Second Street Brewery ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Latest visit: May 2023

First visit: Sep 2013

And finally we have arrived to our beloved Santa Fe for a full week of work and play. That is - Mr. RJG works and Mrs. RJG plays. Especially this week as it turned out to be hellacious. I really need to retire... But it's still a holiday night and I was optimistic for a slower week that went unfulfilled. This time we stayed at the Hyatt Place, a hotel we inexplicable missed in the past. Last year we rented a casita through Airbnb. Mrs. RJG had some issues with it, and so rather than chance another place, we stuck with a hotel chain. The Doubletree and Courtyard were too expensive, but the Hyatt Place was reasonable. And it proved to be our favorite place to date (though we both missed the balcony that you get at the Doubletree). I had a separate work area, which ended up being quite fortuitous.

We decided to repeat exactly what we did last year, and start our Santa Fe dining week at Second Street. And, yes, back at the Rufina location. Parking is a nightmare, and we suggest that you look for street parking first, rather than try to squeeze in the lot with no outlets in case it's full. We started with the chips, and they were just as good as last year (and the habanero still doesn't taste like a habanero...). As for dinner, I went back to the Cuban which was also as good as I wrote about last year. And Mrs. RJG had the Fish and Chips. She asked for the half order and got the full. Ugh! So we struggled to finish it all, though the yummy beers made the experience more pleasurable. As if we needed more reminders that inflation is killing us, the restaurant was much emptier than last year. Sad to see really. It's not the quality, it's definitely the high prices that are keeping people away. For the RJG, Second Street remains one of the foundations of any good trip.  

--- 4/10/22 update

We're back in our favorite eating state of New Mexico! Not since 2016 have we spent a full week here - working remotely and dining out. Since 2017, we've only stopped by for a weekend or one night, except in 2020 when the governor completely shut the state down unnecessarily for the remainder of the year (while we had much more freedom in Colorado).

For our first night, knowing full well we have a week of New Mexican food ahead of us, we went back to one of our favorite brewpubs. Ah, but there's a twist. We arrived on their final night in their original location on Second Street. Looks like there was a rent dispute, and so Second Street will carry on with their other 2 locations. So this marks our first try at their Rufina locale, which is actually closer to where we're staying anyway. Even more spacious than the original, Second Street was bustling on this Saturday late afternoon.

We started with the chips, homemade fried tortillas essentially and worth the $4 by themselves. We had 2 salsas ($3 each): A green tomatillo and a red habanero. The former mixes in avocado for a creamy consistency. We both thought it was OK. And the habanero definitely had a kick but it didn't have the fruitish flavor associated. Having remembered that Fish and Chips were the big hit, Mrs. RJG and I decided to split 2 meals: A half order of the Fish and Chips (2 large pieces of fish) and a Cuban sandwich. The fried cod is indeed very good, crispy and fluffy, and the fries are traditional. The big winner is the Cuban, which packed an immediate delicious flavor. High end deli Black Forest ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, chipotle mayo, mustard, butter, and pickles. All pressed crispy on fresh bread. Perfect brewpub food! We had 4 beers, all excellent as well. All in all, perhaps our best experience at Second Street, so we're very glad to have tried this other location.

---original 9/20/15 review

On our first visit back in 2013, Mrs. RJG and I just stopped by to try one of their handcrafted beers before dining elsewhere. While there, we noticed they had a special on green chile chicken noodle soup. I can honestly say it was the best chicken noodle soup we've ever had! And very spicy! It's too bad it's not a menu item. They offer a similar green chile chicken stew, but it's a bit different (still very good though). In any case, we vowed to come back for a full meal on our next visit to Santa Fe (we were wrapping up our trip at that point). In 2014, we decided to have a mid-week lunch here. I tried their grinder, which was outstanding. And I want to say they had the chicken noodle soup again, which I had along with the sandwich. Their version of the classic grinder, is very much like an "Italian sub" or "hero". I remember loving the bread and the seasonings, and of course you can't go wrong with mortadella and capicola. And the homemade potato chips were excellent as well. So it was with much anticipation that we returned for our final meal in Santa Fe for 2015. This time we ventured for dinner. It occurred to me that we had yet to try their New Mexican food, beyond the soup. So along with the green chile stew (as mentioned above), I tried their New Mexican Style enchiladas. Ummm.... yea, this isn't Casa Chimayo or La Choza that's for sure. They were OK, and the red/green chiles were decent recipes, but to be brutally honest, this isn't Second Street's forte. I suspect they have it on the menu out of obligation more than passion. I think pub fare is where their heart is. The whole black beans were good, but the rice was a BIG MISS. They weren't cooked - like waaaay undercooked. Crunchy and down right annoying as I kept eating it by accident since it was sprinkled into my chile sauce. We were fortunate (or unfortunate depending on one's perspective) to be seated at a table next to the kitchen. And the wife and I noticed that about 75% of the dishes coming out of the kitchen were Fish and Chips. Big blobs of brown food. And we were salivating just looking at it. I'm sure each meal comes with a co-pay card to the nearest clinic, but you only live once, and you might as well go down happy. Mrs. RJG for her part, was wise and stuck more to traditional brewpub offerings. She had the Patty Melt made with buffalo meat. She let me have a couple of bites, and I have to say it was absolutely delicious. And the fries were great as expected. This is exactly what Second Street is good at. I really love this place, so now I know better on what to get. Rule: Avoid New Mexican food at Second Street. Get Pub food instead.

I'm sure they have other things to drink, but unless you are alcohol intolerant or the designated driver, one really should sample their crafted beers. I've tried about 8 each now, and every one of them was delicious. Click the link above for the ones Mr. RJG had to date.

9/19/13; 9/12/14; 9/20/15 (new entry); 6/25/18; 4/10/22; 6/5/23