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    The Pantry Rio

    4.4 (403 reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order The Pantry Rio Takeout or Delivery

    The Pantry Rio Photos

    THE PANTRY RIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    French Toast
    Jerry F.

    I absolutely loved a chicken fried steak I had at Plaza Cafe downtown but by comparison, this one seemed sort of bland, lacking any seasoning. The fact that we arrived early was noticeable as their staff gets ready to the left or the right of the tables it seems. There's a closet to the left where they get dressed and the bar area to the right seems to be a nice chat spot for 5 or more staff during the morning. The loud music to perhaps what turned the experience sour though, as it seems we were the only patrons, but we might as well have been in a night club it was so loud. Lackluster food, good service, but the music was probably the reason we won't return. That being said, my girlfriend said her food was "okay, not bad".

    chicken quesadilla
    Stacy L.

    We visited during Spring Break week, and Santa Fe was packed. Many places in town were closing early and sold out of ingredients, even for a simple pizza. After stopping by a few other places, we selected a taco restaurant on Washington. As we got out of the car, a couple exited, and although it was listed as closing at 10 a.m., it too closed early at 8:30 p.m. that evening. Heading back to the car, we noticed The Pantry Rio on the corner. The lights were on, people were eating outside, and the door was open. My partner ventured in, and the waiter, Jose, greeted him at the door and welcomed us in. They were closing at 9 p.m., and the kitchen was open for only 10 more minutes, but they were gracious, they smiled, and they offered to feed us. They were a wonderful group of people, and it was a welcoming place. We hurried to a table, trying not to inconvenience anyone, grabbed a menu, and tried to select something easy as quickly as possible. We settled on simple naked chicken wings with a side of buffalo sauce and ranch, and a chicken quesadilla. The staff chatted with us, took our order, and smiled the whole time, even though they were near closing. Not once did we feel rushed or unwelcome. The food arrived quickly, warm, and really good. The quesadilla was filled with melted cheese and shredded chicken, and was accompanied by chopped tomato, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. It was just right. We ordered the chicken wings without sauce, and they were cooked perfectly. Not dry at all. They arrived hot, and the coating was perfect. This was the perfect meal after a long day. The whole time we were there, you would have never known the place was near closing. We finished our meal, and they asked if we wanted dessert. That's not something that's typically offered at the end of a meal so late. Typically, we are served a check and pushed to the door at that time of night. But this place was different; they seemed sincere, and we ordered the churros, which arrived à la mode with chocolate sauce. We wrapped up dessert, and they waited until we were finished to deliver the check. The staff seemed to enjoy working with each other, too. A few sat at the bar to eat after work, and we met Allan. He sat down with a delicious piece of chocolate flan he had made just for the staff, and it looked great! After the check arrived, Catalina, Jose, and Allan gathered, and we told ghost stories. And Allan delivered us the most amazing gift of chocolate flan! We had to try it and took a bite before we left with it in a container for later. What started as a frustrating evening turned into a wonderful experience at a restaurant we had never been to before, and we will definitely go back. We thank the staff for providing a hot, yummy meal and making us feel included. This is a good place, with good food and nice people. Go! Enjoy!

    Salmon Tacos
    sarah b.

    Nice ambiance both inside and out. We got burritos and salmon tacos, and everything was tasty. The margaritas are strong and well-priced. Good lunch spot, seems popular.

    Stuffed Sopapilla (Xmas)
    Denise V.

    While visiting Santa Fe, we wanted to stop by a solid spot to try authentic New Mexican cuisine, and The Pantry was at the top of my list. We added ourselves to the waitlist and ended up waiting about 40 minutes total. To pass the time, we explored Old Town. The waitlist system was a bit awkward, though. It suggested returning within a certain window (about 25 minutes), but when we came back, we were told to check our position in line, which was still 8th, as an indicator instead. That meant another 15 minutes of waiting, which was a little frustrating because their system has 2 conflicting suggestions for wait time. We ordered a cup of the Green Chile Stew; Combination Plate (comes with a chicken enchilada, chile relleno, and brisket taco); Stuffed Sopapilla (upgraded with carne adovada for $1); Carne Adovada Plate; and the Enchilada Choice (also with carne adovada). The food was AMAZING. The green chile stew was hearty and deeply satisfying, and the tortilla that came with it was the best I've ever had!! Soft, fluffy, and clearly made in-house and fresh. I cannot think of anything comparable. So delicious to dip into my stew. We all loved our entrées. It was our first time trying carne adovada, and wow... it's incredible. Deeply flavorful and earthy, with pork so tender from slow-cooking and blanketed in a rich red chile sauce that's surprisingly only mildly spicy. Also, my brother said the brisket taco was the best taco he's had in his entire life!! And we're from SoCal, so we have our fair share of great tacps. The brisket was incredibly tender and smoky. Exquisite. Unfortunately, the service was just okay. They only gave us three place settings despite our party of four, and our check came as just a receipt while other tables received theirs in a checkbook. I also had to walk up to the hostess stand to pay since no one came by for our payment. The food alone makes this place worth visiting, but the service could use some improvement.

