Ore House On The Plaza

Not great… below ok in my book
Price (you get what you pay for): C+
Service: C+
Food: C
Location: A
Clientele /​Ambiance: C–

We stopped here — it is no longer on the Plaza but on San Francisco St. –our first afternoon in town. We sat on the patio, which was very narrow and a little bit overwhelmed by a party of five or six people who were fairly loud and who had two large dogs with them. The dogs were behaving better than the people were but both of the waitresses stopped to pet the dogs as they walked by so that put us off a little (as for their cleanliness with our food). We just had drinks and chips and salsa for a snack — they were just average.

This restaurant moved two blocks away and is now called The Ore House at Milagro with a completely different menu. The new restaurant at the old location is called Balconies.

Good food
Had hamburgers, chili, salad, grilled shrimp.
Good service and even better food.
We ate here twice and each time the food was excellent.

Great house margarita!

One of two patios overlooking the plaza. That is the best reason to come and a great reason! Can’t just order drinks — to get patio table, you must commit to lunch. We ordered two appetizers, husband had two margs, i had lemonade. Guacamole and chips are fantastic. Margs must have been good! Quesadillas were ok. This is not the place to come for fabulous food. It is basically a bar and grill. We enjoyed it. Great way to relax and watch plaza activity.

The food was really good. We sat on the patio in the afternoon and had the ‘cantina’ menu handed to us. We had enchiladas, chile relleno, and a ceaser salad. All were superb. The beer selection is limited and sucks, but there are lots of mixed drinks (especially margaritas) to choose from, and the margarita I had (some fancy name, hornitos based) was great. The service was mediocre — sat for over 5 minutes before some manager type came out and asked if we’d been served. After that, we got service every so often. Fairly pricey — the non «secret recipe» house margaritas start at $ 10.

We ate at the Ore House on the Plaza as soon as we got to Santa Fe. We were famished and chose the first place that looked decent. I had the Poblano Relleno, which I describe as a big jalapeño popper with shrimp and cheese inside. My bro-​in-​law and I really enjoyed the relleno and green rice combo, and it was the perfect size for lunch. I also tried the crab cake, which was also good with a southwest twist of adding peppers. I liked it but thought it was a little overpriced for one cake. Being really hungry, I also sampled my nieces’ hamburger which I couldn’t get enough of too, blame it on protein deficiency. All in all, the food was good. I liked their lunch portions and prices. The service was slow. Other reviewers called this place a tourist trap, but I admit that day I was a tourist and quite enjoyed their food.

Another example of not doing my research before going, reading the Unilocal reviews after and then realizing that I either a) dodged one serious bullet b) my palate is totally off or c) I just know how to order or d) the kitchen was having a good day. Not sure which but I have an inkling I’m not totally off base here…
We had just arrived in town and were starving. We walked around a while before settling on Ore House due to the fact that it was unseasonably warm and they just happened to have a patio with a good view of the plaza.
We started with the chips, salsa and guacamole. Fantastic, fresh and tasty.
For an entrée we shared the combination plate for two. The chicken enchiladas were pretty blah but the pork tacos and poblano relleno more than made up for it. Especially the poblano… shrimp and corn deep fried in a delicious pepper shell. YUM.
We had the slightly better margaritas and had no complaints.
Service was a little slow but I’ll give the guy a break since it seemed like he was working by himself.
Yes, it seems like the majority of recent reviews for Ore House is that this place preys on tourists and serves up substandard fare. Thankfully that was not our experience at all.

