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    El Patron ABQ

    3.6 (684 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    El Patron ABQ Photos

    Business Info

    EL PATRON ABQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Live music
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Patron ABQ

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    Justin N.

    After not having been in town for awhile, I needed a good margarita and green chile fix (and some red for Christmas)! This was the perfect spot and I forgot how good it was. The sopapillas were perfect, red chile ribs were hot and delicious. And then the burritos were as equally good!

    Pozole
    Jill F.

    I'd been having a craving for pozole, and this definitely hit the spot. The Chile rellenos hit it out of the park as always. Choosing a margarita is more difficult, but I went with the mezcal marg and was not disappointed, I never am when I eat here!

    Blueberry coconut margarita
    Jennifer L.

    I moved to a state with NO New Mexican food. I had to come to Albuquerque for a family members medical procedure and my sister decided to bring to El Patron. I ordered the stuffed sopapilla with ground beef Christmas style. It was so good! The green chile has so much flavor and just the right amount of heat. I thought the red chile had great flavor as well. I feel like I am a rice snob and I did not enjoy the rice. It was soup like and tasted of tomato sauce. The beans really didn't have any flavor and were a bit dry. The blueberry coconut margarita was tasty and just the right amount of sweetness. It did have a coconut lined rim which I didn't enjoy. Over all it was good not the best but still solid

    FLAT IRON STEAK
    Brian H.

    Always a nice spot with plenty of seating and space for large group events. Beautiful ambience and very friendly staff. Always delicious food and great prices.

    Casa Margarita
    Janelle R.

    Food is always consistently good! We like to sit at the bar, but the service is always great even when we sit at a table. Great ambiance with live music during Happy Hour and dinner time. The Serrano cream chile sauce is always delicious and super spicy!! The red and green chile are also delicious and you can adjust the heat levels from medium to hot. The portions are huge!

    CHILE RELLENO combo platter
    Scott J.

    Needed a "best tortilla chip in Albuquerque " fix tonight and we got it . Ordered guacamole and the chips that came with it were stale and strait out of a bag ! Noooooo. This can't be! Then asked for our chips and salsa....the chips that came were hot, light and very thin....exactly as we expected of El Patron! Dinner was a Stuffed sopaipilla with Carne Adovada, outstanding Beautiful restaurant decorated for the holidays and we were well taken care of. We arrived prior to the Saturday night rush but leaving a packed parking lot was a bit sketchy Bring your patience, this location gets hopping

    Balcony of the Montgomery location.
    Rosemary J.

    Best virgin bloody Mary in town also good food , atmosphere , and live music. Been at this restaurant and the north side location . Both locations have good service and the food comes out quickly.

    Appetizer chicken taquitos.
    Tricia C.

    We visited this location for the first time, after dining at El Patron North a few times. We arrived at 1130am on a Sunday and it was not crowded. Got seated right away. Our sweet server, Tiana greeted us immediately and took our drink order. They brought chips and salsa to the table. The chips were crispy and the salsa was hot, but good. My husband and I ordered Bloody Marys and they were juuussst right... not too spicy. I ordered the taquitos appetizer for my lunch (not too hungry today.) My husband ordered the breakfast tamale plate. My mom ordered the Indian taco w/red Chile. All of our food was really good. The red Chile was flavorful and just hot enough. As we were ready to leave, they started playing music and it made the atmosphere perfect. We will be back !

    Chicken fajitas
    Aryelle S.

    I saw a review that said the salsa was basically tomato paste and they were not wrong. The chips were also very "greasy". I originally ordered a frozen mango marg and it was not frozen at all just had some ice chips on the top. I don't recommend ordering frozen drinks here. I switched it out for a blueberry mojito and it was okay. Felt like something my local dive bar could make. The chicken fajitas were also just okay. I'd save your $$ and go somewhere else. The one thing I did like was the live music.

    Tiny sopas. Not worth $23 for a dozen!

