Santa Fe Cafe

Food was good, fresh and flavorful, and good service but did not get to experience the atmosphere as we were sitting outside on a patio totally disconnected from the restaurant vibes. Recommend Chimichanga and shrimp tacos for sure. Little too pricey.

Fantastic evening with friends. Taylor, our server was so friendly and knowledgeable about everything on the menu. The shrimp fajitas and the chicken fajitas were exceptional. The seasoning on the chicken was delicious and it was cooked to perfection. The onions and peppers were exquisitely prepared and the guacamole was silky smooth. This was the best Mexican food I have tasted on HHI. Looking forward to going back soon!!

This is by far the worst restaurant experience I've had in Santa Fe restaurant in Hilton Head. The waitress showed no interest in asking if we wanted salsa and chips or even if we needed water. She hardly paid any interest at our table to take the order. I just inquired about the herb-roasted free-range chicken from the review photos, and we ordered shrimp tacos and chicken tacos. However, she brought us a shrimp taco and herb-roasted free-range chicken instead. We pointed out that it wasn’t what we ordered, and she returned with bone-in chicken tacos. They essentially just threw some pieces of herb-roasted chicken into a taco Even taco filling was quiet disappointing—just small pieces of tomato, no cheese, no lettuce, and scoop of avocado and sourcream. And it was ridiculously expensive. I ended up paying $115 for a meal and I didn't enjoy at all. I deeply regret spending so much money on this awful experience.

My husband and I decided to take our teen out for a nice meal while visiting Hilton Head. The restaurant did not impress me at all. The atmosphere is not relaxing at all. The food was good, but the fact that they seated us next to a loud party of 12 made having a conversation almost impossible. The loud talking and screaming across to each other went on our entire meal. It is sad to see people not respect others. I understand the restaurant wants to make money, but this arrangement was not fair to our table or the small party immediately next to us. The food was seasoned well, and the presentation was well thought out. Manager: Possibly, plan large groups to dine earlier so each guest can have a good experience. See photos and video of noise level next to us.

Spectacular meal! Absolutely delicious. Generous serving sizes, attentive wait staff, we’ll definitely come back soon.

Phenomenal experience. The food was excellent. In fact, it’s some of the best Tex mex I’ve ever had. The salsa was fresh, chimichanga was bursting with flavor and the Sante Fe Plato was incredible. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a quality Tex mex cuisine experience.

Nice atmosphere and decent food. It’s difficult to gauge these types of restaurants being from the south west. Some times I have to try to be unbiased and really think about he location. This is one of those places. Great food, I had the filet menu with cheese enchilada. I found it tasty. My better half had the southwestern combination plate. She wasn’t too pleased. However she is from Mexico. So a little bias maybe in play here. Don’t get too hung up in the weeds. Try the filet with enchilada. It was tasty. Also had the pistachio cheese cake. Delicious. All together the bill was about 150.00. Not bad for two. Enjoy.

We were able to sit at the chef bar/table and watch chef Dave work his magic! The food, the service and the atmosphere were all outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant if you’re visiting the island.

This restaurant has become a 1st night staple for our family. The food is the star of the show and it's conveniently located to Palmetto Dunes. I had the Filet Mignon and Shrimp Enchilada w/ mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. The steak was perfectly medium rare and was seasoned with some sort of southwest seasoning, but it was light and not overwhelming, making it perfect! The shrimp Enchilada was fantastic as always, with an outstanding Enchilada sauce. Truly outstanding. My father in law had the shrimp enchiladas as an entree and it was fantastic (sauce on the side) and my mother in law had the chicken fajitas, which she said were excellent! Love this little gem we found, definitely a must try!

Made reservations for a dinner here while in town! Despite it being the "off-season" this restaurant was still fairly busy! With the reservation we were sat immediately and our waitress was accommodating. The food was delicious except that the beans were bland and hard - definitely undercooked. Inside was a fun energetic Santa Fe vibe.

Santa Fe has a bright and inviting ambiance. When the weather is nice, the upstairs bar is a lot of fun. The food is always fresh and cooked to perfection. The Painted Soup is a must have. Beth is a wonderful server as well as bartender. She always has a smile on her face and is very attentive. Also, want to shoutout to Scott who is also an excellent bartender and very entertaining. We live in Hilton Head several months out of the year and have made this one of our weekly lunch or dinner venues.

Your kitchen guys tried to kill my mom. She has a severe gluten allergy and ordered an enchilada she was told had a corn tortilla. It came out with a flour tortilla, which she obviously can't have. The server takes it back for them to "remake" and all the cooks did was replace the tortilla and put the dish on a new plate. If you have any kind of food allergy, no matter how mild/severe, don't trust this place.

