Santa Fe Steakhouse 107-18 70th Road, Forest Hills 718.459.4040 You’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a set for a Western movie when you visit Santa Fe Steakhouse in Forest Hills. You’ll find lots of pine wood booths, tables and a rustic bar in the spacious dining room. Murals of desert scenes and Western memorabilia, including authentic tomahawks and Native American clothing adorn the walls and complete the themed interior. There are even real cactus plants, so don’t touch!

The fast, friendly service and generous portions of great food make Santa Fe Steakhouse an ideal place for families and friends to dine. In fact, kids 12 and under eat free on Saturdays and Sundays before 4 p.m. with the purchase of an adult entrée and there’s an Early Dinner prix fixe special as well. Manager and operator Danny Bach personally guarantees the freshness and quality of the USDA choice steaks, ribs and chicken, and fresh fish and produce are delivered daily. Danny pointed out that everything from the guacamole to the desserts is made fresh on the premises, and one taste will prove it.

Enjoy one of their signature margaritas, made frozen or straight up, utilizing a variety of fresh fruit such as mango, strawberry, peach and banana. Choose from 22 different beers, all of which complement the hearty, down-home food perfectly.

Start your meal by grazing on some of Santa Fe’s fantastic appetizers. Plump Apache coconut shrimp are breaded by hand in a delicious coconut batter, then fried crisp and golden brown. A zesty dipping sauce comes on the side ($8.95). The Santa Fe rib sampler is a great way to try their awesome ribs. These lean baby back ribs are slow cooked for hours and basted with an outrageous barbecue sauce. The meat just falls off the bone with only a little coaxing from your fork. You don’t even need to pick them up, though you’ll want to get every savory morsel of meat off the bones ($7.95). You can also order these delectable ribs as an entrée, in half rack and full rack portions ($16.95/$19.95). Santa Fe’s Wild Onion is something a whole table of diners can enjoy. An enormous, sweet onion is deep fried in a crunchy batter so everyone can pick off sections and dip them into the wonderful accompanying horseradish sauce. Coyote quesadillas can be filled with Monterey jack cheese, chicken, grilled shrimp or lobster, as you desire, all perfect for sharing. I hear the fried calamari is excellent too ($6.95).

From the flaming grill in the open kitchen come tender steaks, ribs and chicken. That evening, a special 20-ounce “cowboy” steak on the bone was offered. (Hat not included!) The menu offers their signature prime rib, slow roasted the Santa Fe way, a 14-ounce rib eye that melts in your mouth, and a thick center cut San Antonio strip steak ($18.95). If you haven’t eaten for three days, try the “Trail House” steak: 20 buttery-tender, savory ounces. The Santa Fe version of surf and turf combines sirloin steak wrapped in bacon with two stuffed lobster tails for just $19.95. The Santa Fe Steakhouse guide describes every stage of doneness, from rare to well done, so there are no surprises—the way you order it is the way you get it.

Their delicious ribs can be ordered alone or paired with some of their original chicken recipes, such as Sierra chicken. A tender, boneless chicken breast is cooked on the fire and served with plum wine sauce and grilled pineapple. Sagebrush chicken is flame broiled and smothered with mushrooms, bacon and two kinds of cheese. Of course, there’s traditional back yard barbecue chicken, a half chicken basted and slow-cooked in Santa Fe’s famous sauce and served with homemade corn bread. All these great entrees come with choice of garden or Caesar salad, a freshly baked individual loaf of bread and choice of baked white or sweet potatoes, French fries or sweet potato fries or seasoned steak fries or Southwestern rice, which is especially flavorful.

There’s something for everyone at Santa Fe Steakhouse, even if you eschew meat. I loved the blackened, boneless catfish topped with pico de gallo, flavored with freshly chopped cilantro ($15.95). A fresh, 10-ounce fillet of River Bay salmon is broiled to perfection and served with a light honey lemon glaze. It’s fun to make your own sizzling fajitas. They can be ordered with grilled vegetables, shrimp, steak or chicken. Veggie burritos, barbecued beef burritos and enchiladas provide other tempting options. The kids’ menu starts at just $4.95.

There’s always room for dessert, and you won’t want to miss Santa Fe’s famous hot Mexican apple crisp, chocolate chip cookie sundae or Mexican fried ice cream. The coffee is as robust as the entrees.

Everyone will have a great time at Santa Fe Steakhouse. They’re open seven days a week and all credit cards are accepted. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 4 to 11 p.m. for dinner only, Saturdays from noon to 11:30 p.m. for lunch and dinner, and Sundays from noon to 10:30 p.m. for lunch and dinner. Private parties of up to 30 people can be accommodated. Santa Fe Steakhouse will even deliver to your home Sundays through Thursdays. Visit Santa Fe Steakhouse for great steaks, ribs, chicken, fish and Southwestern specialties.