Reviews of Coyote Cafe & Rooftop Cantina (Night Club)

John Busch

Wonderful flavors. You can easily make a meal out of one or two items on the appetizer list. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Matt G

Guess I'm spoiled as I see the many 5 star reviews and don't get it. Aside from getting one of my guests sick the food is OK. Based on the use of black beans and salsa being a good indicator of the type of Southwest restaurant you're at this is a Tex-Mex joint. If you're looking for Mexican or New Mexican food this ain't it. The ambiance is great, drinks are decent but food wise there are tons of better options in Santa Fe, especially for the price point. People have not lived if they feel this is a 5 star place.

jacob kal.

Really cool location on the rooftop overlooking downtown Santa Fe. Not a great beer selection. The salsa was great, and the food tasted really good but nothing you couldn’t get outside of Santa Fe. If you’re looking for local southwestern food maybe try something else. Saying that the service was 5 stars for sure. Kind and incredibly attentive but not overbearing.

SeanCee

I saw a documentary on Southwestern food in the late 1980’s when celebrity Chef Mark Miller opened Coyote Cafe. I was so intrigued by his use of regional and native ingredients that I even picked up a copy of his cookbook. The iconic restaurant has always been in my mind, but I never thought I would ever actually make it here! Executive Chef Eduardo Rodriguez is currently at the reigns and I think it is interesting to note that he started his career at Geronimo, which I dined at on my last night in Santa Fe. I started the evening at Coyote with Stuffed Quail; covered in an Ancho chile and cherry demi glaze and stuffed with chorizo and cornbread. The strong flavorful quail is perfectly complemented by the smoky, spicy, Ancho, and sweet cherry demi glaze. The paprika and garlic rich chorizo combined with cornbread gives a lovely savory texture to the quail. For the main course I had the Colorado Rack of Lamb with Potato Gratin, locally sourced roasted vegetables, and Mole Negro. The lamb was a fine quality cut, perfectly cooked to medium-rare and impeccably plated. The vegetables were well prepared still having some bite to them and the Mole Negro was complex in taste and phenominal. Altogether a thoroughly satisfying, tasty adventure. I’m so happy to have had a chance to visit this iconic restaurant.

Shane W

Great place! Food was amazing!! Friendly staff and priced just right.

Larry Feigenbaum

Had a great meal with great service tonight. Sat at the counter to watch the cooking and ask questions. Best lobster ever..and I am 70 +

Corvas Brinkerhoff

We love the food here. Should be a great spot but they have incredibly uncomfortable chairs. It’s silly really. We’re long time locals and a number of our friends don’t go either, because of the chairs. So sad. We’d love this to be one of our regular haunts just get some normal snow chairs!!

B Goddard

Had excellent customer service here. Some groups cut my family in the line, and the host made sure we still got seated before them after he saw what happened. Thank you!

Ryan Roland

Wonderful and tasty establishment. Food was top notch.

Julie Herman

Good turquoise house margaritas and nachos! Service could have been a bit better, but they were busy at the time.

Emily Rice

Delicious Baja Fish Tacos Cool atmosphere! Windy night!

Dana Reilly

Had a disappointing time at the Coyote Cafe a couple of weeks ago. I was going to blow it off, but at the price, I thought I should write a review. This has long been a favorite gathering place for our family, but the last visit was very disappointing. It was around noon during the week. Part of the balcony was closed down. The waiter said it was because they were short-staffed. It definitely was much less fun - the view from the balcony was highly restricted and made the area stuffy. The music wasn't fun, and it was expensive. For four with an appetizer (no alcoholic beverages) it ran $120.00. The tacos were only fair. I hope the quality goes up. I didn't want to spoil the mood, but I wish I would have asked for a price reduction. Don't think we'll be back.

