Tesuque Village Market: Heating It Up - SantaFe.com
Pizza at Tesuque Village Market.

You have to love a place that feels like a destination but takes just minutes to reach from the heart of Santa Fe. The popular Tesuque Village Market is one of those spots. It sits on a corner in what the locals call greater downtown Tesuque, where the only other businesses are a gallery and another restaurant. The market’s a rustic charmer, a bright and funky mix of Southwestern and Mexican style, that feels like a little vacation break. You might see a horse “parked” out front, or some great vintage truck, and probably guys selling ristras or wood carvings. The bathrooms here may be the only ones around with a sign asking that you not graffiti the Mary and Baby Jesus wallpaper.

IT TAKES A (Tesuque) VILLAGE

Interior of Tesuque Village Market.

Sit at the small bar, in one of a couple of different dining rooms, or on a broad porch. During COVID, the owners expanded into the front parking lot with additional new seating outside under awnings. The space has proven so popular that it’s become permanent, which helps keep the wait time under control. While you can buy some groceries and take-out foods from the market, it functions mostly as a casual restaurant and wine, beer, and liquor store. Conveniently, the market is open all day, every day.

What’s on the Menu at Tesuque Village Market?

The menu’s one of those that seems to have something for everyone. Morning food includes a Benedict, as well as some bagels, burritos, blue corn pancakes, and a “Big Ass” breakfast sandwich.

Fajitas at Tesuque Village Market.
Yum! Fajitas at Tesuque Village Market.

Lunch covers the classics, from a Cobb or chicken salad to a Reuben sandwich or a green chile cheeseburger. Those are all in my regular rotation here, as are the piquant enchiladas, and — as the weather cools — bowls of posole, tortilla soup, and green chile stew. Grilled New York strip steaks or pork chops, and fajitas with all the fixings, are among the heartier options.

I love the thin-crust pizza here, available after 4 p.m. Typically, I stick with classic margherita, but the sausage is good added to it, too. Despite the wood-fired oven’s massive appearance, it only holds a single pizza at a time. If many orders roll in simultaneously, it sometimes requires a little extra patience. Besides, this is a good place to use the “eat dessert first” philosophy, maybe sharing a piece of scrumptious key lime pie while waiting.

The beer selection has loads of depth, from New Mexico sources and elsewhere. There’s a full assortment of traditional cocktails, too, with several tasty margaritas and a Mexican old-fashioned made with reposado mezcal.

On your way out, as you get ready to travel back to the “real” world, pick up a loaf of green chile cheese bread to extend that sense of a mini vacation just a little longer.

Key lime pie at Tesuque Village Market.
Key lime pie is on the menu for dessert at Tesuque Village Market.

 

Tesuque Village Market

138 Tesuque Village Road
Santa Fe

TesuqueVillageMarket.com
505-988-8848
Open daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner

 

Cheryl Alters JamisonStory and photos by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Four-time James Beard Foundation Book Award-winning author Cheryl Alters Jamison is the host of Heating It Up on KTRC and is now the “queen of culinary content” for SantaFe.com. Find new stories about the Santa Fe food scene each week on SantaFe.com.

Read Cheryl Alters Jamison’s bio here!
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Cheryl Alters Jamison | Heating it Up on SantaFe.com
Cheryl Alters Jamison

This week, Cheryl Alters Jamison expands her culinary storytelling in Santa Fe to include weekly stories on SantaFe.com. You probably know her as the radio host, for more than five years, of Heating It Up, airing Saturday afternoons on Hutton Broadcasting’s KTRC. If you’ve listened to the show, you also know that there’s very little that happens in the food world that she didn’t find out before — and in much more detail — than the rest of us. What you might not know is that our Cheryl Alters Jamison is among the most lauded culinary professionals in the country.

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