16 Best Restaurants in Day Trips from Santa Fe, New Mexico

Sure, it looks like a dusty old cowboy bar and it is set right in the heart of a village that's appeared in several Western movies, but the extensive menu of creative breakfast plates, sandwiches, and grills reveals a locavore-minded approach to food that you might not expect from the setting. You might start the day with the Saloon Scramble, a hefty plate of feathery eggs served with green onions, venison-blueberry sausage, and jalapeño hot sauce; or later in the day, consider the thinly roasted lamb with vegetables, Manchego cheese, and a refreshing yogurt sauce atop naan flatbread.

Reasonably priced, cheerfully decorated, and offering some of the tastiest food in the Rio Chama Valley, this adobe café-bakery run by the former tour manager of the nearby Georgia O'Keeffe Home & Studio. The eclectic made-from-scratch cooking here runs the gamut from New Mexican (green chile cheeseburgers, roasted and stuffed poblanos) to international (red lentil dal, roasted-turkey crepes with cheddar and cranberry sauce). There's a nice selection of wines, mostly from Spain and Italy, and you'll always find a variety of tantalizing house-made desserts.

A rollicking old bar and restaurant adjacent to the Old Coal Mine Museum, this boisterous place—there's live music many nights—was a miners' commissary back in the day. Today it serves impressive burgers (available with Angus beef, Wagyu beef, buffalo, or mushroom-veggie), along pizzas, tacos, and other comfort fare. There's a fine selection of local craft beers on tap, plus first-rate margaritas. 

The name of this refined, romantic prix-fixe restaurant and inn nestled against towering ramparts in the Ojo Caliente River Valley stands for NOrth of SAnta Fe, and indeed this very special culinary retreat is close enough to the city (a 45-minute drive) to draw foodies for one of the rarefied five-course, farm-to-table dinners. But NOSA also has four elegantly furnished suites, in case you'd prefer to spend the night—not a bad idea, given the restaurant's enticing wine list. The high-ceilinged dining room is warmed by a fireplace and has tall windows with dramatic views of the surrounding mountains. Daily breakfasts are also open to the public and have become popular with guests of Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, just up the road.

On the ground floor of an imposing 1920s stone warehouse on the border between Las Vegas's older and newer downtowns, this bustling gastropub filled with colorful artwork draws a diverse and friendly crowd of creative spirits, students, tourists, and foodies. The reasonably priced menu is a fun fusion of Latin and Asian flavors, including orange-chicken burritos, spicy brisket tacos, and red chile pepper fried chicken sandwiches. Save room for the churro donut sundae with a fresh berry sauce.

You can't miss the vivid murals on the building in sleepy Peñasco that houses both a vintage theater and an intimate restaurant where acclaimed chef-owners Kai Harper Leah and Ki Holste serve up tantalizing farm-to-table fare, from bountiful salads and juicy burgers to triple-layer chocolate cake. This is the best restaurant on the High Road, hands down. Espresso drinks and dessert also hit the spot. You can dine on the side patio in warm weather.

On the Low Road to Taos just a five-minute drive from the center of Dixon, New Mexico's oldest woman-owned brewery dispenses not only nicely crafted ales—the crisp Rinconada Raspberry Rye and malty La Llorona Scottish Ale are great choices—but also tasty pizzas, salads, and desserts. Have a seat in the art-filled dining room, where you can also taste wine from the nearby La Chiripada Winery, or out on the cottonwood-shaded patio. There's a second location in Española.

This brightly colored and elegant restaurant is a welcoming spot for a delicious lunch or dinner that's within walking distance of the city's several downtown museums and historic sites. The kitchen turns out a mix of New Mexican, American, and Continental dishes, including grilled jumbo shrimp wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon, Greek salads prepared with locally made feta, and tender steaks. Unfortunately, it's open only on weekdays.

Huevos rancheros and burritos smothered with spicy salsa top the list in this friendly, simply furnished New Mexican diner that's been around since the 1950s and is a great bet for hearty breakfasts and lunches. You can also pick up cookies, doughnuts, and pastries from the on-site bakery or a stack of freshly made corn tortillas from the tortilleria.

This endearingly modest hole-in-the-wall on the tree-shaded main drag of tiny El Rito doesn't look like much from the outside, but devotees drive for miles to taste the stick-to-your-ribs classic New Mexican specialties, including a rich, smoky green chile stew that's garnered numerous awards and accolades. The drive here—it's about 20 minutes from both Abiquiú and Ojo Caliente—offers stunning views back east toward the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Seasoned hippies, youthful hipsters, and everyone in between congregate at Java Junction for lattes, chai, sandwiches, breakfast burritos, bagels, pastries, and other treats. You can also pick up a number of house-made gourmet goods, from hot sauces to jalapeño-raspberry preserves. Upstairs there's a pleasantly decorated suite available for overnight stays.

Much of the seasonal produce, baked goods, and other ingredients used in this cheerful market-café's breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, and tacos are grown or made on-site (there's both a nursery and a bakery) or sourced from area farms and ranches. The market is stocked with interesting cheeses, crackers, jams, juices, chocolates, and other tasty snacks, making this an ideal place to stop before hiking.

Your best bet before or after visiting Bandelier for anything from a light snack to a substantial lunch or early dinner, this cheerful bakery and café features farm-to-table fare and tempting desserts (be sure to try a macaron or two). Share a couple of small plates, dig into a hearty platter of pork schnitzel, or savor one of the outstanding sandwiches, such as the signature "hot pig + fig" with honey-cured ham, spinach, Brie, and fig jam.

In a century-old adobe hacienda tucked into the mountains, with whitewashed walls, hand-stripped vigas, and cozy dining rooms, the Rancho de Chimayó is still owned and operated by the family that first occupied the house. Consistently good, reasonably priced New Mexican fare is served (the carne adovada with posole is especially good), and it's hard to deny the enchanting ambience of the place. There's a fireplace in winter and, in summer, a terraced patio shaded by catalpa trees. Breakfast is served on weekends. The owners also run a charming four-bedroom B&B, Hacienda de Chimayó, across the road.

Located near the southern end of the Turquoise Trail, just a 15-minute drive from Albuquerque, this friendly brewpub and brick-oven pizzeria has a lush, pet-and-family-friendly beer garden outside and a pool table and tabletop shuffleboard inside. The blistered-crust pizzas are delicious, and there's a nice selection of salads and sandwiches on house-baked focaccia. 

This simple, cheerful spot in the center of town serves mostly authentic New Mexico fare along with a few Mediterranean-inspired dishes. You might start your day off with a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast of chile-smothered huevos rancheros, while enchiladas, burritos, and other local favorites are good bets for lunch or an early dinner (the restaurant closes at 6 pm).