Mine Shaft Tavern

Just a short drive out of the Santa Fe in the town of Madrid, there is the Mine Shaft Tavern and Cantina. It is reminiscent of an old school tavern or dive bar without frills or fuss but focused on great food and drinks with exceptional customer service. Parking is easily accessible in front and there are children’s menu options.  The bar offers cocktails and beer with tap options from local breweries.

In this trip I tried the Chile Cheese Fries and Crab Cake appetizers, and entrees were Brisket Melt and the Mad Chile Burger. The Chile Cheese Fries were served Christmas style, crispy homestyle fries bathed in red and green chile topped off with a melty cheese cap. Do I need to say anything else? It was crunchy, spicy ooey gooey goodness that would undoubtable would make my reflux protest, but man did it hurt so good!  Additionally, the crab cake was simply crab meat perfectly seasoned with a hint of green chile and fried to perfection with a crunchy cornmeal crust.  There were no fillers, and it honestly did not need the sauce or grilled lemon served with it.  

My brisket melt was served on a ciabatta bread with caramelized onions and roasted peppers with a side of coleslaw. The brisket was perfectly moist without being greasy and overall, the sandwich felt super light.  The piece de resistance honestly was the Mad Chile burger, a beef patty topped off with a combination of chopped roasted green chiles and a batter fried whole green chile draped in melty cheese. I will say the burger patty on its own was perfection, a super tasty charred beefy bite that could certainly stand solo. Every aspect of this burger worked perfectly together to create a fantastic Green Chile cheeseburger.

If ever you are in the mood for a little drive topped off with great food and an experience for your foodie log, drop in on The Mine Shaft Tavern and Cantina. It’s worth checking out!