Restaurant in Santa Fe, United States
Casual pizza, no fuss, solid value.
Back Road Pizza is Santa Fe's go-to when you want a break from New Mexican cuisine without sacrificing neighbourhood warmth. Easy to book, casual in dress and tone, and focused enough on its craft to justify the detour from the city's chile-heavy canon. A practical, low-stakes choice that delivers on its single-minded premise.
If you're choosing between Back Road Pizza and a New Mexican spot like Sazón for dinner in Santa Fe, the decision comes down to what you want from the evening. Back Road Pizza operates on 2nd Street in a city where chile-forward, regional cooking dominates — and it holds its own by doing something most Santa Fe kitchens don't prioritize: focusing squarely on pizza craft. For explorers who want a break from the New Mexican canon without leaving the city's casual, neighbourhood energy, this is a sensible and easy call.
The feel here is low-key and neighbourhood-facing — think more corner pizzeria than destination dining room. The ambient energy runs relaxed rather than charged; it's the kind of room where the noise level stays at a comfortable conversational pitch, making it a better pick for groups who want to actually talk than somewhere like a packed downtown bar strip. It's not a place you go for atmosphere drama. You go because you want pizza done with some intention, in a city that mostly asks you to eat posole and tamales.
Santa Fe's dining scene rewards the curious eater , venues like Bouche Bistro, Bodega Prime, and 229 Galisteo St all carve out distinct identities in a market that punches above its size. Back Road Pizza earns its place in that company by staying focused. A pizzeria that tries to do too much tends to do nothing well; the narrower the premise, the more technical execution matters. That's the right framing for evaluating this kitchen.
Booking here is easy , walk-ins are a realistic option, and you won't need to plan weeks ahead the way you might for tighter reservation slots elsewhere in the city. It's a practical choice for nights when plans come together last-minute. For a broader sense of where it fits in the Santa Fe eating picture, our full Santa Fe restaurants guide has the context you need, alongside our guides to bars, hotels, wineries, and experiences across the city.
If you're the kind of traveller who maps out meals the way others map out museums , comparing Le Bernardin tasting notes or tracking what The French Laundry is doing seasonally , Back Road Pizza is deliberately at the other end of the spectrum. That's not a criticism. It fills a gap in Santa Fe's lineup, and it does so without pretension. Worth knowing before you go: this is a casual, accessible venue. Dress casually, expect reasonable pricing, and arrive without a complicated agenda.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back Road Pizza | Easy | — | |
| Santa Fe Bite | Unknown | — | |
| Harry’s Roadhouse | Unknown | — | |
| Sazón | Unknown | — | |
| Paper Dosa | Unknown | — | |
| The Pink Adobe | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Most neighbourhood pizzerias at this level offer gluten-free crust options and vegetarian pies as standard, and Back Road Pizza on 2nd St fits that pattern. Call ahead if your restriction is severe — the kitchen is small and cross-contamination policies vary. Vegan and dairy-free requests are worth confirming directly before you go.
Go with whatever the kitchen is putting forward as a specialty or seasonal build — that's where corner pizzerias like this tend to show their best work. Avoid overloading a pie with toppings on a first visit; a simpler order usually shows the dough and sauce quality more clearly. If the menu runs to New Mexico green chile as a topping, that's the local signal worth following.
Same-day or walk-in is the likely format here — this is a neighbourhood pizza spot on 2nd Street, not a tasting-menu destination requiring weeks of lead time. Weekends may see a short wait, so arriving early or calling ahead on a Friday or Saturday evening is sensible. If you need a specific time for a group, a quick call on the day should be enough.
Back Road Pizza sits at 1807 2nd St, slightly removed from the main tourist drag in Santa Fe — that's a feature, not a flaw, since the crowd skews local and the vibe is relaxed. Expect a straightforward, low-key room rather than a polished dining experience. It works well as a no-ceremony dinner option when you want something grounded rather than destination-level.
Casual clothes are fine — jeans and a t-shirt are appropriate at a 2nd Street neighbourhood pizzeria like this. There is no case for dressing up here; the setting does not call for it and overdressing would be out of place.
Bar or counter seating at a spot like this depends on the physical layout, which is compact given the 2nd St address and format. If bar seating exists, it's suited to solo diners or pairs rather than groups. Confirm when you arrive or call ahead if counter seating is your preference.
Small groups of four to six are manageable at most neighbourhood pizzerias in this format, but larger parties should call ahead — the space at 1807 2nd St is not set up for big bookings. For a group dinner requiring a private section or guaranteed seating, Back Road Pizza is a lower-certainty option than a larger Santa Fe restaurant. For groups of eight or more, The Pink Adobe or Harry's Roadhouse are better-suited alternatives.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
