Really enjoyed this restaurant for its unique food. It was packed for dinner and had a warm and festive vibe. The food is a mix of Southwestern, Mexican and American Indian. We ordered four items to share. The salsa and chips were delicious and a steal for three dollars (choose between three types of salsas), the queso was delicious and very filling served along with two tortillas. We also had the fry bread which was amazing and spicy. The last dish we shared was the chicken enchilada with a mix of red and green sauces. The food was very flavorful, fresh and spicy. Kick off your heels and try something different your taste buds will thank you! read more

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This place is without a doubt one of my favorite restaurants! The Guacamole was 10/10! Definitely one of my favorites. The drinks are super good and they have some great Fresca margaritas that I highly recommend. However, the real reason you should come here is for the Smothered Quesadillas Montadas!! Seriously, one of the best dishes I've ever had. I mean I can't get enough. Don't even bother ordering anything else on the menu until you've tried this dish and you probably won't want to order something else anyway. I'd give this restaurant more than 5 stars if I could! read more

Enchiladas are so good here & the queso!!! Always leave happy. The drinks are yummy too.

Decent food, good queso but the 20% add on BEFORE tip is Infuriating. Spent over $100 for 5 tacos and a queso fundido. Absolute ripoff

Guacamole - to salty . pozole not hot enough but tasty. to strict about the breackfast menue and they refused to serve a burrito for llunch time . Overall - not bad al all , but it will not be my next choice next time I will be in Boulder . read more

Really interesting vegetarian Posole. Extremely flavorful. I am dying to know the recipe!! Tiny portion tho, value not received. Home made fresh guacamole, not much flavor. Came out perfectly rounded from an ice cream scooper, Reminded me of the mash potatoes middle school served for a weird accidental brain connection. Tasty as heck grilled pineapple salsa. Very deep smoky flavor. Cute Mimosa. Was told 20% gratuity added up front to the bill to be split among the staff. Smallish patio with a spectacular view of some of the flat irons. read more

Slow service, food was okay and drinks were good. Cool ambiance. Might be better another time

Santo is probably my favorite restaurant in the denver / Boulder area. I love the atmosphere, the menu, the drinks, and the staff have always been friendly. It is very vegetarian/vegan friendly. The margaritas are some of the best I've had outside of New Mexico. If you like, classic new Mexican food, do not miss this place! On my most recent visit, I got to try the green chili, Mac and cheese topped with Fritos and it was incredible. read more

First, Santos food is very tasty, and if they are being honest about having organic ingredients, it's a great product. It's definitely Santa Fe style Mexican food and is as good as I've had in Santa Fe, which is saying a lot. My only complaint is that there is no ability to make substitutions on the burrito so that I can eat a vegetarian option. That's a shame, because otherwise I would be going back. read more

Breakfast burrito was extra tasty today. Maybe it was because I was out of town for a weekend and simply missed it. Idk, it could be the chorizo, tatter tots, beans, or hot sauce that make this the perfect breakfast burrito. Fire read more

Let me start by saying we will definitely be back. This place has legit New Mexico Mexican food. This is a very unique style and they are doing it right. I had the Pork Adovada Burrito, the Mrs had the chicken enchiladas Christmas style, and my son had the green chile cheese burger (minus the green Chile). Everything was delicious. I loved the green chile very flavorful but not painfully hot. Four coin margaritas just to make sure they were good, conclusion, they are really good. This is definitely a place the Mrs and myself can go to, order chips and salsa, share a plate of tacos, and have some margaritas. Others have mentioned the "order at the counter" thing, I would prefer the service at the table but it really wasn't a big deal. Update: Okay so I have been back about a dozen times. So far food has been consistently good. I have not had a single item that wasn't delicious. We have been in two times when it was a normal service (wait staff gets your order, etc). I had to try the Green Chile cheese burger - highly recommend but make sure you are hungry. Also had the enchiladas - amazing-great if you are not super hungry. Wife has had the shrimp tacos a couple of times and raves about them, I may try them on my next trip. And of course, we always have the margs, both coin and house. The staff has always been super nice and helpful, definitely a nice place that isn't downtown so parking is always easy. Update2: So we have been in almost once a week for quite a while and finally tried a desert. Had the lemon pound cake and was it ever good. Large portion size so great for sharing. I need to try some other items. read more

