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Rio Chama, Santa Fe, NM

Rio Chama

3.7
3.7
444 Reviews
$31 to $50
Steakhouse

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for live music
Rio Chama in Santa Fe, New Mexico is located not far from the Santa Fe Plaza, next to the state capitol. Since 2001, the restaurant has developed a reputation for simple, elegant dishes made with high-quality ingredients. You'll find a relaxing atmosphere offering a mix of intimate dining rooms, inviting patios and one of Santa Fe's most popular bars. It is a long standing Santa Fe institution, where Executive Chef Joel Hernandez features modern American cuisine serving the best prime rib, steaks and seafood. We serve the Edible Magazine 2023 People's Choice for best green chile cheeseburger. Excellent food, wine, and spirits with great hospitality and service make Rio Chama perfect for any occasion.

We take reservations for the dining room only. Our bar and Doug Montgomery @ The President’s room is first come first serve basis.


Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Steakhouse, American, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Happy Hour Mon, Thu, Fri 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Sat, Sun 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon, Thu–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (505) 955-0765
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

What 444 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.7
3.7 based on recent ratings
  • 3.9Food
  • 3.7Service
  • 4Ambience
  • 3.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • New Mexico

    Hot spot

  • Santa Fe / Mountains

    Good for groups

  • Santa Fe / Mountains

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Rio Chama offers a varied dining experience with standout dishes like "elk tenderloin with blue cheese bacon crust" and "delicious prime rib." Guests appreciate the "smooth sounds of Doug Montgomery" and the inviting atmosphere. While some reviews note service inconsistencies, others highlight "excellent service" and a "special dining experience."

444 Reviews
  1. Mike

    VIP

    Dallas

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Even though the restaurant wasn’t busy the service was very slow. My wife ordered elk which was good. The ribeye was not. They offered an upgrade on the steak with crusted blue cheese and bacon. It was just gobs of blue cheese and bacon just dumped on top. The cut of meat not good. The sides were not good

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  2. Mike

    New Mexico

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great time, great food. Quiet had a nice evening.

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  3. Ernesto

    Las Vegas

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on January 31, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Manager was very accommodating but server was not very responsive. We waited over 15 mins post being seated for water to be brought. Drinks from bar took another 15 minutes. As we waited manager had to go check on our food was brought out by another server We were atleast almost done with our food and server finally came to check on us. Manager came and asked us if we wanted desert. We had already finished and server came and asked I want desert we had to inform her we had already been served. I totally overtipped but it is what it is KUDOS TO CHEF! We enjoyed the sandwiches!!

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  4. Michael

    New Mexico

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had my anniversary dinner here and was not disappointed at all. The waiter was great and very attentive I believe his name was Cesar he greeted us promptly and had our dinner out in no time. The food was great the atmosphere was great the wife and I would definitely return in the future when we are in the area again.

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  5. Pietje

    New Orleans

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    We had a reservation at 7 pm, but the hostess said we'd be better off in the bar area. We didn't get menus for 15 minutes or so. Our food arrived an hour and a half after having sat down. There was no offering of bread or free dessert to make up for all the waiting. Waiters were friendly and apologized. However, if you pay full price for what is supposedly a nice sit down dinner but end up waiting and waiting due to staffing shortages, should there not be some kind of compensation for all the inconveniences? Management, do better.

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  6. Chino

    New Mexico

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    The parking lot is small and there are limited spaces to park. The inside is nice, decorated for Christmas and New years but it’s labeled identifying the different dining rooms, host station, bar, etc. We sat at the bar, where service was mid. The bartender wasn’t inviting felt like we were more of an inconvenience for sitting at her bar. The appetizer was eatable but nothing special, dessert was well presented and was delicious. To be fair, it was a busy night and it looked like they might’ve been under staffed but I won’t returning to this establishment. The squeeze isn’t worth the juice

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  7. Chris

    San Antonio

    8 reviews

    2.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Our reservation was at 6:45pm, did not leave until after 9pm due to extremely slow service. My wife got her plate last after everyone else was finished. She had to ask where her food was at one point. It also took 45 minutes to receive 3 bar drinks. Manager never came to apologize or offer any sort of remedy. Food was only ok for the price. We will never go back.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    Houston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our New Year’s Eve spent at Rio Chama was incredible!! From the smooth sounds of Doug Montgomery to the delicious prime rib, the evening was perfection. If you see any complaints concerning New Year’s Eve about the staff or Rio Chama in general, it was simply that they did not have reservations due to poor planning skills. Santa Fe is incredibly understaffed right now and Rio Chama did all they could, to serve who they could, while keeping the high standards they have had for years. Our waiter, Dan was incredibly impressive with the amount of people he had to serve. Our food was beyond delicious, and made even sweeter thanks to the sounds of Doug on his baby grand. Rio Chama is an incredible establishment and we are lucky to have such a delightful restaurant to patron. Highly suggest a visit, especially on a Doug night. I know we will be back!!

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  9. 9709033666

    New Mexico

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We were 2 people only.I didn’t appreciate the waiter hand (scribbling)adding a 20% gratuity without even telling us. Never told us or did we see anything regarding it. I’m not sure what I would have entered, but just to hand write (not even where a gratuity space might’ve been) was not right. Yes, they were short handed, but inappropriate. So… would I come back . Probably not. Baked potatoes had to be reheated. Cold. Bread…dry. Steak was good, but server when served gave my wife and I the incorrect temperature plates. Again, no big deal, but for $220 .. inappropriate. I grew up in the restaurant industry and this should not have happened.. Sorry

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  10. Mittida

    New York City

    24 reviews

    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on December 31, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great love music. Steak was good. Wedge salad was just ok. Great burger and very very good fried potatoes.

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FAQs

Rio Chama offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (505) 955-0765.

Rio Chama is rated 3.7 stars by 444 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Rio Chama

414 Old Santa Fe Trl, Santa Fe, NM 87501-2770

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Santa Fe
  • Hours of operation
    Happy Hour Mon, Thu, Fri 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Sat, Sun 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon, Thu–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Steakhouse, American, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access
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