What a local gem. This out of the ordinary place made our date night in the middle of a business trip. My husband and I had delicious yet spicy enchiladas, a fresh salad from Ben's garden out behind the restaurant and decadent home made flan for dessert. All while enjoying a lovely jazz band that night and don't forget the awesome margaritas! We left feeling as if we'd just enjoyed a home cooked meal with an old friend. This place is one of a kind and an experience you will never forget. read more

When it comes to fresh, what beats growing it out back? When it comes to homey, what beats having Ben open the door? And the music and food. Right on. read more

The food was really good. We had the pork enchilada, garden salad and the flan. Everything was perfect.

This is unlike any place I have ever been. If you are set on a regular, in and out, straightforward dining experience, this is likely not your cuppa tea. My husband and I showed up, knocked on the door, and Ben Michael let us in. I had the best margarita of my life. The menu was small with a few specials. The food was like eating at someone's home. Ben Michael, some other patrons, and I discussed local politics and healthcare. I left the restaurant very intrigued by my experience. Thanks, Ben Michael. I love what you have going on. read more

Friendly, family run, quirky, festive, fantastic margaritas...no mix used here! Everything is fresh, homemade, local, organic when possible, and prepared with care and served with a genuine and sincere personal touch. Michael, when not cooking, or squeezing lines for our margs, played the piano. The atmosphere was festive, relaxed, and upbeat. A must if you enjoy a little out of the ordinary, great food, great drinks, great atmosphere, great service, ander a personal touch from someone who is passionate about what he does. read more

Check your 'vibes' when entering. If anything feels off, walk away. I don't doubt most of the positive reviews at all on this restaurant, but when we walked into an empty restaurant on a Tuesday and the owner was at a table looking downcast, we should have run the other way. Later, after looking at the minority negative reviews, we realized that we had the same strange service they had received. It was an uncomfortable evening meal for us which could have been avoided if we had entered when the owner is usually upbeat. read more

Stop reading this review, don't ask questions and just go. It wasn't just a meal, it was an unforgettable experience. We yelped looking for dinner before heading to the airport. We had dinner, it was delicious but that was only a small part of what made our night special. Don't expect the norm and enjoy :) read more

Ben Michael's was kind enough to host our wedding rehearsal dinner a few weeks ago, and our guests were treated to a unique, homey, New Mexican dinner experience. We served steaks (gigantic, juicy rib eye steaks) and stacked green chile chicken enchiladas, both of which were delicious. The calabacitas was great also, a nice New Mexican touch for our guests, most of whom were from the Northeast. Ben Michael even sat down at the piano and serenaded us for a bit! Our experience was as comfortable and relaxed as sitting down at our own dinner table, without the cooking and cleaning up! read more

The Yelp gods led to us to this magical restaurant, where Ben himself picked mint from his garden for our tea...cooked our organic food...made up a song about our family and played it on the piano...gave us a tour of his garden and let us eat peas off the plant...had all my kids playing his drums...and showed us an inspirational YouTube about nuclear fission. This restaurant is an act of pure love: He even hand-made the wall's bricks himself. They were also the best salmon tacos and flan I've ever eaten! What I love about travel: You can never predict where memories are made. What was supposed to be a "quick lunch break" during the science museum visit turned out to be the highlight of our visit to Albuquerque. If you come to NM, eat Ben's flan!!! read more

Had dinner there last night we got there at 6 o'clock no one else was there I was a little nervous however Ben met us at the door welcomed us in took our orders served our great margaritas wonderful authentic homemade Mexican food with a great personality we will be back next time we are in Albuquerque unique place Rudy Hitt read more

Very good quality food and the Flan was great. We did not realize they did not take credit cards, luckily I had cash. Oh there was no written menu so didn't know the prices until we got the bill. Prices were very reasonable. read more

Excellent! Great flavors and terrific, interesting conversation with the owner. Well done! I'll be back.

Had lunch here. A bit odd an experience if you are not prepared for it. No written menus, small selection, monastic choir out of the speakers. Cash and checks only. I probably would enjoy it more on the second visit. BUT the food was outstanding. It is the sort of food that one could flatter oneself that one would cook at home if one really knew how. One can tell the ingredients were top notch. Got fresh arugula from the garden to top it off. Thank you! read more

Best restaurant experience I've ever had. Great food and margaritas, but the hospitality was the amazing.

