Mateos Santa Fe Cafe

Great, friendly service and food was great too. They use blue corn tortillas in a lot of dishes, which was an interesting and tasty variation. Carnitas enchiladas are delish, and they come with a corn pudding which is awesome. Didn’t get a chance to try the bar beverages, but happy hour looks like it would be a good bet.

After hearing the reviews of their margaritas, I decided to try them out for myself. I wasn’t immediately impressed with the place when I first walked in – it was a little dinghy and didn’t feel very welcoming at all. I still felt like I would give it a reasonable shot.
Upon sitting down, I looked over a menu that was not particularly impressive. I decided to order the guacamole, along with a margarita. The guacamole immediately came out, along with a promise that my drink would be right out.
Ten minutes later, no drink. I asked if the drink was still coming and got an affirmative answer. After a few more minutes, I asked again and this time got no response — my server just walked away. I heard my server nonchalantly ask someone to get me a margarita. Hearing this, I realized that my order had never been put in.
My food got to my table faster than a drink order. Nice try, Mateo’s. Better luck next time (if there is one).

Me and my husband were so hungry and decided to try this place for the first time. We ordered the carne asada. We paid $ 30+ for two plates (quite pricey). We took it to go and when we got home and opened up the containers, we immediately knew we were not going to like it.
Only a few pieces of shredded meat was given, a tiny bit of guac, and the taste was pretty bland. We were so disappointed and we will definitely never go back again.

Growing up in California and around a ton of authentic Mexican restaurants in Hampton Roads, I was pretty excited about trying a new Mexican restaurant in The District area. Then the disappointment hit… this wasn’t a «Mexican restaurant». More like New Mexico! I was not impressed with our 20 minute wait to get a table when there were only about 4 or 5 parties in the entire joint. There was 10 of us, but still, I just knew this was going to be a bad experience.
When we sat down, I made mention that I was ready for some Mexican food. The waiter said «you are not going to get that here… you are going to get better»! This cocky dude had me even more nervous about trying this food. So I was dead set on drinking water and having some chips and dip. I asked for some chili con queso. When that came out… ummm…it was BETTER than a Mexican restaurant! If just some cheese was that good, I decided to open up and try more.
Still a little leary, I ordered the burrito grande. I got a HUGE burrito that was so good, I almost got started crying! In fact, everyone at the table was impressed with this place. Someone at the table ordered some corn pudding, but couldn’t get to it because they were so stuffed. I said I would try it. Let’s just say that if I had the money, I would have had them make a whole pot of that savory goodness!
Now, every time I visit Woodridge, it will be a MUST that we stop by Mateos. The only reason it gets 4 stars is because of the initial wait. 15 minutes to be seated is a little long, even with 10 folks, in a non-​packed restaurant. Other than that, it is a must to visit and experience the taste of New Mexico!!!

I am from northern New Mexico and this restaurant could easily do well on the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe. I’m so excited to finally have true New Mexican food on the East Coast.
I believe that their green and red chile has been tamed down a bit since they opened, probably to appease the locals. I love how I can order Christmas (red and green chile together) and they know exactly what I mean. They have great drink specials as well and some other plates for someone who does not want a native New Mexican dish. I highly recommend Mateo’s!

I went in tonight because I had a coupon and they had totally different menus from the previous visit. Unfortunately I was really straining to find something to order on the new menu as somehow they managed to add stuff I didn’t like such as corn pudding, to each new dish. So though the food I finally ordered tasted good I won’t be back as the menu is, for me, just to limited. But they claim they are going to change the menu again though it will take another coupon to get me back again though they do have a coupon for Sunday brunch. The brunch menu is not on-​line. It is a combination of dishes or a buffet. The description of the buffet sounds good, I guess I will go there and try that. Of the brunch items, not on the buffet, the only things that sounded good was the eggs Benedict.
Unfortunately I returned for Sunday brunch. The buffet was VERY poorly stocked. All they had to go on their waffles was corn syrup. No ham for the omelet. They supposedly also had a brunch menu but it was discontinued. Seems to be a place in transition. They can transition without me.

