Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Barbacoa El Primo

    4.9 (108 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Barbacoa El Primo Photos

    BARBACOA EL PRIMO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Barbacoa El Primo

    Recommended Reviews - Barbacoa El Primo

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    1lb of barbacoa 20 tortillas and the goodies
    Maggie S.

    Best Barbacoa in town! Last time I went it was in a Sunday before we went to the railyards. There was no wait. Quality and taste was no lost. The staff was friendly. 10/10 recommend if you are craving barbacoa. The salsas are spicy but are so good.

    Barbacoa taco - i added the toppings from their bar
    Aram K.

    This is my second time coming to barbacoa El Primo. The first time I came I really liked the tacos and gorditas and torta, so I ordered them again this time. But this time I also asked if they could make me a quesadilla, I didn't notice it on the menu; they made it for me and.. just wow . Their barbacoa meat melts in your mouth and has the perfect flavor and texture. Their green salsa has just the right kick while maintaining a high level of flavor from the tomatillos. Their cantaloupe drink is out of this world delicious. I've had their horchata before and it's good but the cantaloupe drink is my new favorite drink there. It blew my mind. Their quesadilla which seems to be a secret menu item was sooo delicious I had to buy a second one and take it home. I couldn't believe how good it was. I will say this, it's a bit over the top greasy, but the flavors and textures inside make up for that. You know how sometimes when you go somewhere the greasiness outshines the flavor of the food? No here it's just something passive, you'll notice some drops of oil leaking when you eat the quesadilla but the flavor of the food itself greatly outshines that. I also had a taco and torta and gordita which we're all good and you had to load your own toppings from the taco bar.

    Liz A.

    If you have never tried Barbacoa, this place is awesome to try them for the first time. This is the 2nd time I have had them. This place has friendly service, fast, efficient and is a clean facility. Plenty of food for one person. I ordered the half lb of meat. It came with all the fixings, plenty of corn tortillas. Reasonable prices. Give this place a try.

    James O.

    A bit disappointed Only available tacos are shredded beef , very small portions and a bit of a wait

    Tacos
    Heidi A.

    I was surprised how bare it looked without the toppings, but the sauce and the toppings made it complete. The service was quick. And the interior was very cute and fun. The tacos were really tasty, and full of flavor. I can't wait to come back!

    The pineapple horchata is so refreshing.
    Jean C.

    I can see why they were listed in the top 100 restaurants.in the SW. The meat is tender and flavorful. The pineapple horchata is amazing. The 1lb deal has tons of food. Great food and great value.

    Barbacoa Tacos with fixings
    Yuri F.

    the food is absolutely amazing for the price you're paying. The tacos are small and delicious. I just wish they were open for dinner too!!!

    Agua de horchata
    Antonio G.

    Buenisima la barbacoa. 100 recomendada y el agua muy buena. La de horchata excelente precio

    a sign for a mexican restaurant
    John D.

    One of the things I miss about South Texas is the food. Simple food with basic ingredients. Like barbacoa, a great weekend breakfast food. We would buy some on Sunday morning, take it home and eat. But that was then. After hearing rave reviews from friends and co-workers I had to find out for myself. I can sum it up in one word - wow! We decided to eat in. We ordered a pound of barbacoa and a couple of drinks at the counter. Drinks are mostly served in bottles/cans. Within minutes our food was served up with a stack of steaming hot street size corn tortillas - which ran out as we spooned the last of the barbacoa. Onions, cilantro, lime and red/green hot sauce. Red is extremely hot!!! - taste and then apply. A little went a long way. The barbacoa was delicious and considering the usually greasiness of the meat, I was expecting a large amount in the bottom of the cup. To my surprise it was almost nonexistent. ¡Simplemente La mejor!? Si!

    Barbarcoa burrito.      Flour tortilla filled with delicious barbarcoa.

    See all

    26 days ago

    Outstanding breakfast burritos. Great service and clean. Loved all the fresh chopped ingredients at the condiment bar.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jenny S.
    2235
    2994
    10355

    2 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Food great. I accidentally put top tip and they called it to my attention and fixed it. It was a take out order. Tasted like homemade.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aram K.
    1784
    412
    1356

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    I was wowed. One of the best barbacoa burritos I had this place definitely a go back. Super clean place. Service was fast and very friendly.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Extremely fast service. The food is good and pretty affordable. I ordered the torta which is just meat inside.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dee S.
    1
    38
    24

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    You know when a place only does one thing, that thing is good as hell. Enter Barbados el Primo. Salsas are fire, too!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J.C R.
    124
    47
    56

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jen W.
    5
    81
    28

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Best barbacoa I've ever had, and best restaurant I've been to in ABQ so far. A true hidden gem!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K G.
    1
    42
    19

    4 years ago

    They have moved! Great inside eating location at 1300 San Mateo. We visit every time we are traveling though! Consistently delicious!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Barbacoa El Primo Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Barbacoa El Primo

    When do you open? It looks like it's getting close?

    Barbacoa is only open from 10-3 pm No dinner time here

    View All 2 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 14,399 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd - Front of restaurant

    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd

    4.4(2.9k reviews)
    4.7 miDowntown
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Catering service

    My wife and I recently went to Cocina Azul for a weekend dinner and had a great experience. Even…read morethough we came without a reservation and the restaurant was busy, we were able to get a table in under 10 minutes. Our service was outstanding-food came out quickly and our server quickly and easily was able to accommodate some minor modifications to our dishes. We started our dinner by sharing the guacamole salad, chips, salsa verde, and salsa rojo. The guacamole was rich, fresh, and creamy, and the chips were warm, crispy, with the right amount of salt. The salsa verde was delicious; the salsa rojo was OK. I got the sample platter for my main dish; I particularly liked the brisket taco. I highly recommend going to Cocina Azul if you are in Albuquerque!

    We were looking for lunch after arriving in Albuquerque and were happy to be seated quickly when we…read morearrived. We ordered the green chile stew, fish tacos, green/red wet burrito with steak and taco salad with steak. They accidentally brought shrimp tacos instead of the fish, so we got to try those too. Everything was decent. - Green chile stew: good flavor. A little spicy for some. Liked that it was served with a tortilla. - Taco salad: got it with rice and beans. Steak was good. - Red/green wet burrito with steak: Really good flavor. Loved the combo of the sauces. Side of pozole was also delicious. - Fish tacos: the fish was nice and crispy, but I didn't love the cremas, which in my opinion are key to a good fish taco. The papas side was delish. The beans side was a bit salty. The horchata had good flavor but seemed a bit watery. The Diet Coke was good (looks like they recently switched from Pepsi since some of the menus still said Pepsi). The seating area is large. The AC was on a little high -- we had to go to the car for jackets.

    Photos
    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd
    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd
    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd - Arellana's Guaco Sopapilla Burger

    See all

    Arellana's Guaco Sopapilla Burger

    Barbacoa El Primo - mexican - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...