Bruce O.
Yelp
June 4, 2023 - Mine Shaft Tavern and Cantina, (Madrid, NM)
We were staying at an RV park in Cedar Crest on the Turquoise Trail (State Hwy 14) and decided to take a drive north. After about a 30 mile drive, we came to the neat little town of Madrid, pronounced MAD-rid. It's a one road town with a 20 mph speed limit. There must be at least 20 art and gift shops and a few restaurants over a quarter mile stretch. We'd driven by before, but it was so busy we couldn't find a parking spot. This time, we arrived a little before 11 am and things hadn't picked up yet.
Madrid has a long history as a coal camp that began in 1835. It is the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico, and one of the oldest in western America. By 1894, the area known as "Coal Gulch" became Madrid. A company-owned coal mining town, it provided housing, a general store, opera house, hotel, amusement hall, post office, public school, and a medical department. It had had over 2,500 people. Workers were paid in script. The tavern didn't open until 11, so we did a little window shopping while we waited.
We were the first ones to arrive at 11. We chose to sit on the cantina side where they have both indoor and outdoor seating. We sat at the covered outdoor patio. We were seated immediately and given menus and water. We ordered some chips and Guacamole and split the two brisket taco plate with rice and beans.
Everything came out quickly. I found the plate to be pretty unremarkable. The beef was tender but was dry and had little flavor. There wasn't a whole lot of flavor in the rice or beans either. They should have offered us some hot sauce or salsa to give it a little flavor. I found some Tabasco sauce at another table and we added a big heap of guacamole from our chips dish to the tacos and that helped.
Overall, I rate the Mine Shaft as a 5 for ambiance, 5 for service, 5 for lots of cool signs and historical artifacts, and 2 for food. It wouldn't be hard to fix the tacos, rice and beans, just add some more flavor and you'd get a five for that as well. I did notice that a lot of people were ordering the burgers and fries, so may that's a better bet.