If you are traveling in Albuquerque or have recently moved here, this should be on the top of your bucket list! I have tried a variety of different meals at Cocina Azul and it has been AMAZING every single time! My personal favorite is the brisket taco platter. The brisket is very tender and juicy, which is why this item is #1 on the menu! This location is not usually that busy, so you are served right away and your food comes out quickly. The restaurant itself is very clean and spacious. This is by far my favorite local restaurant!! read more

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Good. Fine. We came in for dinner fairly early in the evening. We were seated right away and we had high hopes. Our hopes were adequately...tempered. It took a lot longer than one would expect for our server to make her first appearance, especially considering it wasn't particularly busy. It felt inattentive and started our visit on a sour note. I was also surprised that, for a place with a full bar, there wasn't any type of drink menu on the table or alcoholic specialties listed in the menu. And three of us were interested in ordering things like that. We got a quick run down during ordering, and I got a mango margarita. It was alright. We got chips and salsa for the table and both options of salsa are pretty hot. For someone not acclimated to that...it is a surprise. Be warned. For my food, I got the specialty brisket burger. Again...it was fine. Like many specialty burgers in ABQ, it is a green chile cheeseburger. And they mean it with the green chile here. I like a little bit of heat and spice, but I am continuing to learn that I need to ask for them to go light on the green chiles for my orders! I scraped quite a bit of it off. Not all of it, because it IS good and does add something to the burger...but it was just too much for me. Overall everything was fine. Aggressively...fine. The food tasted good and was filling. Service was...ok. Overall, I left satiated, but without a particular desire to return. Maybe the other locations are better. I had expected something a little more than a sort of local-Applebee's. But if you expect that, you'll be alright. read more

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Absolutely delicious. Loved the green sauce. The relleno from the combination plate was top tier. It was hot and fresh. Would definitely recommend! read more

The kitchen was too busy and I had to wait 20 to 25 minutes. I didn't mind waiting. A family came in after me and they got seated. Is the kitchen still too busy or what happened? read more

Love the prices but the service is a tad slow. Our beers sat on the bar counter for eight minutes before the waitress brought them to us. However the Dos XX Amber draft was outstanding! Parking is a breeze. Atmosphere is decent. Music isn't too loud. Good place to take a friend, coworker, significant other. read more

Cocina Azul - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Went tonight I'll start off we had a large party 14. But... from sitting to to food served was almost an hour and a half when the food was brought it was another 20 minutes before we got any silverware Drink refills yeah they came around once in a while. But my glass was empty most of the night The restaurant wasn't slammed by any means I took one bite of my plate and sent it back as it was ice cold didn't bother getting anything else. By then I'd lost my appetite. I did taste my wife's posole and it was very good. I'd been once before but only for a breakfast burrito while waiting on my car at discount It's a shame because I had high hopes and it's less than a mile from my house but I probably won't go back I'm guess the food probably pretty good if you get it the same day you order it but I wouldn't know read more

We rolled in around 8:30pm and were greeted with a smile, seated right away and served chips and two types of salsa all within five minutes. Off to a great start! - Horchata: Creamy, refreshing and cinnamon-y. All the things a good horchata should be. 5/5 - Adrian's chile con queso: The description says this can be addicting. Addicting indeed. Loved the green chiles floating around in all the queso. I kept scarfing this down even after we got our entrée. It was a really big portion and the two of us couldn't finish. Wish we could have taken it home! 5/5 - Carne adovada chile relleno: Huge portion! The adovada is placed on top of the chile relleno. The entrée comes with your choice of two sizes and we chose the pozole and calabacitas (squash and corn). I was surprised the squash was fresh and not overcooked at all! 4/5 - Sopapilla: This was complimentary with our meal. Fresh out of the fryer, it was light and fluffy. Drizzled with a little honey, it was a great end to our meal. 5/5 Very good service. Friendly and fast! read more

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We enjoyed our entrees. When our waitress offered sour cream, we agreed. She brought two small portions, a tablespoon each, maximum. Cocina Azul had the audacity to charge us $2.95 EACH! When we questioned the charge, she said it was management. I while we don't expect freebies, this charge was outrageous. We will not be back. read more

