Santa Fe Brooklyn (178 North Eighth St.) is a Southwestern restaurant in North Williamsburg that opened for dinner service at the end of April. Previously, Santa Fe had been serving up breakfast burritos and green chili cheeseburgers in a takeout only fashion for the past 8 months.
After successfully conquering the takeout scene, husband and wife team, Melissa Klein and John Watterberg, decided to open up the restaurant for sit down service.
The Green Chili Cheeseburgers, smothered in green chili sauce and cheese, that were so popular among the takeout lunch crowd are featured with fries on the dinner menu alongside several additional Southwestern options.
Highlights include Enchiladas and Smothered Burros with a variety of fillings and toppings, plus Hatch Chili Mac and Cheese, and two salads. Don’t miss the Chips and Salsa appetizer that includes larger-than-life tortilla chips and the choice of mild, medium, or spicy salsas. Klein recommends the Sopapillas with a drizzle of honey for dessert.
The drink menu starts off with “A Good Margarita” and includes a spicy version of the margarita and seven other cocktails. The takeout burritos and cheeseburgers are still available, too. Grab one breakfast burrito or a pack of six from 8 a.m. until they sell out, and try a cheeseburger or a pack of six from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The restaurant itself is well-appointed in Southwestern style right down to the patterned pillows at each table. Gorgeous photos of New Mexico’s landscape taken by Watterberg and Klein’s photographer friend are displayed throughout the restaurant.
The layout includes two rooms with a bar area in the first and tables in the second, plus a beautiful garden behind the restaurant, where outdoor seating will be available in the coming summer months.
Warmth radiates throughout the space and staff at Santa Fe. When dining at Santa Fe, guests feel transported to New Mexico, the home of Watterberg, who has successfully aimed to “bring the Land of Enchantment to the County of Kings” according to the restaurant’s Instagram.