My fiancé and I had a delightful evening here while visiting Santa Fe.  The service was fast and wait staff was friendly.  We've eaten at all the great steakhouses all over the nation and would add this to the list.  My filet was very good and I am rating this a 4 star restaurant but must add that my fiancé would have given it 5 stars.  He raved about his filet mignon.
Review Source:Party of 6. Â The steaks were amazing! Â Had the filet and it was good as anywhere I've been. Â Great service, too. Â Yes, it is expensive, but it is no more than any other good steak place. Â Liked the wine list and didn't find it to be out of line. Â In fact, we thought they had a good selection at decent prices. Â I'd definitely go back if we are in town again.
Review Source:Was in Santa Fe on business and found myself looking for a good steak. Â The concierge at my hotel said the Bull Ring was good. Â I walked over and requested to sit at the bar, as I was by myself. Â Â I was greeted by Mary, bartender, who proved to be a true professional, fun with a great sense of humor. Â Â They have an excellent wine selection, cheap to the expensive. Â I then looked at the menu and quickly decided on the bone-in filet. Â The filet was melt in your mouth tender and perfectly prepared. Â They accommodated a special spinach order (no cream) which was a nice touch. Â Â During my dinner, the general manager-Lisa , sat down next to me to speak with some regulars. Â Â She was very professional and inquired as to whether all was to my liking. Â The food, service and ambience were excellent. Â Very rarely does a restaurant get all three right. Â Â Can't wait for my next visit to Santa Fe and dinner at The Bull Ring. Â Hope to see you soon Mary and Lisa.
Review Source:Was it good...sure. Was it worth the cost? Definitely not. There are so many amazing places to eat in Santa Fe, and I'm pretty disappointed that we went with this place.
I got a chicken dish for about $30 and my husband got a steak for about $35. He really enjoyed the steak but the chicken was nothing special, especially not for that price. All of the sides are extra, about $8 each for a starch or a veggie. We got the shoestring fries and they tasted just slightly better than the average convenience store potato stix.
The atmosphere was nice and casual (we sat on the patio) and the hostess and staff were very professional and had a good spirit. There is also a bar menu, but they do not serve that food outside of the bar area. The bar menu has a little less, but is about half the cost and there are plenty of good options. If I had to eat there again, I would stay in the bar. Drinks are overpriced, as is expected in a place like this.
We ate in the bar the other evening. We wanted a couple of burgers and some drinks and chose The Bull Ring because we had done this before and had a good experience. The food was adequate--these weren't the exceptional burgers we remembered. The match stick potatoes were lukewarm, the onion rings had a heavy batter that wasn't as crisp as it might be. The burgers lacked flavor. But what really disappointed was the strange atmosphere. The canned music was the horrible 70's and 80's hits you hear in grocery stores. The waitperson changed the channel to something equally bad when we asked her to, saying they only had Comcast and the selections were limited. How about a little soft jazz if you feel you must have anything? The hostess was sitting at the bar drinking a beer and flirting with an older man--sitting provocatively close to him and occasionally looking toward the front of the house to see if any guests had come in that she needed to attend to. Maybe it was her father.The waiters were watching a basketball game, and our wait person was flirting with another older man at the bar, hugging him repeatedly. Maybe it was HER father, but maybe this is a hook-up joint for old men and the young women employed there. Clearly no one of authority was there that night and the mice were playing. I don't think we'll be back to The Bull Ring anytime soon. Just too weird and bordering on creepy for the prices they ask for their mediocre food and the odd floorshow that is offered there.
Review Source:I'd like to come back and try again but want to make my notes while they are fresh. We came for an early dinner Saturday night with our friends who had raved about their last meal here.
things that weren't great:
- three steaks - one incorrect order so had to take it back-made it awkward
- the single veggie option was a plate of sugared tomatoes and broccolli- I eat at steak houses a LOT as a vegetarian and normally have tons of interesting options but the menu did not seem like a warm welcome for the vegetarians-
Things I liked:
-bar service was good
-escargot had button mushrooms mixed in, brilliant idea for a vegan dish
- wine was good, reasonably priced, wine menu heavy on CA wines but diverse enough
The most remarkable bad thing which explains the two stars :
-pretty sure our waiter was stoned for his first time ever, he just couldn't remember anything and refused to write anything down so you can imagine the adventures that ensued there...unfortunately that detracted from the experience enough that we all said we had to come back and give them another chance since there were so many positive reviews- all these yelpers wouldn't steer us wrong (HAH no pun intended!) ...so yes, we will be back this summer to try again-
The filet is amazing. Â I have never enjoyed steak anywhere else as much as I have here. Â This was my 4th visit over the years and the steak has always been 6 stars! Â
This visit they gave everyone a complimentary appetizer of carrots, celery and radish with ranch dressing. Â That was an excellent touch.
