Giving 5 Stars because after looking for a nice place to eat after 9PM everything was Closed; went to EL FAROL because of  a referral but the experience was terrible. Thank you DEL CHARRO and their awesome staff! Great food; great  prices; carne adovada was my dish; my friends order burgers and they were very happy with their food and prices ... I almost forgot the awesome POSOLE!!!!
Review Source:The great thing about Del Charro is the price. Â $6 bucks for a cheeseburger? Â Add $1 buck for the green chile and you have the best lunck in town. Â And it's under $10 bucks with an ice tea. Â Also, the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup? Â The Bomb. Â I give 4 stars because this is dining at fast food prices.
Review Source:Where are the bars in this town? For such a tourist rich spot, watering holes do not abound. Del Charro is definitely a safe bet for a beverage and some grub. I have, however only been here for the drinks. Bar is decent and service is good, drinks are cheap and they have half decent chips and salsa. Perfect place to catch up on a few drinks and while away the afternoon.
Review Source:Great margaritas and fantastic chips, salsa and guac. Â Came here for a drink and a small bite to eat before our dinner reservations at Cafe Pasquals.
I usually don't even like margaritas but the hotel staff at Old Santa Fe Inn recommended this place and the margaritas to us. Very pleased with service, margarita and app.
I got their signature house margarita and it hit the spot on a sunny and warm day in Santa Fe!
Just right. Mi esposa noticed this place while driving through town one day, and suggested, "We oughta stop in there." We've been back several times since. Seat yourself, inside or out. (Outside, the "house birds" may be seen fluttering in and out the eaves of the covered patio.) lots of selections, all at extremely reasonable prices. Tasty food, and, unlike lots of places that overwhelm with piles of food that I eventually leave or have to take home, I found that they served just about the right amount! A refreshing change. If you're a local, chances are, you'll see someone you know. We usually do.
Review Source:The location is convenient, the ambiance is good (cute decor with outdoor seating available) and the food is cheap for the area ($3 for chips and salsa, $5 for cheese fries, $7 for a burger). Â However, the service is just plain awful, and I'm definitely on the forgiving side having bartended for years. Â I've been warned that service in Santa Fe leaves much to be desired, but I felt like I was really inconveniencing my waitress by just being there. Â Rolling your eyes and sighing can't possibly be the accepted norm for waitstaff anywhere, right? Â When my waitress finally came back around to refill our glasses, she took them up to the bar and obviously didn't pay attention to whose glasses she brought back in return (half-filled, of course, because she ran out of lemonade). Â Maybe Santa Fe's health regulations are more lex, but I prefer to pass on drinking for a stranger's dirty glass even in a town where bad service is supposedly the norm.
Review Source:Cheap food, mediocre service, ok quality.
Del Charro has cheap drinks, and the food has the quality one would expect from the price. If you are out for a beer and some chips and salsa with some guacamole on the side you have come to the right place.
Service is slow but not, as with many other places in and around Santa Fe, rude. I ordered the chicken sandwich with potato salad, which I can only describe as ok. The potato salad was good, but unfortunately I don't think it was very fresh. My wife ordered the ordinary beef sandwich with fries, which unfortunately was not very fresh either.
If you are out for a beer and chips with salsa and guacamole, you have come to the right place. If you are out for dinner, be careful.
Great food, nice bar, conveniently located near the Plaza and downtown. Â This is one of my go-to lunch stops when I'm working in Santa Fe. Â Nice portions, tasty and fresh food. Â I've particularly enjoyed the chicken sandwich and the tostada (an amazing taco salad). Â Extra friendly and attentive waitstaff round out a reliable, positive experience!
Review Source:I was SO HAPPY when we found Del Charro when we rolled into Santa Fe around 11 PM; this does not seem to be a late night town, and I was happy to have a decent place to grab drinks and a hamburger before the next day of our cross-country journey. The green chile chowder was tasty; my hamburger was OK. It actually ended up being kinda overcooked, which annoyed me at the time, but now I am grateful for the screw-up.
My husband's hamburger was a nice juicy medium rare and he enjoyed it immensely. We had some tasty chips and salsa, too. A few service hiccups, ok, but overall it was a solid three-star experience until the next morning when my husband was hit with a massive case of food poisoning which caused him to vomit his way across New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. My hubcaps are ruined.
