Sirphey in the Canyon — Restaurant in Los Alamos

My wife and I visited Sirphey in the Canyon at Bandelier National Monument in late March 2025 after having spent the day hiking ~8 miles all around the area. This. Place. Delivers!

We did not have high expectations, being in a park with limited access, but hoo-boy were we happily surprised.

We tried many things, and here is the rundown:

1. We had their Basque cheesecake. Ridiculously good, and we should have saved it to have with the sipping chocolate!
2. The homemade pistachio (not walnut!) baklava was excellent.
3. The Doug burger was excellent, and I did not except an entire chile relleno to one top. I had it with the elk meat, and strongly recommend doing so as well. The green had just enough heat on it to be noticeable. The side salad was also unexpectedly excellent, with a delightful vinaigrette that balanced the burger quite well. A nicely buttered & toasted bun was a good touch.
4. My wife had the chile rellenos and the samosas, both were right on the money. I would have preferred a slightly less-thick breading, but she was all about it, and the leftovers did not last long.
5. The iced chai was an excellent quencher after a hot day, and we could have drank ton of it.
6. The sipping chocolate was to die for. So thick, dark, and absolutely delicious, we have never had anything like it before. It was so good that we bought the take-home version!

We had low hopes in the bottom of the canyon, and were absolutely blown away by the quality of the food here. I would give a slight ding on the pricing (expected these days), and maybe gone lighter on the breading. Order whatever you like, sit outside, and enjoy...

Sirphey in the Canyon was one of the highlights of our day—delicious food, incredible service, and a peaceful outdoor setting to enjoy it all. PJ took our order and went above and beyond to take care of us. He gave us thoughtful recommendations, was warm and polite, and even brought our food out to the patio where we were sitting. It felt more like dining with a friend than grabbing a casual bite.

Thanks to PJ’s suggestions, we sampled a variety of things as a family, and everything was incredible. The mango smoothie was fresh and flavorful, the drinking chocolate was rich and decadent, and the cheesecake he recommended? Absolutely next level. Every bite felt like something special.

If you’re visiting Bandelier or just in the area, do not miss this place. The food is top-notch, the service is unforgettable, and the atmosphere is just right for relaxing after a hike or sightseeing. Huge thanks to PJ for making our visit...

Do not - I repeat - do NOT order the elk here. I should have read the other reviews first. It was burnt, dry, and honestly I’ve had frozen patties that have been made better in an air fryer. The man running the place wasn’t friendly at all and took issue when we asked if he had any other salad dressing aside from vinaigrette. We ended up with Cesar but it was pretty plain. My mom ordered chicken strips and they weren’t super breaded - I had one and I’m also pretty certain they were also frozen. The food took a long time for it only being us and a family who already had food in the restaurant. I’m glad Bandelier has some food option in-house, but this place needs work. It made me not want to try their LA location - but I’ve also heard a lot of not great things about that place as well,...