New restaurant in Boulder. The food was really good here, but my issue was with the service. Our server was nice, but he never refilled our water until the end of the meal. The meal took forever to come out. I'm not sure why, but it was a little absurd. At the end of the day the food was really good, but be prepared to wait. We came for brunch. There wasn't a wait to get seated, and we got the: GREEN CHILE CHEDDAR BISCUIT - we added gravy and it was delicious. The biscuit could have been more warm, but we really enjoyed the flavors. BISON LENGUA HASH - I don't eat mushrooms, but they we kind enough to substitute for chorizo no charge. The lengua was well cooked. Not rough and not too chewy. There was a ton of great flavors in this dish, especially if you like spicy food. My complaint about this dish was that the potatoes weren't really cut up. It seems like they tried, but none of the potatoes were actually cut. I would definitely come back and give this place a try for dinner. I hope the wait won't be as ridiculous. read more

Santo - Bison Lengua Hash - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Always great to have posole here. Wish the salsas were spicier though. The service is great and the house drinks are yummy.

Nothing but a five! We came here twenty minutes to close and they were happy to accommodate us. We ordered chicken enchiladas and montadas, two dishes that came highly recommended and were regarded as popular. We also tried the smoked pineapple salsa which was so refreshing! They did not disappoint! A mezcal pour and a delicious strawberry Thai basil margarita rounded out dinner in the most perfect way. On top of that the service was incredible. There was an automatic 20% gratuity applied, which was much deserved. We cannot recommend this place enough! read more

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Came here for a graduation dinner. Heard great things about this place but not coming hear again. The food was average for a higher scale Mexican restaurant. What really frustrated me was the excessive charges. A charge for regular tiny portion of salsa. I asked for a little bit more of the cotija cheese for my salad because they barely put any and it had no flavor... they charged me 2 dollars for an ounce or two of cheese without telling me. Then there was charges for beans and rice with a small entree. No sauce on the green chilli quesadilla which was one tiny corn tortilla and a kitchen surcharge in addition to tax and tip on top of it all. There are much better restaurants in Boulder I would take this one off of your list. Or maybe just come for happy hour, dinner is not worth it. read more

Our entire experience during lunch today was exactly as it should be-easy and flawless. The lady at the counter was very helpful and patient as we had some questions about the food and beer selection. Lamb tacos were amazing and my boyfriend got the sweet potato tacos. Guacamole was perfect. read more

If your New Mexican grandmother channeled Anthony Bourdain, she'd cook like this. Santo may be the best restaurant in Boulder. I wish I could eat here every night. read more

YUM! so good! I ordered the chicken enchiladas and a side of red chili. Everything was so good. The servings were large, and also the service was excellent! I also ordered a regular margarita. Very good. The only downside is this place is pretty pricey. They charge two dollars if you want rice, they charge two dollars if you want guacamole, they charge two dollars if you want salsa. Also be aware of the 20 percent " fair wage and wellness" tax that is added to your bill. A dinner for two with alcohol drinks can add up to almost $100! read more

Our server was lovely and the wine was nice. I had the pork torta sandwich with Kennebec fries. I have to be honest. The sandwich had about 10 pieces of leaf lettuce on it with some tomatoes and a small amount of flavorless shredded pork, which made the roll mushy. There was no way to politely eat it in public. Also, the fries were mealy, dry and tasteless. I took it all to go and gave the fries to the birds. Had my husband try the sandwich. He was not impressed. read more

Everything was so good. And we don't normally order desserts but they were fantastic. Great margarita and ranch water too.

One of the best Mexican restaurant I've been to...And I've lived in Los Angeles where some of the best Mexicans restaurants are. If you're hungrier get the enchiladas. But seriously, everything is good here Some favorites include: pineapple salsa and the red Chile posole. read more

Overall this is more of a four and a half star experience but there were more things they knocked out of the park than not so here we go! First off, the green chili and cheddar biscuit is ridiculous good. A biscuit may not sound very exciting but they managed to capture the essence of the green chili with the perfect blend of cheese in this warm, flaky ball of delight. Our friend ordered the blue corn pancakes and they were also delicious. I'm usually not a pancake gal but these were so good I would order them on my own. I went with the potatoes bravas for my main. The potatoes were seasoned perfectly which so many restaurants miss. I did ask for my eggs over medium because I don't at all like the gooey white when it is undercooked. Our server forgot my egg order, came back to clarify and I still got over easy eggs. I'm also a fan of the classic New Mexico Christmas combination for chili and the green chili here is incredible. I would have liked to have had my plate smothered in the chili versus on the side as it was served. The chiliquilas my husband ordered were also really tasty and another dish I would re-order. Our other friend ordered the breakfast burrito which was huge but she seemed to really enjoy it. The other piece I loved was the smell of the wood fire; it brought back my trips to Santa Fe and it is a smell unique to New Mexico (and now I suppose Boulder). read more