    Sabrina C.

    Adorable place to eat outside, especially in the spring when the flowers are blooming over the walkway. Everything I ordered was tasty and served prompt. Lots to choose from on the menu and something that pleases everyone. I'd highly recommend you check this place out whether a local or just visiting!

    Katie R.

    Fantastic breakfast spot in the central/downtown area! We were in the mood for breakfast burritos and came across The Pantry Rio in our search. We were ordering food to go since we were heading out on a hike, the place was poppin so it wasn't the quickest option, but I'm so glad we got food here, because it was so good! The burritos listed on the menu were mostly wet burritos, but when we mentioned we needed something easy to eat on the go, the girl helping us let us know they had handheld breakfast burritos, just not listed on the menu. I got a Handheld breakfast Burrito with chorizo, and it was fantastic, one of the best ones I've had. It was loaded up with meat and potatoes, and the tortilla had the most perfect char. Two others in the group ordered the breakfast sandwich, which was more like a breakfast quesadilla, and was also really good. Despite everything being decently handheld, we ended up grabbing a table along the river to because it was all a little bit messy. Would absolutely come back here!

    Traditional breakfast
    Mary B.

    Good food, pleasant servers, nice patio. Visited this restaurant while in Santa Fe for a couple days, and it was a great choice for breakfast. Although busy inside, we were seated on the patio right away. The coffee was good and refills were offered which was excellent. The chorizo was very unique and tasty. Solid choice for breakfast.

    Katherine K.

    My guy and I were constantly being overlooked during out time here: they forgot to seat us, then they seated us at a dirty table, they accused us of sitting ourselves because the table was dirty, we had to wave down someone for menus, cutlery, water, service, etc. I'm not sure why they deemed us important, but we did not feel welcomed at all. We came here specifically to try their Blue Corn Pancakes and it was underwhelming. There was nothing special about them and they only provided syrup. We tried 2 mimosas and a margarita. The mimosas were gross and I gave mine back because it didn't taste fresh. The margarita was better, but I would not get it again. If you want to be treated like you don't matter as a customer, then this is the place to go.

    Huevos Rancheros
    Lisa B.

    This was a short walk from our hotel, and was suggested by the front desk as a good place for breakfast. The girl who recommended it was right. Outside has bright, colorful tables with umbrellas, which would have been great later in the day when it warmed up, but inside was bustling and friendly. I love huevos rancheros, and it's amazing how different each place does them. This was yet another version, but was filling and delicious. There's a choice of red or green chili sauce. I went with the red and it added a flavorful kick to the egg and beans. My dining partner got French toast and eggs and enjoyed them as well. Service was friendly.

    Menu
    Darlene C.

    We have been here a handful of times and it is very good! The foods always consistently delicious! I don't think they take reservations and sometimes on the weekends especially there may be a wait because it seems a lot of people show up for brunch. They have all kinds of flavors of mimosa too. I had a michillade and it was one of the best ones I have tried in Santa Fe and they use Clamato in it too! It's very casual here and you can find parking spots on the street. I recommend the huevos ranchero and chili soup too.

    Chile Relleno Omelette with a side of guac
    Yvonne I.

    I was excited when I learned that this restaurant offered a chile relleno omelet and knew I had to give it a try. The restaurant offers plenty of indoor seating, but the large patio is also a great option, especially on a nice day. I ordered the chile relleno omelet along with a small side of guacamole. The flavors were solid overall. While I tend to prefer fluffier omelets, this one was a bit denser. I'd still be interested in coming back to explore more of the menu as there are other items that also sound great.

    Half of a delicious breakfast burrito
    David S.

    Terrific service and terrific (comfort) food add up to great time. Casual ambiance with both inside and outside dining not too far from the Plaza. No dieting allowed! (Though I must add that we split every dish)

    Huevos rancheros con carne adovado
    Mikhaila M.

    Look no further for a chill breakfast brunch spot in downtown. The huevos rancheros eggs over medium add carne adovada were delicious. The pantry has always had reliably good huevos rancheros and burritos, husband ordered the burrito and our kids had French toast and pancakes. Our server was nice and attentive. Everyone was happy. We will return!

