Restaurant: The Shed Restaurant
Location: 113 1/2 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-9030
Date: March 28, 2023
Cuisine: Tex Mex – sorta
Rating: overrated
The Shed, a dining institution since 1953 is located on Palace Avenue just east of the plaza. Look for the small, vividly colored wooden sign that marks the entrance. The restaurant occupies nine quiet rooms behind Prince Patio, a sunny brick and flagstone courtyard shaded by trumpet vines and adorned with roses in the summer. Customers can downshift a couple of centuries and have one of the more satisfying experiences Santa Fe has to offer.
They offer locals and visitors alike (according to their site) a time tested taste of the best that Northern New Mexico has to offer both in cuisine and hospitality. We are a family owned and operated business now under the management of the 3rd generation of Carswells. Visitors and locals returning to Santa Fe don’t feel like they have arrived in Santa Fe until they have tasted the Shed chile once again.
The menu.
Definitely a charming interior.
The lunch menu.
Cappuccino.
Shed Corn Chowder. Chicken, green chile, carrots, milk & spices, topped with blue corn tortilla strips & parsley.
Shed Sliders. Two red chile pulled pork sliders served on toasted buns, topped with fresh cabbage slaw & salsa de aguacate. Served with fresh local pickles from Barrio Brinery.
Kid’s cheese quesadilla.
Huevos Rancheros. Two eggs any-style, served with blue corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, red or green chile and a side of beans, garnished with lettuce. Sauces were on the side. My mom did not like this at all — maybe because it wasn’t what she expected.
More Huevos Rancheros, but stripped down to be totally vegetarian.
Carne Adovada Plate. Tender, slow-roasted lean pork, marinated in a blend of red chile, garlic and oregano, served with a blue corn, red chile, cheddar cheese & onion enchilada, a side of beans and posole, and garnished with lettuce & tomato. The enchilada was very good. The meat was fine, although better with some queso on top. The posole was kinda interesting, although needed some green chile sauce to spice it up.
another Carne Adovada Plate, this time also with beans.
Queso. A blend of our famous green chile and house cheeses. I used this tiny tiny side to liven up the other dishes.
Overall, I thought the Shed very overrated. It was super crowded with 1-2 hour lines most of the time. No reservations. We got in by going at opening (11am) on Tuesday and didn’t have to wait. But while it was decent American Mexican, it was nothing special.