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    Barbacoa El Primo

    4.9 (109 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Barbacoa El Primo Photos

    BARBACOA EL PRIMO ATMOSPHERE

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

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    La gordita SO GOOD
    Jenny S.

    Came for a quick lunch and this barbacoa hit the spot!! Plenty of parking and quick service so I was in and out of there in a jif I ordered the La Gordita which is like 2 flour tortillas sandwich ingredients barbacoa and then grilled. Soo good, tender and juicy barbacoa They have a self serve toppings bar with onion, cilantro, cabbage, tomatoes, limes, 2 spicy salsas one green one red that tasted like habanero I'll be back next time I'm in town!

    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.

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great barbacoa, tacos, burritos, consume, and salsa. They moved over near Tia Betty Blues on San Mateo, not too far away.

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    3 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Barbacoa is all they have and they have the best. Not overly greasy like other places and toppings are always fresh!

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Absolutely fantastic. Loved eating at this restaurant. I look forward to doing it again when I return on a work trip.

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Just delicious. Best barbacoa I've ever had. They are very nice and the food comes out fast. Great picnic table setup.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Javier C.

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Delicious must try! There red salsa is super spicy but so delicious with the tacos. They give you plenty of tortillas with a pound ordered.

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    4 years ago

    The best barbacoa place in abq. The tacos are very authentic and they have the tasties salsas.

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Amazing. Delicious. Tacos were my fav. Driving through and stopped here because of the reviews and it lived up to the hype!

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

    The Barbacoa is off the hook very fresh and always good Ben there many times and will always go back for more.

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    Page 2 of 3

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

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    Frontier - Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

    Frontier

    4.2(2.7k reviews)
    2.3 miMidtown/University
    $$

    We stopped by Frontier Restaurant in Nob Hill for breakfast and had a great experience! I ordered…read moretwo eggs with hash browns and toast, along with an iced coffee. My husband had eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast with an orange juice. Everything came out hot, fresh, and cooked perfectly. The eggs were just right, the hash browns had a nice crisp to them, and the portions were filling without being over the top. My iced coffee was also a great addition to breakfast. Frontier is such a classic Albuquerque spot with a casual, no-frills atmosphere and really good comfort food. We both really enjoyed our breakfast and would definitely come back!

    Te gusta! TBH, NM's…read morefood scene was underwhelming during my time there, and it was pretty disappointing to get food from the hearth that was more mediocre than the stuff we get on the East Coast. We ate from the border crossing past El Paso all the way to Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. And I'm sure we missed a ton of great places, but that being said, the places we did try... yikes! We rolled the dice on this place. At first I was like, "Great, another place that is going to give us a premade tortilla and some bland combination of stuff in the tortilla..." Now look... this is not a Michelin-starred place, nor is it Michelin-recommended. It's not going to be a spiritual experience. It's not going to make you think differently about a taco, an enchilada, or anything else on their massive menu. But this place has heart, soul, and there's a lot of hustle. The tortillas are made fresh, right there behind the counter (i.e., you can literally watch them crank them out), and that makes a ton of difference. The food is honest, without pretense: fast and affordable. The ambiance is equally without pretense -- college kids, working-class folks, families, academics... The food was simple, spartan, and honest. No frills. Not extraordinary, but above average for the context. There is an ASTOUNDING amount of variety on the menu, and the combinations are infinite. I very much enjoyed my meal, I very much enjoyed the people-watching, and I very much enjoyed the experience. This was perhaps the best meal I had in New Mexico -- the cheapest, and the most memorable. If this place was a beer, it would be one of those local lager/pilsners that is as cheap as a Pabst/Coors/Miller but punches up way past the pretentious IPA scene. Thanks Frontier.

    Photos
    Frontier - Interior

    Interior

    Frontier - Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)

    Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)

    Frontier - Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

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    Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

    Herencia - Crab Enchiladas

    Herencia

    4.5(135 reviews)
    6.3 miEastside

    We were traveling from North Carolina to our home in San Diego…read more We looked up places to eat and were tired of "road trip food". We found Herencia and took a chance. We know good Mexican food, as we are from San Diego, and wanted to try the southwest fare. WHAT AN AMAZING CHOICE! The lovely hostess was charming, engaging and sweet (wish i had her name) and our waiter (Edgar) was authentic, personable and fun to chat with. We had been at a movie and had eaten a bit too much popcorn so we did not order a lot. The three of us shared the free blue corn (not fried) chips with three salsa samples. We then shared a salad and the amazingly good four taco sampler. Thank you Herencia (Enrique the owner, and staff) for this wonderful evening.

    This place as delightful! It's a nicely decorated spot with truly incredible Mexican food. We went…read morefor brunch on a Saturday and our server was amazing with suggestions on the menu and keeping the drinks topped off and checking in on us. They have complimentary bread and salsas which were quite delightful. I had the omelette de verduras which was just amazing. The eggs were cooked just right and it had lots of veggies plus came with a side of beans. They also had a lot of other good vegetarian options and verified everything with the kitchen on that front which made me feel like they really cared about making sure. Overall great experience and I will be back!

