{"id":34433,"date":"2020-01-10T12:49:32","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T18:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433"},"modified":"2026-04-03T18:56:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T00:56:05","slug":"santiagos-new-mexican-grill-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433","title":{"rendered":"Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill &#8211; Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_53301\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53301\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-53301 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 750px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 750\/563;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 750w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?size=128x96&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?size=256x192&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 256w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?size=384x288&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?size=512x384&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago05.gif?size=640x480&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53301\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill on Eubank<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">In Act II, Scene II of Romeo and Juliet, the immortal soliloquy &#8220;what&#8217;s in a name&#8221; is uttered for the first time. In business, the power of a name in branding a company is everything. A name can either attract or repel customers. Ralph Liftshitz, for example, didn&#8217;t think his birth name had enough panache to succeed in business so he changed his name to Ralph Lauren. Today, the Ralph Lauren brand is synonymous with providing quality products and creating vibrant lifestyles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">The power of a name in branding a restaurant can make all the difference in the world, especially in ascribing the quality of authenticity. A Middle Eastern restaurant named &#8220;Bob&#8217;s Kebabs&#8221; would certainly not fare as well as a similar restaurant named &#8220;<strong><a title=\"Anatolia Doner Kebab House\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=20761\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anatolia Doner Kebab House<\/a><\/strong>.&#8221; Similarly &#8220;Jim&#8217;s New Mexican Grill&#8221; would probably not be perceived as as authentic as &#8220;Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53896\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53896\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-53896 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 750px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 750\/539;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"539\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 750w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?size=128x92&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?size=256x184&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 256w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?size=384x276&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?size=512x368&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago10.gif?size=640x460&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53896\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santiago&#8217;s Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">Perhaps understanding the perception that authenticity is ascribed to names, Jim Madrid chose to brand his restaurant &#8220;Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill&#8221; instead of &#8220;Jim&#8217;s&#8230;&#8221; Santiago, by the way, is a Spanish name which translates in English to James or Jim, hence Jim Madrid is actually using his given name and not making one up so he can hawk New Mexican food. In any regard, Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill has been serving the Duke City for more than a quarter of a century. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">Initially branded as &#8220;Santiago&#8217;s Tacos,&#8221; the venerable family-owned-and-operated restaurant changed its name in 2004 when it moved into a converted computer store. Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill is a more apt descriptor for Jim &#8220;Santiago&#8221; Madrid&#8217;s 40-seat eatery. Open only for breakfast and lunch (Monday through Saturday from 7AM through 2:30PM), Santiago&#8217;s offers a fairly comprehensive menu that includes one of the city&#8217;s best green chile cheeseburgers as well as the tacos that earned the restaurant its reputation. A number of &#8220;take and bake&#8221; casserole dishes are a popular option.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53897\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53897\" style=\"width: 661px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago11.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-53897 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 661px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 661\/700;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago11.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"661\" height=\"700\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago11.gif?lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 661w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago11.gif?size=128x136&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago11.gif?size=256x271&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 256w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago11.gif?size=384x407&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Santiago11.gif?size=512x542&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 512w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53897\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Double Meat Green Chile Cheeseburger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">Breakfast is served all day and features several plates and a phalanx of breakfast burritos.\u00a0 The lunch menu is available starting at 10:30.\u00a0 When you place your order, you&#8217;ll undoubtedly notice several stacked cans of Spam on the counter. As noted on this blog, Spam, the versatile precooked meat product has not really caught on in menus at Duke City restaurants. At Santiago&#8217;s, Spam is available on a breakfast burrito and on huevos rancheros. Lunch plates are served with your choice of a flour tortilla or sopaipilla. Lunch burritos can be ordered as hand-held or smothered with your choice of red or green chile. