Kiva Cafe

The food is amazing, fresh and fast. The service is polite…read moreand helpful. The ambiance is clean, casual and inviting. We ordered the enchiladas and the sopapillas.... All good.

Waited 10 mins to order our drinks? The August special was OK. BBQ sauce tasted like Hinz 57 with a…read moredash of Tabasco sauce . Service was very slow, had to keep asking for refills when we could find our server. Waited for our ticket & their system was down so I had to go to guest services to cash out??? Paid $54 for lunch & the service was bad?

The kitchen is spotless!!!!

Table for 4

See all

Sign at entrance

Jerry's Cafe

4.5(854 reviews)

53.3 mi

On a Route 66 road trip we stopped in to Jerry's. It's a small cafe filled with friendly locals…read moreand travelers and wonderful staff. Had to try some of their basics. I had a cheese enchilada, refried beans & rice. Had a side of chips & salsa. Husband had Jerry's open-faced burger with red and green chili. Both meals came with sopapillas. Everything was fabulous! Such a great way to get what felt like a true picture of Gallup, NM.

Of course I found it through my fellow yelpers…read more I was looking for fry bread and this place popped up Decided to come because it has good reviews. Saw a guy eating a sopapilla outside said it was good and there were several people outside waiting so we were like ok it's gonna be good. Ordered the Sopapilia covered in red sauce because it was a popular choice. Sadly, I was disappointed. I think it would have been good by itself no sauce. Just a sopapilla by itself. In sauce was too much. The red sauce did not taste homemade. If it is I'm sorry but it just wasn't my cup of tea. The kids drummettes were fried and tasty. Other than that it was just another diner. We did meet others who said they frequent but knowing true Mexican food, it's a no go for me. Service was ok. Ambiance Diner feel. We met a guy who said there was a cafe town the road that he preferred I don't remember the name but at least I know I'm not the only one who did not enjoy it. He was also from Cali so there you go. Sorry to disappoint. Good luck finding good eats. SYOY

Combo Plate: Tostado, Beef Taco, Pork Tamale, Two Cheese Enchiladas, beans, rice, and Chili sauce

See all

Outside of restaurant

Mama's Kitchen

4.7(74 reviews)

53.8 mi

Great breakfast spot in Gallup. We were looking for a lunch spot on our way through Gallup on our…read moreRoute 66 road trip. Saw some good reviews for this local spot, so we stopped in. The food and service were great, plus the prices were reasonable.

Our server last night at the Italian place recommended this cute little diner for breakfast as he…read moreused to work there. Everyone was friendly and the food came out really quick. Don ordered the short stack of pancakes. They were cake like and had a nice flavor. We loved how they gave you a little bit of fruit with your pancakes. We had strawberries, banana, and blueberries. I ordered the two eggs scrambled with bacon, hashbrowns, and toast. Well done. I appreciate that they did toast the sourdough nicely. Everything was tasty and the prices were reasonable. We can see how this is a popular spot for the locals.

The rules

Mama's Madness

See all

Cute clean decor

Cocina De Dominguez

4.1(83 reviews)

52.6 mi

Great food and excellent service. We had Indian Taco,…read moremenudo and carne adovada. Too bad it was during lunch on a work day! I wanted to try a margarita!

The food is still very good but the house margarita is poured from a bland and watery premix…read more Steaks and prawns are on the menu in addition to tacos and burritos. The beans and rice sides are in portions best for people on a diet. Most restaurant dining rooms are plain bordering on shabby in Gallup. Cocina has one of the nicer and more comfortable interior in town.

Cute tree!

See all

Exterior

Grandpa's Grill

4.2(142 reviews)

51.7 mi

I always stop here on my way through Gallup. The portions are good food is good and service is…read moreawesome. Good variety of New Mexico Mexican food and American choices.

Just okay. We stopped here while on our Route 66 trip because it had an overall 4 star review…read morerate. I had the southwest philly cheese steak sandwich and fries. The fries were good but the meat on the sandwich was overcooked and super chewy but dry. My sidekick had the fish and fries and some kind of soup. The fish pieces were a generous portion with light breading. It was a quick stop and the staff was friendly so that was a bright spot. The decor had that fun old school diner/cafe vibe one would expect out on The Mother Road.

