This place is known for creating a type of "we'll take you into our home" atmosphere and that is spot on. Very friendly, very casual and very good food. I got the arepa. Man was it good and loaded with meat, cheese, beans and plantains. The corn type tortilla was a good change compared to bread. Very good combination of flavors. read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This little hole in the wall is amazing! My husband gets lunch here quite often but I had to be convinced to come since the one time I came about 2 years ago I got something that I didn't like that much, so I avoided it after that. But my husband finally convinced me to try it again and I'm SO glad that I did. My husband got the Cubano and I got the arepas. Both were so delicious and moist and perfectly seasoned. We also ordered their version of a latte that was made with condensed milk and it was extremely sweet but tasty as well! It's a fairly small place on the inside where you order, but off to the side there is a larger spot to eat and some outdoor seating as well. Definitely stop by and try it out! read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Arepas - SO GOOD!! - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

Thanks Yelpers. I travel through Albuquerque several times a year and am looking for local places to eat. The Guava Tree Cafe is another winner. I had the Pernil based on the recommendations on Yelp and it was a winner. Maybe I will be able to make it again and try the Cubano. Parking is on the street with meters. Enjoy. read more

What a treat to find this place! We ordered arepas with tostones and yucca fries & shared a bowl of ajiaco with guava and passion fruit shakes. ..wow. and the music was fantastic...can't wait to return! read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Guava Tree is a cute little sandwich shop. They make a great sandwich and take pride in the food they put out. The pernil and Cuban are my go to selection's here. I almost always get take out but the shop has a small dining area and little patio. The reason for only 4 stars is the slow service, even on call ahead orders you can be assured to wait longer than expected. read more

If your looking for a Cubano sandwich THIS is the place to go!! We were excited to see this little restaurant doing so well in the Nob Hill location. It was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon but the service was quick. I had a mouth watering turkey, avocado, provolone with chimichurri sauce. The bread is crunchy and the flavors packed a punch. For pure decadence we shared a Cafe con Leche, the Cubans like their coffee sweet and nothing does it like sweetened condensed milk and espresso. It was such a nice day we sat outside on their lovely porch. If you haven't tried the Guava Tree go now! read more

See all

Nice little place inside Tin Can Alley. I've only eaten there once so far but it was pretty damn good.

Placed an order online for curbside pick up, and they have me a time to arrive and a number to call. I arrived and called the number 5+ times and no one picked up. I then tried to go inside to pick up my food and there was a 8+ person line going out the door. I had to wait in line inside for 15+ minutes to get my cut beside pick up. Clearly they don't care about covid or their customers. read more

excellent arepas! would definitely come again. very happy to have stumbled upon this place. no frills, very casual.

Randomly decided to order food here and IT WAS INCREDIBLE highly recommend the arepas and Maracuya juice with water.

I've never had a bad meal here. The cupcakes have the most flavor in all of Albuquerque, the food is well-balanced and light, it's really a treat to come here. There's always light streaming in, it's always cleaned, the customer service is always spot-on as well as the quality control. Definitely a good place to meet your friends for a meal out :) read more

Best Cubano I've ever had! The yuca is perfect, too. You've gotta try it. This place is totally worth circling the block, to find a parking space, for. read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Best Cubanos ever!! The yucca fries are perfect, too. - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

WOW! Amazing!!!! This place was a filling and delicious road trip stop! The sandwiches are huge and full of flavor- saved half for a few hours later. The mango and guava milkshakes were so refreshing. And a big plus for us is always the dog friendly patio. Would love to come here again when we pass through, craving the Pernil sandwich and mango milkshake as I type this!! read more

Great hidden gem, about 10-15ish minutes from the university. - Not a super fancy restaurant - The Pelotero was good, not amazing but definitely hit the spot. It comes with a homemade lemonade. - The homemade lemonade and yucca fries dipping sauce would a be a reason to visit this restaurant again. - Not a lot of parking spaces - Down the road from an Albuquerque graffiti/ wall art ---one of my favorites Would recommmend! read more

Great selection of Caribbean style foods. To me, the standouts are the fried plantains and the yuca fries, as well as the drinks!

