I've been coming here for nearly 20 years. Why the hell has it taken me so long to review? I guess I never thought dive bars needed reviews, or liked reviews, or that this place was never NOT busy and needed the word to get out. If you're from Albuquerque, you already know that Gecko's makes strong drinks and that the green chile cheese fries are to die for. My most recent discovery, however, surprised me and I'm sharing it with everyone else. I have been dabbling with vegetarianism (well, several days per week at least) so I'm surprised when I come across good vegetarian BAR FOOD. At the bartenders suggestion, I tried the fried cauliflower and the "faux" chicken wings. Hello! I actually was going to send them back because I thought the product was chicken. I mean, weirdly shaped chicken, but who hasn't had a weirdly shaped chicken nugget in their day. Alas, it was veggie based and delicious. And I believe soy-free. I'd also bet good money that the Buffalo sauce (on the side) is homemade. Regardless, it is delicious. So, Gecko's, keep on being you, but thanks for some really cool menu options. read more

Great place wish we lived closer. We stopped by to watch a game on our road trip to Dallas. We enjoyed the basil Caesar salad, green chili chicken stew, green chill fries and of course some cold brews. Everything was perfect including the service! read more

While searching for a pet-friendly patio for lunch in Nob Hill, we stopped here for a salad and some New Mexico sunshine before we had to return to the dreary East Coast. Their chef salad was wonderful - spanish olives on a skewer were artistically placed on top, along with a few toasted baguette slices, fresh (but salty) feta, tummy tomatoes, cucumbers, and smoked turkey. Service was excellent - they even brought a bowl of water and a slice of bacon for our travel-weary pup. We will be back! read more

So we when here tonight. The first server we had was great. Great customer service. Then she informed us she was done. So we closed our check and then we a new server. Wow how different they were. She never checked on us and then she was cleaning ashtray and never washed her hands. Gross. Then brought our food. Ashtray hands. Never will eat there again read more

This is my favorite spot in Nob hill. It's in a great location. It has excellent service and it has, hands down, the best bar patio in Albuquerque. The lighting is unique at night. Inside it's very dark, but the front neon lights brighten up the patio in a very unique way. But seriously the service is great, especially the bartenders. They've got a crew that is prompt, professional, but comfortable. Not an easy mix to achieve, but they've done it. read more

Food is good and they have a nice dog friendly patio. Very casual atmosphere. I have never had a bad experience in this restaurant. Good food service and predictable bar food. I come three or four times a month read more

Search tapas, this is what you get. This is in fact a simple bar, not even a cocktail type lounge, with mostly a young clientele of drinking folk. Simple menu, certainly with smaller plates, but not a stunning selection by any means. Parking is a bear because it is Nob Hill, folks do enjoy smoking outside, and we found ourselves jealous of the folks next door with their cocktails and snacks. Outdoor seating is decent, not comfortable. I give it three stars because I am not a hater, and telling it like it is. It is a college type bar with simple and strong drinks, a serviceable menu and outdoor seating. Not much more than this. If searching for the wine or craft cocktail, or even the great selection of local beer with lots of gastropub little plates, keep looking read more

Always have great service and love the tapa plates just enough when enjoying a drink after work!!!

Great local bar! Food and drink are great as well as the crowds early sunday for football! Would like to see some more variety in the food - seems everything is fried... The service is great! read more

The vibe and service at this location is so much better than the one in the heights. Its amazing that there could be such a difference but there is. Although we live near the heights location, we'd rather make the trip to the Central location because it is so much better. read more

It was very dark in the room which I was not a fan of. The food was okay as well. The service was average. I guess it's your average sports bar with extremely low lighting. read more

Yeah, I'm done with this place. The service this time was just awful, and the food and drinks don't make it worth it. Our server brought me the wrong drink, then it took a good 10 minutes to flag her down to replace it and to order food (it looked like she was never going to come back to take our food order if we hadn't waved at her). Both of our draft beers were lukewarm, which was pretty sad in the 99-degree weather. Oh, and our MIA waitress also failed to take the drink I never ordered off our bill. Bye! read more

I moved about a year ago, but miss this place so much! The patio, the grilled artichokes, the nachos, and of course the drinks all combine to create an awesome place to hang out. I miss you Geckos! Plus, half price burger nights! read more

When you're a tapas bar and restaurant, please have a wide selection to choose from. The point is to order a number of plates and share different tastes around. The tacos are possibly the best item on the menu and the nachos may be the worst. The tacos are light and tastefully done. The nachos are just drowned in everything. That sounds like a great idea but it smothers any flavors. Again, there just isn't a wide menu to choose from. read more

Awesome jerk frog leg tapas and good drink specials. Good freindly sevice and a nice atmosphere. Patio was also adaquate for the size, which was kind of small. I would definetly go back. read more

This place sucks. the prices are lame and the service is laughably terrible..

