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Robin Garr

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Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Robin Garr » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:49 am

Have any of you been to Santa Fe Grill lately? We were out in the South End Saturday and I got the idea of checking it out for the first time in a long time, since we almost always go to El Molcajete due to its excellence. My first thought was that they've really fixed up the interior. Lots more tables, and more of a dining room rather than a takeout counter with just a few tables. Bright and clean, decorated for Christmas. We really found the food kind of disappointing, though. Not actively bad, but consistently "meh." If others agree with this finding, do you think it's gone downhill, or just that we didn't have El Molcajete to compare it with before? I kind of hate to report this, but the difference is striking enough that I feel a need to put it out there and see if others agree.
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Adrian Baldwin

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Adrian Baldwin » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:12 pm

Santa Fe hasn't felt as special in many years now that you can get good "taqueria" style tacos all over town. During it's prime, it seemed like one of the few places outside of Preston Hwy for that style of food.


Also always bugged me that they served cheap Bagged Round Tortilla chips at the table.
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Iggy C

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Iggy C » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:50 pm

I feel the same as Adrian. Granted I haven’t been since like 2013, but Santa Fe has always seemed pretty lackluster.
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SilvioM

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by SilvioM » Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:45 pm

I'll third the above comments. I can't speak to their histories, as my first visits to both were in the last year, but I've made two return trips to the area, both to El. Nothing about Sante Fe struck me as being at all special.
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Jeff Cavanaugh

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Jeff Cavanaugh » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:09 pm

For another good, if slightly different, taqueria option in that general area, check out Bandido Taqueria Mexicana on University Blvd, just the other side of UofL's campus and I-65.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Robin Garr » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:32 pm

Jeff Cavanaugh wrote:For another good, if slightly different, taqueria option in that general area, check out Bandido Taqueria Mexicana on University Blvd, just the other side of UofL's campus and I-65.

I've heard good things, Jeff. Need to get over there!
https://www.facebook.com/BandidoTaqueriaMexicana/
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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by SilvioM » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:55 pm

Clicked on the link to see where they are located. They need to fix the map on their Facebook page. It places them near Zorn and Brownsboro.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Robin Garr » Thu Dec 21, 2017 8:57 am

SilvioM wrote:Clicked on the link to see where they are located. They need to fix the map on their Facebook page. It places them near Zorn and Brownsboro.

Okay, this is really weird. I don't think it was like that yesterday. I'm guessing that's one of the principals' home address, but it's strange for sure.
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Clay Cundiff

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Clay Cundiff » Fri Dec 29, 2017 6:05 pm

El Molcajete is pretty consistently the best Mexican in town to me. I'd rank Santa Fe below Bandido and even Senor Iguanas. One small knock on El Molcajete is that the food seems to be better at lunch than at dinner.
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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Mark R. » Fri Dec 29, 2017 7:05 pm

With all this talk about Mexican restaurants I never hear anybody talking about Cocina de Mama which we really enjoy. I realize it's outside of the Waterson which means many of you would need your passport renewed to get to it but it's worth the trip. The one we go to is on Hurstbourne Parkway at Westport Road but they also have one in Shelbyville.

We've really like everything we've tried there. I especially like their Chili Rellenos although quite often I have their specials which are always good and usually quite a bargain.

I forgot to add that there Salsa some of the best I've ever had and that includes some very good Salsa we had in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. It's probably a good lay don't sell it because we would go broke buying it.
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michael.powell

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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by michael.powell » Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:36 pm

El Molcajete is top 5 in the city for me, no question. Also seconding Bandido's, and heck, Coconut Beach is basically in the same neighborhood too. Santa Fe, while the service is friendly, just isn't as good as those options.
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Re: Santa Fe Grill vs El Molcajete?

by Steve H » Fri Jan 05, 2018 12:03 pm

I just have to step in to defend Sante Fe's tacos and their tomatillo salsa to put on them. Just as good as anything around at a good price.

Yes their chips and salsa are mediocre, but then again, there's no temptation to eat too many of them.

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