Highly recommend this place for anyone who cares about quality. Fresh picked organic greens from the garden, organic beef and organic chile grown by the owner. We started talking And Ben gave me a bag of chile seeds. Great guy. The menu is small but the food is fantastic. Authentic New Mexican faire emphasizing fresh local ingredients. read more

Interesting atmosphere, Ben will make you feel at home.. As if you are sitting in his kitchen. Had sardines and mexican cheese for an appetizer, and the salmon with rice for an entree. Food was cooked perfectly, great flavor and fresh ingredients. What more can you ask for? read more

This place is great. Come here! He built this place with Adobe himself! And he makes organic salads with vegetables he grows in the garden out back. I've never been anywhere like this. It's great. He's great and fun to talk to. If I ever come to New Mexico again I'm bringing friends here read more

We revisited this location this week on Wednesday hoping things had improved since my last visit 2 years prior, sad to say they haven't. The only draw was the jazz music which I love and if I could find the open jam session elsewhere I would be there. The music is now played on the south side of the establishment in an enclosed patio area. This solved some of the cramping sound issues from the north side of the building inside spilling over to the open patio. The downside, the tables were a mixture of wrought iron or severely weathered wooden tops that added nothing to the atmosphere by being unbalanced or splintered. We tried to check the menu before hand was frustrating as nothing available on the web and their Facebook page has not had a post since 24 July 2012. (Why have social media page if you are not going to use it?) The menu is extremely limited to salsa or guacamole chips/bread + oil/sardines with cheese as appetizers Main menu items include enchiladas/rellenos/ or an organic burger. A salad option exist. Still a beer and wine license but even the beer selection is missing as some common beers listed were not available. Service...3 man staff at the time we seated (including the owner). We sat down with less than 12 people in the place and could not get water till after the basic drinks and chip appetizer. (even though two other parties who came after got their basic items and orders ahead of us). The service kept us from wanting to try anything else on the menu. Getting the check, was also a frustrating. Literally it took us asking three times and 12 minutes to get the check. They did not tabulate the bill until you go to leave looking at the table and asking you what you had. A broken process. read more

Very disappointing. The pork tacos had no flavor. The corn shells had a soggy, tough texture. The margarita was very weak. I will never eat here again. read more

A fantastic find near Old Town....fantastic enchilladas, chile rellenos and friendly service. Even though it is on a major street, the cozy decor and ambiance help you forget that. My party of 3 went there early on a Sat night when there weren't any other patrons, so the service was great--really sweet server and we were entertained by Ben's stories about the restaurant and him playing a few tunes on the piano. Loved that the salad came from his garden. Yes, it's a little quirky, but that's what I like about it---NOT Olive Garden or some kind of rubber stamped predictable atmosphere! I highly recommend going there whether you live in ABQ or are visiting. read more

Best meal I had in Albuquerque! organic and freshly picked arugula flowers! Fabulous Margarita and authentic New Mexican food

Absolutely delightful little place. The decor is fantastic and genuine, the food is good and homemade-style, and even meals like enchiladas are well balanced. Really a wonderful discovery! read more

Ben was a great guy but the food was lack luster. My burger was over cooked, the papas undercooked, and the hair in my food didn't lend anything to the taste. No to mention it took 1 hour for the burger to reach my plate and I had to remind him that there were supposed to be papas. If not for the ambiance and Ben himself I would have given this place 1 stars. read more

This place is just weird. I was hoping for a delicious and unique experience. I suppose it was unique, as Ben won't leave you alone and seems super cracked out (what does he sell in that pharmacy, anyway?). It was definitely not delicious. The margaritas reminded me of those Bud Light Limearitas. The chile rellenos seemed like they were heated up by being broiled or something. They were weirdly burned and crispy on top, with all signs of sauce burned off. There were a few spots that were cold, almost frozen. The chicken enchiladas weren't heated up all of the way. I hoped I wouldn't get sick and just tried to get out of there as soon as possible. But Ben just keeps yapping away. read more

While the restaurant has a nice vibe and the owner is really cool, we felt the food was overpriced for what it was (chicken enchilada and zucchini enchilada, both $14.95). The food was okay, more spicy than any other flavors. Disappointed in the amount we paid for the food we got. read more

Great experience! This is more like going over to the home of a great host than it is eating at a restaurant. The menu is small but delicious, and the patron is wonderful. When we ordered mint tea, he went to the back to pick the mint and brewed a delicious beverage. He interacted pleasantly with the guests and even played a little ditty on the piano. A unique and memorable meal! read more

We went on a Wednesday night and they had live music (I believe they do every Wednesday). What an awesome experience! We sat on the patio, ate a delicious and fresh leisurely meal and enjoyed the band. The ambiance here is great, very casual, and the food was great, authentic but not too heavy. The margaritas were also outstanding. I would definitely visit if I were in Albuquerque again. read more

This was a really good spot for A relaxing laid-back lunch. The owner/chef gave us just 4 specials to choose from we tried two of them and they were delicious read more

Ben made us all feel like family. The food was tasty and a great example of excellent New Mexican cuisine.