I am a pretty big fan of Gecko's. Let's start off by saying yes, it's loud. It is a bar. It is not going to be quiet. The parking sucks. All Nob Hill parking sucks. If you want a nice, quite place to go, a bar is not a wise choice. The food, though, is quite good. It can take a while on crowded nights when the place is packed, but that is to be expected at a busy spot. The drinks are well priced and are fairly good. Service is usually good, but be warned that your waitress will be running around like a crazy person on weekends tending to fifty different people. They do try their best. It is very nice for a brunch. They have decent a decent Bloody Mary- it does lack a bit on the spice, but you can just toss in some Tabasco yourself. My one complaint on the food would be the veggie burger. While the burger itself is good, the bun is horrible. It's too thick and dry for the burger. You have to put on lots of condiments and that can overpower the veggie burger. The tapas are awesome. Good things to try are the Sauteed Escargot - I know, snails are gross, but these are actually really good! Very buttery and tasty. Another few are Crispy Polenta, Southwestern Krab Taquitos and Fried Calamari Rings. They are delicious. If that freaks you out, they have awesome burgers on their other menu. read more

Last night I had a nacho experience to remember at Geckos. Nacho typical nachos, these were great! Highly recommended if you are in the market for tasty bar cuisine. read more

Great neighborhood bar! Servers are awesome and the food is what is to be expected from a bar. Vibe is always positive. I usually go for Monday night wings! read more

Wonderful food, great service, and a fun atmosphere. My girlfriend says it was "the best burger I've ever had in my life". Only reason this place lost a star is because their alcohol is pricy :\ $5.50 for a draft beer is a bit much... read more

Totally got ignored this afternoon at a relatively empty bar. Two people talked with us, walked back and forth, and forgot we were waiting to order. We were sitting up at the bar, too. Hard to miss. Menus were dirty, place was dingy. Won't go back. read more

This is a great place to gather with friends. They have a fantastic pup-friendly patio. This is a great location to watch sports. There are tvs nearly everywhere. Check out their nachos. The black bean purée is so tasty read more

Came here to watch a hockey game with my boyfriend the other night. Had a lot of TVs available to view and excellent beer selection. We went on a Thursday, which is apparently "Local" night.. so really good deals on local beer and spirits. Also had the New Mexican chili cheese fries which were amazing. The only negative i would say was that our waitress was really quiet.. i mean REALLY soft spoken. I could barely hear her over everyone talking around us. But she was still very kind and attentive so it didn't bother us. Overall, nice place. read more

The food is really good. They have the best curly fries! The rating would be five stars but towards the end of our visit it started smelling like sewer and I went to the restroom and it smelt so disgusting. Worse than a porta potty. Won't be returning for awhile. Hopefully they fix that nasty problem. read more

I found this place after striking out across the street trying to find the NBA playoffs. I ordered the Caprese from the tapas menu. My server said they were out of avocado and asked if I would like the dish with extra mozzarella or if I would rather have something else. I opted for the sesame tuna instead. The server brought me the Caprese without the avocado since the kitchen staff apparently made the dish anyways. The server comped me on that dish as a mistaken order. Even without the avocado, I was delighted by the taste. A friend joined me a few minutes later and I suggested he order the Caprese (it was that good). The tuna dish was tasty but not memorable. I thought the ginger served with the tuna brought a tad too much sweetness and overpowered the fish. I'd certainly like to return and try more tapas dishes. When I arrived around 6pm, the patio seemed lively and filled with happy customers. read more

Overall a reallad experience. Our waiter was sloppy and rude. Manager wasn't much better.

Disappointing. I'm from out of town so perhaps my expectations were too high. The wait staff was very nice. However my first drink was wrong. No problem, I can live with a mistake. The recommended tapas dish tasted like the spinach came from a can. And when the bill came, despite vodka drinks being $4 happy hour special, I was charged $1.50 per drink for the addition of the generic kahalua substitute...which is cheaper than vodka anyway. Overall, just a disappointing experience and given the other restaurants within walking distance I regret my decision. read more

I like Gecko's in Nob Hill for a few reasons, like their nice patio space, great location, delicious food (I've tried just about all of the appetizers and they're quite tasty), and drink flexibility. You can have them whip up pretty much anything! The cocktails are absurdly strong, which is good because I believe the price may be a little bit elevated compared to other places in the area (but not unreasonable). I wouldn't recommend coming here on a time crunch, though, as service has often been good but slow. read more

very tasty reasonably priced food and drinks. sure, its an older type place but it's got some charm. Everything ive eaten there has been fresh and delicious. The nachos are worth trying, its a unique spin on a classic. read more

Had a beer, good price point, great staff, and a cool location! When you try to eat at scalo and it's too busy come on over and enjoy a beer! Bar food but good bar food. Lots of hot guys in there too read more

drinks are reasonable they have great food and what i like about the menu is they have alot of stuff you don't usually see like crap taquitos for example which are very good read more

I love Gecko's. I always have a good time there and I adore the staff!

