This is No Chain and other New Mexico, NM Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Big DAWG'S Chuck Wagon Cafe

I wanted to have a full breakfast in the morning before I resumed my trek, so I settled on a local establishment in Espanola. It was a Sunday morning and there were only a few locals there - no other tourists at all. The service was quick but the bacon was a little under-cooked and the orange juice was from some sort of concentrate. Still, it was nice to sit back and watch the staff and the local patrons interact with each other while I stuffed myself! Maybe I was subconsiously attracted to the place because I am on the Disturbance Analysis Working Group (DAWG) and had to give a report on its activities while I was in Albuquerque!


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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: 76 Plaza Shopping Center, Espanola
Directions: Downtown, at the start of Rte. 76 which heads off toward the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Restaurant Name: Ogelvies Taos Grill & Bar

It was early afternoon by the time I had reached Taos, so my breakfast had worn off. After circling the parking lot in the shopping square I found a spot when someone backed out. Ogelvies happens to be located on this square and it has second-floor seating, both inside and outside. I elected to have a balcony seat so I could enjoy the hot breezes and watch the activities down below. The service was good and the prices were reasonable, so I have no complaints.

Favorite Dish: For lunch, I decided to have their BBQ Roasted Porkloin special, which came with a Garden Salad, a dill pickle and a slice of tomato ($9.95). This was washed down with a glass of water and a Fat Tire beer, a Belgian amber brewed in Colorado. The meal was quite good, but not quite up to the standards I had experienced in Nashville, Tennessee!

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Theme: American
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 505-758-8866
Address: At the Shopping Square in downtown Taos

Restaurant Name: India House

Located on the main tourist motel/restaurant/shopping drag along Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe, the India House restaurant does not stand out from the crowd. However, the interior exudes an atmosphere of fine dining where things are done properly!

Favorite Dish: I was considering Thai food, but once I found that this Indian restaurant was only a block or two from my motel I decided that it was time for some Tandoori Chicken. This meal, which I ordered with mild-to-medium spice, consists of whole chicken breasts and legs marinated in yoghurt and spices, broiled over mesquite in Tandoor. It comes on a sizzling platter with seared onions, green pepper and a lemon wedge. Side dishes included saffron rice with peas and an appetizer of Nan bread with two spicey sauces to dip into. Naturally, this required a cold Maharaja beer to help cool down my taste buds! Altogether, it was exactly what I wanted.

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Theme: Indian
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 505-471-2651
Address: 2501 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe
Directions: On the main tourist drag area, almost beside the Wal-Mart.

Restaurant Name: Cafe Santa Fe

Once I was underway again on the Monday morning, I decided to have a decent breakfast at a location not too far from the Hampton Inn. While I was gassing up at a Chevron station, I noticed the Santa Fe Inn across the street, and it looked good. It turns out that it is actually part of the Marriott motel and is also called the Courtyard by Marriott.

Favorite Dish: I ordered the All American breakfast of bacon, eggs over easy, toast, coffee and orange juice. It took a while to get my order placed because the waiter did not give me a menu for quite a while and he seemed a bit pre-occupied talking with the few other patrons. When my order finally did arrive, he said that the toast would be ready from the kitchen shortly. However, I was hungry and decided that I would get stuck into it anyway. End result is that I finished the whole meal and he never did bother to check back with me or deliver the toast. When he finally did see that I was finished he asked how it was and I told him to tell the kitchen to 'hold the toast'! The light finally went on and he deducted a buck off my bill as compensation.

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Theme: American
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 505-473-2800
Address: 3347 Cerrillos Road