We are going to Santa Fe in mid-September, and several of the restuarants we are considering have patios. I know it gets chilly overnight in New Mexico, but I don't how quickly it cools off.
Is it likely to be warm enough to eat outside at 7:30 at night in Santa Fe or the Bernalillo/Albuquerque area? Do most of the restaurants have heat lamps on their patios?

We were in Santa Fe at the end of September last year (going again this year too . I don't remember if most restaurants had heat lamps, but I do know that outdoor patios were jammed during the dinner hours.

It gets cool very quickly as soon as the sun goes down. (not many trees to hold in the heat) I'd recommend bringing a jacket or sweater for eating out after 7pm. Some places do have outdoor heaters too.

I would say that if a restaurant has a patio and is serving dinner on it during September, it will have heater of some type. Trouble with them...too hot if you are directly under/next to them and too chilly if you're not. You might do drinks and appetizers outside and then head in for dinner.

In any case, you will need to dress warmly in September in the evenings. {Slacks, sweater, fleece etc}.

Once the sun sets here...the temps drop 30 degrees and they drop quickly.

Even now, the temps will be cool for some folks to eat outdoors. Once the sun sets here...the temps drop 30 degrees.

Hope this helps...
Debi

Hmmmm.... Now you guys have me wondering if maybe it was the margaritas that were keeping me warm.

I like the idea of making our dinner reservations for an inside table for a half an hour later than usual for us but getting there 30 minutes early to have cocktails outside first. Thanks.

You might want a sweater for Santa Fe, but you should be fine in Albuquerque. When we go to the State Fair in mid-September, the evenings are always pleasant, and I've never felt that I needed a sweater.

Lee Ann