The food is tastier than Kelly's or O'Neill's down the street, it's more casual and fun than Scalo's next door, it's less of a mosh pit than Two Fools on a Friday night, and the drinks are cheaper than Opa's. It an get slightly scenester-ish, but not too bad.and heck, it's a bar, I expect that to some extent. read more

An Albuquerque fixture for 'pub food.' Feel like I get great service here almost always. I like their caesar, wings, fries, and hamburgers. Great patio. To me this is what a good pub/restaurant should be. It isn't the food, it's the total experience. read more

This place has some of the nicest and most welcoming employees. Specifically the girls working the bar/service area. It's a full bar with about 15+ local beers and specialty beers on tap. Upon observation I noticed that this place is a local favorite because the bartender knew what the usual patrons wanted before they even ordered their drinks. I ordered a Shocktop on draught and coincidentally it was the beer on special for Saturday. Everyday of the week there is a different draught beer on special. They also have a full food menu consisting of comfort foods and local green chile flavor favorites. I ordered the falafel dish and was extremely satisfied. It came with a salad, falafel and two generous slices of pita bread. It was definitely a choice dish for consuming more than one beer. And it just so happens that I came in on Valentine's day. To my surprise the kitchen sent out a tray of chocolate covered pretzels and cupcakes for the patrons to choose from for free. If you are ever in Albuquerque and want some great draught beers, inexpensive food, and quality service make sure that Gecko's is on your list. I really can't even think of anything that would have made my experience better than it already was. read more

If you've never grown up from your 20-something college food habits, you'll find it within your comfort zone. But, if you like something other than deep-fried anything with sides of burgers and wings, prepare for disappointment. The tapas are crap, unless you like bland and COLD hummus. I'm not kidding. I really wanted to like the place but after about 5 times constantly having to send food back because it was cold, I gave up. The green-chili chicken stew could be good if served hot, but I never got it even warm enough to melt the cheese added to it. The local folks in Nob Hill all know the food is crap and don't bother. And has been said the WORST margaritas I've ever encountered. They have some kind of tap mix that isn't even in the lime juice family--truly gross! read more

Wow! Just got home from your establishment, food and drinks were ok. Not a large variety though. Biggest issue was I just witnessed a young gentlemen get fired by what I presumed to be the owner. Dude I'm a new physician in the area the last think I need to see on a night out with my girl is someone lose his job..... Grow some class! That is not something I need to witness on the patio, grow up in front of the customers/relatives you were trying to impress! Needless to say I won't be back. Well played... read more

The atmosphere is great. Service was great. However, the veggie burger was burnt and very dry, the first beer had glass fragments around the lip and in the bottom, the second beer had someones lipstick all over the glass. They clearly are doing the dip-n-fill thing here and it's just nasty. read more

not a fan. although it's got outdoor seating which is nice, I've never liked the vibe here and will often tell friends "anywhere but Gecko's" when they want to go out in Nob Hill. not impressed with the gazpacho (not sure if it's still on the menu). was asked for cocaine here on one occasion. WTF? go sit next door at Scalo if you want the outdoor Nob Hill dining/drinking experience. read more

I love this place! I love the food! I come here with my friends, coworkers, and boyfriend frequently, especially because I live waking distance away! Great happy hour and great specials! My only problem is that every time I have come at night there has been this completely RUDE and disrespectful bartender. I tried looking for her name on my receipt but it wasn't there. She worked on Wednesday night, the 11th of February. She has always screwed up my drinks, screwed up food, and has made me have the worst experience ever. I have worked in restaurants for ten years now, customer service for twelve. I know how to treat people, and this specific bartender is horrible. Everyone else that works here at geckos is AMAZING! I still tip appropriately, but I'm just tired of the horrible service. Idk if it's because I'm a girl, or what? I try so hard to talk to her and be cool and be friendly. She is just completely rude to me. I honestly don't understand. Geckos needs a new bartender, someone other than her. Someone capable of delivering good customer service! That's what a restaurant needs, right? I mean, if you want people to keep coming back. Thank you everyone else for being so kind! You are appreciated! read more