The downfall which leads me to only 4 stars is that all side dishes are $8+ and not always that great. Â We had the asparagus, which came with a side of hollandaise. Â The sauce was sweet and personally I did not think it complimented asparagus well. Â The asparagus was blah, something I make way better at home and would be happy to share my recipe with them!
The service here stands out above the rest. Our server, who has been at the Bull Ring for 7 years, treated us perfectly, knowing exactly when to move forward and when to give us more time, checking in at perfectly timed moments.
The food here is great, although maybe not surpassing other top steak houses.
Started with the mussels, which are not usually my fave, but they were opened in a nice buttery broth. The iceberg wedge salad was too much iceberg and not enough toppings, and so it was sort of watery and bland. The bread served with the table was also unmemorable.
I ordered the filet mignon, and it came out on a hot plate with extra butter. I loved the way I could use the plate to cook the meat a little more, although I ordered medium rare. The steak wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was very, very good. The au gratin potatoes on the side were decadently cheesy. And we finished it all off with a delicious slice of cheesecake, which may have been the best part of the meal. The drinks were good, I was poured a nice stiff bourbon that lasted me the entire meal quite nicely. The beer and wine was nice, too. The ambiance was pretty cool: dim, man plucking a guitar, etc. My family and I spent 3 hours here, but it didn't feel like 3 hours. That again is the testament to the service here. Kudos!
Great Porterhouse. Any classic Prime house knows what 'Pittsburgh' means; seared on the outside, rare inside. They knew this. Plus we wanted Pittsburgh medium rare and they did it to perfection. Service was top notch; what you'd expect for an expensive restaurant. They handled our group of nine on this Sunday night without missing a beat. Tomato side and mushrooms very good. Â Dessert of chocolate/Kailua cake/torte fabulous as was pecan pie. Â Good as any steak place in Chicago, where we live ( that includes Morton's, Ruth's Chris and Chicago Chop House).
Review Source:Sat in bar area. Very lively at 5:30 PM. Open face roast beet sandwich , an appetizer, was good (about 6 oz.) and tasty. Cooked to order. Pork spareribs good. French fries  were so so.Manhattan cocktail was made just right. Service was prompt and efficient. There is Happy Hour from three to six. Prices for appetizers in the bar are less than dinning room.
Review Source:This place is a decent steakhouse but really overpriced. Â We split a porterhouse, which was a perfect size for us, but was disappointed in the lack of seasoning. Â I was actually tempted to request steak sauce. Â The mashed potatoes were excellent with the perfect amount of garlic seasoning. Â We sat in the bar so we could watch pre-season football and the service was friendly. Â Understanding we did not eat in the dining room, I still do not like to look at trash cans when eating and paying those prices.
Review Source:The Bull Ring is the best steak house in Santa Fe. Â During the legislative session, it's still the busiest bar as well. Â It used to be next to the Round House (State govt.) then it moved to its current location. Â If it reminds you of a Ruth's Chris, that may be because they adopted many of their practices a manager or three ago. Â Their meat comes from a different source, but it is still first rate. Their sides are great. The bar is really good. Service has always been about the best in service-challenged Santa Fe. The live music on weekends is a nice addition. Â It's not your green chile and cheese on everything dinner, but if you don't groove on that kind of thing and/or you just want a really fine meal prepared and served well, you can't beat coming to the Bull Ring. Â Best to make a reservation during busy periods especially!
Review Source:I enjoyed dining at The Bull Ring, though I have to say that it sports Ruth's Chris prices without quite measuring up.
