The bae and I had our second dinner in Santa Fe at Tomasita's at the recommendation of one of the vendors on Santa Fe's plaza. Her name is Claudia Chavez, and her family has lived in New Mexico for ages! I bought a beadwork necklace and a set of earrings from her for the wedding I was attending in the city. If you're in the area, ask her for her favorite places for New Mexican cuisine.
The restaurant
Tomasita's doesn't take reservations, so when the bae and I arrived around 6:30, there was already an hour-long wait for seats. We grabbed a buzzer and went back into our car to wait. Most couples would probably make out in the car while they waited. We had just gone to Meowolf, an interactive and immersive art exhibit in the city, so we sat in the car and read an article about the exhibit to each other for an hour. Don't worry, my little sister has already made fun of me for this.
The restaurant is inside of a 100-year-old railroad station. Railroads connected people during the period between 1870 and 1880 when the Wild West was being explored. The line that ran from Antonito to Santa Fe was called the Chile line. It makes sense that the station now holds a restaurant known for how spicy its chile is!
The food
After seeing the above disclaimer, the bae and I were excited to try some spicy food. I was a little scared though, so we asked for a sample, just in case.
Red and green chile
New Mexican cuisine is known for its red and green chile. Seriously, they eat it with everything! Both chiles are traditionally made with hatch chiles. The red is made with dried chiles and the green with fresh, roasted chiles. Our water told us the red was spicy and the green milder, but we felt like both didn't have too much heat. I think New Mexicans should try Korean food...
If someone asks you if you want red or green chile, I've been told the correct answer is "Christmas," or both. New Mexican locals may have a point. I couldn't decide which chile I liked better! The green is chunky and fresh, with a smoky taste and a pleasant texture. But the red is deeply smokey and the heat creeps in on you. Christmas is definitely the correct way to order New Mexican cuisine.
Chile rellenos
Instead of an appetizer, the bae and I ordered the chile rellenos to share. The stuffed peppers came with red and green chile. They were delicious, but very heavy! Between the cheese and the refried beans and the breading, just one pepper would have been enough for a full meal. It's really hard to mess up something that's stuffed with cheese, breaded, deep fried and covered in more cheese and beans though. The bae and I fully enjoyed these.
Tamale plate
I ordered the tamale plate for my entree. It came with two pork tamales with red and green chile, a cheese enchilada with red chile, spanish rice and refried beans. The flavors were good, but I thought the tamales were a little dry, and the spanish rice was a little overcooked. It wasn't anything that ruined the meal for me, but the textures were just a little off.
Carnitas Antonio
Every night, Tomasita's has a different special. The bae ordered Saturday's: Carnitas Antonio. It had strips of beef marinated with green chile served with spanish rice and pinto beans with chicos. Chicos is a special type of New Mexican dried corn. I really liked it with the pinto beans! I prefer whole pinto beans to the refried beans, and the corn gave it a nice smokey flavor and firmer texture.
Sopaipillas
The REAL star of the show were the sopaipillas. They're a pillowy fried bread, served with honey butter and local New Mexican honey. There was a sign outside that said they would be served at the end of dinner instead of with our entrees so that they will stay hot, but they came with our entrees anyway. The bae was pretty peeved, because he really wanted to eat them after dinner as a dessert. I, obviously, stuffed my face with them and couldn't finish my entree.
The sopapilla looks big, but it's mostly full of air. It's crispy on the outside and slightly fluffy on the inside, but it's actually really thin. The honey butter melts into the dough for a beautifully sweet, salty and rich experience. Do you know where I can get sopaipillas in DC? Please help. I need them.
Tomasita's: Final review
The food at Tomasita's was delicious. The chile was not as spicy as I thought it would be (I definitely didn't need a spice warning for it), and while the flavors were all there, some things were overcooked.
Overall it was a great meal, but I'll tell you about favorite restaurant that serves New Mexican Cuisine later this week!
Price point: $$ ($11-$30)
Dress code: Casual. Bonus points if you have a bolo tie, boots or a cowboy hat!