Casey FitzGerald

Delicious food, Great staff, and atmosphere! Highly recommend it

Stephanie Steelman

So this was my first visit and WOW. It was amazing. We were treated like royalty by out waiter Joe and everyone else who stopped at our table. They go the extra mile and the food was fantastic. I had the elk medium rare we also had the sea bass and the rack of lamb at our table and none of us had anything negative about any portion of the meal. The green chilie back Mac n cheese has a heat that sneaks up on you. Definitely try it

Julie Durand

I ordered a drink on the menu - they were out of ingredients. I ordered a meal, they were out of chicken. Friends ordered an appetizer that they were out of too. Not impressed.

Kara Martin

Amazing margaritas and Mojitos. Zac is an amazing bartender. We'll be back! Cool atmosphere. Great music. Reasonably priced.

Mike Terrazas

Amazing! Great food, most of all great staff!

Mic Checkk New Mexico KingZ

Very cool restaurant, 3 floors, patio outside eating area on the roof of 3rd floor with bar

Jim Seavey

I like the place. The food was good.

Rebekah Jones Vigil

So some of the best food and drinks I have ever had in my life. The staff does everything they can to make sure you have the best experience. The atmosphere is beautiful and comfortable. If you're looking for a good date night place this would be it!

Brandon Gaines-Richcreek

My wife and I had dinner in the cafe section. The service was excellent and the food was some of the best we have ever had. To top everything off, the staff gave us their creme brûlée as a free desert. I can not recommend this restaurant enough.

Joe Carolan

Sweet rooftop seating on a beautiful day. So relaxing. I didn't eat, just had a margarita which was good. The wait staff could not have been nicer or more attentive.

Kevin Tapscott

First and always most importantly... Outstanding service. Waiter was fantastic (hostess was too). Great food. Awesome vibe. Tons of fun.

Cary Spier

We had the best meal at the Coyote Cafe last night. Food presentation and taste can't be beat. Friendly and professional staff make it a pleasure to dine.

Monte Aspelmeier

This is one of the finest restaurants we have ever enjoyed, as compared to fine restaurants in Europe, South America, Asia and the USA. Excellent meal, had the elk tenderloin and creme brulee, and service was impeccable. It had been many years since there last, but we will make this restaurant our "go-to" place much more often when in the area. Thanks to the kitchen and service staff for a terrific experience!

Charles Hostetler

Ok for lunch, looks good for dinner. Our experience was marred by my wife's getting onion when she clearly explained it's not for her. Lunch menu does not live up to dinner menu.

Cyrus Bavarian

Chef prepared tacos on a roof top deck in the historic Santa Fe square. Each ingredient in this classic Mexican delicacy was basically a many steps up from the classic street taco experience. The sour cream was so fresh. The steak was seasoned so well. Extremely crisp veggies and the salsa was soooo good. Best taco'ing experience I've had. Additionally, the service was very good. Overall a pleasant experience and would highly recommend. The atmosphere was very busy, with many happy customers munching down on high quality food with some background music. It was that feeling of being surrounded by many busy patrons while still feeling secluded in your own tables conversation in a busy restaurant. Exactly what I was looking for.

Louis Kruse

More pricey than we expected but the service was great and the food was very good. Not the tex-mex we were going for. But it did have some of the flavor influences.

Lindsey

Fun, upbeat environment (in my opinion, one of the most upbeat restaurants in the city)! There are so many different cocktail options to choose from, and from the ones that I had tried, I would give them five stars. I did not try the food, but the music, people, and drinks were plenty for me to highly recommend it to others!

Darlene Settles

What a great meal. Went there for our anniversary I had the lobster and husband had the lamb. Both were excellent. It's too bad we can't afford to go often would like to try some other dishes. This is for sure a special occasion kind of place. Spent over$200 for the two of us We did have wine and dessert also.

Keith Sheldon

Wonderful service, wonderful ambience, wonderful food. Nate our server was superb, and Paul, the maitre de, went above and beyond. Great experience.

L C

Excellent place to have an afternoon meal and a tasty drink.. or two. Everything was delicious.