My fancy-pants Silvercoin margarita was lousy. However, the ambience is nice and the location is perfect. Most importantly, my hamburger was cooked perfectly.
However, it wasn't so pleasant coming back up (and out) on the side of the road the next day. Overall, I left pieces of my Del Charro meal in:
Springer, NM (twice)
Gladstone, NM
Clayton, NM
Boise City, OK
Hugoton, KS
...and a few places far from civilization in between.
Traveling with food poisoning is not fun. Fuck you guys.
The end of October, was and Will be the last time at Del Charo. Â To make this short.
I ordered a burger, and asked for a side of red chili. Patricia brought chili with beans. I ask for a side of red chili not chili with beans she said they don't have that. They don't serve that on sundays! She grabbed it. Spilled it on my step mothers purse. Thru the menu on the bar. (Many more rude things happen.) she stared at me like she wanted to fight!
To top it off, Â Jordon took over, I didn't want to be charged for the chili. He said " oh, the half eaten bowl of chili?" I have NEVER, felt so un comfortable in my life at a restaurant. .. Ever! I will never recommend this place ever, I have been going there for 12 years... Â I wrote to the general manager, no response. If your not part of Del Charos crowd I suggest you go somewhere else.
I kinda hate this place, but it's just because it's often too busy for my enjoyment and the food isn't anything to write home about. It is what it is. They serve booze but you have to wait behind a rope before entering like it's some Jersey Shore nightclub. Sitting at the bar isn't bad, if you can avoid being talked at by a drunk homeless war vet that has ferrets likely living in his whiskey stained beard. There is also a nice little fire place, but those seats are hard to secure unless you show up to drink around 2pm. It's a popular place so I know it appeals to many, I just like sitting at the actual bar and the seats are hard to nab here.
Review Source:This is the place to be for cheap treats and drinks in the often over-priced Santa Fe. Curl up by the fire in the saloon or patio and enjoy their inexpensive selection of delicious food. I highly suggest the green chili cheese fries or homemade chips and dip to start, joined by a $6 house margarita that comes with a free refill! For food-food, I usually get the grilled cheese (add turkey and green chili) and soup for only $7 dollars! I've also had the stuffed poblano and quesadilla. All under $7. A fun place to meet your friends before walking to the plaza--you'll need to walk that margarita off, believe me!
Review Source:Skip this establishment at all costs. A group of 20 of us went on a Saturday night after a Wedding, only to be told that certain members of our group were "too drunk to be served", me being one of them. Quick forethought; I am pregnant and was 100% sober, however the bartender told me after I ordered water that he wouldn't serve me alcohol anyway. WTH?
Review Source:Cheap Drinks, Cheap food (price but don't expect good quality).
But they asshole bouncers at the front. Â If they are busy and your party is seated, don't expect to get in. Â We waited 30 minutes TRYING to get to our friends table in the back who had seats for us. Â Jordan the bouncer was a jerk and wouldn't let us.
I don't care if the prices are reasonable. Â Treat me horrible, I won't give you my money.
We go there probably 5 times a month, and bring all out of town visitors here, esp. in the winter with the fire going. Would it be possible, if you went there ONE TIME, to have some kind of negative experience? Â I suppose anything is possible. But anybody who has gone 5 times knows that anybody complaining is being a crybaby whiner martyr, and that is all there is to it. It is our favorite place in Santa Fe. Really good food unless you are a food snob, which I am not. The green chile chicken chowder may be the dinner I would ask for if I were facing the firing squad. The margaritas are really 2.5 margaritas.
Yeah, there are tourists during the season and it gets crowded, but although it inconveniences me personally, it is good for the city, so so what.
I should preface by saying that I'm a regular at Del Charro Saloon, so my review might be a little on the preferential side and not totally unbiased.
Food is great and well priced. This is great in Santa Fe where food and drink prices are ridiculous. They also have a great wine list for a reasonable price and their house margaritas are great.
It does get really crowded during tourist season, so get there early if you want a table or a place to sit.
I love all of the bartenders. Great people. Friendly and remember you when you come in.
I would consider this a place for locals. Not touristy, but can be due to being attached to a hotel and location.
If you want a great place to sit, enjoy good food and great drinks for a decent price, I would highly recommend this place.
It's one of the places in Santa Fe that the locals like to hang out in because you won't wind up paying $150 for dinner. Basically burgers & beer type menu.
