This was not our first choice. There is a Vietnamese place a few doors down that we were excited to try, but it was closed. Rather than driving to another place, I suggested giving Cielito Lindo a try. I had seen it grow over the years, so I figured it must be okay. It was packed inside! We were seated in an enclosed patio-type room. Due to the size of our group, we were seated at a high table, with incredibly sturdy tall chairs. (Being a bigger man, I appreciated that these tall chairs were heavy and well-built!) Our gorgeous waitress was quick to bring us menus and explain a few things to us. She took our drink and food orders quickly. There was music playing, but it wasn't too loud. Our table was near the bar, but only one couple was seated at the bar. Food came out in waves. My niece and her husband both ordered ceviche. They got their orders last. My mother and sister got tacos. They were served first. I ordered milanesa and it came a few minutes after the tacos. Portion sizes are much bigger than I expected, especially considering the prices were cheaper than pretty much any other similar restaurant in the area! This is Mexican food, not New Mexican. I love NM food, but I live in California, so I am used to Mexican food. This hit the spot. Salsas were good. Beans were delicious. I was so full! My niece and her husband loved the ceviche and announced they would return for more another day. My mother and sister didn't finish their orders of tacos, so they ended up taking lots of food home. Where everything fell apart was trying to pay the bill. I realize they were busy, but our waitress simply disappeared. We were seated by the kitchen and we could see in. She went in and didn't emerge for 20 minutes. I tried flagging down anyone to get the bill. Finally the bill came. I tried to pay her but she was carrying food to a table and didn't come back for another 10 minutes. That was incredibly frustrating. Good food. Decent atmosphere. I think maybe next time, I will ask for the bill right away, so I can leave soon after finishing my meal. read more

Been here way more times than I can count - this time I brought my best friend with me and she Loved it. So far everyone I have brought with me here loves it. So my best friend had the chile relleno breakfast and she kept raving about how good it was and she loved that they give you "sopita" to start off your meal with. She said it reminded her of her young days back in Cali when she used to cross over to Mexico to eat. I had the tacos de alambre on their homemade flour tortilla and they were absolutely Amazing as always. We both had Aguas De Melón and as per usual they were Delicious. This place never disappoints with their food, service or prices. They are still the Most Affordable place to eat the most delicious Mexican homemade meals. Highly recommend read more

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One of our favorite local places. There is a location on the west side as well. The location on San Pedro only sells alcohol, but the food is amazing at both. Authentic Mexican food and always has great service. read more

Amazing plate and service, honestly very nice staff and Mexican food, went here for years and it got better with the recent renovation read more

Cielito Lindo - Shrimp plate - Seafood Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I wish they had wine. If they did, we'd go more often. Food is good, service is good. They do have beer. read more

The taste of the tacos I ordered were great and the service was amazing. I even ordered some to go as well

I eat here at least 2-3 times a week. I'm white and I'm as country as it gets. The staff treat me great, and the food is delicious. I have never had a problem being seated or served. They know what I want when I walk thru the door. The Tampiquena. Hold the chips and the tortilla's and bring the meat, beans, rice, guacamole salad and cheese enchiladas with the Chile Toreado. It is absolutely delicious. it comes with a small bowl of onion soup with noodles that it awesome, along with some salsa that is HOT but good. I love this place.I'm going to miss it when I head back to Texas in a week or so. read more

Nomas le doy una estrella porq no se puede dar menos. Llegamos más de una dos antes de cerrar y nomas estaba una muchachita y un señor trabajando. Tengo el presentimiento que nuestro mesero también era el cocinero porq la comida se tardó bastante para no estar nada de ocupados.... Pero todo el momento que estábamos ahí se la pasaron limpiando creo terminaron de limpiar antes de cerrar yo también soy mesera so aguanto mucho antes de quejarme primera ves en mi vida que no dejo propina.... No gasten su dinero aquí... Just leaving a star because you can't pick anything lower. Got here 2 hours before closing and I think only a young girl and an older guy were working. For a sec I even thought my waiter was the cook because the food took so long to come out lol. But they weren't busy enough to stop cleaning in front of us the whole time lol I think they finished cleaning before they even closed I'm also a waiter so it takes a lot for me to complain so imagine that. Also this is the first time in my life I don't leave a tip.. don't waste your money here... read more

Cielito Lindo - Fried fish that was gummy and chewy... I ate all the popcorn shrimp only in thing..the "pasta" in the menu is just mayo, no salt. - Seafood Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Would've loved to eat here but after sitting down and looking through our menu we never received drinks and then heard the group of staff just standing around talking about us in Spanish. Had lots to say about us while also having the audacity to complain about slow business. Maybe don't assume your customers don't speak Spanish and then call them names behind their back. We just got up and left. Save your money for a place that will actually value your money and time. read more