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    3 months ago

    Always a hot great meal. Service is fast and friendly. Clean, comfortable and very pleasant. Shaded outdoor patio is a nice spot too.

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    5 months ago

    Tortillas were old, dry and tasteless. Rice was terrible. Fajitas were good. Our server was fantastic!

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    3 months ago

    The salsa was top class! The waiter was very polite and nice.The food tasted amazing. I ordered a peach fuzz drink, and it was fabulous.

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    2 years ago

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    Dana S.

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    11 months ago

    Always grest service, authentic ambiance, and beautifullly prepared food and drink! We love living close by and being regular patrons of El

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    Dana S.

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    8 months ago

    The chicken tacos are so amazing every time we come it's great service and great food I will always recommend coming here!!

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Chris our server was fantastic, food was amazing as usual. great atmosphere and environment. I am always happy to eat here.

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    It's our go to New Mexican restaurant. We eat in the bar. The food and service are great.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Great service, and delicious food! He especially enjoyed the papa's and the cinnamon coffee.

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    The Tiki Tiki Lounge - Menu

    The Tiki Tiki Lounge

    4.8(6 reviews)
    1.7 miBusiness Parkway/Academy Acres

    A hidden gem! I stopped into Tiki Tiki Lounge for a quick drink after lunch and instantly felt like…read moreI'd been transported to a seaside getaway. The atmosphere is fun, laid-back, and full of tropical vibes--perfect for unwinding. The drink menu is impressive, with a wide selection of creative cocktails, and the bartender was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, offering great recommendations. Every detail--from the decor to the drinks--made the experience unforgettable. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a little island escape right in the city!

    Tiki-themed cocktail lounge describes this place best. Cheap drinks and casual atmosphere. Far from…read morea traditional tiki spot, but great for what it is. Solid drinks! Had the jungle bird, which was properly bitter if you're into that. The marikoriko was sweet and fruity, way easy to drink. The Saturn was also wonderfully fruity and easy to drink. I didn't bother with the mai tai because they use kraken instead of an actual funky Caribbean rum, which is wild because they carry Meyers. Probably my biggest critique is to funkify that Mai Tai yo! Float of kraken if you must, but use some Caribbean rum in there! Service was great, atmosphere left room for improvement. Great for a casual few drinks with your meal. Solid spot! Would return again.

    Photos
    The Tiki Tiki Lounge - Dark corner niche with lava and skulls. The  closest thing to mid-century tiki bar in the space.

    Dark corner niche with lava and skulls. The closest thing to mid-century tiki bar in the space.

    The Tiki Tiki Lounge - Decor

    Decor

    The Tiki Tiki Lounge - Menu

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    Menu

    Fiesta Azul Tequila House ABQ - Jicama Salad

    Fiesta Azul Tequila House ABQ

    4.0(121 reviews)
    2.7 miBusiness Parkway/Academy Acres
    $$

    Service was friendly once seated. Had a weird experience at hostess stand, where we weren't sure…read moreif they had tables or a wait. Hostess walked off and never came back. Finally someone sat us. Service was great despite being packed! The drinks are insane--gigantic fish bowls, whole blenders, and mixing bowls with straws! Have to imagine they only allow 1 to avoid over serving. Food was fantastic. Birria tacos, fajitas. Generous portions and full of flavor. A little on the pricy side but absolutely worth it. Can't wait to eat here again.

    This felt like I was in a club, so at times it was a bit overstimulating but the music they played…read morewas a vibe. This is the type of spot you come to celebrate and definitely not for just a casual dinner. (We were there for a birthday) I'm always looking for delicious mezcal drinks and wow was their hibiscus sour refreshing. I'd heard so much about the pastor with piña assembled for you to prep yourself but sadly it was sold out by the time we ordered. Instead, we ordered the tacos norteños (asada with chorizo) nothing out of the ordinary but the flavor was good. I wasn't happy with the type of flour tortillas they had so would order corn next go around. My only downside is this place tries to upsell you to get all the things like a large $20 Margarita is wild. Would get the pitcher next time because it's cheaper that way if you come with someone. I'm always looking for great cocktails and tacos but not sure if this spot is for me. May consider giving it another go but we'll see.

