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

We stopped by Frontier Restaurant in Nob Hill for breakfast and had a great experience! I ordered…read moretwo eggs with hash browns and toast, along with an iced coffee. My husband had eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast with an orange juice. Everything came out hot, fresh, and cooked perfectly. The eggs were just right, the hash browns had a nice crisp to them, and the portions were filling without being over the top. My iced coffee was also a great addition to breakfast. Frontier is such a classic Albuquerque spot with a casual, no-frills atmosphere and really good comfort food. We both really enjoyed our breakfast and would definitely come back!

Te gusta! TBH, NM's…read morefood scene was underwhelming during my time there, and it was pretty disappointing to get food from the hearth that was more mediocre than the stuff we get on the East Coast. We ate from the border crossing past El Paso all the way to Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. And I'm sure we missed a ton of great places, but that being said, the places we did try... yikes! We rolled the dice on this place. At first I was like, "Great, another place that is going to give us a premade tortilla and some bland combination of stuff in the tortilla..." Now look... this is not a Michelin-starred place, nor is it Michelin-recommended. It's not going to be a spiritual experience. It's not going to make you think differently about a taco, an enchilada, or anything else on their massive menu. But this place has heart, soul, and there's a lot of hustle. The tortillas are made fresh, right there behind the counter (i.e., you can literally watch them crank them out), and that makes a ton of difference. The food is honest, without pretense: fast and affordable. The ambiance is equally without pretense -- college kids, working-class folks, families, academics... The food was simple, spartan, and honest. No frills. Not extraordinary, but above average for the context. There is an ASTOUNDING amount of variety on the menu, and the combinations are infinite. I very much enjoyed my meal, I very much enjoyed the people-watching, and I very much enjoyed the experience. This was perhaps the best meal I had in New Mexico -- the cheapest, and the most memorable. If this place was a beer, it would be one of those local lager/pilsners that is as cheap as a Pabst/Coors/Miller but punches up way past the pretentious IPA scene. Thanks Frontier.

The service was a little slow, but very friendly. The atmosphere is LOVELY. The fountain when you…read morewalk in is just gorgeous. We sat near it and enjoyed the view a the sound for the whole meal. The food is consistent. I got the ceviche and more than half the shrimp was definitely still raw which was a bummer. I had to keep pushing it down into the lime juice to get it to turn from gray to pink. The kids menu is expensive and when my nephew wanted extra chicken nuggets, the server told us they were $1 each. His kids meal ended up costing almost as much as an adult entree with those prices. They're not even homemade nuggets, they're dinosaurs! That was pretty disappointing, but won't stop us from going back. We'll just get him something from the adult menu next time.

We had the tacos for two as well as a fish bowl blue Hawaiian and pina colada! Everything was…read moregreat, loved the water fixture in the middle of the place. Pretty crazy that it used to be a soccer store, the inside looks very nice. Service was of course great as well! Our server knew the menu like the back of his hand and made sure my mother was accommodated for her allergy. Ending statement is that I would love to go again and will happily tell others!

My favorite meal this year. Very friendly staff and comfortable seating outside underneath a tree,…read morewith fairy lights above. We had the guacamole and salsa, I recommend mixing them together, they pair surprisingly well. A little pricey at $9.60 for the plate. For entrees, we had the green chile chicken enchiladas and carne adovada Christmas style. The latter is one of the most distinct and delicious regional dishes I've had. All entrees had really nice pairings with pinto beans, potato hash, and freshly cooked sopapillas. We chose to have the sopapillas with honey as a dessert, but there's the option to stuff them with the entree.

This place is like a Mom and Pop hole in the wall gem. The restaurant is small. Parking is a bit of…read morea challenge. There are parking meters along the street and they are free after 6 pm. We stuck a few quarters into the meter that couldn't be read, and we walked into the restaurant. We were greeted at the door and given several options for seating including outdoor seating. We took a table in the entry way, not in the main restaurant. It was a quaint spot overlooking the patio section out front of the restaurant. A server met us, took our drink order, and we placed a few appetizer orders. We got some chile con queso, and the chicharron. They initially brought out the queso in two small plastic to-go containers. I was not very thrilled with that. Then, when we polished them off, they brought out some more in a small serving dish. Why we didn't get the dish in the first place is beyond me. The queso was good, but I didn't think much of the chicharron. My husband like it though. The server did an excellent job keeping our drinks filled. We placed our order, and it wasn't too long that our orders came out. I got the combination plate, red sauce, ground beef taco. My husband thought he ordered the enchilada plate, but the chile relleno plate came out instead. He told them that was fine. The ground beef taco was so delicious. The chile relleno was pretty good, and the cheese enchiladas were okay, even though it was like they were barely there. The pinto beans, not refried beans, were also enjoyed. What really set them apart was their papas - those potatoes were soft and super flavorful. Their red sauce was spicy and flavorful. The server brought out two fresh and hot sopapillas. We poured honey on those things bite by bite. I honestly think those were the best sopapillas I've had. I also used the restroom before we left. It might need a little updating, but it was certainly clean.

