Went for dinner on a weekday and it wasn't very busy, but it's a great location, facing west so we got a view of the sunset while we were there. The ceviche was delicious - super fresh and flavorful, and with a nice ratio of chips. We were somewhat indecisive around what main to get as there were many items that looked good but we decided on the chicken mole and wow, I must not have ever had real mole before because it was absolutely better than any than I've ever had before. Great services and drinks and by far one of the best meals I've had in a long time! read more

On our third visit to Escondido, we brought my brother-in-law, who had been wanting to take us out to dinner. He's from the NYC area, and has demanding tastes, but he was totally won over by the food and the service. I had the mariscada, a rich and hearty seafood stew with plentiful baby scallops, mussels, calamari, shrimp, and whitefish swimming in a creamy broth. I didn't think the charred tortillas were quite the right accompaniment for the mix of tastes and textures, and would have preferred more of a salty flatbread, but that's a minor quibble. My wife's chicken mole enchiladas were wonderful, by her account, and it was a filling dish -- we brought back a box with the remains for enjoyment as a lunch. My brother-in-law's red snapper was also reportedly excellent, as exhibited by the lack of any leftovers at all. I stuck with the hibiscus iced tea since I was driving, but I took a sip of his Mexican 75 cocktail -- delicious -- and my wife's silver coin margarita was up to snuff in a tough market, so we can vouch for the libations as well as the food. For dessert, we feasted on the triple sorbet -- lemon, mango, and raspberry scoops on a cunning 3-bowl tray. The lemon was more icy, the mango more creamy, and the raspberry a cross between both in texture. The flavors were outstanding. If only they added espresso to their after-dinner offerings, it would be perfect, but the coffee was very good and came with a variety of sweeteners to choose from, including lump turbinado sugar and white cubes, plus the usual packets. Service was spot-on, friendly, and efficient. Be prepared for elevated noise levels in the bouncy room, but you can still be heard across the table. And the place is so popular that they request you keep your visit to 75 minutes for a table for two, and 90 minutes for 3-4 people, so keep an eye on the time during busy periods. read more

Escondido - Holiday decorations - Mexican Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Finally made it out to Escondido on my visit to Santa Fe. So glad I finally made the stop. We found out upon seating that it was currently happy hour til 5. There were specials on beers and margaritas. We only grabbed food from happy hour menu which did not disappoint at all. We started with the Corn Bisque which was *chefs kiss* I'll be thinking of it till the next time I'm there. Followed by the jalapeños then our flautas, tacos y shrimp tostada. Everything was perfect. The vibe of the space was simple yet modern. Loved the music, plantas and art. Can't wait to be back! Shout out to our server was so attentive and great. read more

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Stopped in here before seeing a show up in Santa Fe. It's a nice little spot with both indoor and outdoor seating. I was quite excited to see a shrimp posole option on the menu, as someone who doesn't eat four-legged critters, posole is mostly off the table. I'm so glad i decided to give it a try, it was amazing. Lots of bits of shrimp and delightful flavor. I also go the vegetarian mole enchiladas which were a quite large dish. The flavors blended well and the mole was a really nice rich accent to the enchiladas. Highly recommend their mole sauce! The service was prompt and the servers were good about checking on us and checking the dishes for our various dietary restrictions. I will definitely be back and you should give it a try! read more

Escondido - Shrimp posole - Mexican Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Ordered the mahi ceviche and esquites (corn) appetizers. Delish! But the crème de La crème was the Short Rib. Get the short rib!! Get the short rib!! Amazing!!! read more

Escondido - Short rib. Mmmmm - Mexican Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

This place didn't live up to the vibe it's getting. There was nothing extraordinary about the food. We love eating al fresco, but the patio looks out onto a busy street. And we couldn't take our dog up to the roof. The service was friendly but infrequent. read more

