Chimayo Chili Red Tavern

For a town oozing with local flavor, this establishment takes top honor. Wilfred serves a steady stream of local take out business and the afternoon I was there, some nice cold Mexican beer and great conversation. The theme is a David Lynchian Havana paladare without the rice and beans.

Unilocal says 5 stars = «Woohoo! «As good as it gets!» and that is true for Chili Rojo Tavern… because, in Chimayo, this is *all* you get! And, it is GOOD. Well, good if you enjoy dive bars. And who in their right mind doesn’t?!
First off, you will probably be greeted by the owner tending his bar — Wilford Ortiz, an old Army vet with centuries-​old roots in New Mexico. Wilford grew up in the Chimayo area and after serving in the military at Ft Bliss in El Paso, he bought the bar (I think from his father) and has made it a local «institution.»
Be prepared — he will greet you with a big smile and what a smile it is! He is quite a charming chap, and I think when he was younger, he may have had a talent for opening bottles with his bare teeth! It’s a must-​see.
Hey — You’re traveling the backroads of NM… you’re staying in Santa Fe, drive north to hit lunch at the Chimayo restaurant with all the tourists… you owe it to yourself (and definitely to Wilford, who’s tryin’ to run a business in this sleepy little town!) to visit Chili Rojo Tavern. Just a little further north of the restaurant, and then west on 76. He might charge you $ 2.50 for a can of Bud Light, the wood floor may be sagging a foot into the crawlspace below, but it will be the best roadside bar you visited in Northern NM… because frankly, I couldn’t find any others. And, this is as «backroads» as it gets!
This place made memories for us, and they are good ones.
SALUD!