Ben Michael's is a place to go if you aren't in a hurry; he does almost all the cooking/serving himself most nights. He's an eccentric and entertaining guy and the food is good. He tries to use organic ingredients when he can, and will be delighted to take you on a tour of the house that became his restaurant. Margaritas are strong and dangerous. Live music on some weekends. read more

Ben Michael's Restaurant - Taco plate, guacamole, and chef's special salad - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Read the reviews - they are all true, and describe Ben Michael's and Ben himself. It's a really different dining experience, but it's awesome. No menu, Ben tells you what today's specials are, chips and salsa is just ok, but the pulled pork my wife had and my chili relleno I had were excellent, with a wonderfully smokey flavor. Ben himself is really enjoyable, a wonderful guy with a great philosophy and story. Note - it's cash only. read more

This is probably one of the worst dinner experiences I've ever had. The service was absolutely terrible, I'm assuming it must've been Ben the owner that was serving us. I wondered whether he was on drugs, he was extremely rude and had zero manners. He kept calling me "bro" and blurting out the F word. No menus were provided, we had no idea on pricing, and could barely understand what was being served. The organic salad supposedly picked from his garden consisted of unpleasant bitter greens and the chile relleno was well below average. He got angry when we didn't leave a tip and we bolted the hell out of there. Extremely disappointed. Avoid at all costs! Would leave zero stars if possible. read more

This place is AHMAZING!! Organic products, great choices (no set menu, the specials change daily), ridiculously delicious flavors! AND we got serenaded by Ben on the piano, was so lovely!!! read more

Wandered in on a whim while in the Old Town area of Albuquerque. Very unique atmosphere, when we walked a gentleman was playing the piano. He turned out to be our waiter and chef as well. Although a beer and wine establishment, they also had Margaritas. And boy were they good! Not sure what the were made from, but the flavors were truly sublime. We had the pork cushion hugged by a blue corn tortilla. We will be back. read more

Ben Michael's Restaurant - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

In town from Dallas. This local joint is awesome. Tons of unique character, local flavor, delicious food, and live music.

If you are looking for a wonderful off the beaten path experience be sure to head to Ben Michael's. Ben is chef, server, musician, and host extraordinaire. You are greeted as you come in -- don't be surprised as there are no menus. Ben comes to each table and provides you with the selections for that day, usually 4 or 5 choices. Ben has his own garden on the premises that he uses for all the herbs and salad makings for the dishes he prepares. Everything is fresh. His lovely wife will take your drink menu. They serve beer wine and margaritas. The atmosphere is very casual and if Ben has time he will explain how he built the restaurant over a three-year period with his own sweat equity. I had the chille relleno and my husband had the pork cushion, for dessert we shared the best flan we have ever had. The atmosphere of is more like going to someone's home for a casual evening of good food and conversation than a restaurant. Be prepared for a real delight. read more

Stopped in here after a bike ride. Owner who also served us acted as if we were intruding on his day. Food did not make up for the unwelcoming atmosphere. read more

Great homemade New Mexican food, local ingredients, fascinating chef and owner. I recommend you try this place and dine with the locals a short walk from the Plaza. read more

Ben Michael's is a quirky, unique restaurant with delicious food. Very friendly place, hand built. The owner told us numerous historical stories and played the great-sounding Baldwin piano when we finished dinner. The menu is very limited, maybe 6 dishes, given orally, with no prices. Pork was very tender and flavorful. The zucchini fresh, a tasty side. If you go, be sure to order the flan. It is excellent. Beer was cold, water wasn't. We really enjoyed our evening. read more

It was a very awkward experience. You are basically walking into some guys home that opens it up as a restaurant. You are eating what he wants to cook which is probably going to be some form of enchiladas. I come from a New Mexican family and can tell you that he most definitely cuts corners and that the ingredients taste more store bought than made from scratch, especially the chips and salsa. I felt like I was imposing and didn't feel all that welcome, he was a lot nicer to the women that I was with though. If you're from out of state and want to talk to a loca New Mexican who seems a bit lonely and wants to tell you his life story you'll love this place. He's paranoid of banks so plan on going on a mission if you don't roll with cash. The pricing is very comparable to other really good New Mexican restaurants but the quality of food is not. If you're looking for good authentic New Mexican food you're better off going to High Noon, Los Cuates, El Patio, Sadies, Monroes, Casa Benavidaz, Ortegas, El Pinto even Garcias or Gardunos is better. read more

What this place offers Burque is unmatched. From the Wed. night Jazz Jams to the red chile, props to grandma....pura familia, history, community. Food IS love at Ben Michael's. We are missing it during the COVID 19 epidemic. First place I'm going when the restrictions are lifted! read more