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    If you're in Santa Fe and not ordering the tamale plate at Tres Colores, you're doing it wrong…read more This dish is the definition of New Mexico done right--two perfectly steamed tamales, one smothered in rich red chile and the other in savory green chile. The red has that deep, earthy flavor with just the right kick, while the green brings a brighter, roasted heat that balances everything out. Together? That classic "Christmas style" combo that hits on every level. The masa was soft and flavorful (not dry like you get at some places), and the filling was generous and well-seasoned. The sides sealed the deal--fluffy Spanish rice, hearty beans, and a fresh, crisp salad that cut through the richness perfectly. Portion size was solid, presentation was clean, and everything tasted like it was made with care--not rushed, not watered down for tourists. Service was quick, friendly, and exactly what you want when you're trying to keep a night moving. Authentic, satisfying, and exactly what you hope for when you come to Santa Fe. I'd order this again without hesitation!!!

    We came in on a weekday around 7:30 PM. As we were driving by looking for parking, we saw the…read moretables and chairs being moved into the gravel. We thought we might have got the closing time mixed up so once we found a parking spot, I went over to ask. They said they were moving all of the tables so that they could clean the concrete pathway. We asked if it was OK we sat outside still with our dog and they said that was fine. They moved us to the other side of the pillar which we originally didn't mind but then quickly realized there's no lighting there. So we were eating dinner in a very dim lit area. After reading the reviews, we were excited to try the fish tacos, tamales, and fresh chips and salsa. Unfortunately, none of these really were superstar standouts for us. The blackened fish didn't have a ton of flavor. I found myself searching for a salsa that had a little bit of salt and flavor to spruce up the fish taco. I ate one of the three and my husband ate the remaining. The tamales tasted fresh and the ratio of protein to masa was great. We ate the tamale mostly without the mole sauce, which we didn't really care for. The salsa and chips that came out as an appetizer were fine. The salsas were different and flavorful. I wish that when they dropped off the different salsas (which they do on a rotation) they would have explained what each one was.

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    It was... meh. We…read morewaited almost two hours for a table, and after all that buildup the food ended up being pretty mediocre. Not really sure what all the hype is about when there are definitely better spots to eat around Santa Fe. I ordered the carne adovada. The red chile sauce felt pretty one-note and the pork was on the tough side, which was disappointing given how popular the dish is there. Honestly, the chips and salsa were the highlight of the meal. The salsa definitely has some heat to it too . Overall, between the long wait and average food, it just didn't live up to the reputation.

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    We got the mezcal margarita expecting something like a dirty mezcalito and it was not it. LToday…read moreseemed very light on tequila and very very light on mezcal but if you're a newbie you'd probably like it. But overpriced tbh Food was really good! Rellenos were covered in lots of red sauce which had the besttt flavor but absolutely no spice :/ the relleno also had 0 spice. 0/10 for spice level so also if you're a newbie go for it!! Beans on the side were topped with sour cream which actually was great! Also shrimp/fish tacos were delishh. Really good flavor and freshness. Would have been amazing to have some crispy taco options but soft was nice. Rice was the worst part of the whole experience! Soooo bland. Worst I've had in a long time for real! Thankfully the dishes have a lot of sauce to soak it up with. The bathrooms were cute but the men's bathroom is a one person and does not lock... anyways! We loved the vibe ambiance and the waiters were really awesome!! I'd recommend!

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    We had the seasonal citrus salad, Chile Relleno, El Salvadorian combo plate with a pupusa and a…read morebanana leaf tamale and a cup of beef green chili stew. Oh also a prickly pear margarita. The chili was excellent came with a large side of rice and beans, lettuce, pico sour cream guacamole was absolutely delicious. Same as the salad I replaced the blue cheese with goat cheese and it was excellent. The dressing was so good and the fruit fresh. The margarita, perfect not too sweet not artificial tasting at all. Now, the tamale oh my goodness I've never had such a moist tamale maybe the best tamale I've ever had. The pupusa was delicious and they didn't skimp on the cabbage salad. I expected something different with the beef stew. It was much thinner and Brosier than I expected, but it had an absolutely delicious flavor and plenty of meat. I would definitely come back here and I would definitely recommend this to anybody

    Service was efficient although not particularly helpful. There is a printed menu for lunch but…read moreonly a high chalkboard menu for dinner, making it difficult to read. The server also failed to tell us that we could order only off of the one menu that fit the exact time of our visit, which happened to coincide with the time that they switch from offering lunch to the time they serve dinner. The cheeseburger was very tasty. The grilled salmon tacos were good but served with flavorless beans and bland rice. Not a place we'd refuse to visit again, but definitely not one we're eager to return to either.

    The Pantry Rio - newmexican - Updated May 2026

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