The Mine Shaft Tavern

The Mine Shaft Tavern Restaurant Review:

The Mine Shaft Tavern is that great roadhouse we all wish was in driving distance. It's very un-Santa Fe, and in this case, that's a good thing. While most of Santa Fe is known for its white tablecloth dining, the Mine Shaft in Madrid certainly is not that. The restrooms, for example, are outside. Inside, though, the grilled and seasoned burgers --- including the MadChile burger, made from fresh beef sourced just 300 miles away, as well as Hatch Young Guns Chile and sharp aged cheddar --- are some of the best in New Mexico. Named for the abandoned mine on the property, the joint also touts more ambitious non-roadhouse food, such as shrimp brochette and a quinoa tabbouleh salad. Though locals devour the burgers, they're just as likely to visit for the nightly entertainment and the funky atmosphere that includes a bank vault's worth of $1 bills stapled to the bar walls and ceiling, a deck constructed of recycled lumber from the old miners' shacks, and to hang out with the bikers who make the picturesque ride on weekends. The Mine Shaft is so authentic, it starred as the biker bar in the film “Wild Hogs.”