We had been trying to get here - finally made it! Such good Mexican food. I had the special - chicken quesadilla, Santa Fe salad and an amazing painted soup! Wayne had a phenomenal quesadilla made with Birria, not a meat prep we were familiar with but it was great! Mickey had a beef burrito. We started - of course - with guac and salsa served with great warm and salty tortilla chips. All said it was worth the wait - our server, Rachel was great.

6 Stars‼ Hello to all visitors of Hilton Head, my wife and I had a great visit here to this restaurant. We showed up, and the owner and the staff made sure we were taken care of. I wasn't aware that we needed reservation. So we were getting ready to leave and the owner provided us with a table, and great things continued from that moment on‼ Our waitress Isabella recommended me fish tacos which were splendid by the way. Also the coconut ice cream .... I can't say enough good things about it. The only hang up I had and this hangup goes for the rest of Hilton Head is the signage, it's hard to see from the road. It's not Santa Fe's fault for that. 6 Star Restaurant. And I'll make a reservation next time so I don't miss out one this gem of a restaurant.‼

Amazing food and service! Ambience also amazing! Portions are huge! One of the best meals on our vacation!

There were no reservations available, so we opted to just walk in to see if they could squeeze the two of us in. Fortunately. there was space available at the Chef's Counter where we could be served and watch the chef prepare the entrees. Dinner with a show! We ordered our drinks, and then enjoyed watching the massive burritos being rolled, and gorgeous fish entrees being prepared. We attempted to have friendly talk with the chef, but he was seemingly uninterested in small talk. A bit put off by that, we just enjoyed watching the easy flow of their kitchen and the care they put into their food. I wasn't hungry for a huge entree so ordered a shrimp cocktail, which features grilled chipotle shrimp and was spicy and fabulous, and the Santa Fe Salad, which was also very fresh and tasty. Hub ordered the salmon, which was served on a bed of rice and a mélange of fresh veggies, and topped with a creamy sauce. We were both fully stuffed by the end of the meal, so we chose not to order dessert (but afterwards wished we had taken some with us!) Overall, the experience was very nice, and we will be sure to make reservations ahead of time the next time we're in HHI.

My wife and I have had Santa Fe on our list for quite some time. We arrived early with a reservation on Resy and was seated with our 2 friends on the rooftop. Taylor was our waitress and did a great job with food and beverages. The rooftop area can probably seat up to 50 people. They have their own bar and also gas heaters for cooler weather. There was a solo guitarist providing instrumental music during dining providing for the perfect ambiance. We started with Quesa with tortilla chips which come with salsa as well. We all had margaritas which is what they're famous for. The Lux Spicy Margarita is a "skinny" type, but had a nice subtle heat to it. I then went to the Cadillac which is very tasty with the extra shot of Grand Marnier added. For dinner, I had the stuffed portabello which has 2 large portabello mushroom caps stuffed with cheese and a side of Spanish rice along with beans. My wife had the Burrito with beans and cheese which was enough for 2 meals. We ended up taking half back home. It was tasty and quite filling.

Met here for early dinner prior to a comedy show--make reservations! The bar area was humming and patrons continued arriving during our stay. It had been many years since first eating here and I highly recommend the eclectic Southwestern-inspired menu. Our server was Tommy, and he was quite the comedic character. "Everything's great here but the service". I had the grilled quail, which was delicious! I especially loved the vegetable medley. Friends had the chimichangas, roasted pork, and the non-adventurous eater among us had a cheese quesadilla as an entree. There were two minor disappointments for me. First, I wasn't drinking alcohol, so I opted for their margarita-esque mocktail. It WAS delicious, but $13! Unaware of the price, but assuming it to be in the $6-8 range, I had a second. When the bill came, I was surprised--the same price as the house marg WITH booze! $26 in mocktails is not the kind of upsell I appreciate--put the price on the menu! Second disappointment was the unavailability of coconut ice cream or the Double Trouble cake. We made do with other choices. I very much enjoyed the crispy, dense churros. Again, the food is excellent--can't wait to try the painted desert soup next time. I hear it's a work of art.

The café's colorful décor and cozy atmosphere make it a place you'll want to linger. It's casual, comfortable, and full of Southwestern charm. .Every dish we tried was phenomenal, but the Painted Desert Soup is an absolute masterpiece. Not only is it visually stunning with vibrant swirls of roasted red pepper and corn soup, but it's also incredibly delicious--rich, creamy, and bursting with flavor. The green chili stew, enchiladas, and Navajo tacos are equally amazing. The staff are friendly, attentive, and clearly passionate about creating a wonderful experience for every guest. They're happy to make recommendations. Santa Fe Café combines incredible food, a welcoming environment, and top-notch service to deliver a 5-star dining experience.

