Thunderbird Bar & Grill

It Was Our Anniversary And We Wanted To Eat Somewhere On SANTA FE Plaza, So We Ended Up Going To Thunderbird Bar & Grill. The Ambiance Was Fantastic With The Christmas Lights IN The Plaza, Very Beautiful! We Really Enjoyed Our Dinner 🍽 The Food Was Delicious And All IN All We Had A Outstanding Night Out There. Service Was Fantastic, And We Had A Very Romantic Dinner Together, Thanks 😊 👍❤️🥂🎄

Like so many of Santa Fe's hidden gems, Thunderbird is a second-floor establishment and therefore sits hidden back from street view. Thankfully, there was an enticing enough menu by the sidewalk that compelled my husband and I to spontaneously step in for a quick bite.

I will never, ever turn down fried calamari if I see it on a menu, and the ones at Thunderbird are exceptional. Instead of just squid rings, there are also battered pieces of zucchini and deep-fried slices of red pepper. The cynical part of me wondered if the veggies were being used as a cheaper filler; the happy eater in me really couldn't care less.

I also ordered the fish tacos. It's made with fat chunks of grilled mahi mahi, with two per order. When the server asked if I wanted mine on corn or flour tortilla, she was amenable to my having one and one. Both choices were good - the corn tortilla offering a slightly sweet grit and the flour tortilla acting as a soft case for the meaty fish. I'm not usually a fan of raw onions, but the pickled red onions provided a much-appreciated acidity, along with the most attractive splash of color.

Service here is fantastic. We came in for an early lunch and were seated right away (though be warned - as we got closer to the dinner hour, seats and bar stools filled up quickly). Our servers were unobtrusive with their check-ins, and we liked the cozy and casual feel of the space.

This was our second visit to the Thunderbird Bar and Grill. Our last visit was in September 2015. Enjoyed that dinner so we returned.
We shared a warm spinach salad and chicken fajitas. Both tasty and large portions for sharing. Just as it was in 2015.
William was our server and did a wonderful job.
We walked from our hotel but there’s street parking and a garage nearby.

The food is a bit pricey but it is delicious. The outdoor seating on the deck has a great view of the square. The fajitas were great, the bean soup was delicious, I also recommend their salmon.
Can get pretty busy, try to avoid their busiest hours.

Max M's review was pretty spot on. Service a little slow, not all the servers, just ours it seemed, like max said, seemed distracted. Food was good, draft beers cold, roomier (indoors) than the place downstairs. Good alternative if there's a wait at other restaurants and you're just ready to eat, that's how we ended up here.

I'd go back again just for the sweet potato fries. Mom and sister said the calamari was delicious...they do have a good variety of food no matter what you like, so that's a plus 😉