Although it’s within spitting distance of Santa Fe’s busy downtown Plaza, upon entering Tia Sophia’s, you wouldn’t know it. The staff is universally friendly and accommodating, even when there’s a line out the door, and the no-frills décor and limited menu offerings make this unassuming hole in the wall seem more like your grandmother’s kitchen than a tourist destination. Still, tourists would be ill-advised to miss it. Thirty-eight years of serving up simple but expertly prepared New Mexican classics has given Tia’s its well-deserved status as a local favorite. Its breakfast burritos in particular stand out: stuffed to the brim with buttery hash browns and hearty pinto beans, then doused in chile and cheese and topped (in Tia’s signature fashion) with a fried egg, they’re guaranteed to last you until dinner. But the general excellence doesn’t stop there. Across the board, the chile is hot, the sopaipillas are fluffy, the plates are huge, and when it comes to burritos, they know how to smother ’em. What’s not to love? (AS)
210 W San Francisco St., 983-9880
Breakfast and lunch daily. No alcohol. $10-$15
Santa Fe Reporter