    Photos
    Fiesta Azul Tequila House ABQ - Bar area

    Bar area

    Fiesta Azul Tequila House ABQ - Street Corn with table tortilla chips and salsa.

    Street Corn with table tortilla chips and salsa.

    Fiesta Azul Tequila House ABQ - The best looking bar in town

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    The best looking bar in town

    The Copper Lounge - Sweet life and birria tacos

    The Copper Lounge

    4.0(219 reviews)
    7.0 miMidtown/University
    $$

    Went for a happy hour after work and I loved the ambiance! Dark and cozy with a speakeasy vibe…read more Once I entered it was easy to forget it was still sunny and hot outside. The menu was listed as cast of characters/script, which was lots of fun. Our group was about 20 people, which I'm sure was a challenge, but our server was great and kept us all with full glasses and no waiting. There is a small parking lot with free parking. It was full by the time I got there, but it was easy and free to park on the street nearby. They had a great selection of local beer, wine and creative cocktails. Didn't really try the food but the drinks were great. Would definitely go back!

    I had not been to this place for many years. It used to be a dive bar for unm students. It was…read moreredone apparently 7 or 8 years ago and is a cool place to go too. When you go in the entrance the bar is to the left and is now kinda of a speakeasy. It's dark, nicely done, music playing and fancy cocktails being made. They don't have a huge menu but you can get some appetizers, sandwiches, etc. We had some non traditional nachos which were very good. The service was also very good. When we left the bar, I checked out the restaurant that was to the right when you walked into the front door of the Copper Lounge. It's has a very nice ambiance and it's not dark like the bar was next door. Don't have any other info on it but looked very nice. I would recommend checking these places out if you are looking for something very different from the usual places.

    Photos
    The Copper Lounge - Gatsby-esque Bar and seating area

    Gatsby-esque Bar and seating area

    The Copper Lounge
    The Copper Lounge - I'm in the great Gatsby... Albuquerque style

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    I'm in the great Gatsby... Albuquerque style

    Zema Vinyl Lounge

    Zema Vinyl Lounge

    4.3(12 reviews)
    5.8 miNob Hill
    Women-owned & operated
    Large group friendly

    Always fun to find a speakeasy, especially when the entrance has some sort of hidden clue to get…read morein. The place is nice, eclectic, with nice seating area and fun decor. The menus are on a vinyl, to match their theme. And their drink menu is fun. What was disappointing was that 1. we had to wait 25 minutes for a bartender to show up and get our orders, then another long time to get the drinks. After the wait, a second drink was out of the question. 2. This is a vinyl lounge, and even though they had a setup for a DJ, there was no one playing but a speaker. 3. Some or our drinks did not come out with all the "frills" and effects as described on the menu, so we missed part of the experience. Not sure if it was an off night for them but my experience wasn't great.

    A nice stop into this eclectic spot. When we are in…read moredifferent spots we like to see what the new quirky and/or cool spots are. We heard about Zema when in town so when we got a evening open we stopped in the other day. The walk up was pretty great. The location is a refurbished motel. We walked into a couple gals working the front desk. Long story short I rubbed the wrong banana but they helped me out. Once inside we grabbed a table a appreciated the clubs layout. They have some retro club music going, but no DJ. When we left about an hour later a DJ hadn't steppe dup, but the music was pretty good all the same. We had to wait for our 1st drink for a while. The gal at the front said the DJ has stepped away for a while but would be back soon enough. The drinks were ok, the service was so-so. We really wanted to like the place, hopefully next time things are more together.