Stopped in here on a whim with a friend. We sat at the bar for a quick drink and dinner. We waited and waited for someone to greet us, but the bar staff was too busy worrying about who knows what. Some kids sat down after us and we're quickly given water and their order was taken. We were finally waited on. Our food was soo good and the drinks were perfect. read more

Delicious, healthy and creative food with cool atmosphere. Very COVID-conscious and safe as well. Servers are friendly and helpful and definitely add to the ambiance of the place. We'll be back often! read more

Santo - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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This was one of the best meals and experiences at a restaurant I've had in a long time. From the initial call with the hostess to our amazing service from Rachel I am still in awe. I haven't even mentioned the food yet, so to start we had guava and blackberry mint margs, moved to chicken enchiladas which, changed my life, and then as if it couldn't get better we ended the night with mouth watering bread pudding. I can't wait to go back! Thank you, Rachel, for the amazing service and recommendations! read more

Santo - Bread pudding - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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One of our favorite spots in Boulder. Clean New Mexican food with quality flavors. Never disappoints!

Santo was enjoyable experience from the ambiance to the food. This food is flavor forward-- smokey, spicy and full of chilies of all types. We started at happy hour (daily 4-6), with $6 cocktails and cheap apps. The queso was my favorite--rich and cheesy, put over the top by a dollop of pepper jam in the center. The salsas were tasty too--the red and green both had a lot of flavor, though the pineapple was a little hard, dry and oddly smoked for my taste. For dinner, we covered the gamut at our table and tried the enchiladas, the trout tostada, the brassicas salad, the tacos and the venison special.  The venison--a play on Hosea's Top Chef winning dish according to our waitress--was perfectly cooked and decadently sauced, my favorite, though it was very rich on its own. The fish on the tostada was a little mushy and therefore my least favorite, but there were no major duds. Dessert was well worth ordering--the tangelo custard with quinoa granola and berries was outstanding and the chocolate lava cake was tasty, if slightly underwhelming in its chocolatiness. Overall, I liked that you could go fancy or casual here--options like the tacos and burgers are reasonably priced, but you could also go fancy with a salmon or duck entrée. There is a ton of love and flavor put into the dishes whichever route you go. I am looking forward to returning and trying more! read more

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Santo's New Mexican food is top notch and well priced. I definitely recommend for both locals and people visiting Boulder! I've been to Santo numerous times for work dinners and outings with groups of friends, and been lucky enough to try nearly half their menu. Everything is fantastic! Their margaritas are fantastic, as are their tacos, enchiladas, and every starter. Numerous dishes are "unique", like the flatbread appetizer! For the Boulder area and the quality of food and service, their prices are incredibly reasonable. Though pricier than a no-frills Mexican restaurant, the food, drinks, and service are much closer to fine dining (but much more affordable!). Food is well plated and extremely tasty. Every time I've been, the service has been top notch, waitstaff is incredibly friendly and helpful, they do a great job with recommendations, dietary constraints, spice level, etc. Can't go wrong, really. read more

Santo has been full the last few times I went, which is always a good sign for me. Luckily, there are bar spots that open up pretty regularly so instead of waiting 45min for a table, we usually squeeze right in! I really like the vibe of Santo. It is casual and elegant. The staff is really friendly and they have my FAVORITE margaritas in Boulder. Definitely worth checking them out! read more

Casual, hip vibe. We came in the evening after freezing at a patio happy hour, and we were craving hot soup. We loved the red chili posole and Fideo soups. We added pork to the posole, which was delicious. We also had the queso fundido and added the chorizo. I had a spicy skinny margarita and it was great. Yes they add a 20% charge for livable wages, but we had no problem with that. We will definitely be back. read more

Love Santo! Santo reminds me of the great NM in Santa Fe but with a higher end atmosphere. The food is excellent, the service is personable, and the drinks unique. Being a huge fan of a Blackbelly I knew the chef would open another amazing restaurant again with Santo! I was not disappointed. read more

Delicious and affordable New Mexican food. Chile sauces were actually spicy on my enchiladas and very tasty. Definitely will be back! Their breakfast burritos are also divine. read more

Great tacos. Burritos not quite as good as Chungas. Love the salsa bar. Birria and Lengua were both delicious. Tortillas are nice and fresh. read more

good vibe/service and the food was solid but $20 for chips/salsa/guac is a bit much and the bathrooms need to be cleaned.

