Joy Godfrey
The Po-Mi, crispy fried Asian chicken meatballs with peanut sauce on hoagie roll
The Second Street Brewery that opened in 2012 in the Santa Fe Railyard felt like a godsend—a downtown iteration of beers and better-than-average bar food from a long-loved local haunt. But as it turned out, we hadn't seen anything yet. Enter Second Street's newest location, a sprawling 20,000 square-foot warehouse space in the post-burgeoning Siler Road area complete with a larger brewing facility, site-specific menu options from chef Milton Villarubio III, and a full-on stage and sound system for live music. The good ol' neighborhood vibe remains, and it's not unusual to strike up a chat with your fellow drinkers and diners while sampling new items like the olive plate ($7) or the corn maque choux (an $2.50 Cajun mélange of corn kernels swirling with sugar and spices). You can still find the burger ($9) and bratwurst ($11) with the side of your choice, but additions like the Cuban sandwich ($12) and bacon-wrapped Rufina dogo ($9) seal the deal. This place is already slammed, so if ever there were a question about whether Midtown Santa Fe knows how to do it, let Second Street's "newery" location be the answer.
2920 Rufina St., 954-1068
Lunch and dinner daily; brunch Sundays
Twitter: @SecondStBrewery
Instagram: @rufinataproom_secondstreetbrew
