Tecolote Cafe had a really interesting menu. It is primarily a breakfast and lunch place. It is without a doubt a New Mexico joint with heavy influence from the typical New Mexican cuisine and it is definitely a Santa Fe joint because of the artistic flair that the locals really appreciate.
The menu itself was really interesting and you just want to try out all of the exotic sounding things. I was there for breakfast and went for the ginger pancakes. My exotic selection was the jalapeno bacon and some coffee to wash it down.
When the food arrived I was surprised by the smell. The ginger pancakes were predictable because they smelled more or less like a gingerbread cookie but, the jalapeno bacon was really something. I should have asked how they really do it but, it smelled like the thick-cut bacon was smoked with maybe cedar and jalapeno. The bacon was spicy so, they must have grilled the bacon with jalapeno peppers though they didn’t serve any peppers with it.
The pancakes were definitely good. It was a clever idea that I never would have thought of it but, it was really tasty. I ordered two pancakes but, one would have been plenty. It came with some thinly sliced pear slices on top and a wedge of lemon on the side. I didn't quite understand the lemon but, whatever. I'm sure that I'm missing a point here somehow.
I have not had a bad cup of coffee in Santa Fe and this time was no exception. I don't think that you could get away with serving the junk a regular diner could elsewhere... and they kept it coming like a good diner should.
Tecolote was a diner but, definitely not a dive. The decor is like someone's home. It looks like mom decorated with bright cheery white walls with lemon yellow trim and frilly window treatments. There was a whole wall covered with eight framed needlepoint unicorns. Another one had rainbow needlepoint, I think.
Like so many triple-d places, it is really for the locals and is very family friendly. Most of the people that came in seemed to know most of the people that worked there.
Service was good. No real complaints but, I wasn’t blown away with great service either.
Overall, I would give it a 9.0. They get points for a really creative menu and a really pretty good meal execution. The atmosphere didn’t have quite the flair that you would expect from a triple-D restaurant.
I was interesting that there was almost no mention of their appearance on the Food Network except for the little logo on the menu posted outside.
Tecoloto Cafe
1203 Cerrillos Road
Santa Fe, NM
(505) 988-1362tecolotocafe.com