We walked in the front door and were greeted by the smell of rotten eggs, or someone who had laid a giant fart and left. We almost turned around and left, the smell was so disgusting and pervasive. We were seated in the back of the restaurant where it was smell free. We ordered angus burgers on sour dough rolls and French fries for the girls. They loved them. I ordered 5 small brisket tacos that were delicious with a double order of rice. The rice was flavored with some butter goodness. Another ordered the green chili chicken stew and throughly enjoyed it. Another had a nachos with cheese sauce and chicken topped with other goodies. We were well satisfied with our meal and wonderful service. She promptly refilled our drinks, and checked in regularly to see if we needed anything. We will be back. I ranked it one less star because of the aroma that permeated our nostrils when we entered. read more

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We finally returned a year after our delivery incident and ordered some food to go. This time we picked it up ourselves rather than using a service so we could check the order, thinking we'd be ok. The order was correct so we left. I ordered the ribeye enchiladas and spit out half the meat because it couldn't be chewed. My enchiladas were dry and had barely any chile or cheese. The Chile that was on there had no spice at all. I used to love the food and was really hoping for a good experience this time. The food I just ate was subpar and now we definitely won't return. read more

Cocina Azul - Dry enchiladas that desperately need some chile. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The original is still the best and I love all three locations, but this one's still the best. Did I mention this one is the best? Great red, great adovada and posole and enchiladas. You really can't go wrong here read more

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BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT, EXCELLENT SERVICE, OKAY FOOD- That sums up my thoughts. Luis was our server, and was awesome. The restaurant looks brand new ( we are just visiting, so I don't know how new it is). Everything was clean and inviting. The chips were okay... and the salsa was way too hot for me. My husband liked it though. My combination plate was okay.... quite honestly, the food was underwhelming. If the food was better, I would give this restaurant 5 stars. I am still rating 4 stars for the beautiful interior and great service. read more

Cocina Azul - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Hmmm, I think it's the Applebee's of New Mexican food. I had the Brisket Chile Relleno and I thought it was delicious, but the whole vibe/environment was kind of off. The bar area is obviously popping and I don't usually think bar and New Mexican food go together. I'm happy I tried it so I know it's not the place to take out of state visitors. There's better options. Los Cuates, Garcia's, Wecks. Golden Pride. read more

TACO TUESDAY!! Our usual go to Mexican restaurant wasn't open so we decided to try a new place and went to Cocina Azul off Paseo del Norte and Holly. WHAT A NICE SURPRISE!!! They have a great Taco Tuesday special where you can get yummy Street Tacos for $2. each with the choices of beef brisket, shredded pork or steak cubes. They're not crispy tacos but soft corn tacos. Plus, the House Margarita for $5. We got combinations of each and they were all winners. The Margarita was perfect! We got 1 side of the Calabacitas which was good. Our server was Jerry who was very nice and actually fun! Our 2 taco combo meals and 1 Margarita came to under $20. Chips and 2 salsas (red and green) are complimentary. It was so nice to go out to eat without a mask. However, the servers still wore masks. Great menu and a full bar. We promised Jerry we'd be back for the next Taco Tuesday there and hopefully we'll get him again. read more

Cocina Azul - Street Taco Combo on Taco Tuesday - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Used to love this place. We went about a month ago and the service was horrible. I thought it was a fluke, but we went again today and, again, the service was terrible. Took forever yo get acknowledged, took forever to get our drinks. Ordered an appetizer, but it didn't come. Asked to get the appetizer removed from bill. Nope. Was on bill. Waited another 10 mins to get new bill. We didn't even get one drink refil after asking. The one redeeming thing was the food was good, but not worth the long wait and terrible service. read more

Service was awful. Took forever to order our waters, then took forever to order our food, took forever to get our ticket. Not busy time at all. Server was nice when she was around. Food was very mid and would not recommend this place. Better New Mexican food elsewhere. I would say the prices are good though. The one positive. read more

We have always gone to the location on 12th and Mountain. Fabulous Mexican food!! Breakfast, lunch and dinner. A couple weeks ago we were craving it and decided to do takeout from the Paseo location. Food was exactly the same. Sooo good. You call in your order and tell them you want curbside. Staff came out in mask and gloves and stood back from the car while I signed the credit card slip. Great experience and delicious food. read more

