anniversary

We love the Coyote Cafe and this was one of our best experiences ever there.

This is a jewel of a restaurant just a short walk off the main square. The chef has done an amazing job of creating fresh southwestern dishes with wonderful depth of flavor. The warm corn muffins with honey in fresh herbs were off the chart good and we could have made a meal out of them. We shared the wild boar ribs for our appetizer and they were so tender and juicy and accompanied with a wonderful fresh fruit salsa. For main courses the scallops and the duck confit with house made green tortillas were delicious. They also went over the top to accommodate one of our group with special dietary needs. The service was excellent and husband and wife owners were there to insure diners were getting and exceptional dinner. If you are in Santa Fe, I would highly recommend.

The food, service and ambience were amazing!!

Absolute perfection.

Have been coming here off/on for 20+ years and the experience has ebbed and flowed from meh to great. Would argue that it is now delivering the best overall experience since Mark Miller opened it in '87 and is possibly the best upscale dining to be found in Santa Fe.

The wait staff was as well organized and choreographed as a ballet. From refilling our water and wine to presenting all courses in unison, it was as finely tuned a service experience as we've experienced anywhere. Our key server, Kristin, was knowledgeable, personable, and professional.

After ordering drinks and food, a complimentary full serving of boar baby-back ribs was sent to our table – always a delightful surprise. But the reason we received it was even more impressive.

We happened to mention on our last visit (several months back, I might add) that my husband adored the ribs he had at the Coyote Cantina (the sister, casual restaurant from same owners) 20 years ago and that they were still the best ribs he'd ever had. They created a note about that in our diner profile and comped us the ribs based on that story. That level of customized service based on an anecdote shared casually many months ago gives you insight as to the level of experience delivered here.

Key to their excellence is the owner, Quinn Stephenson. Greatness doesn't happen by accident and it's clear that Quinn's restaurant expertise is put to good work here. Equally inspiring is the story of the executive chef, Eduardo Rodriguez, who worked his way up from a line cook to leading the kitchen of what's arguably now the best restaurant in Santa Fe.

Every bite and sip of everything ordered exceeded our expectations – we can't wait to go back.

We went in to celebrate my partner Birthday, the remodeling is beautiful. Nicole, Chef Carlos and our server Carlos was great. The lobster appetizer is an absolute must as well as the seabass entrée.

Had a disappointing dinner at Coyote Cafe. They seem to be resting on their laurels.

Waiter was more interested in talking to some friends of his vs assisting customer.


Appetizer had too much jalapeño on it and you couldn’t even taste the seafood.

Wake up Coyote Cafe! Just because you have been successful in the past doesn’t mean you can have sub-par food and lousy service.

This was the crowning moment of our Santa Fe 1 year anniversary! Our waiter was professional and courteous. The food was creative and delectable for its price range. We we will definitely be coming back here again!

Waiter was fantastic

Our server was wonderful. I think his name was Harrison. He is from the PNW my home. His dinner recommendations were spot on. I enjoyed the meal very much.

We sat at the counter and watched the chefs prepare the meals. They are wonderful performers and seemed to enjoy telling us what they were making. I would recommend sitting there, although with our backs to the restaurant we almost missed the sail sized fried pork pieces being delivered to tables! The City Different drink was gorgeous and citrus flavored, Tranquilo lived up to it's name and the Salty Señorita's lime foam was everything I wanted a margarita to be. The wait staff were friendly and attentive without hovering excessively. Overall I would come back to Santa Fe just to dine here again.

Great dinner and service as always! Sea Bass and Elk were fabulous, cooked to perfection!

The renovations for the restaurant are great, colorful, and well done! The service is spectacular and the food is just outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion.

Amazing birthday celebration for my mom's 80th. The attention to detail by our waiter was unrivaled! The creative food, complimentary cocktails, promptness of service, knowledge of our waiter about the menu all served to make this a memorable evening. Would absolutely come back next time in Santa Fe!

The entire staff was friendly and very professional. They matched the quality of food, which made our evening extra special. Parris, our waiter, was exceptional!!!

Food was delicious and the service was fantastic.

We were in for a wedding and had a family dinner at Coyote Cafe. We loved every minute of it. The food was delicious and presented beautifully. The ambiance was perfect. The service was delightful. The noise level was fine. All in all it was a perfect evening!

Food was very good but that’s where it ends. Incredibly loud. Service fair at best. If you don’t want to hear the person you’re with this is the place for you.

A disappointing experience. The noise level is extraordinary loud to begin with and it wasn't helped by a table of 8 behind us cat-calling, whistling, etc. One one think a restaurant floor manager or waiter would have tried to control this, oh well. Tables on either side had the same comment (they were so close I could hear them). Food was good, not great. Don't put a Beef Cheek Empanada on the menu and put a plate down with two mini 'raviolis' in a swipe of mole. The rolled caesar salad is getting tired as well. All-in-all the noise killed it - maybe it's just a bar scene now.