Usually Grandpa's Grill is good, I ordered the BBQ ribs special, the baked potato was gross, ribs sucked

Western burger.

See all

Front entrance.

Grandma's Restaurant

3.8(6 reviews)

85.2 mi

this place is goated sorry a grandmother died here but that's just part of the charm. loved the egg…read morechorizo burrito one of the best I've ever had

So far for the Navajo, NM location, the Mexican food is great! You get a good size portion, it's…read moretasty and the price is fair. I am speaking just about Mexican food and breakfast food, other dishes I have not tried but with due time I will since I live in the area. I love the spice level of the green chile. I will continue to eat there. The timing of the service is on the slower side but I am okay with that since my food is hot, temperature wise. This isn't a fast food joint so don't expect that. This has been my experience so far, only have been there about 5x. The Crownpoint, NM location was substandard in comparison to this Navajo location. I will not eat again at the other location.

Ice Cream Sopapilla

See all

My dead grandma after eating there:(

The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd

4.4(2.9k reviews)

70.3 mi•Downtown

Family-owned & operated

Catering service

There is one southwestern joint in town that is a must visit that's Cocina Azul. The place is…read morebeautiful, sharp clean and very new looking. They have ample seating in brightly lit areas and even patio seating. It was fun busy and alive on a Tuesday night. Our server was so wonderful, very happy and relaxed it's a sign of a good place. All the front staff were wonderful workers and seem to work very harmoniously. My coworker and I had t different things he got a smothered burrito and I got the brisket combo, both dishes were too much food for too grown men. Delicious and huge portions plus a really nice presentation. The wait was a bit long but that just means they are making everything before service. The only hard part was parking, it's a small lot so be prepared to walk a block or two during dinner rush. Trust me it's totally worth it!!!

I'm in Albuquerque for a few days. I wanted some New Mexican food so I have Cocina Azul a shot…read more East to get to and easy parking. Their 2 big things were their "chili". Everything has either red or green chili or what they call Christmas style and that's both green and red. Not on top of each other but side by side. They both were good. HOWEVER, they were spicy. Really spicy. The green Sause looked like mostly diced hatch green chilis with seeds left in. It had a good flavor. The red Sause was heavy (I think) New Mexico chilies. It had a bright red color, actually stained my fingers, and a woodsy taste. I got a comb plate. It has a chili relleno, tamale, taco, and enchilada with rice and beans. And it was good. It was a lot of food. (See pics) I'm from Oklahoma and the Mexican food there is alot different. But I enjoyed my meal. I would have licked the plate clean if it wasn't so spicy. 4/5

See all

Arellana's Guaco Sopapilla Burger

Del Prado Cafe

4.2(43 reviews)

78.0 mi

My wife commented that this was the cleanest Mexican restaurant we've been to in a while!…read more Steak Tacos - good, fresh ingredients, plenty of food, flavor was a little light, needed a little more. Chicken Tostadas - She said delicious, fresh ingredients, good portions. Coffee was great. The server, Yessnia,Was delightful, so happy!

Just over 2 years since we were here and it's still awesome. The flavor is still unbelievable. I…read morewish my daughter was with me to taste it again! Service is great made from scratch goodness. Plus now a guy is playing his guitar and sounds great. I wish I lived closer. If you go through Cuba New Mexico you need to stop.

Amazing good food.

See all

Plus this guy is great.

El Ranchero Cafe

4.2(57 reviews)

1.2 mi

I picked this place for lunch based on a review seen on a Facebook New Mexico restaurant page…read more Very nice! I was seated right away and served with a bowl of fresh chips and some excellent homemade salsa. Since they served no beer, I chose water. The server was friendly and efficient. My order of à sopaipilla burger soon appeared with a generous portion of fries prepared how I like them. All of the young women working there were cheerful and eager to ensure that customers had everything they needed. It's an old-timey restaurant you might not even find if you stayed on the freeway and didn't cruise old Route 66. The home style atmosphere is augmented by sales of homemade salsa and some excellent biscochitos to go. I'll be back, it's a winner!

Friendly service from the moment we arrived, enjoyed our tortilla chips and salsa and studied the…read moremenu... so many choices. We decide on chili rellenos, cooked a different way here and chicken enchilada, chicken taco and combo plate. Unsweetened iced tea and had some to go! It's hot out there and the tea helped! Various chili sauces to try and rice and beans with each dish along with tortillas and sopaipilla. Glad we stopped here!

