LOS OJOS RESTAURANT & SALOON, in Jemez Springs, is hopping on a Sunday. On the elevated stage at the front of the room, Ponderosa-based country singer Austin Van belts out a rousing cover of Alan Jackson’s “Summertime Blues.” A mostly local crowd sits at the carved cottonwood barstools ringing the bar, and every table is occupied with folks listening to the music with margaritas and bottled beers in hand.

My wife, Kathleen, and I had driven up to spend the afternoon lounging at the San Antonio Hot Springs, sloughing off the residue of a long work week and preparing for the one to come. Our jobs are not in the hardworking industries of New Mexico’s formative years—mining, ranching, railroading, logging—that spawned Los Ojos and many other saloons, roadhouses, and hotel bars profiled in this month’s “Belly Up to the Old West” feature. But at Los Ojos, green chile cheeseburgers and lively music welcome people from all walks of life to blow off some steam.

Los Ojos Restaurant & Saloon in Jemez Springs is a lively gathering spot, offering a blend of country music, local flavor, and a welcoming atmosphere. Photograph courtesy of Los Ojos Restaurant & Saloon.

Entering the former sheep-dip barn and wool exchange feels like stepping into an Old West wonderland. We grab a table near the massive fireplace that burns some 20 cords of wood each winter. The service is relaxed, and that’s okay. It gives us time to take in the place. Everywhere you look reveals some other fascination. Taxidermy—deer, pheasant, pronghorn, sheep, and bear—and rifles adorn the walls. A glittering disco ball hangs from the dark-wood vigas supporting the tin ceiling. Ristras, horse tack, spittoons, an upright piano, a black rotary phone, and a bullet hole from the 1970s all find a comfortable place to coexist as decor.

“We’re like family here,” says Monique Alton, who owns and runs Los Ojos with her husband, Nick. “That’s how we treat people.” It’s the kind of hospitality that’s helped the old haunt remain a favorite of locals and travelers alike since 1947.

As we walk out into the cooling evening air, I notice the upturned horseshoes hung on the Los Ojos porch. I think about how lucky we are to have places like this, where our rich history can be found—and where we can share a burger, a drink, a dance, and some good conversation with friends and strangers alike.

Read more: Belly up to history at these classic watering holes—where a drink and a good time often come with some lingering spirits.