Something immediately resonated with me from the moment I saw the Fania All Stars poster; their counterpart Cecila was closeby too. I knew I was home. In a town with very expected cuisine south of the border, Guava Tee Cafe takes you further southeast to Caribbean tastes and memories. I am provoked by the rich cafecito I tried along with the Pernil sandwich with its roasted pork and caramelized onions. There isn't a flavor like it - we're hundreds of miles away from the closest thing. Some delicious yucca fries were a much necessary alternative from regular fries. Dare I say every bite was an experience on it's own. I've yet to try more, but I can easily say Guava Tree Cafe is a must. read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Yucca fries, cafe con leche, and delicious Pernil sandwich - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Really filling sandwhiches, a definite must try if you're around the area. I had a good quick bite to eat!

YUM. I ordered the chicken sandwich and the taste and flavor were spot on. Yucca fries were crispy and the aioli dip was delicious. My favorite part and highest recommendation: MANGO JUICE! It was PERFECT. read more

Great food and very casual dining Service was friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back! read more

See all

Always delicious and staff is always friendly and efficient. The passion fruit juice makes every dish tastier!

Really good sandwiches!!! I think it's family owned. Labor Day so it wasn't crazy busy. I've been here once a while back. I'm glad I came back. I would say you can order anything and can't go wrong. Their drinks looked amazing too. Will be back again! read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Cubano - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

After reading a string of positive reviews on Yelp, we came to this Costa Rican restaurant for informal dining and casual fare. The restaurant owners are from Colombia and Puerto Rico, and they brought an excitable menu with a listing of Central American and Cuban dishes to help Nob Hill residents to transcend cuisines and borders. Located in a classic, Pueblo-style home, the restaurant consists of a front patio, low ceilings, and all-around wooden décor. Upon entering, we waited in line to order our food in the tightly squeezed café area before finding a seat in the long dining room. The place was captivated by a row of paintings and TVs to accompany the touches of red, yellow, and green to harness the surrounding. At first impression, the Guava Tree symbolizes the fruit of labor with lived experiences shaped by the sweet and tartness of guava, and all of its markings and textures of intersectional identities, multiplicity, and global migration. The Pelotero ($12.75) came with Cuban ropa vieja, fried yucca, black beans, plantains, rice, avocado, salad, garlic chimichurri sauce, and a cup of iced coffee. The ropa vieja was moist, tender, flavorful and better than the one I had at Victor's 1959 Cafe. I also loved the thick cut fried yucca that was crispy fluffy tasty when dipped in the garlic chimichurri sauce. The black beans were equally flavorful and addictive, and the thick pieces of plantains were perfectly fried with crispy edges and soft natural sweet center. The avocado and salad were very fresh to brighten the flavors. Overall, the dish was fully loaded with great balance and depth between colors, freshness, and striking flavors from one item to the next. The iced coffee was surprisingly tasty, sweet, refreshing, and the perfect finisher. What a great place to grab lunch! For a fast food restaurant, service was surprisingly attentive and very kind. Interested diners can expect a causal fare with unusual range of flavors, textures, and taste. I would be very interested in returning to try their good-looking Cuban sandwiches, baked empanadas, arepas, and tres leches cake. read more

See all

Amazing food every single visit. Love this spot. The Cubano hits the spot. If your in Nob Hill, stop by.

Got two arepas on our way to the airport to eat before our flight. They wrapped them really well and they were flavorful and delicious. Glad we were able to get these before flighting out! read more

First time visit. Great food great service. Very nice ambiance and both meat and vegetarian selection. read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Vegetarian. - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

You can't go wrong with anything here. My faves are the cafecito, media noche or cubano and the ajiaco. But, like I said, everything on the menu is amazing. read more

Love their guava juice. You can order with different milk options (almond, coconut, regular). Free WiFi, great place to study. Staff is very fast but the line sure goes out the door on a busy Saturday. Additionally seating in the back and front of restaurant. Out door and in door seating. Only 1 Gluten free option on the entire menu. // #GF #DF #CD read more