Inside restaurant

Chips and delicious salsa

See all

Navajo taco and enchiladas that we asked for green sauce

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

5 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Beth A.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Fast,friendly service, plentiful, hot food. The green chili stew and chicken fried steak were awesome. Be coming back.

Emma Rose M.

0

5

6

5 years ago

The food was okay. The wait to get our food was ridiculously long. The Dr.Pepper was disgusting.

Vicki B.

0

5

0

11 years ago

Great breakfast and very friendly staff. We will definitely stop here again in our travels!

Angie B.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Awesome food and service! Will definitely return.

Dan Q.

19

58

13

16 years ago

Too long for a single cup of coffee.

Kiva Cafe - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

People who viewed Kiva Cafe also viewed

El Cafecito

3.8

(168 reviews)

Great experience. Friendly staff and delicious home cooked food! I enjoyed breakfast and looking…read moreforward to returning to try lunch/dinner.

Came back for lunch on another trip and was happy I stopped. Our server recommended the chile…read morerelleno and the tamales, but we wanted to try a variety of items, so we added the combo plate. In retrospect, we should have listened to her, because the tamales and the relleno were our favorites! The tamales were so fluffy and packed with meat, and the relleno was perfect. The taco was good, but nothing special. The enchiladas were good. The chimichanga was a little too doughy for me. Overall, a good value, good service, good food, and worth a stop.

El Ranchero Cafe

4.2

(57 reviews)

I picked this place for lunch based on a review seen on a Facebook New Mexico restaurant page…read more Very nice! I was seated right away and served with a bowl of fresh chips and some excellent homemade salsa. Since they served no beer, I chose water. The server was friendly and efficient. My order of à sopaipilla burger soon appeared with a generous portion of fries prepared how I like them. All of the young women working there were cheerful and eager to ensure that customers had everything they needed. It's an old-timey restaurant you might not even find if you stayed on the freeway and didn't cruise old Route 66. The home style atmosphere is augmented by sales of homemade salsa and some excellent biscochitos to go. I'll be back, it's a winner!

Friendly service from the moment we arrived, enjoyed our tortilla chips and salsa and studied the…read moremenu... so many choices. We decide on chili rellenos, cooked a different way here and chicken enchilada, chicken taco and combo plate. Unsweetened iced tea and had some to go! It's hot out there and the tea helped! Various chili sauces to try and rice and beans with each dish along with tortillas and sopaipilla. Glad we stopped here!

Rosie's Cafe

4.8

(42 reviews)

We each ordered the breakfast burrito smothered in red chili sauce. It was a wonderful taste of New…read moreMexico. Nothing fancy, just earnestly good food.

Good restaurant that needs a bit updating. Place feels like it's been there forever and it looks it…read morewith lots of house plants and weird blue and purple touches. Plenty of room and the waitress is super nice and friendly. Food is good and will fill you up. I wish the tostadas we ordered would have come with the traditional lettuce and tomato but it was only the meat with beans. Green chili was excellent and homemade. Frito pie was a nice choice and quite tasty. Made with hamburger meat, Fritos, beans lettuce and tomatoes. I would definitely go back.

Gabby's Diner

4.3

(38 reviews)

Our server, Tamra, sent me a message to let me know her father had a health emergency, the reason…read moreshe was in the back a lot. We didn't know. So under the circumstances, she had every right to be frazzled. Knowing that, the fact they got our meal out that well is impressive. Wish we had known as we could have left and let her take care of her parents. They've been closed since then as it's a small family business. Wishing them all the best and praying for his recovery, and that they're able to reopen their business again soon.

Wow. It was late and we were hungry. We had another hour to get to our hotel so we Yelped what was…read moreopen and here we are! Smash burgers are amazing! Onion rings are in point as well. Cool old diner vibe. Love it!

Dancing Eagle

3.8

(29 reviews)

The food is amazing, fresh and fast. The service is polite…read moreand helpful. The ambiance is clean, casual and inviting. We ordered the enchiladas and the sopapillas.... All good.