This place is delicious and authentic I'm not sure why I haven't left them a review before. The…read morecustomer service is awesome everyone is so polite. The restaurant was clean and easy to move around in. They were busy but still very prompt on helping everyone. The food tasted delicious I'd recommend this place. Everyday has a different special which is awesome.

Like the food here. Nothing fancy about this place just damn good food. You can order at the…read morecounter or site at a table. Prices are reasonable and food is prepared hot. My workers like to come here today brought my daughters

We always stop at Sunnyside Up in Albuquerque on our drive through.. but an hour wait on a Saturday…read morewasn't happening for us with kids, so we opted to try Rusty Tacos and O.M.G. are we glad we did!! We had the Slammer Sunshine burrito and tacos, and let me just say you will be impressed. The burrito was huge and shareable if you're not starving. Also, the food is super flavorful and tomatillo sauce was better than I make at home. Definitely a must try if you're on the road and looking for something to fill you up and give you a little twist on Mexican food. Don't miss out! You'll thank me later

Great taco spot. Even better for our first time you get a free taco! The deals are awesome from…read morehappy hour to monthly specials like 1/2 off bowls. Everyone was very friendly and the service is fast. The environment is chill and nice to dine in. The taco of the month the spiced taco has a great kick and goes well paired with the creamy pickled coleslaw. In short, amazing. Grilled shrimp tacos were 10/10 well cooked and spiced. Brisket tacos are a must as well, perfect combo of fatty and tender. The rusty taco was surprisingly the least favorite, it's ok seasoning but the meat and pineapple tasted old, would skip it. Worth joining their points membership! They have great monthly deals

We love this place. The red chili is excellent and so is their food. Their service is also very…read moregood.

The service here is good, the staff is always friendly. The ambiance is like any other typically…read moreNew Mexican restaurant, with some nice outdoor seating when it's not too hot. The posole never fails, I like the meat to posole ratio. You can never go wrong with the taco salad either (as pictured). However one star was taken off for the taco pizza... not good. It was a plain tostada with chicken and cheese... However, everything else is good. Just don't recommend that..

Food was amazing Service was good…read more Ambiance was nice with live music going from table to table Would have been nice to get refills more often

I'd always been curious about Cervantes and I'm glad I got the chance to finally go…read more I had the enchiladas plate and got a scrambled egg on top- it was good...it had the flavors I was expecting. While I usually don't have an opinion on rice, I will say the rice on my plate wasn't very good...it had a lot of sauce, although not very flavorful. The plate also arrived with good sopapillas. I really enjoyed the interior of the restaurant - it was dark, moody and almost a step back in time since I'll assume the decor hasn't changed since they first opened. I'd visit again and try some of the other items on their menu.

If I could give 10 stars, I would! Excellent food in this family owned restaurant. We were…read moregreeted and seated quickly. Their plates are huge. We decided to order from the à la carte menu otherwise we'd be asleep after the meal. Staff were super sweet. We got the chicken and beef enchiladas. It comes with comp chips and salsa and sopapillas. You have your choice of red or green sauce. I chose both. Service is quick. Prices are modest. Food is delicious. Both sauces are homemade. The green sauce is especially good. In fact they need to bottle this and sell it. If I could, I would lick the bowl! Cash or check only. Closed on the weekends. Shared lot parking.

If you're looking for authentic New Mexican cuisine, Padilla's is the place to go. Very casual and…read morewelcoming mom & pop restaurant. I ordered the enchiladas and long and behold they were served flat as a traditional New Mexican staple. Layered with cheddar cheese and smothered in their incredible green chile sauce. The sauce is easily the star of the dish. It's rich , flavorful, and just the right amount of heat. Instead of chips and salsa, my meal came with fresh sopapillas, and they're far from an afterthought. They came out warm and fluffy and absolutely delicious. Just one quick tip, Padilla is cash only so be prepared.

All the way from California!!…read more Ambiance: bright, good lighting, fresh paint, clean. Looks like locals come for a bite to eat and a lot of takeout orders. Service: when you walk in you're greeted by the person at the small pony wall. They have signs for specials and menus. You should select a table and then decide what to eat before going to the window and ordering. They do not take your order at the table. Food: very tasty and fresh. Reminds me of Tex-mex food. The beans were delicious!! The sauce they use is hot sauce thickness it was fresh and delicious. The red sauce had a kick to it. Glad we stopped in and tried it out.

Stopped in after reviewing some of the posts here. The…read morestaff is super friendly, the food was average + to us. My husband is very hard to please, he had a ground beef burrito, he said he's had better. I had the two taco plate. The taco shells were the best part! The tasted fresh and coolly expertly. It was served with pinto beans, Guacamole and chips. It was a large plate, I could only eat 1.5 of the tacos, even though those taco shells were so good. Parking was tricky when we arrived. We parked out back. That back lot is fairly small. Interior was simple, but again, staff made it special,