They were very busy Saturday night of course, which is when we went. Guy at the doors has a rope across the entry, only letting people in as tables become available. Thankfully when we arrived there was a spot for two so we got in right away.
It's a noisy place, so don't expect quiet and romantic. It's not.
I had a burger which was fine. The person I was with had a turkey wrap, which they said was good, but a bit spicey.
Service was fine in spite of it being really busy.
So if you are hungry after a long day and just want some cheap eats, then give it a try.
It's located on the corner of Alameda and Don Gasper.
Del Charro is one of my most frequent haunts, but it is also one of the most inconsistent restaurant/bars I have ever visited.
As the full-time designated driver of my group, I have not had much experience with their adult beverages (though my girlfriend does sing the praises of their ludicrously cheap margaritas, served Fuddruckers-milkshake style), but I have sampled a very large portion of their menu (I am paid in food for my babysitting services).
The secret weapon of this restaurant: The beer-battered fries. They cost a bit more ($0.75, at last visit), but they kick the puny, under-seasoned regular fries to the curb. Get some of their (I'm assuming house-made) ranch to go with it, and it makes for a nice, cheap plate of pass-around food.
Everything else varies wildly, I'm afraid.
THE FOOD:
I've had their Green Chili Chicken Corn Chowder a number of times, and it ranges from god-nectar deliciousness to goopy, inedible wallpaper paste. The kitchen seems to have a lack of ability to handle crowds--the busier the place is, the more the food suffers.
Anything with a chicken breast in it tends to be overcooked, I'm afraid. The chicken caesar is overpriced (a rare accomplishment for this generally dirt-cheap establishment) and underflavored.
The burgers, for the price, are not terrible (You can find better, but you're drinking. Have a burger). There's a wide array of toppings, but the add-ons are where they get you. A burger costs six bucks, but cheese, chili, etc. can easily push it up to a ten dollar adventure in inconsistency.
The grilled cheese, strangely enough, is always excellent. Gooey, buttery, and just right. You can add bacon, grilled onions, turkey, etc. Just ask. They'll do it.
The chipotle wings are much-lauded, but the one time I had them, they lacked any sort of spicy flavor whatsoever. They tasted mostly like oil. Maybe it was a fluke, but there aren't many affordable, tasty buffalo wing options in Santa Fe (Cowgirl's are traditionally sauced, which is a plus, but often rather mushy). Pity, really.
Their daily specials are unbeatable, deal-wise. Chicken-fried steak on Sundays is satisfying and plentiful for five bucks, the carne adovada is spicy and competent, and the blue corn enchiladas are satisfying.
If you're with a group, go for the Chili Cheese Fries ($5.00), but substitute the Beer-Battered Fries instead (flavor is the key, you see). Good crowd pleaser.
THE SERVICE:
Unfortunately, the service at Del Charro is the most varied. Often, there are super-professional waiters and waitresses that frequently deserve tips above and beyond 20%. However, there are some nights where you will search endlessly for a waiter to refill your drink or take your order. Some of the servers seem annoyed that they have to, well, serve you. And I don't think it's me. I'm nice. I tip well. I just would like a refill on my diet coke, please (which, if you're the designated driver, and you tell them so, they tend to give you for free. So that's nice.).
THE ATMOSPHERE:
This is the most consistent part of the Del Charro experience. Santa Fe is awash in adobe, stucco, and beige. Walking in to Del Charro is like walking into an oasis of leather, bronze, deep brown wood and red brick. It is an utterly pleasant place to be, and the portrait of Sam Elliot that gazes from above the fireplaces gives you a sense that everything's going to be okay, and that you finally get to rest for a while.
The music is almost always fun, but there's a general tendency of the place to get a little too loud.
OVERALL:
Don't go on the weekends. Bad service and inconsistent food is likely to be had. If you're jonesing for cheap food and plentiful libations on a weeknight, however, Del Charro is your best bet in Santa Fe.
Envision "Cheers" in Santa Fe. Â That's Del Charro.
Locals crowd the bar for a brew and a burger or a plate of nachos. Â Everything on the menu is good---not spectacular---but good. Â
The cheapest place in town for a decent meal. Â Seriously, folks, where in Santa Fe can you get a plate of tasty grub for $7 or less?
Not a fan of the much lauded margaritas, but I'm a margarita snob. Bigger isn't better in this case. Â I stick with a nice Blue Moon when I'm here. Â
And, who knew?  An ATM right  through the door to the right of the bar.  What else do you need?
