A bit of a dive a mile and a half from Santa Fe’s tourist center, Maria’s has been a local favorite since 1952. The food is straightforward and delicious, but the place is at least as beloved for its margaritas—an eight-page menu lists more than 200 choices, all made with 100 percent agave tequila and lemon juice—which routinely win “best of” awards from local publications. Read more about green chilis.

When it comes to tantalising margaritas, local restaurateur AL Lucero wrote the book. No really, it's called The Great Margarita Book and features a foreword by margarita aficionado Robert Redford. Maria's has been run by the Lucero family since 1985, and is about to change ownership but the family guarantees the quality of its margaritas (over 200 varieties) will remain.

When it comes to Mexican food, it doesn’t get much better than Maria’s. Come for dinner and enjoy dishes such as blue corn enchiladas and green chilli stew, which are local favorites. The food at Maria’s is amazing, but it’s the margaritas that are out of this world.

My two favorities are Marias (for a margarita and a taco plate) and the Plaza Cafe -- for a gyro, southwester meatloaf or a surprisingly scrumptious turkey burger.

I love the Plaza Cafe (for lunch) and Marias, and have also tried Guadlupe Cafe, Chicago Pizza, and The Shed, to name a few I can remember.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen (505-983-7929; marias-santafe.com) is a frequent “Best of” winner, with over 100 different margaritas made with authentic Mexican tequilas and fresh lemon juice. The sophisticated surroundings of Agave, the sprawling lounge at the upscale Eldorado Hotel (505-988-4430; eldoradohotel.com), bring some urban sleekness to our favorite drink, along with ingredients like Oaxacan mezcal, jalapeño pepper juice, and pomegranate liqueur. Over at the Secreto Bar & Logghia, at the Hotel St. Francis (505-983-5700; hotelstfrancis.com), award-winning mixologist Chris Milligan truly shines with his Smoked Sage Margarita, made of organic Republic Añejo Tequila with DeKuyper O3 Brazilian orange liqueur, lime juice, and burnt sage leaves.

Not surprisingly the happy newlyweds “loved the fresh Southwestern cooking style and could not get enough green chiles.” Among their favorites were Cafe Pasqual’s for enchiladas, Terra for chiles rellenos and Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen for margaritas. Surprisingly they found Geronimo “too buttoned-up for my taste.” Cookie, the “crumb-catching mutt” for whom the blog is named didn’t accompany Kathryne to Santa Fe. (Thank you, Becky Mercuri)

But it’s certainly Santa Fe’s signature cocktail and while the margarita may have been invented elsewhere, the City Different mixes the cocktail with aplomb. The city made things official with its Santa Fe Margarita Trail, which features more than 30 different versions across the city. Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen is the place to go to taste the many variations possible; it has more than 100 margaritas on its menu alone.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen No list about Santa Fe is complete without an amazing New Mexican restaurant, and Maria’s is famous not just for their food, but for their extensive margarita menu. Maria’s literally wrote the book on margaritas; they offer over 100 different margaritas. Our favorite item here is the famous Green Chile Stew, and their sopapillas (New Mexican fried bread) is worth the trip itself.

Go for a combination plate—that is, one of everything, because you can and should—at Maria’s, located on Cordova Road, just a few minutes from downtown. The grandmadre of Santa Fe’s New Mexican cuisine scene, Maria's is the spot for chile rellenos, spicy carne adovada, giant margaritas, and pillowy sopapillas, where they’ll ask you the official state question: “Red or green?.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen has been a fixture in Santa Fe since it first opened its doors in 1950. Like The Shed, it is a family-owned restaurant that prides itself on preserving and celebrating the culinary traditions of New Mexico. Their margarita selection is massive (they have over 100 options!!!), and there is surely boozy flavor combination that will jump out to you.

There is no better restaurant in the entire region than this one for providing authentic Southwestern dishes. If you're a fan of tequila, there are more than 300 different varieties to choose from on the refreshment list. These special appeals have made Maria's a popular stopping point for the local citizenry as well as visitors and celebrities.

LUNCH & DINNERMaria’s New Mexican Kitchen, at 555 Cordova Road, has been in business for over 60 years. The tradition began in 1950 when Maria and Gilbert Lopez started a small take-out kitchen specializing in traditional, northern New Mexican cuisine. Maria’s humble kitchen grew into a restaurant that has now become a Santa Fe landmark.

Keep the party going at Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen, where you’ll find 150 different margaritas. More formal options abound at Geronimo Restaurant, a landmark with “elegant decor and romantic ambiance.” Stop by Restaurant Martín to experience James Beard nominated chef Martin Rios’ “progressive American cuisine.

You can’t go wrong with a visit to Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen!. Over the years, this restaurant has become a go-to spot for homestyle cooking. Indulge in some red or green chile, homemade tortillas, and other house specialties before ending the meal with a delicious house-made sopapilla.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen isn’t as accessible from a downtown perspective but still close for visitors to enjoy. The expansive restaurant and multiple in-restaurant bars have made this another great place to sample New Mexican fare. Address: 500 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Maria’s was opened back in 1950, which explains its somewhat odd location just off the busy intersection of Cordova Road and St. Francis Drive. No matter—Maria’s is a Santa Fe tradition, with creaking wood floors and dependable New Mexican comfort food like blue corn enchiladas,…

We also dined at Maria’s New Mexico Kitchen, La Casa Sena and the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Our favorite dining experience outside of La Plazuela at La Fonda was the Cooking School. The demonstration by Chef Jen Doughty and Chef Noe Cano was both informative and fun.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen: Known for its extensive tequila selection and flavorful margaritas, Maria’s is a must-visit on the trail. Try the “Milagro Margarita” or explore their famous list of over 200 tequilas while enjoying traditional New Mexican dishes.

I think there was definitely a line between 1-4 (tough to rank!) and 5-8. Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen could have easily been higher, but alas, here she is. And it was tough to pick one because they have a margarita menu with over 100 different margaritas!

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen is an old dive bar on one side and a restaurant on the other. Go to the dive bar side for a margarita, singular, as one Maria’s margarita at altitude is equivalent to three margaritas elsewhere. We learned this the hard way.

If you’re looking for variety in your margaritas, look no further than Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen. What started out as a small take-out kitchen is now one of the most popular spots to grab a bite to eat. Plus, it has over 100 varieties of margaritas!

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen • 555 W Cordova Road, (505) 983-7929 • There are over 100 tequila choices here, and you could make it a life goal to try them all (not all in one go). Sample the popular New Mexican dishes while you’re working at that.

A couple people had told me that the best Margarita’s in Santa Fe is in a restaurant called Maria’s. It’s a little over 2 miles from the historic area, on W Cordova Rd (right off of St Francis Drive). I walked it, but you may want to drive.

In 1952, Maria and Gilbert Lopez opened a take-out restaurant offering traditional New Mexican food. In 1985, Al and Laurie Lucero bought Maria's. Al's goal was to take the restaurant back to how he remembered it growing up in the 50s.

Next on my New Mexican list is Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen located at 555 West Cordova Rd. Maria’s is an experience. The restaurant is in an adobe building that’s a bit like a labyrinth inside, and has a true old west feel.

At Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen they have a list of over 150 margaritas each made with 100% agave tequila and fresh-squeezed lemon. The Los Luceros Margarita is the one to try at this spot.

Good food and excellent service are what Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen offers. This place is also vegetarian friendly; you will not need to worry if you are a vegetarian type of person.

If it’s variety you’re looking for, head to Maria’s, where there are over 200 margaritas and 140 types of tequila.