There is one southwestern joint in town that is a must visit that's Cocina Azul. The place is…read morebeautiful, sharp clean and very new looking. They have ample seating in brightly lit areas and even patio seating. It was fun busy and alive on a Tuesday night. Our server was so wonderful, very happy and relaxed it's a sign of a good place. All the front staff were wonderful workers and seem to work very harmoniously. My coworker and I had t different things he got a smothered burrito and I got the brisket combo, both dishes were too much food for too grown men. Delicious and huge portions plus a really nice presentation. The wait was a bit long but that just means they are making everything before service. The only hard part was parking, it's a small lot so be prepared to walk a block or two during dinner rush. Trust me it's totally worth it!!!

I'm in Albuquerque for a few days. I wanted some New Mexican food so I have Cocina Azul a shot…read more East to get to and easy parking. Their 2 big things were their "chili". Everything has either red or green chili or what they call Christmas style and that's both green and red. Not on top of each other but side by side. They both were good. HOWEVER, they were spicy. Really spicy. The green Sause looked like mostly diced hatch green chilis with seeds left in. It had a good flavor. The red Sause was heavy (I think) New Mexico chilies. It had a bright red color, actually stained my fingers, and a woodsy taste. I got a comb plate. It has a chili relleno, tamale, taco, and enchilada with rice and beans. And it was good. It was a lot of food. (See pics) I'm from Oklahoma and the Mexican food there is alot different. But I enjoyed my meal. I would have licked the plate clean if it wasn't so spicy. 4/5

Ok. I was just wasting some time and saw some negative reviews about Mary and Tito's Carne Adovada…read more!! WTF !! Seriously ???!!!!! There is no better Carne Adovada in Albuquerque or in New Mexico !! You're probably some cheap ass who buys it at Kroger for 235 a pound

Most all reviews will repeat this, but be aware parking is very tight. We arrived at 1:25 pm and…read morewere happy to find two open spots. Earlier I'm sure the small lot was at capacity. Next, the entry door is no longer facing the street. It is on the north wall of the building off the entry to the parking lot. The entrance sign is just sharpie or pen on paper and very faded. Once inside this small converted residence there are two dining rooms. The first was full but there was open seating in the second. There isn't a lot on the walls so the room echoes your conversation to everyone in the room. A bit more art on the walls and the diner vibe would really make itself known. The food. The NYT recently put Mary and Tito's in their 41 best list in the US so I had very high expectations. Usually my wife and I order a single item and share the meal. This time we ordered knowing we'd have take home leftovers. I ordered the Mexican Turnover Combination with beef. This is a pastry crust folded over a combination of ground beef, rice and beans. I ordered the red chile with this. My wife ordered the cheese enchiladas with green chile, rice and beans. This came with a lot of chopped green chile, not a sauce. Overall it was ok, but the beans and chopped chile put down so much liquid it rapidly became a soggy texture less mess. My turnover was tasty and the red chile also ok but not up to the rave reviews I've heard. At this time, I'd rate it the third best red I've had in NM. (See my review for La Cocina in Espanola for my pick for best Red chile in NM- so far anyway ) Overall, I'm glad we finally got the opportunity to dine at this local institution. When we do give it another try, I'm going to follow the recommendation for chicarones and pork adovado. Actual rating 3.5 stars.

They are really great, been here atleast 5 times but yet ive forgotten to review it?!?…read more Appetizer of a Salvadorian tamale and some plantain empanadas delicious the plantain in them was like a custard. Got a cachew fruit drink 'marañón' and it was delicious (once long ago i found some past best by date juice. At a small ethnic market. Which was simialr but this is Delicious!! Along with we each got a plate of eggs beans one pupusa and plantains. Beans were interesting very smooth blending of perhaps black and aome other bean? Was delicious with the eggs and the pupusa. Last few times we got one of all the pupusas. Really good place every meal has been affordable and great!

The food is still as delicious as always! My new obsession is The Spinach & Cheese Pupusa. The…read moretamales are pretty good too. I love the ample seating and love the service. They always wait on us super fast and are super friendly. Prices are very reasonable too. This place will always be one of my favorite places to eat at least 2-4 times a month.

We've been coming here since the mid 80s. we usually the Carne Adovada and Roberto Special, tonight…read moredid not appoint. Jeff got our drink orders and the rest of dinner was everything we've come to expect which was perfection right down to the warm sopapillas.

I enjoyed the massive sopaipilla filled with shredded chicken, but I ordered Christmas with it, and…read moreit wasn't clear that I got it. I didn't see the green sauce on there. I asked for some more green sauce on the side, but the one that was brought out was still red. The sopaipilla was a little too big. The bread to sauce to chicken ratio got thrown off once you get near the middle of it with a ton of chicken. Still a good meal, though.

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.