Our group of six descended on the outdoor cantina following a downpour. The staff graciously seated us outdoors but under cover much to our satisfaction. We enjoyed appetizers of chips, guacamole, and queso. Among our entrées we had fish and shrimp tacos, crab cakes and chili relleno all in terrific southwestern style. Our server, Sam, was so much fun. She provided great service, engaged us in conversation and shared her story. All making our dinner even more enjoyable. We've visited many times and this visit did not disappoint.

Santa Fe Cafe has been open for +20 years and, while it'd been a while since I last dined there, it was great. We started with the guacamole and chips which were listed as "MP" (ended up being $13 which was reasonable); the guac was a little mild for my liking and served cold, so next time I would probably get something else. Drinks were just ok. Nonetheless, we were all super happy with our Mexican Favorite main courses so still getting a 4-star review: Beef Burrito for my dad, the Outrageous Chimichanga for my husband, and I had the Santa Fe Plato Combination (chile relleno, corn tamale, and a mushroom enchilada). All three entrees were super saucy and flavorful! Definity get yourself a reservation (on Resy) and dine here immediately!

Five stars, always great food, atmosphere, service. The spicy Margarita was on point. The outrageous Chimichanga and painted desert soup are a must. When on HH or a local this is a place not to be missed.

This place used to be absolutely fire but honestly gone downhill. Maybe its becuase i was upstairs but not as good as usual. Everything was cold and over cooked. Waitress was whatever nothing great tbh but she was there lmao. Meal was good

Have the painted desert soup! A visual delight, and delicious. It's a popular spot but the service was attentive and professional. Nice decor, friendly people, fair pricing, tasty food. I'd def go back.

My wife and I went for Valentine's Day. Very nice places as they take reservations. I had the bone in ribeye which was excellent. My wife had a crabcakes also very very good. I would highly recommend this restaurant. This is coming from a local.

The atmosphere was outstanding. The upstairs patio was fun. They had all kinds of heaters and a fireplace to keep us cozy. Happy hour was wonderful. Food was delicious. You have to get the painted desert soup. It was a work of art as well as being delicious.

We had reservations and were seated immediately. Food was delicious, drinks were kinda watered down (margaritas). Service was ok, I think k they might have been understaffed, which is why only a four.

For some reason, it took me 12 years living on Hilton Head to go here. After living in Dallas, it was challenging to think of southwest cuisine as high end when you are used to it being a staple. It did live up to its hype though. The food was delicious and imaginative. I tried the combo and my boyfriend had the red fish -fish of the day. I went there craving tamales. I've not found tamales anywhere that live up to the restaurants in Texas. The tamale was fresh but no filling, good but didn't feed my craving. The goat cheese chile relleno was soo so good. We sat upstairs outside. Great atmosphere, heaters and fireplace for off season enjoyment. The margaritas were excellent as well. House made mix, love that it had some orange flavor.

Upper tier Hilton Head dining experience We are not interested in Tex Mex cuisine while visiting Hilton Head; we frequent the South West for this experience Santa Fe Cafe would be a welcome restaurant addition to Santa Fe and the South West Santa Fe Cafe is a handsome, romantic experience. We enjoy both rooftop and main level dining Menu offers a variety of SW items; however, it is the steaks and seafood which attracts our visits Developed SW ambience, and servers are at professional level; we enjoy both presentation and preparation of our dinners Caveat: Do make reservations. We visit Hilton Head 4-5 weeks annually, and enjoy upscale dining

Prices are insanely high. My own fault; should have checked out the menu. Service was average (but you must ASK your server for salsa and chips). The ambiance was great.

Just ok. Proteins were a bit small for the plate. Tastes were good though. Service was good.

Always great food !!! Great Service!! Have been going to Santa Fe''s since 2002 ..the grouper is outstanding!! The crab cakes aren't bad , have never had a bad dinner at Santa Fe !