Food: ????????????????/5 Minus one burrito (There's no tamale emoji) for the overcooked tamale, but seriously the sopaipillas are TO DIE FOR.
Service: ❤️❤️❤️❤️/5 The bae was pretty steamed his sopaipillas were coming out with our meal. I think he was just upset I was eating them all before he could.
Noise level: ????????????????????/5 This place is CROWDED. It's loud purely because of how many people there are.
Tomasita's is located at 500 S Guadalupe St
Santa Fe, NM 87501. They also have a location in Albuquerque.
Bree says
That food looks really tasty! I am a huge fan of food like this so I would definitely eat there if I was in the area!
Alessia says
Never been there but it looks like you enjoy a lot...I think i will have this trip in my books 😉 . thank you for sharing this i am always looking for a new interesting idea for the next trip
Alexandra Cook says
OMG Can I just say, I can’t help but drool over the picture! Who would not love to taste this! I’ll definitely be adding this to my list of restaurant to try!
Sincerely Jackline says
Her jewelries are so nice..! They will look great for many different types of outfits.. How I wish I could buy from her..!????
Brandy says
Wow! Everything looks so appetising and delicious! I always want to get fried ice cream when I go out to eat.
Kathleen Cregg says
Oh my goodness! I'm so hungry now, everything looks so good! I love Mexican food and wouldn't mind those chille rellenos!
Megan Kerry says
This looks so delicious! Would love to try it out!
Sudipa says
I love Mexican cuisine.The food looks yum and the place looks cozy
Laura says
Looks like a great place to visit and the food looks delicious. Yumm!
Laura
https://pinkfrenzymissl.blogspot.com/
Ktlexius says
I love restaurants built from and still passionate about their story. This seems like a great restaurant. Happy you included notes about the noise level too!
Suzanne Nuyen says
Me too! The best part about experiencing food is experiencing the stories and the love behind each dish. It doesn't matter if a tamale is a tad on the dry side or if the waiter brings something out of order. The passion and history make the moment!
Ktlexius says
I love restaurants built from and still passionate about their story. This seems like a great restaurant. Happy you included notes about the noise level too!
Dalene Ekirapa says
I love trying out new dishes so for sure, some Mexican cuisine would be welcome! The green and red chile looks hot, peppery and too fine with some crackers or chips. I would love such a combination if I dropped by Tomasitas Santa Fe.
Amy-Lynn Denham says
Looks like this place probably has a lot of vegan options, too! I love that the sign tells you to ask for a sample first. I have made this mistake with hot sauce on falafel - some places are just hotter than others!
Suzanne Nuyen says
Basically every place in New Mexico had this warning! It was really nice 🙂
Kuntala says
Such a nice place. Hope I could visit some day.
Nandita says
The tamale plate looks absolutely delicious. I like the simple yet full of charm decor of the restaurant.
- Nandita
Michael says
Man! I just ate but now I am hungry again! Those tacos are callling meeeeee! I bet they are really delicious!
Kuntala says
Shows you had a lovely time with good food. I liked the way you concluded wih a short and sweet summary.
Suzanne Nuyen says
Thanks Kuntala!
Adriana says
Such a fun read. The food looks so delicious. I have to add Santa Fe to my bucket list
Suzanne Nuyen says
It's definitely one of my new favorite places!
Genny Gall says
wow, this food looks very tasty and like you said to die for... I really enjoy eating good Mexican food
Shannah says
Oh this makes me hungry! I have only driven through New Mexico twice both times were moving cross country to and from California. If I get back that way I will have to try this out!
Megan Kerry says
wow! This place looks like it was worth the hour wait! You guys are too cute for reading the brochures in the car!
Suzanne Nuyen says
It was delicious! We had a great time 🙂
Sami says
Great review! Makes me crave Mexican food
page says
such a thorough and fun to read review! this makes me miss santa fe!
Suzanne Nuyen says
It was my first time visiting and I already want to go back!
Lauren Wyler says
I'm going to New Mexico around Thanksgiving- will definitely have to try this place!
Suzanne Nuyen says
Have so much fun! I'll have a post up about everything to do in Santa Fe soon, be sure to check it out 🙂