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    Herencia
    Herencia - Tacos

    Tacos

    Herencia - Costilla de Rez

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    Costilla de Rez

    El Patio De Albuquerque - Chips and salsa were fair. $4.00 for a very small serving of salsa. I would not recommend the salsa and chips for the money you are paying.

    El Patio De Albuquerque

    4.1(903 reviews)
    2.3 miMidtown/University
    $$

    My favorite meal this year. Very friendly staff and comfortable seating outside underneath a tree,…read morewith fairy lights above. We had the guacamole and salsa, I recommend mixing them together, they pair surprisingly well. A little pricey at $9.60 for the plate. For entrees, we had the green chile chicken enchiladas and carne adovada Christmas style. The latter is one of the most distinct and delicious regional dishes I've had. All entrees had really nice pairings with pinto beans, potato hash, and freshly cooked sopapillas. We chose to have the sopapillas with honey as a dessert, but there's the option to stuff them with the entree.

    This place is like a Mom and Pop hole in the wall gem. The restaurant is small. Parking is a bit of…read morea challenge. There are parking meters along the street and they are free after 6 pm. We stuck a few quarters into the meter that couldn't be read, and we walked into the restaurant. We were greeted at the door and given several options for seating including outdoor seating. We took a table in the entry way, not in the main restaurant. It was a quaint spot overlooking the patio section out front of the restaurant. A server met us, took our drink order, and we placed a few appetizer orders. We got some chile con queso, and the chicharron. They initially brought out the queso in two small plastic to-go containers. I was not very thrilled with that. Then, when we polished them off, they brought out some more in a small serving dish. Why we didn't get the dish in the first place is beyond me. The queso was good, but I didn't think much of the chicharron. My husband like it though. The server did an excellent job keeping our drinks filled. We placed our order, and it wasn't too long that our orders came out. I got the combination plate, red sauce, ground beef taco. My husband thought he ordered the enchilada plate, but the chile relleno plate came out instead. He told them that was fine. The ground beef taco was so delicious. The chile relleno was pretty good, and the cheese enchiladas were okay, even though it was like they were barely there. The pinto beans, not refried beans, were also enjoyed. What really set them apart was their papas - those potatoes were soft and super flavorful. Their red sauce was spicy and flavorful. The server brought out two fresh and hot sopapillas. We poured honey on those things bite by bite. I honestly think those were the best sopapillas I've had. I also used the restroom before we left. It might need a little updating, but it was certainly clean.

    Photos
    El Patio De Albuquerque - Nice conversion of old house

    Nice conversion of old house

    El Patio De Albuquerque
    El Patio De Albuquerque - Patio seating.

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    Patio seating.

    El Pinto - Fresh Guacamole

    El Pinto

    3.4(1.9k reviews)
    10.1 miBusiness Parkway/Academy Acres
    $$

    When visiting New Mexico, my friend took me to El Pinto, and I was extremely impressed! From the…read moremoment we arrived, I loved the atmosphere, design, and layout of the restaurant. Make sure you take the time to walk around and see the entire property--it is HUGE! It feels like you're stepping into a beautiful Spanish-style hacienda, yet it still manages to feel warm, homey, and down-to-earth. The restaurant is very spacious, has beautiful areas for events, and is also dog-friendly. We made reservations, and I definitely recommend doing the same--you NEED them! We were seated right away, and our server was attentive, friendly, and made our experience even more enjoyable. Now, the food! I loved that you can order your chile "Christmas" style and get both red and green. And FYI--endless chips and salsa! The margaritas were strong and delicious, exactly how a margarita should be. I highly recommend the chicken enchiladas. The chicken was moist, tender, and perfectly shredded. The tacos were also great, and the mole chicken was delicious. My only wish is that the menu offered a few more seafood options. Between the atmosphere, great service, delicious food, and margaritas, El Pinto was such a fun New Mexico experience. If you make it to New Mexico, El Pinto absolutely needs to be on your list of places to visit!

    Overall, the restaurant is quite remarkable. The location is unique and the interior and exterior…read morespaces are beautiful. My parents lived in ABQ for years and always thought that the atmosphere was great, but the food was so-so. However, on this instance, we all thought the food was quite good. Flavorful carne adovada, although it was a bit tough. Red chile sauce was spicy but had great flavor. The green chile sauce was hot and tasty. Posole was also good. The gold margaritas were also good - to anyone complaining about the price - at $14.50, the price is very fair considering the cost of ingredients. If you want a cheap junk margarita that is more sugar than anything else, go somewhere else! Our gripe... The place is huge and has an abundance of great places to seat guests. We had a pretty large group - 7 people celebrating a family reunion of sorts. However, they sat us right next to the bussing station that had noisy carts, dishwashers, and other distractions. It was so loud, it was hard to hear the person across the table. There were at least 10 other tables that they could have seated us at! It seems to me that this area should be used only when the restaurant is completely full. This seems to be a poor management decision rather than the fault of the servers or hosts.

    Photos
    El Pinto - Come on in!

    Come on in!

    El Pinto - Hatch Chile and Chicharrones

    Hatch Chile and Chicharrones

    El Pinto - Interior entrance

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    Interior entrance

    Barbacoa El Primo - mexican - Updated September 2026

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