I had lunch at Cielito Lindo yesterday with my lady friend and we had the nicest time EVER! We both ordered margaritas and they were delicious. I would've loved a fruity blended margarita but these were just fine and they had the perfect amount of tequila. I ordered the fish ceviche. The fish was fresh and flavorful. The portion was generous. My friend had.......you know what? I enjoyed my lunch so much I can't remember what my friend had. I do remember she was just as happy as I was. We both loved the salsa, chips and queso that were served before our meal. The service could not be beat either. Our waiter was charming, competent and very efficient. We sat on the patio which was shady, breezy and had a nice view. I'm looking forward to trying many of the other menu items. I will most definitely be coming back. read more

Great service! Great seafood!!! Hard to speak English in this establishment, so brush up on your Spanish!

The food is delicious! Great service. I recommend this restaurant if you are a lover of sea food. Comfy seats, great place to eat!

Carne Asada PlateMuy buen servicio y excelente comida. El plato de alambrada para 2 es mi favorito

This place has a nice atmosphere it's very clean and very cute however the food on the menu is not as pleasant as I dreamt about I haven't been to New Mexico several years and the Relleno I received was very squished in covered and dripping in lard- Sadie's has great Rellenos this is not a paid review I'm just giving my honest to God opinion- I will never eat there again and I believe they Me to change the fryer grease because it seems like it's been sitting there for weeks and probably has old toe jam & pocket lint- Good luck to folks over there who do you have a good experience read more

Cielito Lindo - The disgusting grease soaked all over my plate - Seafood Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I think this is the first time I've seen "Tamal" at a restaurant. I've seen plenty of "Tamale" before. Does that make Cailito Lindo more authentic? Maybe, but I'll say the current 3-3.5 star rating is about right. I did get the Tamal dish and was glad I didn't upgrade to the Tamales by taking the option to add another. I'm not glad because the food wasn't any good. The reason is, one was plenty. In addition to the tamal, there were two eggs, beans, cheese, potatoes, and the standard assortment of vegetables. They also brought out chips with red, green, and cheese sauces for dipping. Finally, they brought out four flour tortillas for the two of us. My Tamal dish was $6 so that's a lot of food for the money. Why the 3-3.5 star rating then? It's mostly about flavor and overall quality of the food. Everything was decent but nothing stood out. The tamal was a bit dry inside but the flavor was there and the green chile sauce on top helped. I got the breakfast version of the enchilada player on another visit. It was good with the egg and green chile on top. Added chicken for extra protein. All in all, there are some better food options in the area but I'd go back for some reasonably authentic Mexican cuisine at a decent price. read more

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After reading the reviews, Considered not trying this spot. So so glad we did!! My sister and I both had the Maripossa (not sure if that's right lol) -- grilled fish topped with shrimp and seafood served with baked potato and mixed steamed veggies along with flour or corn tortilla. WONDERFUL!! We both could only eat about half... and a skinny girl I am not!! The melon water, which they make on site along with pineapple and horchata, was possibly the most delicious thing I've ever tasted!!! Will most definitely bring hubby and my grandson back!! read more

Food was ok. Green bell pepper still had sticker on it after it was cooked. Weird. Owner took it and was like sorry. Spice was off on the food. It was just ok. Not worth eating if you only have time to try one restaurant in the area. I would keep looking. Next time I am in town, I will try something else for sure. I just hope I don't get sick. read more

I have had dinner twice and breakfast once. I like the food and the service. I highly recommend this place.

The only good part about our meal was the tortillas chips and salsa. It took 17 minutes to get 1 Michelada and 40 minutes to get our meals. The owner walked in looking like she partied all night with her friends, to which she prepared FIVE Micheladas to go in addition to picking up her food. Our food sucked so bad, and so did the service. read more

One of the best Old Mexican food restaurants in the Burque. Their carne asada is AMAZING, along with many, many other dishes. I could spend hours telling you how about the many excellent meals I ate here and how much I love this place, but just go there and find for yourself. AMAZING food! read more

I love this place! The staff is friendly, and our food was served very fast. The atmosphere is clean, and enjoyable with the fountain in the middle. I ordered the beef tacos, and the meat was not dried out, and the shell was so crunchy and appeared to be freshly made. read more

Hard to pronounce name but who needs to pronounce the name when the food speaks for itself! Excellent food and good service! Highly recommend oysters prepared.....delicious!!! Atmosphere feels great with a nice wait staff. As you walk in you see Mexican art and antiquities nicely done. Recommended as a nice place for lunch or dinner. read more

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Really good spot for Mexican. The mole is my favorite, but you can't go wrong with anything of the menu, plus you're supporting local!!