I’ve had some excellent food while visiting Santa Fe, largely due to the spot on guidance of Unilocalers… tonight, I ignored those Unilocal warnings and had by far the worst meal Ive had in Santa Fe.
I usually run screaming from tourist traps (like this one) but I was lazy, and they had tv’s with baseball on. The service was in a word… invasive. I realize I am dining alone, but that is not an open door for endless conversation, I just want to eat some good food and watch baseball… jeesh.
Had the «chilled greens salad» to start, which was a handful of mixed greens some cherry tomatoes (one of which looked suspect), couple strips of carrots, celery and some cucumber rounds. If your going to charge $ 6 for this salad… at least step up the presentation. For the main course: avacado and pecan crusted halibut with green chili rice. Eh… sounded good in theory, translated into crusted (and then fried?) way overdone fish, with no hint of avacado, though it did have a nice sweet sauce. The rice was not cooked fully. I mean c’mon. I mess up rice when I make it at home and it turns out hard, but a restaurant should have this nailed down. The green chili part was totally flavorless, and just made the already bad rice kind of gross. This lovely dish was a whopping $ 27, seriously?
Bottom line: don’t go here, its bad.

So it comes to pass that the wife and I are back in Santa Fe after just over a decade and we decide to do everything we used to do. Step one — margaritas at the Ore House bar. Outside on the patio overlooking the plaza. Mind you, we’ve done this in the past and know that it has become ‘the thing to do’ in Santa Fe. This time things are both the same and different.
The different part is the greeting. Upon climbing the stairs the seating girlie asks if we are there for lunch. I state that we want drinks and snacks. She says patio is for lunch only. Ok, now we’re having lunch. I know full well that the Mrs and I spend more on cocktails and snacks in one hour that some tourists do all day. Anyhow, I guess the tourist shuffle is to be expected.
The good is that the margaritas are still kick-​ass. I had the ‘Mamarita’ which has Herradura gold in it. Muy bueno! Also the Green Chile Stew was awesome.
The bad was the vast amounts of garlic in the guacamole and salsa. Damn! You can’t even taste the avocados over the garlic. I learned to make guac when I lived in NM and this wasn’t it.
Overall, a bit of a letdown but the the margaritas took care of any bad feelings.

Coasting on location and tourists.
I live in Santa Fe and it was years before I ate here because I suspected it was nothing more than a tourist trap. I tried it once — suspicions confirmed.
If all you want is a drink or two on the plaza, great, if you can get a balcony seat, which can be difficult when the Plaza is busy. If you want more than this, go somewhere else.

The horny toad was the best margarita I’ve had in a long time! Jeff is an awesome server, and John, the floor manager, made us feel right at home. Go on a beautiful day and enjoy the balcony from where you can see the plaza and enjoy people watching. 5 stars for sure.

We almost did not go to this place because of the mixed reviews. Had we decided not to eat dinner here I would have missed out on the best steak of my life. Red Chile Piñón Pesto Filet was so good it was almost a religious experience. The steak is spicy and amazing. My only suggestion is that the filet came with different sides. The Poblano Relleno was a great starter, along with the Green Chili Stew. I would not hesitate to eat there again, especially if I can have the steak.

The best steak I have ever had! It was almost a perfect meal. Hubby and I read reviews on Unilocal and were concerned about giving this place a try, but a friend recommended and our taxi driver. So, in we went! We started with the POBLANO RELLENO (Asadero Cheese, Bay Shrimp and Roasted Corn in a Poblano Pepper with Roasted Roma Tomato Sauce). This was knock our socks off good! We also had the Guacamole. It was good, but cannot compete with La Fogata in San Antonio. The charred tomato salsa was great AND the green chili stew.
Hubby ordered the #50 LINCOLN AVE Grilled Sirloin and with green and Velarde Red Chile, served with Cheese Enchilada and beans. The New Mexican sides were great and had they been paired with the steak I ordered (Red Chile Piñón Pesto Santa Filet, medium rare) it would have been the perfect meal and received that 5^th star. However, my meal was served with fru-​fru mashed potatoes instead of traditional New Mexican sides, so only 4 stars! My steak was a bit spicy, so should not be ordered by those who like mild salsa.

