Restaurant in Santa Teresa, United States
Big wine list, small-town New Mexico steakhouse.
Billy Crews Dining Room in Santa Teresa, NM is an American steakhouse with one of the most serious wine programs in southern New Mexico — 2,300 selections, nearly 10,000 bottles, with many options under $50. Food pricing stays under $40 for two courses, making it the region's strongest case for a value-driven special occasion dinner.
Billy Crews Dining Room is a serious steakhouse in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, with a wine program that punches well above its geography. If you are driving out to 1200 Country Club Rd expecting a regional curiosity, you will be surprised: nearly 10,000 bottles in inventory, 2,300 selections, and a list with genuine depth in California, Bordeaux, France, and Italy — all at pricing that skews toward accessibility, with many bottles available under $50. For a special occasion dinner in the El Paso border region, this is the room to book, and booking it is easy.
Owner and wine director Billy Crews has built something specific here: an American steakhouse where the wine list is the headline act. Chef Juan Carmona runs the kitchen, serving lunch and dinner on an American and steakhouse menu priced at the lower end of the spectrum — a typical two-course meal comes in under $40, which makes the overall value equation difficult to argue with. General manager and sommelier Bernie Rocha oversees both the floor and the cellar, which gives the wine service a coherence you do not always find at independent restaurants in this price tier.
The wine inventory is worth dwelling on. At 9,899 bottles across 2,300 selections, this is not a curated short list padded with crowd-pleasers. The strengths in California and French regions suggest a program built for serious wine drinkers who want something to talk about over a ribeye. If you are celebrating an anniversary, a business milestone, or any occasion that calls for a bottle worth remembering, the cellar here gives you real options at real prices , a rarity in southern New Mexico.
Billy Crews Dining Room is at 1200 Country Club Rd in Santa Teresa, NM 88008 , a suburban address that requires a car. Booking is direct given the venue's scale and location; walk-in availability is likely outside peak weekend hours, but calling ahead is sensible for parties of four or more, especially if you want time with Bernie Rocha to work through the wine list. Lunch and dinner service means this works for a business lunch or a longer celebratory dinner, and the price point keeps the bill manageable even if you commit to a serious bottle. For more on dining options nearby, see our full Santa Teresa restaurants guide.
On the question of takeout and delivery: this is a steakhouse with a 9,899-bottle cellar and a sommelier on the floor. The experience is built around table service, wine pairings, and the kind of pacing that does not survive a to-go container. If off-premise dining is your priority for a given night, you will lose most of what makes this room worth the drive. Reserve a table, give yourself time, and let the wine program earn its keep. For other ways to spend time in the area, our Santa Teresa experiences guide, bars guide, and hotels guide are useful starting points.
Compared to the broader American fine-dining tier , venues like The French Laundry in Napa, Addison in San Diego, or Frasca Food & Wine in Boulder , Billy Crews plays a fundamentally different game. Those rooms are destination tasting-menu experiences with price tags to match. Billy Crews is a working steakhouse with a wine list that happens to be extraordinary for its setting. If you are weighing a regional splurge against a drive to one of those marquee destinations, know that Billy Crews is not trying to compete on cuisine ambition , it competes on value, accessibility, and the depth of its cellar.
Within the El Paso border corridor, the combination of a 4.3 Google rating across 558 reviews, sub-$40 food pricing, and a sub-$50 entry point on hundreds of wine selections is a practical argument that is hard to dismiss. For wine-focused diners who want a serious bottle without a serious food bill, this is a more sensible choice than driving to a $$$$ tasting menu. For those planning a special occasion with a group that includes non-wine-drinkers, the steakhouse format keeps everyone comfortable. See also our Santa Teresa wineries guide if wine is your primary draw to the region.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Crews Dining Room | WINE: Wine Strengths: California, Bordeaux, France, Italy Pricing: $ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Selections: 2,300 Inventory: 9,899 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: American, Steak house Pricing: $ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Billy Crews:Owner Wine Director: Billy Crews Sommelier: Bernie Rocha Chef: Juan Carmona General Manager: Bernie Rocha Owner: Billy Crews | — | |
| Le Bernardin | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Lazy Bear | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Atomix | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Atelier Crenn | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Benu | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
This is a steakhouse at the $ cuisine price point in suburban Santa Teresa, so dress expectations lean casual to business casual rather than formal. A jacket is unlikely to be required, but jeans-and-sneakers may feel underdressed given the serious wine program. When in doubt, aim for neat casual and you will fit the room.
The wine list is the reason to come here: 9,899 bottles across 2,300 selections, with particular strength in California, Bordeaux, and Italy, and many bottles priced under $50. On the food side, this is an American steakhouse, so lean into the format and order accordingly. Ask sommelier Bernie Rocha for a pairing recommendation — with a list this size, guidance helps.
The address — 1200 Country Club Rd, Santa Teresa, NM 88008 — is a suburban, car-required location, so plan your route in advance. The wine list at nearly 10,000 bottles is the headline act, and the cuisine pricing sits at the $ tier, meaning food costs are accessible even if you spend up on wine. Owner Billy Crews also serves as wine director, which means the list reflects a specific, personal point of view rather than a generic hotel-style selection.
Yes, with the right expectations: this is a steakhouse, not a tasting-menu destination, so it suits occasions where a long, wine-focused dinner with classic American format feels appropriate. The wine list — 2,300 selections, strong in Bordeaux and California — gives you real range for a celebratory bottle without the triple-digit minimums you would hit at a comparable fine-dining room. For anniversaries or birthday dinners where the wine matters as much as the food, it works well.
Santa Teresa is a small community on the New Mexico-Texas border, so dining alternatives are limited locally — El Paso, TX is the nearest city with a broader restaurant range. If the wine program is the draw, no documented alternative in the immediate area matches a 9,899-bottle inventory. If you primarily want a steakhouse without the wine depth, El Paso offers more options across multiple price points.
A steakhouse format at the $ price point is generally comfortable for solo diners, and the accessible food pricing means you can spend your budget on a serious bottle from the wine list without the bill becoming punishing. The venue serves lunch and dinner, so a solo lunch is a lower-stakes way to experience the wine program for the first time. No counter or bar seating details are documented, so call ahead to confirm seating options.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
