Restaurant in an early-eighteenth-century adobe hacienda in Old Town Albuquerque, one of the oldest residences in the city, associated with the long-running ghost story of Sara Ruiz.
2111 Church Street NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Casual sit-down restaurant; lunch and dinner pricing typical for Old Town.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Old Town adobe complex; some uneven flagstone in the courtyard.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1706 · Among the oldest residences in Albuquerque · Eighteen-room adobe hacienda in continuous Ruiz family ownership until 1991 · Adjacent to San Felipe de Neri Church in Old Town · Operating as Church Street Cafe since the early 1990s
The Casa de Ruiz at 2111 Church Street NW sits a short walk north of the Old Town Albuquerque plaza. The adobe hacienda is traditionally cited as built circa 1706 (some sources give 1709), making it one of the oldest residences in Albuquerque and among the oldest standing buildings in New Mexico. The Ruiz family lived in the eighteen-room complex in continuous family succession for nearly three centuries.
The final family resident was Rufina G. Ruiz, who lived in the home until her death in 1991. After her passing, the property was purchased and converted into Church Street Cafe, a sit-down New Mexican restaurant that preserves much of the original adobe complex including a central courtyard. The cafe markets itself on its history as much as its food, and the Ruiz lineage is foregrounded in its public materials.
The building's age, continuous family ownership, and location adjacent to the historic San Felipe de Neri Church place it among the most-cited heritage structures in the Old Town district.
Sources
According to Church Street Cafe's own published account, the building is associated with Sara Ruiz, identified by the cafe as the mother of the final Ruiz family resident. Reports describe Sara as a poltergeist figure who throws silverware, slams doors, and hides keys. The cafe's published anecdote describes a family member, Jim, who locked up one evening, could not find his keys, apologized aloud to Sara, and found the keys returned to his pocket; on leaving he said 'Goodnight, Sara' as lights illuminated unexpectedly in the front room.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the current owner has heard Sara's voice yelling at a contractor during renovations, and that tour guides advise visitors to say 'Goodnight, Sara' before leaving to avoid having her 'follow you home.' US Ghost Adventures' Old Town tour stop describes Sara as inhabiting the eighteen-room hacienda with reports of tossed silverware, moved tools, and rearranged dolls.
The legend is single-family in origin — most reports trace to the cafe and the Ruiz family's own accounts — but it is one of the most documented and longest-running ghost stories in Old Town, with the venue itself publishing and standing by the account.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Eat in the historic Casa de Ruiz adobe complex in Old Town Albuquerque. The cafe publishes the ghost story of Sara Ruiz on its website and staff are typically willing to share the lore with interested guests.
Commercial walking tours of Old Town include Church Street Cafe alongside other adobe-era ghost-story sites surrounding the plaza.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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