If you're looking for a "chain" restaurant feel then this isn't for you; but, if you're down for ordering the tapas of the day and for having some of the best homemade Mexican food you've ever had then by all means stop in. Awesome guac, awesome rellenos, awesome margaritas like nothing you've tasted, and the live music friday night is great, too. read more

After spending a couple hours in Old Town, we stumbled upon Ben Michael's thirsty and hungry. To our disappointment, we arrived at the restaurant an hour before they opened. While waiting a sweet lady carrying a bag of fresh eggs, walked up and asked if we wanted to eat, we kindly told her the restaurant was closed and we were leaving. She replied, "Ben Michael is my son, COME IN! She ushered us to the patio under a nice tree and brought us water and Sprite for my kids. Even though they weren't open yet, she insisted that we order and eat. They have live music on Wednesday nights and wished we could have stayed longer to enjoy the talented Jazz band. While eating, our dear new friend held and entertained my 4 month old baby, danced with my 6 year old son and told stories to my 4 year old daughter. The food was the freshest around, all organic and much of it comes straight from Ben Michael's garden nearby. I had the chicken quesadilla, my wife had the chicken salad and my kids had the huge plate of nachos. The food was AMAZING!!! If we are ever in ABQ again, this will definitely be a place to visit. Thank you for the delicious food and all around hospitality. read more

This is truly a fun and exciting place! Mike is awesome and the food is the best I've ever had in New Mexico. We were there on a Wednesday so we enjoyed live jazz. It was incredible! I love this place!! read more

What a great place! After traveling from Chicago on a cross country trip to California, my husband and I were looking for some good New Mexican. This is the place! Restaurant was closing when we arrived but Ben Michael welcomed us in and proceeded to cook us a great meal! Will definitely be back read more

This is our special place and Ben is a great guy. Great food, fun atmosphere and no pretensions. Sometimes you have to be patient if it's crowded because the service can be, well, eclectic. read more

This place was charming---not in a white-tablecloth way, but in the way a crazy neighbor who invites the best people and makes great food is goofy and charming. This establishment is clearly a labor of love for the owner who is as important a feature as the adobe walls and tile floors. And the strong but small margaritas. And the really good food. And the trouble figuring out how to get in. Live music (blues Tuesday) and birthday cake? Nothing about this experience was off-the-rack ordinary and an exquisite way to wind down after a few selfies at Walter and Schyler's house. read more

Ben Michael was a great host, chef and piano player! Fun evening, unique experience and delicious! Could have drunk margaritas here all night! read more

Ben is the most kind, talented, and genuine chef/restaurant owner I've met. Not just in the ABQ but anywhere I've experienced. If you are looking for a scratch made organic New Mexican cuisine in a down to Earth environment, please visit Ben's establishment! Ben goes above and beyond to offer the best experience and the best flavor in the ABQ. This will be my go to place from this time forward. read more

My first at this hot spot was in April 2012...Listening to local musicians playing jazz while spending time sketching them. I've been numerous times since then and enjoyed the outside patio in the rear of this place. Ben is a down-to-earth nice man who makes everyone feel at home. The beers are nice, the veggies are straight from his garden. I was there on March 16, 2017 celebrating my birthday. The cuisine is worth it...get there for jazz and dancing under the stars on Thursday nights. As far as I'm concerned his place and his great personality makes this place special 10 star spot. Ben Michael's!!! read more

Good food and atmosphere. Meals are made with organic, locally sourced ingredients so the selection is based on what ingredients are currently available. The server is the owner, who is friendly, welcoming, and fun to visit with. Great traditional southwestern feel to the restaurant. Lots of fairy lights are draped around the patio and inside the restaurant. Large back patio with plenty of room for a small wedding or reception. As others said, it's a small restaurant so be prepared for your meal to take a while. In the meantime, enjoy a glass of home brewed tea. read more

They were out of everything!!! Diet soda, chips, rice, carne adovada.. and the list continues. It was so hot and the service was so slow. We were there over 20min before anyone took our drink order. read more