Escondido

Ordered the mahi ceviche and esquites (corn) appetizers. Delish! But the crème de La crème was the Short Rib. Get the short rib!!Get the short rib!! Amazing!!!

For our 40th wedding anniversary, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner at this trendy new place, and we were not disappointed.Our reservation was for a patio table, and fortunately the patio is totally enclosed and heated in winter, so it was quite comfy, and we were just off the main dining space. The building has two large garage-type doors with glass panes, opening onto the L-shaped patio. We thought the building might have been a repurposed oil change place, but our excellent server, Fernando, informed us that the owner designed and built it that way on purpose. We started with margaritas - my wife had the Silver Coin, and I tried the mezcal-rita, which had a sugared orange peel like a tall sail and was quite tasty. Our appetizer was the Mexican street corn, served shaved in a bowl with butter, cheese, and lime. Just right for sharing, and delicious.Our mains were the half Cornish game hen for my wife, and the Chile en Nogada for me -- both quite good. I usually like the spicier dishes we enjoy here in northern New Mexico, but the blend of flavors was quite nice, and the portions were both generous enough that we brought food home.We did have to sample the flan for dessert, and it was excellent. The Mexico-brewed IPA that accompanied my entree showed signs that the brewery isn't quite ready for prime time yet, but it did have a rough, kind of home-brewed nature that belied its low IBU count of 55.Our only negative note is that the surfaces are all quite sound-reflective, and conversations often have to be semi-shouted to be understood, but we enjoyed ourselves immensely anyway.

This review is from September: Very happy with our first experience at Escondido Santa Fe. This was what I told my partner I wanted for my birthday and we both enjoyed everything it was exciting to go somewhere so new, we're not usually the type to do that. It was great to see so many different types of people. A few families, some on a date, some with friends. The ambience was very chill. Staff had good energy and handled things with grace.Definitely still working out table numbers and getting in the groove but props to the servers and folks that bus the tables, their calves are going to be ripped hustling up and down all the stairs. All that said! My partner had a red wine good enough to have 2 glasses... I had a margarita...good enough to have 2 glasses I started with their El Alebrije $18: Tapatio Añejo | Grand Marnier | Fresh Pineapple | Mango | Fresh Lime Orange Fiery Habanero TinctureChamoy Tajin Rim. My second margarita was a house which was also good but the El Alebrije was Food was enjoyable. I do wish I had requested my mole be reheated. I think there was some confusion on the table numbers and got the vibe that my food was a mixup, and it didn't make it to me in a timely manner, plus we were sitting on the patio. I know if I had asked I'm sure they would have obliged.All around great flavors. Nice choice for a little splurge meal.

Loved this place and plan to go back again soon. The food was delicious, the menu was interesting, I really can find no fault. Our server was very gracious. It's a pretty nice-casual restaurant, I can't wait to go back for dinner.

We decided to treat my in-laws to dinner at Escondido to show our appreciation for their help with the kiddos, especially since this place is billed as one of Santa Fe's upscale spots. The ambiance was on point - modern, bright, and sleek, which was a refreshing break from the Southwestern vibes you often find around town. My in-laws loved the stylish setting, and it felt like a nice touch for a special night out.TThe prices are definitely upscale for New Mexico, with dishes averaging around $25 to $30, drinks at $16 to $17, and appetizers on the pricier end too--even chips and salsa come with a charge. Two of us ordered the Chicken Mole Enchiladas, which had an incredible blend of flavors with achiote-braised chicken, mole negro, and chipotle crema, plus perfectly seasoned cilantro-lime rice and beans. The Chile en Nogada, "the dish that beat Bobby Flay," also impressed two of my party with its sweet-savory filling of ground pork, veal, golden raisins, and a luscious walnut cream sauce topped with pomegranate seeds. Here's where it fell short, though - everything came out lukewarm, which took away some of that initial "wow" factor. It looked beautiful, but by the time we started digging in, it was clear the dishes had been sitting a bit too long. The service was friendly but on the slow side, and it seemed like that's what led to the temperature issue.I'm still intrigued enough to give Escondido another shot - there's definitely potential here, and I'd love to see what other dishes might hit the mark with the right timing. Here's hoping next time, everything's served as hot as it looks.

The whole experience was great! From Carlos, our waiter, to the flan dessert at the end were awesome! The house marg was perfectly made!The chicken mole enchiladas were so yummy and the shrimp tacos had a lot of favor.We'll be back...

Extraordinary Menu-Delicious entrees x 8 at our table. Everyone raved and passed dishes around. Service was point-on without being pesty.The ambiance is casual, welcoming, and friendly. Decor appealed to everyone at our table. We will be back again and again. Don't miss it yourself!

We had an 8:45 pm reservation . Arrived at 8:50 pm. We were told we had to order ASAP because the kitchen was closing in 6 min. We had to order all drinks, appetizers, entrees and dessert all at once. Had we not paid for a $15 Uber we would have left. The food came out in about 2 minutes. How does a restaurant of this caliber make the food so fast? Also food was lukewarm as many others have said. A high-end restaurant shouldn't allow for a 8:45 pm reservation if they treat the experience like it's a fast food joint. Read reviews about service. A James Beard nominated restaurant should be better than 3.4 stars. When you spend $150 for dinner you shouldn't be rushed.

I really enjoy a good Mole sauce and when my wife told me that Escondido's had some Mole dishes we decided to make dinner reservations. I would first like to say that our service was very good. Our waiter, Moises, was attentive and helpful. I ordered the Mole Chicken Enchiladas and my wife looked forward to the Beef Short Ribs. I would say that both were only okay. She commented that the short ribs were not as flavorful as others we have had at other eateries and only ate half. My enchiladas were tasty but the Mole sauce was scant. It almost looked like the enchiladas had been only dipped in the sauce and was not the star of the dish. Other diners have posted glowing reviews about both dishes and perhaps our expectations exceeded our experience.

Was excited to try this place based on the reviews and all we heard about it. The experience was just disappointing. First sign that things weren't going our way was for drinks...out of any cranberry juice, so my wife settled for a Mexican sprite and Vodka. We have the ceviche trio...thought who could go wrong with shrimp, scallops, and mahi-mahi, we were wrong. Asked for no cilantro...although was packed with cilantro and the waitress just laughed it off stating, "oh I love cilantro!"I had the short rib, was under impressed. The rib was cooked ok, but did not enjoy the ancho glaze or the blue corn puree. Wife had the enchiladas mole. The mole was ok, but have had any better. Mole came with beans and rice. The beans had no salt or any seasoning and the rice again has cilantro.Overall, the restaurant was ok. Not worth the hype. Will not be returning.