We found this place last night while walking around square and pulled up on yelp....used walking directions and five minutes later we were sitting on heated patio.
Menu small, but so are prices...which isn't always the case in historic square sante fe.
I had soup and sandwich...grilled cheese and green chile chicken chowder. Both came to table piping hot. Sandwich was perfectly crisp and cheese was stringy, melted and divine. The soup was tasty, had great kick, and perfect for dipping the grilled cheese. Portion size was perfect.
Hubby ordered frito pie and was very happy. Again, piping hot, spicy, and wonderful. Again, great portion without overkill.
Only down to dinner was sucky waitress who didn't keep water filled with a spicy meal and we waited for spoon too long...who eats frito pie with a fork?
Price wise....dinner at 5.30 pm was only 10.00!! Perfect location for stroll back to b&b....
The manager at the hotel we were staying at told us this was his favorite place. Â Since we thought he was great, we took his advice. Â
We liked the vibe, it was a cozy bar with a giant fire place, and you could tell a spot the locals go to. Â The waitress told us to get the corn & chile chowder and we're so happy she did. Â It was, by far, the best part of the meal. Â
My chile relleno, which I was SO excited for - my first one upon landing in the Southwest - left a lot to be desired. Â It was 90% batter. Â I felt ill about halfway through and couldn't finish it. Â
My husband had the dinner special. Â It was also mediocore, but was super cheap. Â
Margaritas were huge and tasty and only $6. Â
We were shocked when we got our bill - 2 meals, a soup, a side of guac, and 3 margaritas for half of what any of our other dinners, pre-alcohol, cost in Boston. Â That was the best part. Â I just wish it tasted better.
Charro, you're aces in my book
Although connected to a hotel, the bar swells with locals while the 3 dining rooms vary with families, out of towners and locals alike.
The vibe is cool but the large fireplace in the bar keeps things hot as you settle in the nook, at a table or bellied up. Speaking of the bar, on our visits during lunch, Sunday football and late night always found a packed house. The beer is flowing and everyone is having a great time.
The service, regardless of who's been keeping an eye on us, has been great. The beers cold and the food, well, the food was ok. The nachos are popular but not great. The chicken tenders were good but the fried was supper hard. I did enjoy the chili cheese fries.
Head over for drinks with your friends and enjoy Del Charro, cuchi-cuchi (yes I'm aware that's Charo, not Charro)!
This place is awesome after a long drive to Santa Fe and you're looking for a just-before-midnight-snack. Â Although, the kitchen closes at midnight apparently, so don't try to snack after the witching hour.
My wife's a bit of a tequila snob, (as am I) and generally likes to upgrade her margaritas to a bit better tequlia. Â Me, on the other hand, I read the Yelp reviews that stated their house marg is quite the tasty treat. Â So, I went house marg, ($6 for a martini shaker half full of sweet, delicious margarita nectar?) she went something double the price of the house marg, and well...mine was better. Â :) Â (we're pretty sure they left out the Grand Marnier or Cointreau from hers though...it was strong with NO sweetness or orange accent)
We also got a cheese quesadilla and she got the nachos. Â Nachos were solid according to her. Â They didn't make the classic Nacho mistake of having all the topping on the top, but nothing on the chips at the bottom. Â The quesadilla was quite good, and thick of gooey cheese! Â The jalapenos fresh with some kick. Â Prices were pretty cheap as well, which only added onto the joy of this newfound location.
Overall, the place has a bit of a rustic feel, a younger crowd later on the weekends, an ecclectic choice of music, and is a tad bit loud. Â Service is solid, albeit slightly rushed-which is understandable when you have only a few people working an entire room of raging alcoholics.
Great atmosphere, prompt and professional service, delicious food. Â That would be the quick version.
The long version? Â This is a great place to linger fireside on a cool day and enjoy a nice chicken, corn and green chili chowder.
That wasn't very long was it. Â Feel free to add filler if you like.
$6 dolla margaritas - gotta love 'em. Del Charro also has $5 daily specials, which is awesome as Santa Fe can sometimes be difficult to find a good bargain in. The $5 blue corn enchiladas are good, as is the burger, and of course, the house margaritas are fantastic. The limes are soaked in tequila - so be sure to squeeze.