This review is from September: Very happy with our first experience at Escondido Santa Fe. This was what I told my partner I wanted for my birthday and we both enjoyed everything it was exciting to go somewhere so new, we're not usually the type to do that. It was great to see so many different types of people. A few families, some on a date, some with friends. The ambience was very chill. Staff had good energy and handled things with grace. Definitely still working out table numbers and getting in the groove but props to the servers and folks that bus the tables, their calves are going to be ripped hustling up and down all the stairs. All that said! My partner had a red wine good enough to have 2 glasses... I had a margarita...good enough to have 2 glasses I started with their El Alebrije $18: Tapatio Añejo | Grand Marnier | Fresh Pineapple | Mango | Fresh Lime Orange Fiery Habanero Tincture Chamoy Tajin Rim. My second margarita was a house which was also good but the El Alebrije was Food was enjoyable. I do wish I had requested my mole be reheated. I think there was some confusion on the table numbers and got the vibe that my food was a mixup, and it didn't make it to me in a timely manner, plus we were sitting on the patio. I know if I had asked I'm sure they would have obliged. All around great flavors. Nice choice for a little splurge meal. read more

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An upscale spot for good food. We went during the afternoon so it wasn't busy. We were able to order off the breakfast and brunch menus. The breakfast tacos were top tier. My husband throughly enjoyed his ceviche dish. We were seated promptly and staff was friendly. There restaurant offers plenty of seating. We were disappointed to learn we were unable to sit on the rooftop patio area since it wasn't open, but overall a good experience. read more

Escondido - Mexican Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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We have gone for dinner, for drinks, and for brunch on Valentine's Day. They have all been 5-star experiences, highly recommended.

We enjoyed a really nice, relaxed lunch at Escondido. I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas and my friend really enjoyed the four taco entree. While the food is very tasty, the prices are high - even for Santa Fe. Nice service, but the tables are pretty close to each other so it's distracting. read more

I wanted to try this restaurant after reading about the James Beard nominated chef and his signature dish that beat Bobby Flay. We made same day reservations for dinner, so that was nice. Our reservation was for 8pm, and the restaurant closed at 9, so I felt very rushed at the end. We weren't even there an hour. Our waitress was very friendly though. They just don't want to stay past close you can tell. It's a cute building with a good parking lot. The mahi mahi ceviche was tasty. The sopes were also very good. Our entrees were just okay. I wanted to love the stuffed chili signature dish, but it was bland. The Al pastor tacos were decent, but I've definitely had better. Same for the shrimp. The shrimp in the tacos were the little cocktail shrimp chopped up, so they were overcooked. I think maybe I just don't appreciate New Mexican food as much as traditional Mexican food. It was good, but I wouldn't go back. read more

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The food was tasty and the ambience was nice. They also easily accommodated our friend's vegan needs. Losing one star for the service/price. We were the second table seating of the day and didn't have anyone come by to greet us or give us water for at least 5 minutes. We saw several servers milling about by the bar not acting urgent about anything. The food runners had no idea who ordered what and had us pass dishes around to each other instead of bringing them to each of us. I don't mind these things generally, but when I'm paying $30 for Eggs Benedict I expect better service. read more

Had a lovely dinner here tonight. I've been searching for restaurants that did not just serve the typical "New Mexican" dishes but still had some local touches to their creations. This is it! The food hit just right, flavors were fresh, bright and dishes were well- composed. The presentation of each dish was lovely! Great place if you're in the mood for a fish dish! Quick and attentive service! We came to dinner with our 2 toddlers and everyone was super nice and accommodating. We dined on the patio and the vibes were perfect down to the music and art decor. I don't give positive reviews like this often but this was well deserved. read more

Escondido - Short rib with blue corn - Mexican Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Had a great meal starting with chips and salsa, scallop crudo, and saffron corn bisque. Lots of options for meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. The ambiance is cool - chill Tulum vibe with music from Nikola Cruz and others on the playlist tonight. read more

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Food was really tasty and fresh. Tried the ceviche trio, the Mexican Ceasar and 4 different tacos. All were very good. Barbaco was better than the carne asada per the Mr. Mango Fuego mag was perfect. Music was really nice. Our server was on top of it and helpful. Will take guests there for sure. read more