Wow, just wow. For the one single restaurant I stopped at on my road trip through New Mexico, Guava Tree Cafe definitely did not disappoint. First steps in and you already feel like you've stepped off the streets of Albuquerque and into a small little town in Cuba. This was one of those spots where you basically have to order in Spanish, which is a telltale sign of amazing food to come. I ended up getting myself their Caribe Turkey Sandwich, and it was very solid. Such a perfect mix of simple flavors. Very clean tasting. Their Yucca fries were my favorite though. I absolutely hate thick cut fries normally, but these were simply amazing. Especially with the sauce that they came with. I coulda have eaten these for days. Really makes me wish that a restaurant like this was located closer to home. You people here in Albuquerque have got to feel blessed to have some fine cuisine like this. read more

This is officially my new favorite restaurant!!! The people who work here and own it are the nicest people. They are very helpful with ideas and suggestions for yummy foods. They offer free rice and beans for the kiddos. The fried yucca is amazing! The dipping sauce is delightful. I highly suggest getting guava juice when you're there and enjoy! Seriously amazing food in the ABQ! read more

I use to go here 5 years ago and it was great then. I got a salad and sandwich. The salad was really fresh and tasted excellent. The pernil sandwiches was great also. It's been five years and they have maintained their quality even though they changed locations and with Covid they are doing great. read more

Asado de Cerdo con Vegetales Asados ​​por Ani. On a recent Saturday afternoon while erranding in Nob Hill, we needed a real treat for a late lunch, and Guava Tree Cafe loomed large, diet or no. Could Chef Anamargarita (Ani) whip up some low-cal magic for us? And how. We explained our diet requirements to her, she winked, and said, "Watch this." She knew that her Cubano is my favorite sandwich in all of New Mexico, and disappeared into her tiny kitchen. She reappeared in about twelve minutes, grinning that pulchritudinous grin, and set before us two plates of the most delicious and beautiful looking diet food I have ever seen. Two rolled-up slices of her perfect slow-roasted pork (the soul of her Cubano) flanked a mound of oven-roasted vegetables. Red onions (with a hint of oil and balsamic vinegar), mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, sweet red peppers, and she deftly placed a few curls of zucchini to complete the artwork. A beautiful plate of food. And it tasted as good as it looked -- fabulous. Each vegetable had been roasted slowly, carefully, and individually, and the dish was assembled at plating. Each texture was appropriate. Each taste was distinct -- no vegetable mish-mash here. Ani is a magician and an artist. She listens. She knows. Best lunch we have had in a very long time. And Jane and I did indeed lose weight that weekend. -----20 Mar, 2011----- Empanadas -- Lechon. Baked empanadas filled with flavorful bits of slow roasted lechon! Muy delicioso. I had these for lunch yesterday with a new old friend, Pedro. Served with black beans, rice, sweet fried plantains, and a delicious mango salsa. This was one of Ani's specials. Seems that everything she creates is special. -----01 Feb, 2011----- ¡Pura Vida!. Men are often accused of using unrestrained hyperbole at times in their speech and writing, maybe like this: "The Cubano Sandwich that I had this afternoon at The Guava Tree Cafe is the absolute best that I have ever had anyplace in this Universe or its parallels." This is not only not hyperbole, but also a justifiable statement. Here's why. Roast pork is the soul of a Cubano. It must be perfect. The pork prepared by Anamargarita Otero, the vivacious and effervescent chef, has been lovingly marinated and slow roasted to enhance the flavor and retain the juiciness of the pork without rendering all the fat (which dries out the pork). This, together with sweet ham, nutty tasting Swiss cheese, thin pickles, and the correct mustard is placed on delicious bread (from TLC on Osuna) and finished off in a panini press until the cheese pulls it all together. Three napkins juicy. My first bite brought tears to my eyes -- I have been searching for this kind of perfection for decades, and now I have found it. LP, my lovely lunch companion, had an Arepa de Pabellón -- flavorful shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantains, and fresco cheese served on a muffin of fine, white cornmeal that was crispy on the outside and delicately smooth on the inside. This combination is superb (no, not more hyperbole), and the blend of flavors and textures is astonishingly good. It was accompanied by rice and beans, a small green side salad, and a small side of Colombian Hogao, Hogao is one of the most traditional Colombian seasoning sauces. It is used either as a base for many typical Colombian dishes or just as a dipping sauce for Patacones, platanitos and yuca frita, or just as a topping for arepas. This is a rarified combination, and Ani does it very well. On a return visit, I had Ani's version of Bogota's Favorite Dish: "Ajiaco Santafereño. It is the perfect expression of Colombian indigenous and Spanish culture with native main ingredients like potato and corn mixed with Spanish acquisitions such as chicken and capers. It is said to have been invented by the Chibcha natives of the Cundinamarca and Boyaca regions; starting out as a potato based soup with "guascas" a type of green leave and "aji" a concoction made with onions and cilantro and a kick of spices, with which this recipe can not exist. In Colonial times the Spaniards added the protein, capers and heavy cream, resulting and what we enjoy today as "Ajiaco Santafereño." Ani's version is superb. The Guava Tree Cafe was opened on November 27, 2010, by Maricarmen Pijem de Barbosa and Diego Barbosa (Diego es un barista excepcional -- try his double Cuban), and is their dream come true. It is a welcome addition to the UNM scene just south of Central on Yale, a few doors south of The Outpost. The chef, Ani, a native of Puerto Rico, is a graduate of the CNM culinary arts program, and she learned well. We talked with her for nearly an hour. She lived in Baltimore (my home town) for a time, and understands real crabcakes. She has many dreams for Guava Tree. As the business expands and maybe hires more staff, she will try baking Cuban bread (which cannot be found in Albuquerque) on site. She said, with a sly wink of an eye, that she has many more tricks up h read more