Slow and unaccommodating. Extremely limited menu (chicken enchiladas, hamburger, and chili rellenos) chips were clearly from the grocery store (Tostitos is my guess) we were told we couldn't have green chili, even though it was an option on the menu. We ordered the papas appetizer "smothered" in red chili. I almost felt like I was on kitchen nightmares and I was chef Ramsey. The potatoes were abnormally sized undercooked chunks with a tiny bit of cheese and barely any chili. I tried a single bite. All three of us got the chicken enchiladas (very small portions for what we paid) Decent flavors but I was expecting to be wowed considering all The amazing reviews. The food could have been hotter as well! And They weren't even rolled up like enchiladas!! I was so confused. Owner told us we could only use one credit card since he doesn't work for the government or some non sense. Nice guy though...AND nice ambiance with the live jazz musicians read more

What a cool litlle place this is. A bit off the beaten track, it was a good find on a warm Saturday. When we arrived, there was only one person waiting tables and while we had to wait a bit to put in our order, once the food did arrive it was popping hot and delicious. They used fresh garlic and other goodies from the garden. And yet, the best part was getting sernaded by our host. He is a crooner fan and knows how to play them on the piano. Thank you for a great late lunch! read more

For what Ben Michael's Cafe is, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the homey nature. The establishment had some major flaws however that have been touched on by other reviews, but perhaps not in a way that made sense to me personally before I went so I'm writing my own. The business/service side of this restaurant is not a priority to the owners/people in charge (are there any?). That is okay for what it is: a neighborhood hangout where almost everyone knows each other and is welcoming to newcomers. I dig that. Our server was incredibly inexperienced for being in a service position (the young girl pouring waters would have done a much better job). He referred to every menu option as "really good," even though it was clear that he had not tried one of the options he served us. He awkwardly dropped water on our table and proceeded to wipe it off with his hands. He forgot little things (like silverware, side options, pen for the check) even thought we were one of three tables in his section (spaced out over two hours). Not a huge deal. Bad day, whatever, I get that you can forget little things sometimes. We chose the ceviche to start, but our server wasn't sure if it was available. Ben Michael was at an adjoining table eating with friends so our server went over to ask him about the ceviche. Not super professional, but it's a neighborhood joint. Our server informed us that they were out of the ceviche but we could try the cucumber salad, before he can finish an unknown who is eating with Ben Michael comes up from behind and encourages us to try the cucumber salad. Sure, we say. Why not. My bf asks for the Carne Adovado, which they do have. I ask for the Chile Relleno and am told they are out of Chile Relleno. Our server tells us they are out of chicken as well (in general), in fact they only have beef (and I guess, Adovado?). I ask for Beef Enchiladas with papas on the side. BF asks for rice. Server checks with the kitchen and informs us they are out of rice. lol. The "cucumber salad" arrives fairly shortly (heard there were long waits at this place, but we had fairly average wait times for our food). It is half of a large, under-ripe cucumber cut in thick slices served on a small plate with barely any chili pepper sprinkled on top and two thick slices of lemon. I'm from LA and know what this dish is supposed to look like, and this is a kindergarten snack rendering of it. Still no silverware at this point, he comes back after the request with silverware and some gross sauce (my best guess: veg oil and cheap balsamic) that he douses the cucumbers in because he forgot to do so before he served it to our table. We later find out this dish cost $7.95. Our full plate entrees were $10. The pricing just made no sense. We felt like we got totally screwed over. My papas are forgotten and I get the default squash. At this point, I'm guessing getting papas is going to be a stretch, so I didn't say anything and just ate the squash. It's not that the food is just bland or whatever, which it was, although my bf's burrito was okay. It's that this isn't actually a restaurant in the business sense. This is your neighbor Ben who makes okay food and lets you sit in his backyard while you eat it. And that's totally fine, I have friends like Ben and they are awesome. The service is just way too weird for this to be considered any normal understanding of a restaurant and they should be ashamed for charging us 8 bucks for a few slices of cucumber drenched in vegetable oil. 2 stars for atmosphere, fun neighborhood vibe, and a cool jazz band playing. TL;DR Kind of a rip off, strange service, bland food, cool vibe read more

Well I'm impressed. I punched in a search for Mexican restaurants, and found this little jewel right off of Hywy 40 in AL BQ, NM. I walked in and Ben met me at the door. It had charming atmosphere with Tony Bennett playing over the audio. He then proceeded to bring me me out to his garden in back to pick fresh ingredients for the salad. The food was great! I'll be back. read more