I love the black cherry jelly infused pickles fried in blue corn!!!!!!!!!…read more with ranch dressing I love these and if I am in the area again I will come back just to buy these!!!!!!!! One of my favorite dishes in Albuquerque NM!!!!!!!

In the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the Indian Pueblo Kitchen serves foods from or inspired by…read morethe pueblo culture of New Mexico. Just because it is in the IPCC don't think the food isn't good. I would come to the Indian Pueblo Kitchen even as a stand alone location. Every dish has an inspiration from Pueblo cuisine. For example, horno bread with the stews, indian tacos, and the pies are prepared as a Pueblo would. This time I had the indian taco. Quite tasty and the bread soaks up all the flavors from the toppings. The pie isn't overly sweet. All good. Enjoy local native flavor here.

If I could give 10 stars, I would! Excellent food in this family owned restaurant. We were…read moregreeted and seated quickly. Their plates are huge. We decided to order from the à la carte menu otherwise we'd be asleep after the meal. Staff were super sweet. We got the chicken and beef enchiladas. It comes with comp chips and salsa and sopapillas. You have your choice of red or green sauce. I chose both. Service is quick. Prices are modest. Food is delicious. Both sauces are homemade. The green sauce is especially good. In fact they need to bottle this and sell it. If I could, I would lick the bowl! Cash or check only. Closed on the weekends. Shared lot parking.

If you're looking for authentic New Mexican cuisine, Padilla's is the place to go. Very casual and…read morewelcoming mom & pop restaurant. I ordered the enchiladas and long and behold they were served flat as a traditional New Mexican staple. Layered with cheddar cheese and smothered in their incredible green chile sauce. The sauce is easily the star of the dish. It's rich , flavorful, and just the right amount of heat. Instead of chips and salsa, my meal came with fresh sopapillas, and they're far from an afterthought. They came out warm and fluffy and absolutely delicious. Just one quick tip, Padilla is cash only so be prepared.

We haven't be here in a long time, when we were not used to New Mexican food, so we were hesitant…read moreto come back. Had family in town and gave it another try. So glad we did, it was a great experience for a large group. There were 8 of us and no complaints, that is always a win! The food is delicious, definitely very New Mexican though, so make sure that is what you are wanting. There was a long wait time for a table, which is typical for a Friday night most places. The food came out fast and are good portions. Service was amazing: quick, correct, were on top of drink refills, to go boxes and bags, and great teamwork and energy from staff.

We decided to sit at the bar and enjoy drinks and dinner. They make some great margaritas on the…read morerocks. When they ask if you want green or red sauce on your enchiladas, don't fall for the green sauce is milder. Ask for the sauce on the side. I got green sauce on my pork enchiladas and had to get some guacamole to keep my tongue from burning up. The Carne Adovada is excellent. Very flavorful pork.

NEW INFORMATION: WE WENT TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT ON JUNE 11TH AND JUST POSTED THIS REVIEW. SEEMS THEY…read moreCLOSED PERMANENTLY ON JUNE 30TH. THE REVIEW REMAINS VALID BUT THEY ARE OUT OF BUSINESS. Sometimes the newspaper gets it right. A nice review in the Albuquerque Journal enticed the boys from the VA Creative Writing Group to venture along 4th Street, NW, to a relatively new eating establishment. Everyone tried something different, and everyone wants to come back. Good food. Order at the counter. Nice tchotchkes (good ambiance). Just click on the following YouTube video link and listen to us regale you with our report. https://youtu.be/rNc5bUgLwc8?si=0PjbEM_I4ivF_t80

It's great to have additional dining options along 4th Street in Los Ranchos, and Lavender Cocinita…read moreis a welcome newer addition for breakfast and lunch. I stopped by for lunch and found the menu offered a nice variety of choices. I ordered the Los Ranchos Turkey sandwich with homemade chips and a Lavender Iced Tea. Both were flavorful, and the homemade chips were an unexpected treat. The iced tea was ready right away and was a refreshing complement to the meal. My sandwich arrived about 24 minutes after ordering, which may have been due to the lunch rush. Including tip, lunch came to about $30. While the price point felt a little high for the overall experience, the quality and flavor of the food helped balance that out. Overall, I enjoyed the food and appreciate having another locally owned option in the neighborhood.

Yummy food, great drinks and an AMAZING STAFF. Go dine with Jessica OR visit Lydiana & Taylor at…read morethe bar!

10/10! We stopped for dinner at Char on our drive from Colorado to California, and were blown away…read moreby the food and the service! Cody took incredible care of us, giving great recommendations for food and drink. He made us feel well taken care of, and has a great sense of humor. We're both still talking about the meal days later, and now we have a reason to come back to Albuquerque! If you love good food, good drinks, GREAT waiters, and a meal that's also an experience, you have to go to Char!