Fire and Hops

Only open for a little over two months, Santa Fe gastropub Fire and Hops has already stirred up a lot of excitement among locals and tourists.

Owners Josh Johns and Joel Coleman met in 2010 while employed at different Santa Fe establishments; Coleman was chef at the now defunct Koi Restaurant and Johns managed Second Street Brewery. Back then, the two friends had joked about opening a gastropub together. By early 2014, the joke had become a plan and Coleman and Johns embraced it to pursue their dream.

After Coleman found himself back in Santa Fe following several years in California, he and Johns revisited their earlier musings and didn’t waste any time setting their plans in motion.

Once they secured the restaurant’s location, a charming 107-year-old house off of North Guadalupe Street, the two were off to the races. As Johns describes it, “Everything just lined up…financials, the space…”

Fire and Hops officially opened its doors on August 4 and has been going strong ever since. According to Johns and Coleman, the gastropub fulfills a demand in dining options that they believe was unmet in Santa Fe.

Johns, who has a background in brewpubs, manages the front of the house operations, while Coleman, with years of fine dining experience, is the restaurant’s head chef. Coleman says that the differences in their careers has created “the perfect marriage” for the restaurant – an eatery where patrons can get quality food made with a lot of love in a casual, friendly environment at reasonable prices.

The majority of the items on the Fire and Hops menu feature in-house creations with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. There are several classic pub dishes with a twist to include a unique take on fish and chips, a poutine with green chile and bacon, and pork spare ribs served with a milk stout mustard.

Having lived in Hawaii for fourteen years, Coleman showcases his natural affinity toward Asian flavors: Chiang Mai sausage with red curry, sauerkraut and spaetzle; chicken wing confit with pickled celery and kimchi ranch, and a green papaya salad with dried shrimp are just a few examples.

Larger plates are priced at $12-$17, but there are also snacks available for as low as $3-$5.

For the beverage menu, Johns and Coleman focus on offering beers from smaller, up-and-coming breweries from New Mexico, Colorado, California and Oregon though there are some international brews that hail from England, Belgium and Germany. Fire and Hops also offers wine and an ample selection of ciders.

The restaurant makes all desserts in-house including their own ice cream and sorbet. Expect to see a few new, hearty menu items available in the coming weeks, as well as the addition of fall and winter seasonal beers.

The restaurant features a bar, two separate dining spaces and an outdoor patio. Parking is available to Fire and Hops patrons at the Bert’s Burger Bowl lot and next door at Constellation Sound after 5:00pm Monday through Saturday and all day on Sundays. There is metered parking available every day off of Jefferson Street, which is free on Sundays. Fire and Hops also offers a bike rack.