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Incredible food!! Simple New Mexican dishes prepared extremely well with quality ingredients! Cheers to the Chef and thank you for the warm welcome and great service! read more

This is the kind of place that has become such a rare find in an era of fast food and chain resaurants! Ben Michael's Cafe is an old house built in the 1940's that the owner (Ben Michael of course) added on to which is now the seating area. Very rustic and cozy. On Fridays he has Jazz players from the local college and or the local community playing. I have also on occassion seen him have song writers in there and old friends of his playing the piano. If he gets a moment he will come around and visit with everyone in his restaurant and he might even play the piano. Now on with the food! One thing to know before I get going on this - he grows alot of his own vegetables!! And what he doesn't grow he tries to get off of the local markets/farmers!! Also he does all of his own cooking! Yes he cooks it all also! You don't see that too often! His tomato salad is to die for, not super filling, great lunch time meal! The Ben Michael Burger is awesome, and he has the hottest green chille that I have ever ate! Oh and get the Flawn for desert! A must for anyone looking for somethign out of the chain/fast food way of life! But no cards only cash, when asked about it he told me the fees are just too much. So instead of bumping prices he only takes cash. read more

My kinda place, real, local, organic, unpretentious and great blues on Wednesday night! Don't miss it.

A colleague and I stumbled onto this place while in town for a work conference and it is one of the most fortunate things that happened to us. The ambiance is great. Like you are at a wonderful house party of a good friend. The staff, the musicians, the other patrons all made us feel welcomed. It was a Wednesday so they had live music -jazz- with some very talented musicians. The food is amazing. I had the chicken enchiladas with some of the best rojo sauce I have ever had. The margaritas were so so good. My only regret is that we had to leave early after only o e margarita. Go here! Eat here! Try to make it on a Wednesday. read more

Fresh, locally grown food. So deep and rich in flavour. Family run, great staff. A must eat at in abq.

If you like formulaic restaurants, you will not like Ben's. If you are looking for something "different", you will enjoy. Ben was chatty and made an effort to talk to each table. The food was excellent; we had the tomato salad, cerviche and artichoke dip, plus margaritas. Ben chose a wine which was excellent. I am glad we chose Ben's in lieu of Old Town. As a bonus, there was live music, consisting of bongo drums and a guitar. A great end to our visit to ABQ, which is otherwise unremarkable. Bonus: he takes out of state checks rather than credit cards. Ask him why. read more

Can I just say that this review is from a YEAR ago, but I still rant and rave about this place to anyone who listen to my Albuquerque adventure. I vacationed in NM from Los Angeles to get away from the stifling city, and I fell in LOVE with Ben Michael and Ben Michael's. I went in the afternoon, so it wasn't packed. Ben was absolutely charming to chat with, so somehow that lead to SEVERAL delicious margaritas, after an authentic mexican dish. By far THEE BEST home-made tortilla chips I ever tasted. I AM RAVING ABOUT TORTILLA CHIPS, THAT is how good they are. Ben called me pumpkin *blush.* I could hardly blame him for the huge hangover I had the next day b/c I had SO MUCH FUN :) I went back the night before I left, and Ben was playing the piano! He saw me and gave me a HUGE smile. Then he dedicated In My Life by the Beatles to me *blush again.* What an amazing place run by an amazing and kind soul! Can't wait to get back to ABQ and visit there again! read more

Ordered a green chile cheeseburger.. The heat of the chile was good & the homemade fries were yummy. Cute hacienda setup & awesome live music. Also very interesting because the owner, Ben, is also the chef, bartender, and dishwasher. Giving 3 stars because service was slow. Overall, food was good & the experience was interesting. read more

The best thing about Ben Michael's is simply Ben himself. From the second you walk in you are treated like a friend. I was fortunate enough to stumble on his place during a one night stopover on a business trip. I was the only customer when I arrived and he chatted with me, presented me with options and told me a little bit about his restaurant. He was friendly and quick from start to finish. One of his friends and mother stopped in and I had a lovely time chatting with them. The prices were fair, the food was good, he makes everything himself and even grows some of his own ingredients. If I end up in Albuquerque again, I will make sure to stop in and visit! read more

Albuquerque ranks as the friendliest city on our cross-country drive thanks to the owner, who invited a couple of out-of-town guests in even tho' he was closed. This is a must-see location, ask about the building's history. It's across the street from the Hotel Albuquerque @ Old Town. read more

I really liked this place a lot! Been here several times now, the owner is awesome. Friendly, enthusiastic service. And, of course, fantastic music. Blues night is my favorite and they are pretty well stocked on beer and wine as well. Food is.. Not bad! But not very impressive. Will still be back again. And again. And again. And again.. read more