Waited 10 mins to order our drinks? The August special was OK. BBQ sauce tasted like Hinz 57 with a…read moredash of Tabasco sauce . Service was very slow, had to keep asking for refills when we could find our server. Waited for our ticket & their system was down so I had to go to guest services to cash out??? Paid $54 for lunch & the service was bad?

Taco Village

3.8

(22 reviews)

Food is mediocre almost no tomatoes on the tacos and staff are incredibly discourteous , male…read moremanager is really rude to the customers, . They got my order wrong then proceeded to tell me how ignorant I am for asking for my third order of tacos , I could clearly see the third order was written on the hand written ticket but I was only charged for two when I asked for the third the teller blamed me and accused me of being unable to add up the total . I was ok with paying for the third order but I could have done with out the attitude from the mad dogging male manager and check out hag . In addition the ice tea is now like light brown flavorless water .. $6.75 for four taquitos and they even tryed to only give us 3 that were dripping with fryer oil and we had to ask to get the 4th one and It came single wrapped in a yellow paper and way over cooked .. I used to like this place it's a shame the customer service leave such a bad taste in your mouth .. bring Cathy back

The crispy tacos are the best, I get these with a large order of fries. Kane is the man when it…read morecomes to service, he's courteous and jokes with the customers. Inside is very basic, but good, shows the owners are focused on the food and service, the inside is very clean. Excellent menudo on Saturdays.

Gabby's Cafe

4.2

(27 reviews)

I was driving home to Phoenix One glowing N.M. dawn…read moreMy tummy growled I looked on Yelp* Gabby's jumped to screen. Tucked away near downtown Grants Former Tiendita front I saw that it's now Gabby's Caf Breakfast was my want. River Park across the street early in the day had geese and ducks and walking dogs they wanted me to stay. Gabby's called I could not wait and so I walked away. "Your early sir." said smiling Tam, "The cook is on his way." "Restroom please." "It's down the hall and to the left. waiting for your stay." Music Country, art the same - it's rural N.M. here my friend, horses, cows and lambs. Star of The West brought the list. She shined her light, she spoke her words she made my morning bright. What rhymes with Huevos Rancheros? Farmer Brothers coffee and a tall cold glass of H2O. The beans were swell, the eggs were fine, green chile sauce was gentle on my mind. And into prose I wind. Gabby's Cafe is the in-town Mom of Gabby's Diner in Milan. You can get dinner there if you're on time. Gabby's Cafe has a marvelous pine floor, callung out for Saturday night music and dancing.

I love small town cafes! Cozy and nicely decorated - clearly an older building not too far from…read moreRte. 66. What I loved was the service. I didn't get her name, but she was just the nicest person ever! The reviews raved about the burgers so we decided to try them. My husband had the double cheeseburger, and I tried the Bourbon Feta and grilled onion burger. First, they used quality beef, hand-formed snd smashed, so I love the texture of the patties and the way they were cooked. Buns were buttered and toasted on the grill lightly. Fries were decent. The only downside was that I could not taste the bourbon on my burger, but the feta and onions were on point. We also tried the strawberry lemonade - perfect - not too sweet. It was nice to watch the service team interact, and how they hustled. They do a lively to-go business as well. Great place to stay.

La Ventana Steakhouse

3.9

(91 reviews)

I had an outstanding dinner at this restaurant last night, and it truly exceeded my expectations…read more The place was nearly full when I arrived, but they seated me right away. The service was incredibly efficient from start to finish. They quickly took my drink order, brought the drinks, and immediately followed with fresh salsa and chips. My server took the order promptly, and the salad arrived almost right away. The main course came out perfectly timed--just as I finished my salad. The prime rib was absolutely phenomenal--the best I've had in a long time. It was cooked to perfection, juicy, and full of flavor. What really stood out was the team. The waitresses were sharp, fast, and professional even though the restaurant was busy. The young food runners were on point too--they cleared plates immediately and kept everything running smoothly. Everyone worked together like a well-oiled machine. For a delicious prime rib dinner, the bill came to about $60 before tip, which is an excellent value. You're getting top-quality food and service at a very fair price. Places like this are the heart of American small business. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and support them--you won't be disappointed!

Amazing service in a newly updated cozy interior. My dinner steak was perfectly grilled. Absolutely…read moredelicious and served with an equally delicious baked potato. Steaks priced $$.

Laguna 66 Pit Stop

4.2

(130 reviews)