Yikes. I had read some reviews before I went and I’m not gonna lie, was a little skeptical, but someone in our group really wanted to go. So we went.
First off, I have to say… the service was great. Our waitress was adorable, so friendly and every time we asked for something, she brought it with a smile. Talk about a great service!
The 2 stars are based on the food. I started with a wedge salad. Lettuce was wilted and brown. Gross. Another guy in the group got the wedge salad as well and not only was his lettuce wilted, but the salad is supposed to come with bacon. It didn’t. HOWEVER, when he asked the waitress for more bacon, she literally brought him a whole plate (yay). Mother got their house salad, which was so strange. It had mango, carrots and this strange vinaigrette. Poor thing. She hates straying from the norm.
I got the chicken mole for dinner. The mole was delicious, the chicken was overcooked and to chewy. Most everyone else got a burger and said it was ok. Mom got the Prime Rib… and it came, WELL DONE! Who does that?
Entirely to overpriced and the inside décor is so overdone. The chairs are uncomfortable. My back was killing me afterwards.
Their outside patio looked pretty awesome and pretty bumpin. Lots of people, so I guess their bar is the place to be. Just not the food. Oh, they also have a little self serve nacho stand while you either wait for a table or sit at the bar.
It was ok. I think that if our waitress wasn’t as adorable as she was, Ore House would have gotten a 1 star.

Upon our arrival in Santa Fe, we were starving. After a quick check-​in at the hotel we headed out towards the square to see what we could find. After stopping by several places & reading their menu we stumbled upon Ore House. I liked what I saw on the menu so we headed in.
We were lucky (and early as we beat the lunch crowd) to score a table on the balcony. Although a bit hot I felt the need to sit outside after spending the morning in the car. The waiter approached our table quickly and took our drink order. He recommended the Mamarita with Patron Silver and Cointreau. I am usually not a margarita person but I found the mamarita very delicious without tasting too sugary.
We ordered the tres salsas & chips for a appetizer (yes they charge for that) and two out of the three were very good. The house salsa looked like a watery ketchup but I tried it. Better than it looked but not enough kick to it. The charred salsa and creamy avocado salsas were much better, they had a slight kick and the chips were very crispy and seasoned. I ordered the taco plate with one achiote chicken and one ancho pork taco. This plate came with pinto beans and rice. The bf ordered the french dip sandwich after the green chile au jus caught his eye. I was pretty skeptical of this as I considered the food at the Ore House more on the New Mexican side. Come on, if you went to a TexMex place here, would you order the french dip? Call me wrong on that one! The sandwich was served on a crispy french roll and the beef was sliced thin with melted cheese on it. The green chili au jus was to die for. It gave the sandwich so much character and had a great kick to it. Paired with sweet potato french fries, the sandwich was divine. The chicken taco was ok but on the bland side but the pork taco was fabulous-the-best-I’ve-ever-had. Perfectly seasoned, spiced and sauced the meat was tender and tasty.
The service upon arrival was fast & efficient but lagged towards the end due to the lunch crowd descending on the place at the same time. Personally, I really enjoyed my dining experience and if ever in Santa Fe, will probably eat there again (for lunch, I don’t think this place is really for dinner).

The patio seating was awesome… Great view of the Plaza.
The tortiila soup was good, except I got it when it was cold and at the same time that my entrée arrived.
My steak was undercooked… and the service was very slow…
2 stars because of the great view of the plaza.

Definite tourist trap with pushy person sitting outside. It wasn’t bad and it seemed like a pretty nice place. Food was not bad but nothing special. Taco was quite dry. Not bad for a lunch stop when you’re hungry and/​or don’t want to hunt when you’re around the plaza.

Couldn’t ask for a better location, and having the balcony dining was a nice plus.
We went there for lunch, and thought the food was mediocre. The salsa and guacamole looked mass produced. It was a slow day, service was attentive, but felt a bit too rushed at times (though I understand they want to be responsive to lunch patrons).
My chicken tacos were bland. Beans were pretty good though, but that’s like scoring the extra point after a touchdown, but not scoring the actual touchdown.
Vibe was touristy, my guess is that the locals don’t go here. Wish I had looked at Unilocal and not randomly wandered the plaza for a place to eat.