This is my favorite restaurant. Its a little gem hidden away. My boyfriend and I lovvvvve Mateos. I’m not sure what other reviewers are complaining about because the food is amazing and the service is consistently great! Maybe not as fancy as some restaurants down town but i’m also not pretentious.
Order the shrimp ceviche tostadas, you won’t be disappointed. Shrimp items taste FRESH (not frozen and over salted like some big name Mexican chains I know of that starts with Uncle and ends with Julio’s.) You can tell that the food is well cared for and artfully put together. My boyfriend gets burritos smothered in green chiles and loves those. I haven’t ordered anything less than 5 stars in my opinion.
Fresh food and great quality meat and seafoods. Did I mention huge portion sizes and great prices? Also the sangria is wonderful. This place rocks I look forward to my next visit.

1. Not real NM Hatch red chili
2. Sopaipillas tasted like the oil was 2 months old
3. Nothing «NM» about this place, other than the 65 Kokopelli’s splattered around the restaurant. Trying too hard, Mateo’s!
If you are familiar with and love real NM cuisine then don’t come here. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. However, if you think you know what NM cuisine is simply because you’ve eaten at this place or Little Anita’s in the DC area, then you probably like this place and my review won’t help you.
My husband is from NM, so we know what’s good and what’s not. When we found this place on line we drove the 30 miles from DC just to try it, hoping that it would be a taste of home. Waste of a trip! I want my gas money back.
People, the red chili isn’t even red chili! It’s this gross cross between salsa/​ketchup and doesn’t have an ounce of heat or actually taste like red chili. I realize you can’t serve the hot stuff to the masses, but you’ve got to serve something that resembles authentic Hatch red chili if you’re going to call yourself a NM restaurant. This was so disappointing.
I can’t recall a time in my life when I didn’t eat my meal at a restaurant because it tasted bad. I didn’t eat my meal here. That’s saying a lot, because I love to eat. I’ve never turned my back on a sopaipilla either, and neither my husband or I ate them.
Finally, I’m always suspicious of people who Unilocal about meals making them sick after they left the restaurant and often wonder if it’s just a way to badmouth the establishment. I’m no longer suspicious because what little I did eat here made me sick on the way home. I was shocked.
Save your money and eat at home! At least there you won’t be disappointed.

Considering we just moved here from west Texas (practically New Mexico!), we know the flavor to expect. Typical NM cuisine has a ton of chiles, whether it’s whole, diced, or in a sauce — this place tones it down just a smidge (which I prefer anyway). This place is spot on! The chips were great, the queso fundido was AMAZING, and the rest of our food was awesome! I ordered the shredded beef tacos and my husband had the carne asada. We both hardly talked during the meal because we couldn’t stop eating! Our server was very attentive and had great recommendations and suggestions.
Bottom line: this place rocks! The queso alone could warrant a 5-​star review! We are looking forward to trying their Sunday brunch.

My family has been eating at Mateo’s for nearly ten years. Moving to Montclair, it was a welcome find. Tasty, unique food from a place that is not a chain restaurant. Not only is it not a chain restaurant, but the «new mexico» style is really good and a little outside the norm. I’m sure we’ve eaten here fifty times.
I think its fair to say that the restaurant has had ups and downs. I’ve had nights where the service wasn’t great. There was a period where I thought the food wasn’t as good as it has been, though I’ve never had a «bad» meal. So I’m not discounting any bad reviews on Unilocal.I will say that overall the good experiences have outweighed any negatives. I will also say that in the past two years since they put their new menu in place I think the food has been outstanding and we’ve had some fantastic meals there.
All of the enchiladas are good especially with their red sauce. The chile relleno and enchilada especial are good. My personal favorite dish is a shrimp and chorizo burrito which is delicious. My kids all love the chicken tacos and a side of rice. If you don’t care for certain side dishes, the staff are always very willing to substitute. They also have a delicious margarita menu.
They’ve made a cozy little restaurant in what’s otherwise kind of a drab shopping center. Its good for a quick lunch or a special dinner. We’ve also gone there just for chips/​salsa and drinks. The majority of the wait staff we’ve had are super friendly and attentive.
Lastly, I’ll just add that the chef/​owner seems to always be there. He’s always checking in at tables, talking to his guests. For me personally, that’s a great touch. I love to be able to support a local restaurant and appreciate his hands on approach.
The spicy style of food might not be for everyone, but if you’re a little adventurous and looking for something off the beaten path give Mateo’s a shot!