Market Steer Steakhouse

The story

Market Steer Steakhouse: A Modern Steakhouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico

At 213 Washington Avenue in the heart of Santa Fe, Market Steer Steakhouse redefines the American steakhouse with a distinctly Southwestern sensibility. The restaurant earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2025, a reflection of its thoughtfully curated wine program led by beverage director Tyler Rudoff, a sommelier with a background at Michelin-starred Spiaggia in Chicago.

A Return to the Land

Executive chef and co-founder Kathleen Crook grew up in Artesia, New Mexico, working her father’s farm and learning from her grandmother’s catering business. Before becoming a chef, she was a world champion breakaway roper. That rodeo discipline and deep respect for where food comes from inform every plate at Market Steer. After culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu and years in Dallas and Aspen, she returned to her home state in 2018 to open Market Steer. Her cooking marries a rancher’s understanding of beef with a modern steakhouse’s embrace of seafood, pasta, and bold technique.

The Spring Menu and the Tack Room

The kitchen leans into seasonal ingredients and layered textures. Current highlights include a Pacific Tuna Crudo with habanero aioli and seed gremolata, slow-confit Rabbit Bolognese over fresh spaghetti, and a New Mexico Lobster Bake that pairs lobster tail, mussels, and green chile sausage with blue cornbread. The Pistachio Crusted Foie Gras Torchon with cherry-mint chutney shows the kitchen’s range beyond steak.

Downstairs, the Tack Room offers a spirited happy hour from 4:00–5:30pm Monday through Saturday. The signature Grand Champion cocktail—a Wagyu-washed bourbon old-fashioned—anchors a list of $10 offerings including martinis, wines, and small bites like Trout Rillettes and Smoked Duck Wings. The room itself nods to Western heritage with Pendleton fabrics and shadow-box coffee tables displaying rodeo memorabilia.

Hospitality with Heart

Co-founder and general manager Kristina Goode brings two decades of front-of-house experience, creating an atmosphere that balances polish with genuine warmth. The restaurant is business casual and welcomes guests aged seven and older. Complimentary valet parking is available Thursday through Saturday.

In 2025, Chef Crook was selected for the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America series as one of twenty chefs representing the future of American dining—a fitting honor for a restaurant that honors its land, its team, and the people at the table.