Pantry Rio — Restaurant in Santa Fe

I had the displeasure of visiting the Pantry Rio with company from out of state who had dogs. While the host was initially welcoming, there was not much seating, and we were seated first inside. Shortly after being seated inside, another guest (without permission) attempted to pet my friend's dog and scared it into barking. We were then impolitely chastised by the manager (we neither chose to be seated inside nor invited the other guest to pet said dog) and asked to wait outside after ordering for another 20 minutes before being reseated and repeating our order. The manager glared at us the rest of the evening, and while our food was decent, I couldn't forgive the manners of an allegedly professional manager. I'd decline eating at this establishment in the future and wholeheartedly recommend the same to anyone else until better management is established.

UPDATE: In response to the business reply, I'd recommend re-training. If safety and a professional and caring environment are truly your concern, then stand by your claims. Did he have any reason or right to glare and sneer at my parents and make them uncomfortable? Did he have to make it a point to walk outside to stare at our patio when he could've seen to his attitude in the moment- maybe taken a breather and assessed the situation better? Talk is easy. If your apology is true, then live up to your words. Until then, I will stand by...

Great experience on our first visit to this Pantry location for late breakfast/lunch just off the plaza. The OG Pantry location is an old go to when we’re in Santa Fe craving that NM diner experience. I had the Huevos and my dining partner had the vegetarian nopales quesadilla.

Huevos were stellar - just a perfect execution of the simple dish in the classic New Mexican style. Tender and flavorful whole frijoles, crispy and fluffy potatoes - not too greasy, and perfectly cooked OE eggs on a bed of chile saturated corn tortillas, topped with a sprinkling of cheese. It can be easy to overdo any one component and have it become a rich sloppy mess, but everything was just right here.

I’m a Xmas boy anyway, but tis the season, so that’s what I went with. The green was nice, but the red is what really shines. Robust, earthy chile flavor, with just enough spicy kick to be tolerable to all but the most heat averse tourists.

The nopales quesadilla was also great. Nopales were tender and not overly vinegary or tough as they can be sometimes. Salsa was tasty- a bit smoky, and not very spicy. No complaints on the guac either, but not a stand out. I felt the quesadilla could be less stuffed with cheese and fillings to make a better proportioned dish, however, heavy cheese and filling lovers...

Category: Diner. This downtown outpost of the original Pantry, a Santa Fe breakfast institution, is a great place for your morning meal, especially if the weather is nice. The festive corner outdoor patio with tables, chairs, and umbrellas of many colors are great for people watching, both inside and outside the restaurant’s tree-lined fence. The covered outdoor bar looks like a fun place to hang out later in the day, but we have not yet tried it. If the weather is unfriendly, the restaurant’s spacious interior offers a six-seat wall-facing bar and plenty of well-spaced tables, old hardwood floors, and original artwork on the walls. As for the food, we have enjoyed breakfast here many times. The breakfast menu offers a wide range of both traditional American and New Mexican. For lunch, I like the BLT with avo, but our lunch experience is limited. But the real reason I now like to come here for lunch is that I just discovered the homemade potato chips, which are thin, golden, and crunchy, just as they should be. If you read my reviews, you know I will go anywhere for good homemade potato chips and that such chips alone will bring me back, as these chips will. YouTube’s...