Calico Bailey

Excellent service! We recommend the turquoise margarita.

John Bito

Gosh, I can't believe how pretentious this place is. I was so offended by the attitude and prices, I walked out.

mireya estrada

Great music and views. Our food was out faster than we blinked. Enjoyed the prickly pear margarita.

joe rutigliano

Spectacular restaurant! Wonderful food with a great staff.

Aaron Natewa

I've been here over the past 10 years and never am disappointed. Good service and and great eats!

Tristan Nadine Lesley

I have been here twice and I just don't understand the high ratings, came in January for NYE, then we were visiting again last week and we decided to try again- I think the restaurant tries to be almost a "white glove" service, however it's a tad ridiculous to have so many people running around in a small space- To have a bar manager walk to tables, then someone else from the bar drop off your drink, someone dropping water off, someone dropping bread off, etc. you will have about 5-6 different people coming by- It makes you feel stressed if you are seated at a table that shows you the entire scene-You see the chaos that is not needed- The waiter we had last week was nice, however I'd honestly prefer him to just be our waiter, not have 5 other people come by- For the food, it's ok I felt Market Steer and Trattoria A Mano are truly better-Coyote prices are a tad out of their league-I have been to Italy and eaten pasta around different regions, as well live downtown Chicago and eat at RPM a lot and no way would they charge $34 for a pasta with mushrooms-It was good but I've had better-We can afford it, that is not the issue but when you've had better and see all that is around you it left me confused as to what they are trying to do- A deconstructed bruschetta with not even fresh tomatoes, they were cooked, were told to just pick up the hard bread for if I tried to cut it, it would fly across the restaurant- Again, waiter was nice but I think it's tries to be something it's not-If we return to Santa Fe I would not dine here again-

Pat Mares

The hostess was super friendly , the bartender knows his stuff. The waiter was mediocre

Nandini Chaturvedi

My food was OK but it's a pretty vibrant place!

Caitlin Burns

Waited about 2 mins to be seated on the roof top, however...the service was spot on, the drinks were great. We had the chips and guacamole, the server added salsa and queso which was SO delicious. The view was amazing, there was a rainbow on the right and the sunset on the left perfect addition to celebrating our anniversary!

James Alarid

Ambiance is great. Food is for tourist pallet.

Ryan Hoekema

Don't rooftop go inside sit at the bar watch the chief work his magic!!! The service is bar none the best I've had!!! A truly special experience!!!!

Chris Sterbenc

Great meal and the place has a cool vibe.

Josh Aycock

We had an enjoyable lunch here. Buzzing rooftop atmosphere. Food was enjoyable. Wait staff was on point. Overall good time.

Jim Claitor

Go during Happy Hour. Great prices, food and good bar. Not to be missed. Music is a bit loud for conversation, but a great place.

Gaby Mokry

If you’re visiting Santa Fe, this dinner place is a must! The opera special was great with the gazpacho, burrata salad, seabass and banana’s foster. The salty lime margarita was ok.. a little too salty and tart for my liking!

Christopher Keys

The owner and staff go out of the way to make sure you have a Fantastic experience!! I would rate this the Number One restaurant in Santa Fe

Amber Donihoo

Nachos are great. Lots of pork. Small menu.

Chelsea Palmer

If you go to one place to eat and drink in Santa Fe it must be here. The food is fantastic. Do not miss out on their killer dessert menu (try the ice cream tacos). Also, sample all the drinks. There isn’t a bad one. Some favorites are their Coco Loco, Gentlemen’s Vice, Frozen Mango Margarita, and/or their Watermelon Mojito. The atmosphere is wonderful and fun, the wait staff are fantastic, and the views are spectacular. Go here or you’ll be missing out.

Ann Trout

Excellent food. Went here for restaurant week. Pricey but outstanding chef. Had the short ribs. Best I've ever had (except for Geronimo's on Canyon interestingly; maybe they use the same butcher) Fancy chic. Love the chandelier. Knowledgeable and attentive staff.