My DH and I stopped in for Happy Hour. We ordered all 4 apps on the menu (nachos, queso fundido, oysters and chicken quesadillas). I ordered a white sangria and my DH ordered a Sam Adams. HH is only served at the bar so seats were limited. We unfortunately grabbed the last remaining seats that had no backs. So I recommend you get here early (open at 5pm) for prime seats. We were offered the bar upstairs but it was cool and drizzling so we opted inside. The bar tender was prompt, friendly and very attentive. The food came out quickly. The oysters were delicious and our favorite was the quesadilla. The fundido solidified and was difficult to eat. The nachos were good with plenty of sour cream and guacamole. Overall it was a great dinner option and we would recommend. Getting all 4 HH apps was too much cheese and we would recommend to mix it up some. I would give it 4.5 and only knock off some due to the fundido.

Very energetic atmosphere with lots of great drink & food options. Waitress a bit unfriendly but she was very busy so will try to excuse that. Obviously a favorite with locals & tourists. Best thing we ordered was the ceviche hands down.

It was a very good experience. We sat upstairs outside and perfect ambiance. The server who's name I forgot was great. There were two men servers working up there and they were in total control. Engaging, knowledgeable and professional.. I had the tacos, bit spicy for me but they were good. Everyone else loved their entrees and soup!! In fact it's in my list to go back soon Well worth it

Food was awesome. We had the grouper and the fresh catch. Both excellent . Great happy hour

Had dinner Friday night outside upstairs (restaurant week) service was great(Taylor was very attentive and helpful) the burrito was good , disappointed in the small portion size of the chimichanga, painted desert soup is a must (delicious),

What a great place for dinner! We had Chris as our server who is awesome! The Pork Chop Verde is tender and very flavourful! My wife had the Red Fish special that is always great. It's a special place on HHI you will love it!

I ordered the chicken fajitas and the chicken was not only a full quarter of uncut chicken, but also contained a drumstick. Most bizarre presentation of chicken fajitas I've ever seen. Plus, they didn't really taste very good. Their salsa was also kind of bland. The waitress was good and kept our glasses full. The interior of the restaurant truly resembled your typical Mexican joints down south. But as for the food, I recommend to pass on the chicken fajitas.

Lived on island for 36 years, been eating at Santa Fe since it opened. Was excited to go, it had been awhile. The worst dining experience ever. Waiter was impatient didn't get the orders in correctly. Onion rings soggy and greasy. Chimichanga came out cold. The Mahi (signature dish) avg. Talked manager, totally didn't care. Soooo disappointed!

Drinks: very good. Service: OK. Waited a long time for food and most of the kitchen staff seemed to be hanging behind the bar. Food: .... not inspired. One taco dish did not come with sides and was bland. Other taco dish came with sides that were also bland. Black beans very dry and unappetizing. It would take a lot for me to go back.

As good as it gets. The next closest place to get authentic southwestern food we know of is in Santa Fe. I wonder why that is? Don't be afraid to have a meal at the bar unless you don't want to have an experience you will never forget. If you go to HHI and miss Santa Fe, you have shortchanged yourself.

I had a friend in town who loves Mexican food. I had driven by this place and seen many a picture of the gorgeous painted desert soup, and I had never tried it, so we brought our girl group over here. We were all thirsty and ordered an assortment of margaritas. I got the peach flavored one, it was pretty good! Some of us got appetizers, I got the Caesar salad and my friend got the desert painted soup. The Caesar was okay, it tasted kind of fishy as if the dressing wasn't emulsified well-enough, and there was a stray anchovy. The desert soup is as tasty as it is pretty, thank you to my friend for letting me try it! For my entree I wanted to venture out and I got the quail. I hadn't seen any reviews or photos on it, but I was excited. It was really good, really nicely made and I liked the cornbread stuffing in it. Overall it was a fun experience. The restaurant is really big, having several levels, with nice Tex-Mex type decor. I would recommend!

This is a staple for us each time we visit. Last night was an exceptional experience with Kevin our server and the food was fabulous. One of our party had not been with us to the restaurant before and he was so impressed. We love the ribeye burrito and the guacamole. We recommend Santa Fe and always make sure to add it to our list.

Everything delicious! Soup was delicious as well as pretty. Salsa really good and salty. Will go back!

Excellent food. Great service. Great Cadillac margaritas. Indoor and outdoor seating on rooftop. Live music on rooftop during summer months.

Amazing experience at the Santa Fe Cafe. My wife and I started off with margaritas and chips with salsa and queso. The salsa was ridiculously fresh! We shared the fish of the day, which was red fish and the ribeye burrito. Both were great, especially the ribeye burrito. Our kids both had burritos as well...one beef and one chicken. Everyone was really happy with their meal. We also shared the key lime pie and the pistachio cheesecake for dessert. They were both out of this world! We finished off the meal with Spanish coffees. Overall this was a fantastic experience and we would definitely go back.

