- Soulsearcher
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 4
- Reviews
-
3
- Photos
Editor Pick
Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery (Santa Fe)
- October 19, 2007
- Rated 3 of 5 by
SkewedStyle from Brooklyn, New York
I was running late as usual after watching the sun set, so I was glad to find a place that was open until 10PM—pretty amazing in Santa Fe for a place that isn't also a bar. Since I wasn't spending much time in the city, Blue Corn Café also gave me the opportunity to see a bit of the adobe-brick downtown area, albeit at night.
On first glance it looked like parking would be a nightmare; my guidebook map didn't indicate which streets were one-way and there was a market set up in the plaza leading to some street closures. Luckily I found a spot around the corner from the St. Francis Cathedral which only a few blocks' walk from the restaurant.
Blue Corn Café brews its own beer. I'm not a big beer drinker but I really enjoyed their Honeymoon Wheat Pale Ale, which was citrusy and sweet, and a pretty good deal at $4 for a pint. I started with another Chowhound.com recommendation, the corn-chipotle chowder. Quite tasty, but there was something in there that overpowered any chipotle flavor...I think it was red peppers. Pretty filling for only $3.50.
My guidebook described the restaurant as having a slight chain-restaurant feel, and I can't disagree. It's a large place, very brightly-lit with rather ordinary décor. The service was a bit inattentive...all the guys I saw working there looked college-aged or younger.
The menu is extensive. I waffled on the stuffed sopaipillas for a long time, but eventually chose one of their combos—it was the only way I could narrow down! Plus my combo of green chile cheese tamale and a blue corn taco with ground beef was actually cheaper than plates of only tacos or tamales.
The last time I had a tamale was in Oaxaca, so there really was no comparison. This one was OK, but in comparison to the gold standard it was a bit too mushy and lacking real flavor in the masa itself, instead relying on the green chile again. But I'm still not seeing the appeal of green chile. The taco was so-so as well...I think I should have gotten something other than ground beef.
Since I'd had soft blue corn tortillas a few times and not seen anything special, I thought the hard taco shell, not smothered in sauce, would help me see the light. No dice. The sopaipilla I got on the side was excellent...how could fried bread with honey not be?
As I said, the menu is extensive and much of it sounds appealing. I would definitely give Blue Corn Café another shot next time I'm in Santa Fe, now that I know which two items I can leave off my list!
Blue Corn Café
From journal New Mexico Practicalities
Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery
- February 26, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
pabrams52 from Los Angeles, California
I am personally not a fan of Mexican food but was quickly won over by this engaging restaurant. I dined with a large business group of 20, and the experience was a success. The service was excellent. The staff seated us promptly. (We had made a reservation.) Their service was professional, friendly, and efficient, which isn't easy with that many people.
Their menu is quite varied. I saw ribs, salads, fajitas, and enchiladas, as well as spicy seafood dishes. I chose a mango chicken plate, which was delicious.
I would definitely recommend it. As we exited, I noticed people waiting to sit down, which is always a good sign that they're "doing it right."
From journal Santa Fe Visit
Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery
- February 7, 2004
- Rated 4 of 5 by
jbarr08 from Sierra Vista, Arizona
The Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery is a great little restaurant and bar, perfect for a business lunch or unwinding after work. Being a brewery, it provides many options in the way of beers, both familiar and microbrews. The most interesting of the latter include a chocolate porter and a java-flavored stout. The food is great, with options for any appetite, including vegetarians. Most of the dishes have a Southwestern flavor to them, with liberal use of chiles and some garlic thrown in. If you're not a drinker, the prickly pear iced tea is good stuff.
From journal Four Days in Santa Fe
Editor Pick
Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery
- March 15, 2001
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Soulsearcher from Inglewood, California
We arrived at this highly recommended local fave for a dinner around 8:20pm on a slow evening due to snow falling outside. The waitress seated us and we did not see the young lady again for 10 minutes, this caused me to get just a wee bit irritated and I had voiced to my writing partner/travel mate that maybe we should go else where, at that point the manager, who was dining with friends came to our table as we were preparing to leave and took our order with somewhat of an attitude. My dining companion, who was hungry decided to order her dinner anyhow so I followed suit. Another fifteen minutes passed and at this point we both were getting a little irritated and were about to leave when the food arrived.
The arrival of the food was the saving grace for this evening because it was truly very good. I had ordered the Honey chiptole chicken sandwich which came with an order of french fries and this is what saved my night at the Blue corn Cafe, the food was outstanding and made it seem well worth the wait. My dining companion ordered a spinach salad topped with grilled chicken and she too was delighted with the meal. She commented on how fresh her spinach was and that the chicken had a wonderful taste. We ate our food and left full and completely satisfied with our meal.
The young lady who was our initial waitress returned with the check and a smile which sort of baffled both of us since we watched her wait on a few other tables the entire time. I refused to tip the young lady for such poor service but in the end my friend gave her a very small tip as a way of telling her the next time she should do a better job. Because the food was so good I recommend the restaurant and will try it the next time I am in Santa Fe, I just hope for better service.
From journal Roadtrip