I came here twice. The first time was the second day that they were opened. Yes, I knew this was a risk, but my coworkers really wanted to come here right after it opened. This review is for my last time I came, which was a couple weeks later. My food was good, but one of my coworkers never got his food after he was brought something that he didn't order. He got up and told our waiter to cancel his food order as it had gotten so late, yet he was brought it out 10 minutes later by a different server. He sent it back. There was no apology from anyone. A manager didn't even come over. I ordered a strawberry margarita and afterward, another coworker asked for the same. When hers arrived, we both noticed that the color of hers was pale peachy and looked nothing like mine. She tasted it before the waitress that brought it left the table. She said it tasted very tart. I was reminded of what happened to me the last time I was at this location. The waitress made an excuse and offered to bring another one. The second one was also lacking and not very strawberry flavored. My coworker sent it back and said that she'd pass on a third. This was our last time going to this location, which is sad because the other locations are much better. read more

Cocina Azul - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Not many people go to a Mexican restaurant during happy hour and a dirty vodka martini. One, because it's NOT on happy hour. Two, because the margaritas are very good and they ARE ON happy hour. But I do! Why? Because it's the BEST DARN martini I've ever had and I'm an expert! The bartender introduced me to a local vodka called NIKLE Co. Delicious! We didn't come for food but ended up with chips and salsa anyway. Let me tell you; if their food is as good as the salsa served with the chips...IT MUST BE GOOD. By the way, plan to come back tomorrow and eat. I feel confident that I'll be changing my 4 to a 5. Stay tuned! Update: I'm still giving it 4 stars even after having dined there this evening. The food is quite good. I think it's safe to say that the food is very good. It is extremely slow service or I would give it 5 stars. I am not at all bothered by the "Applebee's" vibe as described by another review. It true. It does have that vibe, but it's not a reason to skip this place, even if you are entertaining out of town guests. read more

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Took my wife here for lunch. We like to support small businesses and had yet to try Cocina Azul. I enjoyed my burger & fries. The green chile was very tasty. That's where the good times came to an end. Service was nonexistent. 5 minutes after being seated the waitress finally came and took our drink order. Another 10 minutes elapsed before she took our order. My wife ordered the enchiladas with easy red chile. 20 minutes later she returned with our lunch. She acknowledged the enchiladas did not have easy red. A more truthful statement would be that it was a plate of enchilada soup. The sauce made the dish inedible. There was no offer to return with the proper order. We short on time and my wife nibbled on the enchiladas only to fine the sauce was also in each layer of the flat enchiladas. Our drinks were never refilled. I had to ask another server to find our waitress and get the check. Sad experience. read more

Food here was absolutely delicious! I got the creamy chicken enchiladas and ate the entire thing. I highly recommend it. The bottomless chips and salsa were replenished often, but FYI the green salsa was pretty spicy (but so flavorful) We came on a busy afternoon and our server was so great and communicated that with us. read more

Bathroom rate here-- VERY CLEAN. Stall doors work well, no trash on the floor, and NO ODOR-- would highly recommend...

My partner and I were looking for a breakfast spot to try that we haven't been to so we decided to come here today. We were warmly welcomed and seated right away. We ordered the avocado toast and the bacon and eggs. I was not a fan of the avocado toast. It wasn't fresh avocado, it was more like guacamole. It wasn't fresh and we came here at opening hour. My partner didn't enjoy the bacon and felt it wasn't fresh. The red chili was not hot. The service was great and the ambiance was beautiful. The bill was around $24 for those two things. I wouldn't come back for breakfast but I might come back to the the lunch menu or cocktails. read more

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0/5 Do not recommend--if I could I would give it 0/5. The food was incredibly bland, and some wasn't even edible. I normally hate to leave negative reviews but the food was so bad that I feel I need to. We had enchiladas and the taco plate. The red chili was very strange, had a weird taste and texture. Didn't end up eating it. The side of beans could have been good if the beans were actually cooked, but they were very under cooked. That being said, they were the only thing with any flavor/seasoning. The calabacitis was literally just undercooked squash and zucchini. The side of rice was just plain rice...also no seasoning whatsoever. The taco meat had no seasoning, was just plain ground beef. We barely ate any of it. Overall, it was a giant waste of money. read more

Got some less than good news about this location. I was there last week, the enchiladas I had need some reworking, very bland even with "Christmas" on them. The service was even worse. I had to ask several people several times for refills for my iced tea, didn't get any and no Sopapillas either. When it came time for the check, I was going to use my debit card, after waiting 15 minutes for the server to take the payment like she had indicated, I finally gave up and paid in cash. read more

Food was just okay, but the service was much worse. The place looked like an old Applebee's! I won't be returning anytime soon.

