The Earth Oven in Taos, New Mexico, stands as a unique culinary establishment that marries the traditional earth oven cooking techniques, deeply rooted in Native American, Spanish, and Middle Eastern cultures, with a distinctive Middle Eastern twist. This innovative dining experience pays homage to the ancient method of earth oven cooking, a practice cherished for its ability to infuse dishes with rich, smoky flavors and tender textures. By incorporating Middle Eastern culinary influences, The Earth Oven introduces patrons to a fusion of tastes and traditions, offering a menu that is as diverse as it is flavorful.
Hours
| Thursday | 5–8 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–3 PM, 5–8 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–3 PM, 5–8 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–3 PM, 5–8 PM |
| Monday | 5–8 PM |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 106 Des Georges Pl, Taos, NM 87571
Phone: (575) 751-7344
Website: https://www.taosearthoven.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
As for the food — while the presentation was nice, the overall taste didn’t quite live up to the hype. I’m a big fan of Mediterranean cuisine and have had some wonderful meals elsewhere, so expectations were naturally high.
The fattoush salad, was extremely tangy, which should have been balanced and refreshing, the balance just wasn’t there, and we could barely finish it. The lamb shawarma had more of a brisket-like texture — shredded , where it is supposed to have crisp exterior and juicy that typically makes shawarma shine.
The lamb shank, often the showstopper in such menus, and it was beautifully cooked — tender and well-marinated — but unfortunately, the sauce poured over it overwhelmed the flavor of the meat. It was overly tangy and took away from what could have been a great dish.
The one thing we truly enjoyed was the hummus with pita bread, which was smooth, flavorful, and satisfying.
Overall, it’s a nice place with good service and potential, but the food didn’t quite meet expectations on flavor balance.
1. We made the necessary reservation and then arrived at a virtually empty restaurant. There was a sign that said to seat yourself – but that’s unusual when you have a reservation so we entered and told the host we had a reservation. He said, “oh, that doesn’t matter, just sit wherever you want”. We sat inside and after a few minutes, no one brought a menu; we saw some near the door and got our own. We were brought glasses of warm water that were never refilled during our visit.
2. After some delay, we ordered the special for two which is two appetizers, two salads, two entrees (far too much food for two people, our fault – but we were disappointed that the waiter didn’t bother to warn us the size of the servings). We chose the shish-taouk chicken, the earth oven beef, the fattoush salad, Lebanese lentil soup, hummus, & beets tahini.
3. First .. instead of serving us in customary order (appetizer, salad, then main course), our food was all brought to the table in one overwhelming slam. When we commented, the waiter replied, “yeah, sometimes they all come out at once”. Our expectation of a fine dining experience vanished at that moment. The chicken was underwhelming and extremely dry. The beef was horribly infused with the flavor of lamb (I am assuming they are cooked in close proximity), and I hate lamb so it completely ruined the meal. Additionally, as shown in the picture, it was a pile of fat chunks, quite obviously a cheap and fat-laden cut of beef. The hummus was generically acceptable but very thick and impossible to scoop with what seemed to be grocery store quality pita bread. The lentil soup was served lukewarm and, while the flavor was nice, was completely cold and off-putting in minutes. Had it been presented as a single dish prior to the main meal, it may have tasted better warm. The salad was served with so much dressing (which was quite sweet tasting) that the lettuce was literally floating. My husband muttered “salad soup” more than once. The beets with tahini were good enough, as was a lemonade spritz drink. (Back to the entree: I asked the waiter if the beef was cooked with the lamb and he said they were cooked separately. I then suggested that it seemed that they were cooked in close proximity such that the steam from the lamb could easily
infuse the beef and he said, “yeah, probably”.)
4. The waitstaff kept walking out to serve the folks seated outside and leaving the front door standing open so, we dealt with flies around our table and on our food.
5. While there were only about five tables occupied with small parties (four tables of two, one of four), the three-person waitstaff was extremely harried and rushed and we waited almost 15 minutes to get someone to bring our check. We complained about the almost all-fat beef dish and were given a 20% discount.
We are usually willing to give an establishment a second chance but there was nothing we can imagine that would be redeeming about this place, so we won’t be back. As New Mexico residents it’s a shame that our first night of this visit to Taos was marred by this experience because we are faithful returning customers when we find a great place.
Heed the bad reviews – this place is not worth your hard-earned money.
The photos are the whole spread served at once, the plate of fat served as beef, and the remnant of the soup-salad.
The service was disorganized, many menu items were unavailable, and the waits were excessive. On our first visit, we waited so long that we eventually left without ordering. We gave it another chance the following night and ordered takeout instead. We were told it would be ready in 30 minutes, but it took an hour. By the time we got home—just a short drive away—the food was cold and underwhelming. The portions were small for the $60 price tag, leaving us even more disappointed.
Sadly, I won’t be returning. For the time, money, and effort, it simply wasn’t worth it.
Some of our quotes while eating:
“This is bloody delicious”
“Best meal I’ve had in a long time”
“I’m going to be thinking about this meal for months”
“Can’t stop eating”
“Amazing flavours”
My friend ordered the earth oven beef and I order the mushroom shawarma. Both were out of this world good. Friendly service and reasonable prices to boot.