I dined with a large group and we had a very pleasant table on the patio. Â The service was very good, and the menu and wine list were what I expected from a nice steak house. Â I ordered filet mignon, and the waitress graciously accommodated my precise temperature specifications on the meat: Â medium rare "minus" (just a little on the rarer side). Â
My steak came out cooked to perfection and it was delicious--clearly a nice cut of filet. Â It just wasn't quite as tasty as others I've had (Ruth's, Flemming's, Morton's). Â Much like other steak houses, the sides were made for sharing. Â We ordered mashed potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, and creamed spinach. Â My colleague recommended the mashed potatoes and he was spot on--they were definitely first class. Â The mushrooms and spinach were good, but I thought the asparagus was unimpressive. Â Rather than the nice, thick, grilled asparagus with a little char that I expected, this was just your run-of-the-mill, flimsy, 'cooked' asparagus. Â Not awful or anything, just not great.
Overall, it was a pretty good dining experience. Â I think I'd go back, especially if I wasn't picking up the tab. :)
We love it here. But I think that's because there's not a lot of choice when it comes to chop houses. Bull Ring and Rio Chama. Bull Ring is trying to be Ruth's Chris, but it's just not. The quality and consistency are just not there. And the prices have gone through the roof. We ate there tonight...we each had 2 cocktails, split an appetizer, each had a salad (way too small for $8), each had a ribeye and split their Lyonnaise potatoes. $260 without tip!! Ridiculous. And one of the steaks was just OK. Rio Chama is a worse offender, but the bar is a nice alternative. Too bad, Bull Ring, you've lost us.
Review Source:When we arrived, a large group of good old boys were occupying a room just off the main dining area. Â Any thoughts of a quiet dinner were instantly dispelled as testimonials to whatever was being observed were drowned out by the sonic explosions. Â Yee Haw! Â On the plus side, our waiter was very efficient, well informed and attentive. Â Can't dis the bar for the lame sidecar, haven't had a really good one yet in over 100 different restaurants. Â Didn't someone say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
Would it be too much to expect fresh fruit juice in a drink?
Very nice and reasonably priced wine selection. Â We ordered by the glass and it was a generous pour. Â Creamed spinich was a B+, baked potato C+, prime rib (huge) B, filet A-. Â Meat was done perfectly. Â Bread was from Subway, as far as I could tell. Â Morton's does it all better, but the Bull Ring is cheaper and not as stuffy.
Ok most of these reviews would have scared me off but a very reputable local recommended The Bull Ring. We showed up right as they were closing and they we're very accommodating. Dark and moody we sat in their very "old school" bar! The caesar was great. The petit filet was above average with butter veggies and tasty mashed potatoes. Â Our server Julie was friendly and helpful. Would definitely eat here again when in Santa Fe.
Review Source:What's not to like about a prime piece of beef served sizzling on a hot plate of butter?
A great spot for carnivores and drinkers. Full bar, decent wine list, great appetizers, good service...oh and great steaks of course.
Famous for smokey bar back-room deals during the NM legislative sessions "back in the day", but there is no back room or smoking in the bar anymore so ignore any rumors you've heard.
Recommended.
Upscale cattlemens. Â No presentation. Â Slab of meat too hot to eat until it cooled served on a bare hot plate. Â Sides in separate plates so that it seemed to be grub time. Â Service OK at first but then tailed off. Â The only bright spot was the availability of California wines reasonably priced.
Review Source:Best chairs at a steakhouse I have ever sat in! Â Loved the quite spot in the back, so my nephew could act bad without too much drama. Â Very expensive, and the food was marginal for the price. Â Tiny plates for your meat and sides. Â The steamed broccoli was raw, but palatable. Salmon, I would pass as it was over-seasoned, but flaky. Â Both the mashed sweet potatoes and the French style potatoes, which were a glam version of fried onions and diced potatoes - hash browns, were tasty. Â The bread was warm, so I give this an OK..
Review Source:I visited the Bull Ring on a weeknight with seven business associates on the recommendation of our hotel hostess. Â For $60+ per person, I expected top quality aged prime beef; I received under-seasoned, unevenly cooked (but still tender) beef. Â A tableful of various sides included nothing to write home about, and the dinner salad was unremarkable. Â
I am quite sure that this is not the best that Santa Fe has to offer, and will be sticking to the New Mexican cuisine from here on out. Â It seems that this place may have once been top-notch; now it is only an ordinary steak house with extraordinary prices.