The mesquite grilled lobster tails were excellent. The owner greeted us and introduced me to some outstanding bourbon cocktails. Good vibes, great food.

Everything you want when you are dining out. Friendly service, delicious food, lively atmosphere.

We had a great experience at Coyote Cafe. One of the party was celebrating his birthday. Carlos the foodserver and support staff were great... knowledgable about the menu and food, vigilant, but unobtrusive service and very friendly and welcoming . Quinn, the owner came by the table several times to check on us. We were very well-taken care of. Thank you for making this an enjoyable experience.

Wonderful, high quality and interesting pairing of great ingredients. Went back to the bar and will dine again on this trip.

We were anxious to return to Coyote Cafe, a restaurant that has has an up and down history in Santa Fe and a recent remodel. The bar setting has always been great and while I prefer the old, warmer decor, this restaurant now appears more open and bright. That said, none of the four of us was impressed with the food: over-priced and frankly, mediocre. Sorry, but we locals are unlikely to return.

Great staff. Interesting menu. Expected a little more flavor but dessert creme brulee one of the best

Our entire experience was wonderful. Our cocktails were beautifully crafted and every dish was amazing. Our service was incredible. Parris made our dinner more personalized and he was so professional. We will definitely be back the next time we are in Santa Fe.

We shared every course and they split plates without us asking, which was a nice touch.

Crab and corn enchiladas as an app= A+

Eggplant Ravioli= decadent. Morell mushrooms were the highlight.

Banana cream pie paired with the Sauternes dessert wine. was the perfect finish to our amazing meal.

Nice atmosphere. Poor service. Food quality was good.

We had a wonderful experience at the Coyote Cafe. Our food was exceptional. Everything we ordered was outstanding and presented beautifully. Our two servers were so fun, attentive, and very helpful with recommendations, even sharing things to do around the area. We would highly recommend this restaurant.

The evening started with a complimentary sparkling wine for 'coming back' to the restaurant - though it had been quite awhile - a total and pleasant surprise. Service was exceptional and the menu items were beyond great. It is one of our most favorite restaurants, with friendly clientele and memorable food choices. We will be back!

I traveled to Santa Fe with 50 Wisconsin high school orchestra students in 1995 and we had an excellent experience. Tonight I was back in the area with family and wanted to revisit the restaurant to see what might have changed. Wonderful dining experience, excellent/creative dishes, same great attention to detail and to our wishes. Perfect and maybe I’ll be back in another 23 years, if not sooner!

Best food we had in Santa Fe NM

My wife and I eat out nightly and we travel several months out of the year. Coyote Cafe is probably the best restaurant we have ever eaten at. Knowledgeable staff, great food, great desserts, great decor.

Amazing food, beautifully presented. We recommend sitting at the counter where you get to watch the food preparation. Very fun to see. Great creative cocktails and a fine wine list. Could not have been more pleased.

$$ hardly seems to do justice to the prices here. The food consists of imaginative interpretations of New Mexico and classic dishes, but we've had a lot better food elsewhere for less than $200/couple. That was the tab for two cocktails, one soup, two appetizers, one entree, and two glasses of wine. Plus a bread pudding that sounded a lot better than it tasted. With 20% tip for good service, just over $200.

thanks you very much, everything was good and perfect

We booked on Open Table but somehow the app messed up and when we showed up, the reservation showed two weeks ahead of the date. The place was very crowded, and we had 6, but the Owner, Quinn Stephenson, proceeded to show us what REAL customer service was! The inside bar miraculously had 6 places in a row and we were assured it was the best place to sit. He then sent us complimentary chicken tortilla soup tasters and a HUGE Chicharrón to be shared amongst us. The bartenders Julian Dubois and Abraham Sanchez not only entertained us but made it the most special night ever with hand crafted cocktails that impressed us all (especially the smoking Gentleman's Vice). The food was equally over the top and we got to see it being made from our vantage point. We left a couple of hours later with a HUGE smile and promises that our rating would reflect the quality of this experience. It was the best restaurant of our entire trip by far and should NOT be missed. Ask for the Bar!!!! You will not be disappointed!

The food here is creative and delicious! Portions are ample. Twice I've had seafood, and both times it was perfectly cooked. Vegetables were exquisite! The wait staff is super courteous and helpful.
One of our party was wishing for a better selection of beers on tap.

Thank you Julian for making the best Cosmo, thank you Paris for your professional care at our table, thank you Chef for the most amazing meal we have had in a long time, will be back again and again, Thank you Coyote cafe!

Great job!

After reading many great reviews, we chose Coyote Cafe for a special night out while visiting Santa Fe. I had the sea bass, my husband had the elk tenderloin, and we shared an appetizer (mini tostadas) and dessert (banana cream pie). The food was wonderful; our waiter Paris was outstanding and gave us many helpful suggestions on spending our remaining time in Santa Fe. We appreciated the extras (sparkling wine, sample of enchilada soup, extra tostadas) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.