Coyote Cafe & Rooftop Cantina — Restaurant in Santa Fe

THIS IS THE MOST CURRENT REVIEW: For years, Coyote Cafe was our family’s go-to spot in Santa Fe. We have spent countless dollars and shared countless memories there. However, our last three visits have been a disaster and deeply disappointing. Service has plummeted: slow, inattentive and riddled with errors (such as, appetizers arriving at different times, forgotten items, incorrect drinks, and charges for items not ordered or not delivered, etc.).

We initially chose to address these issues directly with the manager, Robert, rather than immediately leaving a negative review. He was apologetic and offered a gift certificate as compensation. Unfortunately, we encountered difficulties when attempting to claim it (a huge hassle).

During our most recent visit, instead of Robert, we were subjected to the owner, Quinn. He was arrogant and condescending from the start. He was entirely misinformed of our past experiences and unaware of our long-standing loyalty to the restaurant. Ignorantly, he falsely accused us of writing a negative review (a blatant lie), completely disregarding our history of positive feedback. When we inquired about the previously offered gift certificate, he insinuated that we were seeking a free meal. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We simply expect a positive dining experience, including good food and attentive service.

Quinn’s disdain was apparent throughout the meal, making for an extremely uncomfortable dining experience. His unprofessionalism, culminating in his abrupt and rude dismissal, with the dismissive comment, “Guess we are done here,” effectively ended our meal on a sour note. As a result, we felt compelled to share our experiences.

While we appreciate Robert’s apologies and the renewed offer of a gift certificate, Quinn’s behavior has significantly eroded our trust in Coyote. We have no intention of returning.

We urge Coyote to seriously consider customers' reviews and address food and service issues to return to its previous high standards.

THE FOLLOWING IS A REVIEW FROM A YEAR AGO: Amazing dining experience! Our server, Kirsten was so knowledgeable and attentive. We had the venison carpaccio appetizer, which was heavenly. The mussels were just the right level of spice and the pork belly tacos were devoured quickly. The margarita is a must try. My only complaint is after spending a few hundred dollars on a meal. You have the audacity to charge a four dollar kitchen charge. Why don’t you pay your staff a decent wage in the first place instead of passing the buck along to...

Coyote Cafe was as exquisite as all the reviews and local hype portray it to be. I'm much more it a hole-in-the-wall type of gal but sometimes it's nice to have a higher-end dinner and I'm glad I chose Coyote for last week's treat.

My mother and I made reservations for 5:30 but were allowed to sit right as we arrived around 5:00. It was a Thursday night so I expected many more tables filled however there was only one other group. We began with a Margarita ($14.00) for me and a Hatch Green Chile Infused Margarita ($14.00) for my momma. My margarita wasn't my favorite, instead of a salt rim I got a salty foamy topping that tasted atop my drink that didn't quite deliver what a traditional salt taste does but it still tasted great, strong and mighty as they come. My mom's drink was probably the more unique one of the menu and it was fabulous! So different, like you could taste the green chile but it wasn't gross or weird, first the drink was salty, sweet then spicy. A truly unique experience!

No chips and salsa but we got delicious cornbread sticks with sweet cream butter that were to die for!

For dinner we both ordered the Tellicherry Peppered Elk Tenderloin (potato nest, black garlic mashed potatoes, smoked bacon, mushrooms, snap peas and white truffle, $46.00), which our server claims people come from far and wide to try. It was delectable! Also, beautifully presented. The potato nest was pretty dope, I'd never had anything like it and wasn't even sure if it was edible at first. The mashed potatoes were amazing! Buttery smooth and so well seasoned. The elk tenderloin was super tender, cooked medium and perfect and was so easy to eat. It was absolutely phenomenal. Not something I'd travel just to eat, but seriously if you're around town and looking for a nice, casual dinner this specific meal is an excellent pick!

I had heard fabulous things about their dessert, notably the Banana Cream Pie (caramelized bananas, meringue, Mexican vanilla ice cream, $13.00). It was great! More like a banana tart, the shortbread-like crust was so good. I would 1000% recommend.

I absolutely loved Coyote Cafe and will totally return next time I'm in...

Review based on a Cantina visit this evening.

Live in DC and here on vacation. Have over 20 years in the industry and work in restaurant software that's used in over 8,000 locations across the US.

I rarely write reviews, but this place was so incredibly underwhelming. Walked in at 7 for the Cantina, told wait was 15 minute max for our 4 top, took almost 45 minutes as we watched party after party that came I after us get sat. I believe a manager from the full restaurant was walking by us as we finally got sat, thanked us for our patience. At least being aware was alright, sending something over like chips and salsa would have been appreciated as by the time we sat, we were ravenous.

Server seemed indifferent as she took our order, we had to track her down twice during service for tableware and a water refill that she acknowledged but walked by us 4 times before filling.

Our food took a lot longer than other tables for enchiladas, tacos and 2 Cuban Sandwiches. After our wait for the seat, there was clearly no communication to the BOH to maybe move things along. Was a little disheartening to see tables sat after us wrapping up eating full meals while waiting for ours. Portions on the Cubans were immensely small, could not have been more than 3 oz of protien and the two thin slices inside had absolutely zero flavor. I had gotten a Torta for lunch at a different restaurant earlier in the day that was easily more than twice the size for half the price. Fries were decent and plenty were needed to fill the plate with the Fisher Price's My First Cuban on it.

All in all, dropped $120 after tip for close to two hours of uninspiring food from a shortened menu. The main restaurant's hostess straight up looking away as we thanked her on our walk out of the Cantina was just Chef's Kiss of the theme of Accommodation without being Taken Care of that Coyote Cafe offers.

There are dozens of better options within walking distance to spend your tourist dollars on. Go to...