Service on the patio can be sketchy, but inside it's pretty good. I try to get the pimp daddy area in front of the fireplace.
Did I mention the margaritas?
What a lovely way to pass an evening- margaritas and nachos (we finished one plate and ordered up another, they were that delicious!)
Sit at the bar, a high top table or a little 4 top in the saloon area or go back through to the dining room- you'll have great service and happy faces to look at. The servers have great attitudes and are on point- waters, drinks, clearing plates- they were on hand yet not in the way.
The bartender knows how to make tasty drinks even tastier- and my marg on the rocks w/salt came with the shaker for do-it-yourself refills at the table & at my leisure. Â
Overall it was the right fit for a night out to enjoy apps and sips with my friends. Highly recommended.
Get a margarita, get a stuffed poblano and enjoy the smells.
The best stuffed poblanos I've ever had.
Service is kinda crappy. At least it was the last time I was there about a year ago and not a fan of the apathetic jeans-clad staff.
The atmosphere is wonderful though and the drinks made strong.
I recently stayed at the Inn Of the Govs. and this is an establishment
attatched to the hotel. I must say that yes the menu is small,, but it was a great place to hang out with the locals. OK yes the margs are from a mix,,, but they crown limes every day and soak them in tequila.
(which are placed in margarita )
WOW I loved them,, food was always good and fresh. I will be back and stay at the hotel and will vist you often. Service can be spotty but who is not ?? Many locals gave us advice on other great places..
This is a great place for people watching in a town that seems to shut down early, at least in the downtown area.
I didn't try the food, but the beer prices seemed fair enough. Â The margarita was a good deal in terms of price and quantity, though quality left just a bit to be desired. Â
The real joy here is watching the people. Â In a town that prides itself on being just a little too expensive and classy, I saw not just one call girl--there were two. Â They even shared an awkward greeting. Â The first came in wearing a neon orange dress that seemed to be made of fringe with a guy that was at least 40 years her senior. Â The two of them barely talked and when it did it was awkward.
The second came in wearing a low cut top, found two guys sitting solo at the bar, then wedged herself between them by saying "I'm just going to be here for a few minutes--I'm waiting on a friend." Â Half an hour later she left with one of the guys. Â She was at least 40 and this kid looked to be in college. Â On her way out she noticed Orange Fringe Chick and stopped and chatted for a minute.
There were all elements in this place--tourists, locals, old and young. Â If you're in town and just looking to sit around and see what's going on, you could do a lot worse.
For $6 you get a margarita served in a martini shaker. And these things are good. So good I had far too many and don't really remember much about the place, except how good those margaritas were.
* Okay I also remember that the service was great and friendly and that the big chairs around the fireplace were really cozy.
Del Charro is on my don't miss list whenever I visit Santa Fe.
It's got a great, cozy interior patio (it's walled in) which has a nice fireplace for chilly nights. The service can take a little while if the place is busy (which it almost always is) but it's a great place to go with a group of friends for cheap, consistent food and drinks.
If you go on a busy night, be prepared to do some serious table jockeying... waiting for someone to leave and pouncing as quickly as possible on the vacated table.. Other patrons are usually gracious in giving up unused chairs at other tables.
Most food items are around $5 and everything is generously portioned-- on one visit two orders of veggie nachos was enough for five adults to nosh on comfortably. Nothing I've had on the menu has been "Oh-my-goodness-I-must-eat-that-every-time-I'm-Âhere" good but I would order everything again. They also serve food until midnight, which is pretty uncommon for the area. I eat late, so it's a welcome alternative to fast food.
The margaritas are great and come in a martini shaker, so for $6, you get a martini-and-a-half... Much cheaper than other places in the area. They only have three beers on tap, Harp, Guinness and Blue Moon, so if you're looking for something local or exotic, this isn't your place. If you're looking for an inexpensive lunch or a place to catch up with friends over drinks, you've found it.
Now this is, in fact, what I am talking about when it comes to bars. Huge and kind of crowded, Del Charro nonetheless has a relaxed and fun vibe, incredibly cheap beer and even cheaper but still solid bar food. Basically, everything here is pleasantly adequate, but if you want to drink an entire shaker of margaritas for five bucks, Del Charro is definitely worth surrounding yourself with St. John's students for.
Also it goes on the Law & Order Sightings Map. I saw a director having drinks with two ex-roommates for reasons I cannot even begin to fathom.