When I dislike a new resturaunt, I always give it a second chance a year later. I did this. Ill only give 1 more star because I ordered the watermelon gazpacho and I liked it. Then I realized, its hard to mess up a watermelon strawberry gazpacho since it's... like... just blended watermelon. Right??? How do you mess that up??? Watermelon is always good!! I ordered ceviche again, and crochettes again. Nothing has changed - both were still no good imo. And to top it off, the plates were ridiculously gigantic they barely fit on the table... portions are still too small. I just expect better. Service is nothing to complain about. Pretty standard. Ambiance is still the same. I've always liked the ambiance. Probably won't go back. Sad about this. Thought they'd improve. read more

Loved this place and plan to go back again soon. The food was delicious, the menu was interesting, I really can find no fault. Our server was very gracious. It's a pretty nice-casual restaurant, I can't wait to go back for dinner. read more

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Another incredible meal, for my birthday too. mahi-mahi ceviche, fish, tacos, pork, belly, tacos, and puts the cream. All outstanding. The service was also amazing. This is one of the best new restaurants in Santa Fe. read more

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Parking good, staff friendly, building nice... no music(when I was there), excellent... There are complaints of loud music in other reviews, very lively acoustics I'm a chile relleno(poblano) en nogada fan, so how could I resist ordering the beat Bobby Flay mega hyped one for $35... yes, I feel like a sucker! It would have received 3 stars had it been 8 bucks at a cafeteria next to the stuffed bell peppers... and never to be ordered again... I typically order a house margarita as a gauge on a new Mx restaurant... theirs was fine except for the most ice I have seen packed into a glass in many years... Fail... I warned neighbor table fellow and showed him my excess, he ordered his light on the ice and they seemed to get it right. I suggest Bobby Flay and Chef Ruiz work at Manuel's in Austin for awhile... their relleno en nogada is way better than the Ruiz version, at $27, it comes with a nice fruit plate, rice, and black beans... better atmosphere and marg as well! Waiter asked how it was... told him average cafeteria food, to which he replied "do you want to speak to a manager"... told him I wasn't looking for a job... I'm glad I'm not the only one that found the food to be poor. Update, suffered gastrointestinal distress for about 24 hours... guessing the sauce, tasted more gravy-ish than creamy... not sure what their sauce is supposed to taste like... first time at restaurant read more

We went to Escondido for Christmas Eve. I can't comment on other's feelings about the service but for us it was both cordial and precise. When the chef wasn't in the kitchen he was greeting the patrons in a very full house. My wife and I spent a few minutes talking with him and he was charming. Some reviewers believe that the prices at Escondido are too high for New Mexican cuisine. However I don't feel that these criticisms take into account the fact that the food here is not run of the mill New Mexican cuisine. What we had (mains were braised short ribs and chicken mole) were IMO closer in quality and uniqueness to Sazon than to places like the Shed (which we also love). This is a chef driven restaurant and IMO the prices were quite reasonable, as were the wine BTG choices (IIRC all Mexican wines and something of a revelation to this California and French wine collector). Overall it was a wonderful experience and if we lived in Santa Fe as opposed to Los Angeles we would become regulars. read more

Chef Fernando Ruiz' Escondido Restaurant is AMAZING. Four of us had dinner, with main dish selections of the chicken mole enchiladas, braised short ribs, chile en nogada (his award winning dish), and pork chop. The flavors were incredible, something one would expect from a chef. For the chicken mole enchiladas, the chicken by itself had a wonderful, smoky flavor from the choice spices and the braising. The mole sauce was the best I've ever had, 2nd best being at a restaurant in Old Town San Diego many years ago. I highly recommend. I think we have found our new favorite restaurant in Santa Fe. read more