Been there for lunch twice now and both times food (mushroom tacos, shrimp tacos, calabacitas burrito, guacamole) was outstanding. The first time the server was not up to the standard of the food. The second time it was. The first time I didn't see the fine print at the bottom of the menu and was surprised that there was an additional seven percent added on for the back-room help and it upset me when the check came. The second time we went back anyway because the food is so good. read more

The food was decent, not outstanding, I got better food twice the portion at many in-the-middle-of-no-where little New Mexico towns - I'm a small woman and we had breakfast not too long ago before our lunch, so I can't imagine any hungry, bigger eater can be satisfied with what I got; no table service as for lunch it was pay at the counter. So, two small enchiladas plus a tea set me back $25 was pretty steep. Maybe I'm just not used to eating out anymore, they do have to make a profit to survive, but with that money, I can feed my family of 4 better food and have leftovers. read more

This restaurant really embodies what boulder restaurants stand for- horrible service, overpriced food, and horrible atmosphere. The food is good though and they got a sick painting on the wall. read more

To call our dinner at Santo disappointing would be an understatement. Yes, having watched Hosea R. on Top Chef, we came in with high expectations. If our dinner had been even halfway decent, I might be willing to chalk it all up to an off night and give the team the benefit of the doubt. But it was not that. It was terrible. Let me explain. I'll start with the service--the one and only good thing. The host gave us a friendly greeting, checked off our reservation, and seated us immediately. Kelsey, our server, was also friendly, asked all the right questions, and was both efficient and also let us have a leisurely pace for our meal. Otherwise? Every single dish was terrible, each in its own way. The Mezcal-cured Salmon Tostada was, in a word, salty. It had promise, with a range of textures from the tostada on the bottom to the crunchy salad on top. But the salt of the salmon overpowered every/any other possible flavor, and there was no acidity available to take that power down a notch. A dish called Red Chile Posole should really be called "Tomato-Flavored Beans At The Campfire Into Which Someone Dumped Too Much Hot Sauce." Let me be clear: I love spicy, flavorful food. But this didn't have any depth of flavor, it was just tomato on the surface and then a red pepper kick afterwards, with some beans in between. My wife ended up mixing in some of the sour cream from our tacos, which helped but ... not enough. If this were a Top Chef episode, the Roasted Beet Salad would have been the dish triggering an elimination. Why? There wasn't really anything wrong with it--but there was also nothing right about it either. It tasted like the kind of salad you get at an Applebee's in an airport, where your food options are limited and you're trying hard to be "healthy." The beets had a very mild flavor, and were surrounded by arugula that had grown too long, i.e., the stems were too thick and chewy. The goat cheese dressing and the crunch from the various quinoa/nuts combos could not save this. Finally, the Grilled Panela Cheese Tacos. Where to start? How about we just keep this simple. The description says "abbondanza yellow corn tortilla, snap pea-jicama slaw, green rice, adobo milling organic beans, cream mexicana, charred allium salsa." That's like a word salad. A flavorless word salad, as it turns out. Don't order these. The green rice is apparently rice to which a magic green sauce is added; the magic is that it removes all flavor and texture, turning it into mush. The beans appeared to have had liquid smoke added to them, but ... nothing else. Some of the salt from the salmon would have been great with the rice, beans, or both. And the tacos themselves? Whatever. Is that apathetic enough? One last thing that has to be said: the reviews for this place are high. But after eating here? It feels very much like the emperor's new clothes, where no one wants to be the one to say: this isn't good. So I'll say it: this isn't good! Don't eat here! And if you do? Prepare for flatulent liftoff! read more

The food @ Santo is always excellent -- especially the queso w/ chorizo and braised carrots -- which is why it pains me to leave a review based solely on the poor, unacceptable service we received tonight. Our server was oblivious, forgot multiple orders, and watched each time (twice) when we were forced to resort to the bar to order drinks (which we had already order through the server, who had obviously forgotten). The even more frustrating thing is, the restaurant wasn't even busy. There was no wait list; there were many open tables. Our server (and his manager for that matter) simply preferred standing around to serving their patrons. I'll stop there so I don't have to waste another second on this place. read more

Pork burrito with green chili was awesome! Staff was super cool. Outdoor seated well spread out. read more

Santo - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Boulder, Colorado