Ben Flint

Good food, and pricey. Atmosphere is a bit stale.

Lupe Munoz

Excellent atmosphere,food and drinks. Superb customer service. Very authentic food...

Kade Barnett

Lovely experience. Great atmosphere and service. The drinks are the best thing here. With the food being at a premium price you expect it to be really good - like blow you away- but I wasn't blown away by my 45 elk. It was good. Not great

DH Geer

My wife and I travel from Dallas to Santa Fe to take in the sites and celebrate my Birthday at the Coyote Cafe— at least that was a tradition we started last year. The service, food, and special attention made it something we had looked forward to all year. This year it was very disappointing. The Elk was muddy, the salad was a pallid confusion of flavors. The dessert choices were so uninspired we skipped it entirely despite it being a birthday dinner. The waitress was polite but clearly didn’t care if our food was any good, and stayed away once the food was delivered other than checking our first taste. We watched her walk past us five times after we were done before she bothered to ask if we wanted our check. The staff knew it was a birthday celebration but seemed uninterested in how it went. Very, very different from last year when they were involved in making choices and ensuring all was well. We left early to go to a restaurant that had both happy staff and food. Considering the prices, it is surprising the staff don’t want to ask you how your dinner was. Maybe they have learned better, maybe they don’t care. Don’t go there for anything special!

Tom Frownfelder

This place is a little spendy, but worth it. The roof top restaurant is fun and hip with a view of the street. A nice selection of drinks and local foods. We went there twice in 4 days.

Joanne E

Fun, loud atmosphere on the roof deck. Great margaritas and tequila choices. Great service. Fish tostada great with added hot sauce.

Tom Ford

Great time. Great selection of wines and their food is top notch !!

Jerry Luman

This place was truly amazing service over the top and the drinks are perfect

Violet Miera

Great place good people! Love the jalapeno poppers and the Shrimp. Super good drinks

Stacey Roland

Excellent! Pricier than anticipated but amazing service and the food is superb!

Friend Lee

We went to Coyote Cafe for our anniversary. We did not make a reservation. The hostess seated us immediately and advised us of a time constraint. We ordered the bacon green chile mac n cheese and the elk loin. We enjoyed ourselves, ate a really good meal, ordered dessert to go all the while never feeling rushed.

Jeremy Reichert

The Food – this place is under scored so ANY review that writes otherwise is just not possible and I would bet the problem is not with Coyote rather the writer. After a long weekend we eat at every fine dining option with reservations in Santa Fe, hands down this place was the best. I had the Elk and it was phenomenal, never had such a well presented and tasting dish. From drinks to appetizers to main coarse to desert it was nothing short of the best---as a foodie, who can respect fine dining for what it is, this place is way under scored for what it actually deserves! Fine dining is in large part about the food however the experience is also worthy to make it complete. I have never heard or experienced such welcoming, accommodating and professional service. I made my reservation with the note that I was going to pop the big question and propose to my now to be wife. WOW..WOW…WOW. Prior to kneeling we watched and observed the service that all others received and it was impressive, romantic and out of this world. We were able to get the best seat in house, not by request but by care of the manager, owner and server. We were able to have conversation with the owner…the care, attention to detail and respect for our moment was truly like a movie that never seems to happen in real life. The floor manager was so unbelievable….he is suited for the highest level of any business, this I know as a professional. After the big kneel, the cooks stopped to observe, the customers followed in acknowledgment and the Server, Manager and Owner paid such a great deal of attention it couldn't have been more picture perfect- The picture are from customers and staff! End of story – we will be back every anniversary with the sole intent to return to Coyote Café—it’s a special place in our hearts and hope you too can find it in yours! Sincerely - Shannon & Jeremy , see next

Kelly B

We sat on the patio/cantinas, drinks are pricey but good and strong. Got the mini chimis and the prawns with corn cakes, both are excellent. Zach was our server; excellent service, great recommendations, on point all evening.

trudy wheeler

Some of the best food in Santa Fe. The appetizer with prawns and grit cakes was amazing!