We decided to treat my in-laws to dinner at Escondido to show our appreciation for their help with the kiddos, especially since this place is billed as one of Santa Fe's upscale spots. The ambiance was on point - modern, bright, and sleek, which was a refreshing break from the Southwestern vibes you often find around town. My in-laws loved the stylish setting, and it felt like a nice touch for a special night out. TThe prices are definitely upscale for New Mexico, with dishes averaging around $25 to $30, drinks at $16 to $17, and appetizers on the pricier end too--even chips and salsa come with a charge. Two of us ordered the Chicken Mole Enchiladas, which had an incredible blend of flavors with achiote-braised chicken, mole negro, and chipotle crema, plus perfectly seasoned cilantro-lime rice and beans. The Chile en Nogada, "the dish that beat Bobby Flay," also impressed two of my party with its sweet-savory filling of ground pork, veal, golden raisins, and a luscious walnut cream sauce topped with pomegranate seeds. Here's where it fell short, though - everything came out lukewarm, which took away some of that initial "wow" factor. It looked beautiful, but by the time we started digging in, it was clear the dishes had been sitting a bit too long. The service was friendly but on the slow side, and it seemed like that's what led to the temperature issue. I'm still intrigued enough to give Escondido another shot - there's definitely potential here, and I'd love to see what other dishes might hit the mark with the right timing. Here's hoping next time, everything's served as hot as it looks. read more

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Great spot. Beautiful spot, fun vibe, top quality ingredients. Had the bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeños, a bright and fresh ceviche and incredible vegetarian mole enchiladas. As expected the Coin margarita was spot on. Service was excellent. Nice patio and great roof top. Will be back next visit to Santa Fe! read more

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Food, sorry to say no flavor, expensive for what it was. Carnitas and pork tacos. Unfortunately, won't be coming back. Also they cook with Canola oil. read more

In Santa Fe for work and had a fantastic dinner. My coworker who lives in town has been here before and raved about it. We made reservations for 7:30pm but arrived about an hour early. We planned to sit at the bar while waiting but there were 3 of us and it was full. Asked the very friendly host if we could happen to be seated earlier and he said he would see what he could do. Another employee, more like a manager approached us and said they were setting a table up for us. We were fine to wait but they were so nice to accommodate us early. Our server was Lexi who was so friendly and attentive. We asked her questions about the art work and she answered and filled us in on the restaurant as well. The painting that had the owners in it was was cool. We ordered Stuffed Jalapeños which were so tasty. They are stuffed with cheeses and have a guacamole mousse, and wrapped in bacon. We also order the Guacamole for appetizers and it was fresh with lots of chips. My coworker had the Braised Short Rib on his last visit and highly recommended, so I went with that. The meat is so tender with a perfectly savory Demi Glacé. It's on top of a Blue Corn Puree which pairs so well and topped with Salsa. It's such a delicious dish. The coworker that had been before went with the Chicken Mole Enchiladas and really liked it. My other coworker got the Chile En Nogada which they say is "the dish that beat Bobby Flay". She absolutely loved it. I had a taste of it and it is really good, great flavors. It is a roasted Poblano Pepper stuffed with veal and pork and other fabulous items and it has a walnut cream sauce. I could see how it could beat Bobby. Service is excellent. Besides our server, everyone we came in contact with was pleasant and helpful. The place is beautifully decorated with an upbeat vibe. We had such a wonderful dining experience. read more

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Food is prettier than it tastes. Food comes out looking great but everything was sort of bland. It seems like crock pot chicken for the tacos. The avocado whip had no taste but it sure looked pretty. Prices were high even for Santa Fe for what you got. However, the service was especially good. More from the buser who refilled coffees and waters than from the server. This place posts amazing looking food on their facebook but was overall meh and over priced. read more