    Photos
    Zema Vinyl Lounge
    Zema Vinyl Lounge
    Zema Vinyl Lounge

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    D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro - Cottonwood Albuquerque - Entrance

    D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro - Cottonwood Albuquerque

    4.1(128 reviews)
    9.4 miNorth Valley/Los Ranchos
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Outdoor seating

    Now this is what service and food is about…read more After having a bad experience at a local Santa Fe restaurant for NYE, a friend suggested we try this place out. From the jump, we were welcomed and given a booth with a beautiful view of the mountains. Kirk who was our waiter introduced himself, provided a sample of their signature wine and knew so much about the winery/history and only been there since October. He made suggestions on wines and overall made this experience awesome. Kudos to Kirk

    What an interesting experience. They've done a great job restoring and revamping the old The Falls…read moresteakhouse. The vibe of the whole place, the patio, the wine selection, the seating, all gives off class and high end dining. They nailed the atmosphere, and maintained the old fountain outside! The wine is always lovely. Was surprised by what we liked best and really enjoyed the tasting. The food remains the weak link at DH Lescombes. It's very salty, and (given Albuquerque's incredible farm to table selection) falls short on feeling exceptional. It's processed food that feels like high-end Chili's fare. The experience was still a good one. Would most certainly recommend the patio and wine.

    Photos
    D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro - Cottonwood Albuquerque - Special Event catering

    Special Event catering

    D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro - Cottonwood Albuquerque - Pouring wine at our bar

    Pouring wine at our bar

    D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro - Cottonwood Albuquerque - Enjoy our east patio for seating or special events with views of the Sandia Mountains

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    Enjoy our east patio for seating or special events with views of the Sandia Mountains

    Daydream - Playa Picante, Mai Tai and Red Stripe Lager

    Daydream

    4.9(10 reviews)
    6.1 miNob Hill

    Very beautiful location, tucked away inside of little bear, coffee, and downstairs…read more I can see that they are trying to capture a tiki drink vibe for cocktails here, but they fell a little short in my estimation. First off, the menus were terribly hard to read. The dim lighting, coupled with the light print on the newspaper like menus was a terrible combination. Several people in my party were pulling out their cell phones to shine the flashlight on the menu to try to read it. Next, when you're trying to capture a tiki bar type experience, that includes this expectation of fun over the top, cocktails comprised of ingredients you can't easily acquire to make it home or order anywhere else. The cocktail menu that the waiter said was "balanced" when he referred to all of their drinks, didn't really hit the spot. The flavors were pretty limited, and we're all very middle of the road. Nothing too exciting or potentially gripping. And honestly, when I come to a tiki bar I want a sugary fruit filled flavor bomb. And they had nothing like that on the menu. My husband is more of a hard cocktail drinker, and he even commented that their offerings felt stilted and not exciting. I would come back at a future date, but I would check the menu first to see if any changes had been made. Very cool location, though!

    Daydream Rum Bar is hands-down one of the coolest spots in Albuquerque. We grabbed drinks at the…read moreupstairs bar and the vibe was exactly what we hoped for--totally chill, warm, and the perfect place to unwind without feeling rushed. The cocktails are phenomenal. Each one was incredibly well balanced and packed with bold, delicious flavor. Nothing too sweet or too strong--just thoughtfully crafted drinks that let the ingredients shine. You can really tell the bartenders know what they're doing. Speaking of which--major shoutout to our bartender (forgive me for forgetting his name!). He was phenomenal. Super knowledgeable about rum, clearly passionate about his craft, and gave great recommendations. The kind of service that truly elevates the experience. If you love rum or just appreciate high-quality cocktails, this place is a must. We'll absolutely be back. 10/10 recommend!

    Photos
    Daydream - Daydream bar seating

    Daydream bar seating

    Daydream - Welcome to Daydream.

    Welcome to Daydream.

    Daydream - Daydream bar seating

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    Daydream bar seating

    El Patron ABQ - newmexican - Updated June 2026

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