See all

Guava Tree Cafe rocks. Very cute spot with good prices and excellent choices. OMG menu items are so good! The service was just exceptional. I will be back to Guava Tree Cafe soon. read more

My partner and I are on a road trip and needed a quick bite that would sustain us for another 7 hours. Guava Tree Cafe was the perfect place and absolutely hit the spot. I got the Arepa Machilla and my partner got the Arepa Pabelló which were both DELICIOUS. we also split the yucca fries with a delicious garlic sauce that we had to get more of. Overall, would recommend to anyone wanting to try new things such as Plantains or yucca. read more

Great homey place for lunch. We got the cubano, the pernil, and the lunch special. The sandwiches were warm and savory with crunchy bread. The lunch special came with beans, rice, plantains, and yucca so we got to sample everything. Definitely recommend checking this place out for a quick bite. read more

Guava Tree Cafe - Lunch of the day! Pulled beef, rice, yucca, sweet plantains, black beans and green salad - Latin American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Amazing!!! I love this restaurant. The food here is incredible and is well priced. I would recommend trying one of their smoothies with the entree of your choice, I think you would regret it:) read more

Great food and good people! Highly recommend. Nob Hill location is great for takeout and they just opened in Tin Can Alley!

If I was dying, I would probably chose this as my last meal. Every time I've been here the sandwiches I've gotten are out of this world. The depth of flavor is unreal. HIGHLY recommend read more

Best arepa I've ever had. I've gone looking all over CA to try to find one as good as the one I had here, but it seems impossible. I'm trying to plan a trip back to Albuquerque and this place is 75% why lol I ordered the shredded beef one. It was so juicy and so flavorful, and just unbeatable! read more

This place was absolutely delicious! The staff was fast and friendly and the cafecito was one of the best coffee drinks I have ever had. The arepa La Del Perro was incredibly flavorful and filling. Myself and my friend enjoyed this place so much we came back the same day for juice too. If you are in the Nob Hill area, eat here. You will love it! read more

See all

Ropa vieja, fried plantains, yucca fries, Cuban sandwiches and the most amazing mango juice. All served in a quick and friendly manner at this restaurant right off Central. The food was great. read more