So much right with this place! Food's divine. Service is stellar! Chatting with our server was pleasant addition to the wonderful dining experience. Deshebrada tortas were huge...and divine. The star is the #red sauce served with chips before you even order...they should bottle that and sell it separate...Best red Chile sauce EVAH! I almost forgot the ceviche tostada...my daughter's first ceviche. It's good, and fresh. read more

Food is overcooked and mostly fried and overly priced. Do not eat here. Service is at minimum mediocre. Barely attentive waitress. My drink glass was never refilled during the course of my meal which included horribly overcooked shrimp empanadas read more

I LOVE this place. It's not pretty, it's not fast, it's not even that friendly, but it's real. It's simple. It's authentic. Their mexican rice is the only rice I'll eat. Their sauces are just right. It's inexpensive, family oriented and just plain good. Plus, they have the best seafood menu anywhere in New Mexico. Don't know how they do it, but they do. Try it, you'll like it. read more

Was not a great experience - Service was slow - food was average - Mole was a little too sweet for my taste. The Hot sauce was boring. The Pork options were limited. The meal came out cold but I was in a hurry and ate it anyway. It made me sick 4-6 hours later. Not going back. I wish it lived up to half of the reviews I saw. read more

Came here mistaking it for the old restaurant that used to be here, Lindo Mexico. Big mistake. I should have been alerted by the fact that I was the only one there for lunch. For starters, chips and salsa they brought out came with '' queso, '' that was obviously canned nacho cheese. Seriously? Second, no carne asada on the menu short of tacos. How can a Mexican restaurant not have a carne asada plate? Lesson learned, will not be back. read more

ZERO STARS! Just ate lunch with my mom, we had been wanting to try this place for awhile now since we live right down the street. We left and drove 3 minutes to our home and my mom threw up from FOOD POSIONING! She ate the pork. SO warning, NOT A GOOD PLACE!!!! read more

Family-owned restaurant, very friendly staff, delicious authentic food from central Mexico. I ordered some tacos de camaron that were absolutely mouth-watering! They were "al mojo de ajo" style, which means they cooked the shrimp with butter and garlic, they also brought me a spicy chile de arbol and tomatillo salsa that was fantastic! The salsa complemented my tacos perfectly, it was smoky, spicy and semi-sweet all together, great with my shrimp tacos! I will come back to try the Mole Poblano, the famous brown sauce made out of dried chiles, chocolate and nuts served over chicken! Also, I am very glad to support local business. I will return! read more

I have been wanting to try this place so I finally went in for a late lunch/early dinner. I love seafood and I knew they had it on their menu. SO I ordered oysters on the half-shell. Yes, you heard it right, 6 medium oysters, RAW, fresh and tasty for $6.95. I ate them them with lemon and their wonderfully picante salsa and a couple of dashes of hot sauce. Delicious with an ice cold cerveza. Next for me was their shrimp ceviche tostada. OMG! Only $5.50! I received a huge mound of marinated chopped shrimp with chopped tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, generous slices of avocado, served on a corn tostada on a bed of lettuce. I squeezed lime juice on all of that, topped it with some of their salsa and was in ceviche heaven! I couldn't eat it all. I had to stop there. End of eating. What a bummer! They do bring you a complimentary basket of chips with salsa when you're first seated. The salsa has a bite and is not for wimps so I did consume a lot of that. Had to ask for more it was so good! I eat extremely hot foods so for a restaurant, I thought this salsa was extremely good. Probably the best I've had in ABQ. It had nice fresh slices of scallions and cilantro, like the sauce was just made right before you got there. If you like your salsa a little more acidic, a few squeezes of lime will take care of that for you. They also have a roasted green chile salsa that you can ask for. If you ask for hot sauce, they bring you three, Tabasco, Tapatio, and Cholula. I forgot to add that the shrimp in the ceviche is actually cooked and I don't mean by the marinade. I'm glad I stopped by. The food was fresh and delicious. The service friendly. The owner talked with me about the business and we shared some ideas. He told me they had a packed Cinco De Mayo with music outside on their patio. I'm sorry I missed that. He hopes to start having music on Sunday afternoons with food and drink specials. That sounds like fun! Their hours now are Sun. thru Thurs. 10am-6pm, Fri.-Sat 10am-8pm. They serve breakfast all day even though the menu says only until 11am so don't be afraid to ask. I can't wait to go back! read more