Keith Lommatsch

All around amazing! The white prawns with the corn cake balanced sweet & spicy, the cornbread with honey butter was also very good. It's all about juxtaposition here! I had the mesquite grilled lobster tails, simply no words for how fantastic it was! My partner had the sea bass, it was cooked perfectly and the vegetables were pure Spring! The service was impeccable, a group effort indeed.

ironman80us

Darn good place for a margarita. Strong drinks overall. Would have liked wider beer selection. Good food as well.

Tammy B

The food was very, very good and beautifully presented but the most important thing was the service was outstanding. I have had better food however at other restaurants which is why only four stars if I was reading strictly the service it would be five. The atmosphere was upscale yet comfortable, prices reasonable for location and offerings.

sheryl wilson

Terrific experience, wonderful margaritas and awesome food! Beautiful dining room and very attentive staff. My new favorite dinner in Santa Fe.

Jason Brewer

When I made a reservation for this place, I was a bit confused between the café and the cantina. The cantina is the very casual upstairs bar that serves mostly margaritas and Mexican/New Mexican food, while the café is a fine dining restaurant with cool modern decor that hints to the 1980s roots of the place. My reservation was for the café, but we were definitely dressed for the cantina, so I was really nervous about it. We arrived early and went up to the cantina to have a margarita and watch the solstice sunset, then wandered down to the café for the reservation. Upon sitting between two couples, a possibly tipsy older woman next to me said “you’re going to have a good time; that table is very lucky”. I guess it was! The service, drinks, and food were excellent, and I didn’t feel the least bit judged due to my attire. We got especially attentive and friendly service from one of the front of house managers, who made this an unforgettable experience. This place really lived up to being a Santa Fe institution!

Victor Venegas

Great tasting food and our server was phenomenal also the ambiance was fun.

Bjarni Thomas

We went in for drinks and a snack.... however- everything we saw looked AMAZING! We ended up having an appetizer, a full meal, and dessert! Food was YUMMY !!!!!

Elvis Flores

Awesome place to visit! Atmosphere is super fun and they have different options of seating available. Food is very artistic

brandon obrien

Extremely loud music playing over the speakers. Couldn't really carry on a conversation without telling at each other. The rooftop itself gets really busy. Food was so-so for the price

Grokme Amadeus

Ate on the rooftop and then the main dining room. Never had Elk before and now I prefer it over anything else. The atmosphere and wait staff were super funny, friendly and informative. Lightning fast attention to detail. If I ate at another place here in Santa Fe I would be overjoyed.

ritz ritwika

I have been to both the cafe and the cantina and I had wonderful experiences at both places. The staff are wonderful and they will make sure that you have a great time while you are there. I was seated at the bar at the café and had a fabulous time. The cafe has some of the best cornbread I have had and I couldn't stop eating it (they were kind enough to let me take some home for a late night snack). I got the burrata (lovely), the elk, and the banana cream pie (lovely). Contrary to popular opinion, I was not a huge fan of the elk because I felt it was underseaaoned, and the staff made sure that I got something else that I liked - I ended up getting the osso buco which was beautifully flavoured and fall-off the bones tender. Admittedly, it's an expensive dining option for the average foodie, but I truly think it's worth checking out. This would be a fantastic spot for a special date night. The cantina has a lovely vibe with a wide selection of affordable options, and would be a great place to hang out with a group of close friends.

H Ray Dobin

I just love Coyote's Rooftop Cantina. It is my preferred stop for lunch after a short walk from the Rail Runner. The staff is very friendly, helpful, quick, efficient and accurate. I prefer to stay with a selection of appetizers than choose an entree. May I recommended the green chile pork posole and both tamales, meat and vegetarian. My lady friend enjoys their margaritas. They have outside seating as well as inside near the bar. It can get a bit crowded, but still seems cozy. Check first. Sometimes they book out the rooftop for catered lunches, as happened the last time I was in Santa Fe.