For a place that was so well recommended by the locals, I expected Heaven on a plate. Not so. The restaurant has missed the bull's eye.
Best thing I can compare the menu and atmosphere to is a lower quality Morton's. A la carte entree options and huge sides. My salad and cooked tomatoes were good. The sauce on the cocktail shrimp was super tasty. The meat my coworkers ordered came out mooing. Not a fan. When they re-fired, it was overcooked. No happy medium on the searing hot plates.
The best part of the meal was our server Noe. She was friendly and accommodating.
Great mid-week lunch. Seemingly very secluded setting, entrance hidden from the street. Post-eatings yelping has revealed that this place has quite a history...
Stopped by here somewhat serendipitously after finding parking in Santa Fe after ditching a conference in Albuquerque, and needing desperately to find a restroom, we came here for mid-week lunch.
The feel of the place is certainly white tablecloth, high end service, but can still be somewhat business casual for their lunch service.
My conference mates raved about their salads. My Bull Pen Cheesesteak was delicious on the meat end, decent on the cheese/bread end. A limite
Impeccable service, however, and a menu that I would gladly spend some more time exploring had I the opportunity in the future to crave some good meat in Santa Fe.
The Bull Ring has decent food, definately above par with some of the other local restaurants in the downtown area, but it's pretty pricey... The soups and salads are not the greatest, but the meat entrees and drinks make up for it for the most part. It is in a central downtown location, but seems primarially geared towards the tourist crowd in the "on" season, and the legions of executive set people during the "off" seasons...
The staff is friendly, but service can be a little slow if the place is packed. There's a great outdoor seating area if you prefer that, but the location's scenery is pretty drab since it's kind of in an upscale strip mall setting.
Well, don't really know about the food, but the martinis were cold. Â LIghts went out in the downtown area, so drank by candlelight. Â Met Donald, a local hairdresser and had a merry time with him. Â Maybe I'll go back for one of the steaks, but after going to Maria's New Mexican restaurant later that night, I think I'll stick with the local flavor and switch to taquila. Â The bar maid, Mary, was friendly, but also ready to call it a night and send me packing.
Review Source:This restaurant has rested on the reputation it has had since its opened. Yes its old school and has a old relationship with the legislators down the street at the Capital. The food, service, and ambiance aren't that great though. It needs a major face lift in not only the saloon/dining room but the tired food as well. Amazing that it can get the prices its gets based solely on the reputation it had in the 80's. If this place were in a city larger than Santa Fe (75,000+) it wouldn't be in business.
Review Source:The Bull Ring. Â Although still a political hangout, this place used to be right next to the Capital building on Old Santa Fe Trail. Â It was just a 30 second walk out the back door of the Legislature to the door of the Bull Ring. Â Now it's north of the Plaza and a car ride away. Â This upscale steakhouse has always had great food, if you are a red meat eater. Â I loved their Steak Tartare . . . it was seasoned just right and so good. Â Took an out-of-town boyfriend there once and he was not into "raw meat." Â I tried to explain that is the way we used to all eat it, but to no avail, he stuck with something more sensible - cooked until it was shoe leather. Â To each his own. This is still a great place to have lunch or dinner. Â And if you are into the political stuff going on in NM, this is the place to at least feel like you are touching base with what's happening. Â Great selection of wines.
Review Source:This place has great filets. Â I thought that the bone-in ribeye was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Â They have a nice selection of 2003 California Cabs. Â
The service was mainly run by a bunch of young kids that had very little knowledge about the wine menu. Â Not the kind of staff you hope for in a pricey steak joint. Â Also, no decanter? Â How is this possible?
The place is good and may have the best steaks in Santa Fe, but there are other places I would recommend first.
The ultimate in political playgrounds. Â This place is old school. This is the smoky backroom where deals are made. This bar carries so many stories in it' s stead that it makes it hard to write about this old sage venue located in the middle of the heart of downtown santa fe. The owner is very political, a democrat in fact, and he serves up bar food including escargot, steaks, great burgers, and good conversation. The drinks are strong, the clientele are often politically volatile or hiding from their wives but most of the time it is fun and enjoyable. If you want to be alone and have a drink and not feel like the neon sign sitting at the bar come here.
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