Truly authentic New Mexican Food. Ben Michael is so friendly and kind and makes the whole dining experience very chill. I especially recommend the chicken enchiladas with green chili! read more

Unique, wonderful ! Very limited menu but the food was terrific and the owner made the experience unforgettable. We got to listen to some piano and the he played , our 4year old hit a few keys , and we danced! read more

Great food and unique Albuquerque experience. Restaurant is made of adobe bricks, made and built my owner, cook, waiter and all-round entertainer, Ben Michael. Great experience. read more

I was on a road trip moving across country and we heard about been Ben Michaels from yelp and our airbnb host. It was most definitely a rememberable experience. When we came by there was some community leadership type event wrapping up. We went and knocked just to make sure they where closed. None other than Ben came to the door and told us, sure I'll feed you two. We had no idea what was going on but, Ben offered us what we had cooked for the other guests a nice salmon dish. unfortunately this was a common dish from where we came from and wouldn't have been our first choice. However, we obliged and it was a good dish. The best thing though was Ben hosted us himself and we had a very interesting talk with the man and his family until the wee hours. Its a experience I won't soon forget and I wish him and his family all the good fortunes in the world. read more

Friday night we thought we would try a place we had never been. We saw Ben Michaels and stopped. Small, cozy atmosphere, with a man strumming blues on a guitar. Sounds nice, right? It took a decent amount of time, over 30 minutes to get our food, so I had high expectations. There were 10 of us and the cook forgot to make 2 of the dinners. So we waited some more. Everything was overcooked and over salted. I think the owner/cook was impaired? Maybe with alcohol? He came to pick up the check, cash or check only, counted the money and went back to the kitchen A few minutes later he returned and said we owed more. He told my son "you forgot to look at the back of the check". So, to avoid an argument we just gave him more money. He counted it and returned to the kitchen. He came back to the table and said we owed more! He said we were $50 short! My son looked at the mans feet and the owner/cook had dropped a #50 bill and did not realize it. My son was growing angry and told the man to do just do his jib. Then the man demanded we tip him more. He said he deserved more than 20%. My son said no. The man then said "Get the fuck out!" So we did. It was creepy when we noticed him standing in the parking lot as we drove away wishing us a good night. Terrible place. I would never go there again! read more

An actually a real adobe building near Old Town area. I went here because it's near Old town, the food was good compare to other New Mexican establishment. Friday's they got live jazz band and owner is really friendly. However they do not take credit card, so just beware of that before you go. read more

Clean, authentic food from a good, good man. Not to mention wonderful live music. We're vegetarian and Ben made us special veggie enchiladas that were the best I've ever had which is saying A LOT. Come eat here if you want to experience something real on multiple levels. read more

It doesn't look like much from the outside. You get the impression that the guy serving the food and shuffling tables around outside (of which there is 5) is the same guy cooking the food. Nonetheless my wife and I were really impressed. We both order combination plates with a tamale, chile relleno (perfectly spicy), taco and an enchilada w/ veggies and adovada. All were absolutely amazing and around $12. Fresh and full of flavor. The meal was wonderful. I will tell you that I agree with the comment about the margarita just being tequila and orange juice though, but I still am giving it 5 stars because the food was perfect. The service was good, but we're easy to please. Great place. Must stop if in Albuqurque. read more

Lotsa fun. Ben is a one man band. Was very impressed by taste and quality of the food

Holy crap, this is the best Mexican food EVAAAARRRR!!! The beans are amazing, and the chili rellenos are the best I've ever had. And I'm from Phoenix, so I know Mexican food! Seriously though... Check this plane out. Deanna also rocks! read more

Awesome enchiladas and Ben is the best host. Chiles and enchiladas were great. Margaritas awesome. Ben broke into an impromptu piano session with our daughter. read more

After living in Albuquerque for almost 5 years, my first trip to Ben Michael's was one of the most entertaining dining experiences ever. Its a very relaxed atmosphere with great patio seating and friendly service. The food was really good; tasted healthier and fresher than most New Mexican restaurants. (As a native of Northern New Mexico, I take my New Mexican food seriously). The best part was listening to Ben Michael playing the piano followed by him setting up his telescope and showing us Jupiter's moons. Amazing! Treated us like family from the moment we walked in. Not to mention that he accommodated our party of 8 during Balloon Fiesta weekend... read more

Awesome place. Don't think enough people come to appreciate. The food is scratch. It's fresh. And it's delicious. The building itself was made by Ben Michael. Bricks. Beams. Doors. Awesome guy. Really. Come visit. read more