La Choza Restaurant Santa Fe: Authentic Mexican & New Mexican Cuisine & Local Flavors Await

In Santa Fe, where adobe walls lean into the light and the streets twist like memory, there’s a restaurant tucked behind the Railyard that doesn’t need to be found—it finds you. La Choza isn’t a secret. It’s a rite of passage.

The building once served as the headquarters of the Mercer Ranch and still feels like something lived-in and lasting. The walls are thick, the colors are bright, and the energy is warm without pretense. You step through the door, and time slows. The scent of roasted chiles, cumin, and garlic pulls you in. The wait might stretch to three hours. It’s worth it; make a reservation if you can!

La Choza is the sister restaurant to The Shed, and while The Shed draws tourists, La Choza holds the locals. The menu is a love letter to New Mexican cuisine: enchiladas smothered in red or green chile, blue corn tortillas, carne adovada, posole, and sopapillas that arrive warm and ready for honey. The green chile stew is smoky and sharp, the kind of dish that stays with you. The flavors aren’t just bold: they’re ancestral.

The staff moves with quiet confidence. And the patio hums in summer. The margaritas are strong and clean. And the food—every bite—is a reminder that tradition isn’t static. It’s alive. It’s evolving. It’s being served to you right now.

For me, La Choza is more than a meal. It’s a marker. A place I return to not just for the food, but for the feeling. The sense that something essential is being honored. That the city’s soul is still intact.

If you’re in Santa Fe, go to La Choza. Sit near the window if the light’s good. Order the enchiladas. Let the Chile speak. And know that some restaurants don’t just serve food. They serve belonging. This one does. La Choza is my favorite Mexican food restaurant anywhere in the United States.