P. Antonio Márquez’s guide to the good old dives of Nuevo México includes Albuquerque Press Club, the Matador in Santa Fe, Saints and Sinners in Española, and more.
Rosie’s Cantina. Thunderbird Bar. The Hitching Post (formerly El Patio). Carraro’s and Joe’s Place across from UNM, La Ventana, the Blue Spruce Lounge, the Montana Mining Company, Club West, Burt’s Tiki Lounge. All these bars are gone now, bulldozed, or refurbished, or boarded up. More and more, a certain type of bar is disappearing from New Mexico.
As craft breweries increasingly pop up in every corner of the state, the old shot-and-a-beer bars are shortening their hours, and sometimes sadly closing their doors as their clientele age out.
As enticing as new IPAs and seasonal dark brews are to me, I treasure entering a place still bearing an old neon sign and the lingering smell of cigarette smoke, and maybe a billiards table in the corner, or a steer mount on the wall. Somewhere cash is still king, and you pick up a new detail every time you walk in.
Let’s talk about the ones you can still visit. Like old trees still providing the shade of a longed-for beer at the end of a day, let me introduce you (or reintroduce you) to these dives, these bars-del-barrio, these class-acts, these hometown heroes of Nuevo México.
SILVA’S SALOON
BERNALILLO, NM
There are unconfirmed stories of Al Capone playing cards here when he was in his prime, and picking up bootleg liquor (see the still in one corner, the 100-year-old wine press in the other). They say the original owner and founder, Felix Silva Sr., died behind the bar. (Not true, it was a stroke, but he did lay his personal belongings on the bar top before it happened and died a few days later. But he was at his post for the better part of sixty years.) See if you can find the blood spatter on the ceiling, with pinned hunting licenses tacked alongside it, a tradition to cover up the incident that caused the violence. Each hat hanging from the rafters is from a patron who has passed away and used to spend some of their time at the full oval bar that has been (legally) open since just after Prohibition ended. “The day I don’t sell one beer, I’ll close the door,” Silva used to say. That day hasn’t happened yet, but don’t wait until then, and always bring cash for a shot of Pendleton and a Coors Banquet. Give yourself time to explore; the walls have a story every six inches.
ALBUQUERQUE PRESS CLUB
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
Welcome to periodical writers, communicators, and service industry professionals, the Albuquerque Press Club is private, but those who fit the bill are welcome to join and bring a guest or ten. Membership allows you to wander its multitude of wood-hewn rooms spread across its four stories; the architecture and carpentry of the space alone is worth exploring. The Press Club is a labyrinth where smokers can still smoke, and you can bring your own zucchini, or ribs, to grill on the patio. Go for a stroll in the park below, play a tune on the piano in the welcome room, or start a game of pool or darts in the basement and bring some vinyl to spin while you line up your shot. The house went through many iterations: it once provided housing for the convalescent, had a place to hitch your horse, and was a frat house. The building itself is older than the state of New Mexico. Atop its hill in EDO, or east downtown, it feels as though Albuquerque sprang up around it. Some bartenders work one shift, then quit, citing ghostly encounters as the reason. Others have been there for years and never felt anything but a job worth doing.
THE MATADOR
SANTA FE, NM
Follow the sound of loud music and louder conversations and dive down the stairwell you might miss off of West San Francisco Street. I’m always comforted to rewatch a few scenes of a ’90s action movie I haven’t seen in years over the shoulder of someone I’m talking with, or discover a new cult film (look up Japanese Hell) playing on the TV in the corner (regulars are known to drop off new DVDs to add to the collection). It’s the lone cash-only bar in downtown Santa Fe and the service is as quick as the tequila soda you should order hits your bloodstream. At one point there was a stripper pole in the only other room adjacent to the bar, but all that’s left is a mark on the ceiling where it was removed (this writer took a few clothed spins himself back in the day, and is happy to no longer have the option). DJs are often filling out the music in the corner, and you’re sure to run into someone you know, used to know, or want to know. It’s the perfect place to end a night with a jolt when out in Santa Fe.
THE ORIGINAL OWL BAR & CAFE
SAN ANTONIO, NM
Their famous burgers are worth the drive just south of Socorro. Even Megadeth thinks so; they visit every time they play NM (note their photo on the right of the doorway on your way out). Founded in 1945 as a mercantile and a place for scientists to grab a bite and a drink while on break from the Lab or testing sites, the original owner was told to look southeast towards White Sands on the morning of the first atomic bomb detonation test. It’s also a place where first responders from all over the country leave their patches in a mutual scavenger hunt. The bar is one solid piece of mahogany that was originally installed in Conrad Hilton’s first operated hotel. The Hilton family has been trying to get it back ever since, but the owners of the Owl (now in its fourth and moving to its fifth generation) like it just where it is. Every dollar bill that customers leave stapled to the wall are donated to a charity at the end of the year. Why “Owl”? Because the sign painter only had a couple of hours to get the job done and he charged by the letter.
SAINTS AND SINNERS
ESPAÑOLA, NM
I dare anyone to name a more iconic bar sign in New Mexico. Founded in 1963, its neon Angel Above/Devil Below symbolism has long been a stop-and-snap-a-pic destination. Inspired by a titular tradition spanning a variety of states—bars, clubs, drama clubs, etc.—as owner/operator Ken Salazar says, “There are ‘Saints and Sinners’ all over this country.” And I concur in more ways than one. Once a bar with a liquor store, it has now become a liquor store where patrons can also have a drink at the four-top Red Bull table before taking something to go. The pandemic shut-down forced these changes and tragically claimed the life of founder and owner Dennis, but his son Ken still keeps the loyal customers coming back, and will even open up the back bar for special occasions. When he talks about the late Mr. Salazar, Ken remembers him as someone to whom regulars would bring their worries and ask for advice, who showed up at the bar without fail until just before he passed. Around Christmas time, expect the place to be packed with locals who have returned to a hometown staple to play white elephant and let the angels and devils on their shoulders have a toast to end the year.
MONTE CARLO STEAKHOUSE AND LIQUOR STORE
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
The smell of charbroiled porterhouse steak and the glow of the hanging Budweiser Clydesdale carousel (if this is in the establishment it’s guaranteed to be a good time) greets you as you step through the door and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. It’s a famed liquor store/bar/steak house started in 1970 by the Katsaros family, located where Central Avenue crosses the Rio Grande heading west. The evidence of the family’s Greek ancestry can be seen hanging on the walls, a history of hard work and a still family-run business. It used to be a drive-up liquor store, and then expanded to the bar and little by little became famous for the steaks that accompany a night of imbibing. If you’re out walking in the bosque or visiting the botanical gardens this summer, give yourself a treat and an escape from the sun afterwards and make a stop into this dark and delicious establishment. I recommend the twelve-ounce boneless ribeye with a loaded baked potato and bottle of your favorite liquor or beer to-go from the store in the front to take home with you (as you may be too full to have a drink after the feast).