Kathy Albright

Chairs are extremely uncomfortable. If you want people to stay longer, better seating.

Arianna Johnny-Wadsworth

Prickly Pear Margaritas are great in the summer. They also have a good selection of mezcal & tequila. The servers were nice & relocated us when it rained. The food is delicious. The rooftop view of SF is nice too.

Dave Larson

The food was good at the Cantina. Music is too loud to allow easy conversation. Staff said they could not turn it down.

Adam Jones

My wife and I found ourselves in Santa Fe over Christmas this year. Two days before, we looked at OpenTable and secured a reservation for Christmas day. We could not have been more pleased with every aspect of the experience. The food, the service, the ambience, the wine, all were perfect. While all of the aforementioned aspects were wonderful, the service really stood out. It was truly on par with some of the best restaurants we've been to! The next time we find ourselves in Santa Fe, we will be back.

Creighton Miller

The rooftop cantina has amazing food, beautiful views, and great service

Robert Bittner

Fresh flavors and fun rooftop atmosphere have made this a must-stop on our visits.

Jaime Sukonnik

Went on NYE and it was DELICIOUS. Wish we had a bigger appetite because I would have liked to try more here. The food was so great and it was a fun/relaxed atmosphere with incredibly friendly people.

Eric Shinsky

The green chili cheese burger with bacon and fried egg was the best burger I've had in a long time. Great hole in wall... well roof top in Santa Fe.

John Girard

Fun and very inventive - but fell short for us. Really appreciated the risks the chef took with presentation and combinations of texture/color/flavor, but I wouldn’t categorize the result as “delicious” which, frankly, it needs to be at this price point and with this approach. Will give it another shot with different dishes another time!

Dave Lewis

The food was exquisite and Parris was awesome! Definitely eat here!

M T

Good food, had the chicken enchilada and couldn't finish them. The water was best I have in a while

Matthew Young

Fun atmosphere and great staff! We really enjoyed the rooftop patio.

Tessa Hewitt

A little too fancy and expensive from where I would usually eat, but omg was the food good! Possibly the best tacos I've ever had!! Appetizer tacos, not even a full entree, but was plenty of food. Definitely recommend.

Tina Ritt

Love love love this place! I live in Albuquerque and take all my guests here when visiting Santa fe. Food is always spot on marvelous with local dishes and freshness. Rooftop ambiance is a treat. Highly recommend it

Cassandra Archut

Wow. This place is a must go to if you’re in Santa Fe. We got a spot at the Chefs Table and what a show! Watching the chefs cook together was amazing. We had a bottle of Champagne and started off with the White Prawns and Surf and Turf Tartar. Both were amazing. For our main course we ordered the lobster tails and the filet. The filet was very good but it was as amazing as the lobster tails with the homemade pasta. It was so good. We were so full we didn’t save room for dessert but I saw the chocolate ball at the table next to us which I will have to come back and try. Definitely order the lobster tails they were AMAZING.

Kenny Hunter

Good drink selection. Roof top bar had a great view. Get there early to get a good spot for the sunset!

Ed Ducayet

Noisy on purpose. Interesting drinks. Big portions of tasty food at reasonable prices.

Duane Carlson

I enjoyed eating here. Great Cantina Cobb salad and sangria. My wife had the Frito Pie. I tried a bite and it was good. This is a fun spot for lunch!

Paula Garfield

Went out to lunch here with several members of my Womens Majors Softball team while competing in the Senior Olympic Games. Great service, wonderful food, large portions, reasonably priced.

Beverley Brownell

Excellent ambience, fun, interesting decor, excellent food & very attentive service. Definitely a "must go to"place to dine when in Santa Fe. Enjoy!!!+