We've been here every year that we come to the island Road. The food is consistently good and reminds us of a trip to Sedona Arizona. We're back on the island again this year with both our kids and all three grandkids so will be seeing you one night this week.!

Visited Hilton Head again after an 8 year hiatus. We remembered Santa Fe Cafe as having an amazing Cowboy Steak and excellent key lime pie. Figured we were hopeful it would meet our remembered expectation. But Alex the server was perfect and the food was as good as we recalled. Add to that the desert soup and we will make a point to return again.

The restaurant had a cool vibe and the drinks were great! Highly recommend the red sangria. We were seated on the rooftop patio as soon as we walked in. The atmosphere was nice there - fireplace and heaters so it was comfortable. The waitstaff were super friendly and the food was prepared well. Gave it four stars because we ordered blackened steaks and there was just a bit too much seasoning on them. They were cooked as requested, tender, and juicy but hard to eat because of the seasoning. Would recommend getting the steaks just grilled.

I'm giving this establishment only three stars because their prices are double from what other Mexican food restaurants I've been to have. And it doesn't matter that it's on Hilton head Island. It's outrageously priced. I had a simple chimichanga and it was $26 and I've had chimichangas for $13 that included chips and salsa and rice and beans. This place doesn't even offer complementary chips and salsa when you sit down! It's the last time we'll be going there because it's so damn expensive.

The food was off the charts and the service was 10 out of 10. Accommodated a very large group with children.

Good Mexican (I guess in this case South Western) on Hilton Head Island? For whatever reason great forms of this cuisine can be elusive in wide areas of the US and I was encouraged by the reviews I saw here before going. Service was great and the Guacamole En Molcajete -- fresh avocados, chilies, onions, & lime with chips and salsa may not have been made table side but it was still an awesome way to start the meal. For the main course I opted for the Ribeye Burrito -- with blackened ribeye, black beans, caramelized onions, and cheddar Jack cheese inside a flour tortilla finished with an Ancho chili sauce (and for me, without the sour cream). It was really quite amazing and big enough to take half of it home to enjoy for lunch tomorrow. The experience was good enough to make this a new favorite for coming to the area and at least now I know where it is as the store front is not super visible from the main road but it *is* there.

Went here last week with family and friends. Absolutely great meal. The fried oysters were perfect, and the blackened redfish special was absolutely amazing. As always the chicken fajitas and shrimp tacos were also delicious. The only complaint was the service; we had to wait about ten minutes and eventually ask the hostess to send a server our way. But definitely a place to return to.

Best food in Hilton Island by far! Fresh and well seasoned food that will have you licking your fingers and admiring the artistry. Would highly recommend this place for anyone looking for great seasoned food in the area!

This place was a diamond in the rough. The painted corn and pepper soup was amazing. We sat at the kitchen bar. Our service was great and watching the chefs was wonderful. They had great vegetarian options. Would definitely visit again!

The only reason I didn't give this a 1 star review is because the staff was very pleasant and the service was good. Otherwise everything else is a 1 Star rating. First if you look at the prices shown on yelp you would say wow thats pretty expensive for Mexican food. Well try finding out when you sit down that they just jacked the prices up anywhere from 20-30% depending on the item. Take the rib-eye burrito. On this site its listed at $26. Well now its $34...for a freaking burrito..oh thats right they put in a few pieces of rib-eye...oh boy. My wife and I shared a meal because I refused to spend well over a $100 for a mexican meal. We got the chicken fajitas...$28. Now normally when you get fajitas you get plenty of chicken and all the fixins, including rice and beans and its usually sizzling and steaming hot. Oh no ...not here. First off the amount of chicken looked like enough for 3 or 4 bites. The plate was not hot or sizzling. There is no rice and beans included. each of those sides would cost $5 each bringing the price up to almost $40...for chicken-less fajitas. Then a couple of squirts of guacamole and sour cream....oh and they kindly added 4 smaller tortillas...though you could only really make two with the portion they gave you. Now in all fairness the chicken tasted great..all 4 bites. The drinks were ok but expensive...oh if you want a blended margarita, so sorry ...there are no blenders. I guess they were too expensive to buy. As far as the ambiance, the downstairs looked like a TGIF restaurant...very tired and old. Now what they are renown for is their rooftop. We checked it out and its very pretty but I'm sorry who wants to sit out there in this heat, plus there is no view unless you count the view of the 278. Now in comparison the place we really love is San Miguel's in Shelter cove. Great setting right on the harbor. Amazing and affordable food (large portions) and drinks. Band playing most of the time. Its night and day compared to Santa Fe, which is a one and done for us.