I ordered the Chile Rellenos Christmas style with brisket, posole and Calabacitas. They were the best rellenos I have eaten in many many years. Not breaded. A fluffy egg batter was perfectly browned and so flavorful. The brisket juicy and cooked just right. All exceptional. Including the service. It was a lovely evening with friends and we were all very happy with our meals. read more

This has been my favorite spot for authentic New Mexican cuisine, for the last two years. The food is delicious, I can't find a place with better tasting green chile. They know what they're doing, because they season it perfectly. Service is always fantastic and friendly. The old building represents the business and is nice mixture of modern style with a nod to tradition. read more

We used to love eating here but our party of four couldn't even eat yesterday. My husband ordered green Chile stew and It came out black and muddy looking. He tried 2 bites and stopped eating. I ordered huevos ranchero and my eggs were broken,(I asked for over medium) my beans were too salty to eat. The other couple we were with picked at their food but didn't share why. So sad it used to be a favorite we used to recommend. Won't ever go back. read more

Food is okay but not worth the cost. Service was decent and the ambiance is casual. There are far better choices for far better food that won't hit the pocket book as bad. read more

food are awesome: we ordered brisket echiladas and chicken exhiladas! the place is authentic, and has large parking space. something to note: the food spicy level is beyond average mxican restaurant, if eating with kids do the non chili one! read more

Cocina Azul - the brisket echiladaa - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

We live very close to Corina Azul and it is one of our favorite places to go for a good meal. We visit regularly for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The service is always good and the prices are reasonable! read more

A few years back, I stumbled upon this place while I was at a conference near by.... I have since been back nUmerous times, to their numerous locations, and I have not been disappointed! Came to try this location... sane quality as the one on mountain in downtown abq! The chips and salsa... well the salads are amazing! I could eat just that! Their ribeye steak street tacos are incredible! The shrimp tacos are bomb, but my pleasure is the creamy green chili chicken soup!! It is a bit pricey but it's worth it! Those of you in the northeast part of abq... you're welcome! read more

Cocina Azul - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The carne adobada is the best and the pozole too. The combination plate is nice, the tamale was tasty and the brisket meat was good. Even the beans were flavorful. read more

Ordered takeout from here - chips and salsa, 2 orders of cheese enchiladas, and huevos rancheros. The chips are fabulous and the salsa is HOT. Hot enough that we couldn't eat it all (it's great added to other foods later though!). The enchiladas, unfortunately, were just meh. They clearly specialize in upscale meats so perhaps that is why. The person who ordered huevos rancheros loved them though, and as a vegetarian says it's one of the better versions in town. So I'll try that next time around. read more

I was raised on New Mexican food so each time I try a new place I look to feel right at home with all my favorites. Cocina Azul does a few things differently than you'll find at other New Mexican restaurants and I'm such a fan. You'll find all the favorite dishes you love but kicked up a notch with extras like guacamole, two types of salsa, ribeye or brisket in your burritos or tacos and a variety of sides you won't find anywhere else like calabacitas and fideos. With nice portions and nice prices it's definitely worth a trip. read more

We first visited this establishment in 2016 and enjoyed the Southwest cuisine. We made a return visit last November while visiting my brother and took him to this restaurant. The food still tastes good and I enjoyed the prompt service! Looking forward to come back in the near future. read more

If you want the best food and the best service visit Cocina Azul - sit at the bar and you will get the best service from Gilbert! Support Local! read more

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It was our first time at this location. Our food came quickly, but we were disappointed in some of it. The street tacos with carnitas were rather plain, and the meat was so overcooked it was crunchy. Thank goodness for the guacamole so the tacos weren't a dried up mess. The pinto beans in the side were quite tasty, but the zucchini and yellow squash in the calabacitas were so overcooked they were mushy. I can make far better at home. We split the starter of chile con queso in a bowl with flautas, and the queso was wonderful--some of the best I've eaten. The chicken flautas might have had 1 teaspoon of chicken in them, though. read more

The options of food on the menu are nice. The food is well cooked and hot. There is a lot of flavor. The portions are great. The service is good and the staff is friendly. They are attentive to their customers. read more