WE GOT " Flay ed" If Bobby Flay was beaten by the chef of this restaurant, he must have been under the weather. Let's begin at the reservation desk. Even though our friends had proof that they had confirmed reservation, the host did not see it and did not intend to honor it. She offered us an outside seating in weather that was 55 degrees. After some discussion, we were placed at a table inside next to the bar area. As we listened to the menu options and received a drink, the person who was the supposed manager, curtly told us that we needed to vacate the table and move outside . He claimed someone also had a reservation but had specifically asked for our table. After back and forth, he relented and walked away. He was not apologetic whatsoever for the rude behavior. We ordered the soft shell crab entree which our waiter raved about and one of us ordered the short ribs. What was most puzzling was that while the entire restaurant did not have their food, we within 5-15 minutes had our entrees literally flung on to the table. The soft shell crab was microscopic and was an appetizer for an entree price. The short rib was literally a rib with emphasis on short. Then to add to the evening's discomfort , it was clear they wanted us to vacate the table so literally every 5-10 minutes various people kept removing plates without asking if we were done. They were eager to take our plates but not so eager to give me a glass of ice that I waited a half hour for. The waiter attempted to ingratiate himself as he knew we were disappointed at best. He said we treat our guests as family. This then would be an example of one dysfunctional family. In conclusion, you have so many culinary options in Santa Fe and this clearly should not be one of them. The price of food ( high end) for virtually mediocre cuisine the size of an appetizer is not worth your time or patronage. read more

Loved the mole chicken enchiladas! Guacamole was excellent and the stuffed jalapeños are delicious (not too hot)! Shared all and went home full! Margarita with grapefruit was perfect. Very nice restaurant! read more

Escondido - Guacamole and stuffed jalapeños - Mexican Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Went during happy hour last week with friends and returned Friday night with my husband. Had to wait quite a while for the host. Only 2 tables were occupied but we were told we had to sit on the patio. We waited 10 minutes at said table with no service and moved to the bar. When denied happy hour menu we were told Friday is NOT a weekday! The manager asked me to show him their own website and then sullenly relented. Very awkward. Others showed up for happy hour and didn't get it either. Tiny food portions. Disappointing experience all around. read more

I wish licking the plate was more acceptable. Ordered the vegetarian version of their signature dish....amazing. Great cocktails, too, fun atmosphere, wonderful service. read more

Got food poisoning my 1st trip here over Christmas. Told some friends about my experience and they also had gotten food poisoning earlier in the year. The food was decent but I would be cautious. Not worth the price point or getting sick. read more

We had a large party for lunch so made a reservation. There were supposed to be seven in our party. My friend was informed by the restaurant that she would be required to pay $10 per person in order to make the reservation. Please understand that this was not a deposit, this was a charge of $70 on her card. She was told that the charge would be subtracted from the bill once we had eaten. Pretty strange, we thought. As for the food, nothing special about it. Our dishes were ok but I don't think any of us would return. Traffic noise was extremely annoying! Service was good. read more

I don't get these negative reviews. Service and food were excellent. Ambience was amazing too. We came at lunch and both of us had tacos. Can't wait to come back next time we are in Santa Fe! read more

Escondido - 4 taco plate - all chicken and Tempura Fish Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

The whole experience was great! From Carlos, our waiter, to the flan dessert at the end were awesome! The house marg was perfectly made! The chicken mole enchiladas were so yummy and the shrimp tacos had a lot of favor. We'll be back... read more

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Good food a little bit different from your regular spicy New Mexican food. Concentrating more on good flavor. I had the chilies Nagato and it was excellent and the tacos that my wife had were also good. I definitely come back. read more

Food was marginal at best. Service was lousy, with attitude. Our food sat for quite a while before finally being delivered to our table lukewarm. Very expensive. And, get this, the guacamole does not come with chips. There are so many better options in Santa Fe. read more

Most importantly, one of the people in our party has the gene that makes cilantro taste terrible. She ordered a dish that was said to be cilantro free but she said she could taste it. She said it wasn't very good but it was tolerable so she went ahead and ate the meal. The wrong dish was served to me but our server quickly fixed that. We were seated on the patio on the north side of the restaurant and the road noise was quite annoying. We are not sure that we will give the place a 2nd try. read more

Dropped in just now for carnitas tacos with a Bacanora chaser. Jaime is working the bar. We are in Good Hands. read more

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Absolutely delicious tacos. The Barbacoa was the most tender I have ever had. Highly recommend this place.

Best chicken mole I've ever had--and I order mole every chance I get! Drinks are also quite special.