Pink Adobe: easier to book than The Shed, just as good.

Pink Adobe, on Old Santa Fe Trail, is our second-favorite spot for traditional New Mexican cuisine — and on a longer trip, it should absolutely be in the rotation alongside The Shed. Charming patio, cozy indoor fireplaces, a 75-year-old building, and the dishes you actually want.

The reason it sits at number two on our list rather than number one is purely sentimental: The Shed is the family default and has been for decades. Pink Adobe is just as good, often easier to get into, and on the right night arguably better — the patio in summer is one of the better outdoor dining rooms in town, and the fireplace rooms in winter make the whole experience feel like the Santa Fe of the 1970s.

The order: the Clams Lucifer, the Plato Mexicano, the seafood enchiladas, or the Pink Dragon margaritas. Those are the favorites — built up over many visits, none of them wrong, all of them representative of what the kitchen does well. The Clams Lucifer is the surprise dish — fresh clams in a spicy butter sauce, perfect with bread, the kind of dish you don't expect in a New Mexican restaurant and remember after.

The Pink Dragon margarita is the cocktail to order. It's the house signature, has been for decades, and it's the right balance of strong and drinkable. Order one and split it as a starter if you're not sure about the size — they pour them honestly.

Reservations are still recommended, especially on weekends and during high season (July-August and the early-fall foliage window in late September through October). But — and this is the practical reason Pink Adobe matters — they're meaningfully easier to get than The Shed. If you forgot to book a week ahead and dinner needs to be tonight, Pink Adobe is more often the room that has space.

Save it for the night you didn't quite plan ahead. It's never the consolation prize. We've sent guests there with that framing and consistently had them come back calling it one of the best meals of the trip. The room earns that response.

Practical notes. Old Santa Fe Trail runs south from the Plaza and is an easy five-minute drive from either of our houses. Parking is on-site and on the street. The patio is the move from May through September; the fireplace rooms are the move October through April. Both work for kids well enough, though after 7 PM the room tilts toward an adult crowd.

Pair it with: a coffee at Iconik downtown earlier in the day, a walk on the Plaza at golden hour, or a Canyon Road afternoon ending with a Pink Adobe dinner instead of a Canyon Road dinner. Different vibe, equal night. One of the great institutions of Santa Fe dining and one of the rooms we keep coming back to.