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>10 January 2020<\/strong>: Burgers are a popular choice at Santiago&#8217;s where seven different burger choices are available (fourteen if you order them with double meat). Burgers are served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard and mayo unless you request otherwise. In New Mexico, the <strong><em>green chile cheeseburger <\/em><\/strong> is sacrosanct and Santiago&#8217;s version doesn&#8217;t take a backseat to many. It&#8217;s an excellent burger, one recommended to me by my friend Bill Resnik. <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53302\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53302\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-53302 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 750px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 750\/531;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"531\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 750w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?size=128x91&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?size=256x181&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 256w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?size=384x272&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?size=512x362&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago06.gif?size=640x453&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salsa and Chips<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">If it&#8217;s been a while since you&#8217;ve had a burger you have to hold with two hands, this one will do the trick. It&#8217;s a tall and thick burger, but you can&#8217;t attribute its height to the mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions that come standard on each burger.\u00a0 The beef patty is hand-formed and thick. \u00a0 It protrudes beyond the lightly toasted bun and is about four inches tall should you order a double meat burger.\u00a0 It&#8217;s prepared at somewhere between medium-well and well done. \u00a0 There&#8217;s a generous amount of chopped green chile, too. Though it&#8217;s not especially piquant,\u00a0 it has a great flavor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>1 November 2014: <\/strong> Across the Land of Enchantment, no visit to a New Mexican restaurant would be complete without our beloved <em><strong>salsa and chips<\/strong><\/em> which, contrary to the clickbait site Mental Floss is <a href=\"http:\/\/mentalfloss.com\/article\/570234\/most-popular-condiment-each-state-mapped\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>New Mexico&#8217;s favorite condiment<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 By far!\u00a0 Santiago&#8217;s salsa and chips are memorable.\u00a0 Two types of salsa are delivered with each order, one a green chile-based salsa with a little bit of bite.\u00a0 The other is based on red chile though it leans toward an &#8220;orangish&#8221; hue (perhaps a little cream is added).\u00a0 It&#8217;s not especially piquant either, but has a very interesting, very good flavor.\u00a0 The chips are made on the premises.\u00a0 They resemble elongated Fritos corn chips without the salt.\u00a0 They&#8217;re crisp and delicious with just enough width to be used as &#8220;scoop&#8221; mechanisms for the salsa.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53305\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53305\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-53305 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 750px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 750\/589;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"589\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 750w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?size=128x101&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?size=256x201&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 256w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?size=384x302&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?size=512x402&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago09.gif?size=640x503&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two tacos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>1 November 2014<\/strong>: The Santiago&#8217;s legacy was largely built on tacos so it stands to reason that the restaurant&#8217;s tacos would be quite good. They are! Served on homemade shells served crispy, the <em><strong>tacos<\/strong><\/em> are engorged with ground beef, lettuce, shredded cheese, small chunks of potato and a drizzle of the red chile-based salsa. The ground beef is well seasoned and not refried as some restaurants have the audacity to do. Salsa, though not necessary, gives the tacos the kick you don&#8217;t quite get from the little bit of chile. The shredded cheese doesn&#8217;t appear to be the standard out-of-a-bag Cheddar, but longhorn Cheddar which is a higher quality, more delicious cheese.\u00a0 Santiago&#8217;s tacos are in the &#8220;overstuffed&#8221; category, full of the great fillings that make for great tacos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>1 November 2014<\/strong>:\u00a0 Though you may have your heart set and your mouth watering in anticipation of your favorite Santiago&#8217;s entree, when you get to the window where you place your order you&#8217;ll invariably be tempted to order the day&#8217;s special.\u00a0 Such was the case when my friend Bill and I visited on a cool November day.\u00a0 The day&#8217;s special was a <em><strong>beef and bean burrito<\/strong><\/em> topped with melted shredded cheese, two dollops of guacamole, onions and the chile of your choice.\u00a0 Few things in life are as satisfying as a simple beef and bean burrito, but the addition of guacamole elevates everything it touches.\u00a0 Neither the red or the green chile are especially piquant, but they do the job well.\u00a0 That job, of course, is to impart the unique flavors that loudly proclaim &#8220;this is New Mexico.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53303\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53303\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-53303 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 750px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 750\/479;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"479\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 750w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?size=128x82&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?size=256x163&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 256w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?size=384x245&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?size=512x327&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago07.gif?size=640x409&amp;lossy=2&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bean and Beef Burrito with Guacamole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">By any other name, Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill would still be a popular family favorite. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill<\/strong><br \/>\n1911 Eubank, N.E.<br \/>\n<strong>Albuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong><br \/>\n(505) 292-8226<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.santiagosalb.