed. we worked our way to the front of the waiting mass and signed up for the obligatory "20 minute wait". remembering that under "santa fe rules" time estimates mean very little, we claimed one of several empty tables in the bar. as we listened to a manager explain to neighboring customers that there was no table service and that drinks must be ordered at the bar, a server materialized to take our order for margaritas and chips. didn't question it (again "santa fe rules") but probably over tipped. the drinks and people-watching were good enough that we almost didn't mind our 40-minute wait. we were eventually escorted to a small dining room attended by a surprisingly professionalwaitstaff (not "santa fe rules"). both red and green chile dishes had just the right level of kick and the beans definitely had the new mexico touch. while santa fe has changed immensely during the years since i left, this evening was definitely a reminder of my old hometown.