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Web Site<\/strong><\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SantiagosNewMexicanGrill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>LATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 10 January 2020<br \/>\n<strong>1st VISIT<\/strong>: 30 September 2014<br \/>\n<strong># OF VISITS<\/strong>: 3<br \/>\n<strong>RATING<\/strong>: <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Very Good<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Good to very good food; generally solid; delivers consistent quality, strong technique, and a comfortable, enjoyable dining experience<br \/>\n<strong>COST<\/strong>: $ &#8211; $$<br \/>\n<strong>BEST BET<\/strong>: Green Chile Cheeseburger, Tacos, Burritos, Chips and Salsa <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Act II, Scene II of Romeo and Juliet, the immortal soliloquy &#8220;what&#8217;s in a name&#8221; is uttered for the first time. In business, the power of a name in branding a company is everything. A name can either attract or repel customers. Ralph Liftshitz, for example, didn&#8217;t think his birth name had enough panache to succeed in business so he changed his name to Ralph Lauren. Today, the Ralph Lauren brand is synonymous with providing quality products and creating vibrant lifestyles. The power of a name in branding a restaurant can make all the difference in the world, especially in ascribing the quality of authenticity. A Middle Eastern restaurant named &#8220;Bob&#8217;s Kebabs&#8221; would certainly not fare as well as&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,112,141,5631],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-new-mexican","category-new-mexico","category-very-good"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Santiago&#039;s New Mexican Grill - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Santiago&#039;s New Mexican Grill - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In Act II, Scene II of Romeo and Juliet, the immortal soliloquy &#8220;what&#8217;s in a name&#8221; is uttered for the first time. In business, the power of a name in branding a company is everything. A name can either attract or repel customers. Ralph Liftshitz, for example, didn&#8217;t think his birth name had enough panache to succeed in business so he changed his name to Ralph Lauren. Today, the Ralph Lauren brand is synonymous with providing quality products and creating vibrant lifestyles. The power of a name in branding a restaurant can make all the difference in the world, especially in ascribing the quality of authenticity. A Middle Eastern restaurant named &#8220;Bob&#8217;s Kebabs&#8221; would certainly not fare as well as&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-10T18:49:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-04T00:56:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago08.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill &#8211; Albuquerque, New Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-10T18:49:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-04T00:56:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433\"},\"wordCount\":1175,\"commentCount\":8,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/Santiago08.gif\",\"articleSection\":[\"Albuquerque\",\"New Mexican\",\"New Mexico\",\"Rating: Very Good\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433\",\"name\":\"Santiago's New Mexican Grill - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/Santiago08.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-10T18:49:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-04T00:56:05+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/Santiago08.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/Santiago08.gif\",\"width\":750,\"height\":540,\"caption\":\"Enchiladas from Santiago's\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=34433#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill &#8211; Albuquerque, New Mexico\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico&#039;s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.  1,522  Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\",\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Gil Garduno\"},\"description\":\"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/%20\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Santiago's New Mexican Grill - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Santiago's New Mexican Grill - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"In Act II, Scene II of Romeo and Juliet, the immortal soliloquy &#8220;what&#8217;s in a name&#8221; is uttered for the first time. In business, the power of a name in branding a company is everything. A name can either attract or repel customers. Ralph Liftshitz, for example, didn&#8217;t think his birth name had enough panache to succeed in business so he changed his name to Ralph Lauren. Today, the Ralph Lauren brand is synonymous with providing quality products and creating vibrant lifestyles. The power of a name in branding a restaurant can make all the difference in the world, especially in ascribing the quality of authenticity. A Middle Eastern restaurant named &#8220;Bob&#8217;s Kebabs&#8221; would certainly not fare as well as&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433","og_site_name":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2020-01-10T18:49:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-04T00:56:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":750,"height":540,"url":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago08.gif","type":"image\/gif"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill &#8211; Albuquerque, New Mexico","datePublished":"2020-01-10T18:49:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-04T00:56:05+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433"},"wordCount":1175,"commentCount":8,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago08.gif","articleSection":["Albuquerque","New Mexican","New Mexico","Rating: Very Good"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433","name":"Santiago's New Mexican Grill - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago08.gif","datePublished":"2020-01-10T18:49:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-04T00:56:05+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago08.gif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Santiago08.gif","width":750,"height":540,"caption":"Enchiladas from Santiago's"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=34433#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Santiago&#8217;s New Mexican Grill &#8211; Albuquerque, New Mexico"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico&#039;s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.  1,522  Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization","name":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf","name":"Gil Garduno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","caption":"Gil Garduno"},"description":"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/%20","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nmgastronome\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34433"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78974,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34433\/revisions\/78974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/53304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}