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

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.

Well priced! Awesome customer service! Well flavored food! Daily specials! Free chile/beans for…read moredine in (not sure as I didn't eat there)! Spacious! Free parking! It's a hit for me. I ordered the cinnamon roll, frozen horchata, green chile stew (comes with a warm tortilla), and adovada taco. The total comes out to less than $20! In this economy?! That's amazing. The most expensive item of my item was the iced horchata, which was good. The food still takes the spotlight though. The cinnamon roll could use a TINY bit more cinnamon and brown sugar, but is still pretty good. I'd definitely come back here.

It seems like this place has been around forever. I remember passing by this restaurant as a kid…read moreand seeing the wagon wheel chandeliers from the road. Directly across the street from University of New Mexico's main entrance, this place is packed when school is in session. This place is huge, but not at first glance. Walk into the retro-looking, Western themed dining room, and you'll see a huge menu board above the order counter. There is are several freestyle soda machines in the middle of the room. There are little digital screens in the corner where you watch for your order number and a counter in the corner where you go pick up your food. It's not until you go into the next room that you discover there is another "next room," and then another. There is a lot of art on the walls, including several John Wayne pictures. The girl at the counter who took our order was an absolute ray of sunshine--so friendly and sweet. We ordered the green chili cheeseburger with onion rings and the daily special which is the "green pile-up" (beans, hash browns, scrambled egg, and green chili beef). The good came our talented quickly, and was quite yummy. Frontier is an Albuquerque classic. If it old? Yes, but it has a huge faithful following, not including the things of UNM students that pack this giant diner during the school year. It may not be a "must try" for some, but if you want Albuquerque nostalgia, this is your place. Btw--it's pretty darn cheap,!

Surprize, Lydianna, and Jessica!!! There was also her friend helping her and the male bartender…read morewith glasses! Sorry I didn't get names! All so amazing! I also have been to many steak places (Vegas, LA, Texas, etc) and this is definitely in my top three!!! I got the American Wagyu 10oz. Really cool history of the hotel and each room is different and just all the details of the decor I just really love the vibe here!

Josh was great. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole meal feel like an experience…read morerather than just dinner. His recommendations were excellent, and the service was attentive without being over the top. We'd definitely ask for him again.

We haven't be here in a long time, when we were not used to New Mexican food, so we were hesitant…read moreto come back. Had family in town and gave it another try. So glad we did, it was a great experience for a large group. There were 8 of us and no complaints, that is always a win! The food is delicious, definitely very New Mexican though, so make sure that is what you are wanting. There was a long wait time for a table, which is typical for a Friday night most places. The food came out fast and are good portions. Service was amazing: quick, correct, were on top of drink refills, to go boxes and bags, and great teamwork and energy from staff.

We decided to sit at the bar and enjoy drinks and dinner. They make some great margaritas on the…read morerocks. When they ask if you want green or red sauce on your enchiladas, don't fall for the green sauce is milder. Ask for the sauce on the side. I got green sauce on my pork enchiladas and had to get some guacamole to keep my tongue from burning up. The Carne Adovada is excellent. Very flavorful pork.

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..

Ok. I was just wasting some time and saw some negative reviews about Mary and Tito's Carne Adovada…read more!! WTF !! Seriously ???!!!!! There is no better Carne Adovada in Albuquerque or in New Mexico !! You're probably some cheap ass who buys it at Kroger for 235 a pound

Most all reviews will repeat this, but be aware parking is very tight. We arrived at 1:25 pm and…read morewere happy to find two open spots. Earlier I'm sure the small lot was at capacity. Next, the entry door is no longer facing the street. It is on the north wall of the building off the entry to the parking lot. The entrance sign is just sharpie or pen on paper and very faded. Once inside this small converted residence there are two dining rooms. The first was full but there was open seating in the second. There isn't a lot on the walls so the room echoes your conversation to everyone in the room. A bit more art on the walls and the diner vibe would really make itself known. The food. The NYT recently put Mary and Tito's in their 41 best list in the US so I had very high expectations. Usually my wife and I order a single item and share the meal. This time we ordered knowing we'd have take home leftovers. I ordered the Mexican Turnover Combination with beef. This is a pastry crust folded over a combination of ground beef, rice and beans. I ordered the red chile with this. My wife ordered the cheese enchiladas with green chile, rice and beans. This came with a lot of chopped green chile, not a sauce. Overall it was ok, but the beans and chopped chile put down so much liquid it rapidly became a soggy texture less mess. My turnover was tasty and the red chile also ok but not up to the rave reviews I've heard. At this time, I'd rate it the third best red I've had in NM. (See my review for La Cocina in Espanola for my pick for best Red chile in NM- so far anyway ) Overall, I'm glad we finally got the opportunity to dine at this local institution. When we do give it another try, I'm going to follow the recommendation for chicarones and pork adovado. Actual rating 3.5 stars.

I'm still so full 2 hours later!!! The food was cooked fresh in an open kitchen and it was so…read moreuniquely flavored I don't have words to describe! It's counter service but still super polite and helpful. The decor is casual and eclectic. We loved every bit of our food experience. The green chile sauce was what I want anytime I'm in Albuquerque. The chairs were not super comfortable and no fountain drink options. I just want cold drinks when I eat. Those were really the only things that brought it to a 4 vs a 5 star for me

Today is January 10, 2025. This is my first visit to this lovely restaurant. I don't know how long…read morethey've been in this location. I went just before lunch today and was surprised that I'm the only customer for now. I hope people who work in local businesses will begin to frequent it, because this is very high-quality Mexican food. Staff greeted me in a friendly fashion, nice ambience, very relaxed. A fun menu. I ordered breakfast tacos with chorizo and they were superb. Price is reasonable.

warm welcoming and was told to pick where ever to sit, but with no one in the dining I got a table…read moreaway from the entrance as I do at any restaurant, but was questioned about my choice when I was told to pick. Server was nice enough but the food was lacking. Tamales tasted frozen with little to no meat, cubed mostly not shredde, no flavor. Beans watery and no salt, only slightly undercooked. felt a little rushed because I said I'll keep the menu to get more food but was brought the check as soon as I finished the plate. Was asked how I was doing but not how I liked the food. No empanadas available but the fresh tortill made up for that. Over all very moderate experience.

Durans never misses. The food is always delicious and they have the cutest store with unique local…read morefinds.

Today my travels took me to Albuquerque, NM. The hotel I stayed at recommended the Baca Boys Cafe…read more Great recommendation! Just around the corner, I found their cute mom and pop restaurant. The interior is simple but clean. The staff were overly friendly and welcoming! I sat at there diner bar style seating instead of a table. Their menu has several breakfast and lunch items available. I chose the pork in red chile sauce. It came with eggs, potatoes, and beans. The food came really quick, within 5-7 min. It was delicious!! The diced pork wasn't dry and blended perfectly in their flavorful red chile sauce. I tried the green chile sauce too, and it's fantastic but does carry some heat (just a nice warm glow not blazing hot). The potatoes, scrambled eggs, and beans bursted with flavor in the chile sauce. The sides were plentiful in quantity. If you are in downtown Albuquerque, you have to try Baca Boys!!

Looking for a hometown New Mexican meal and we found it at Baca Boys. Surprised to find it empty at…read more10:30am on a Friday, but it was an observed holiday, so downtown was pretty empty. Annie was a gem to have serve us. She kept our coffee cups full and chatted it up a little while we waited for our food. My friend and I each opted for the breakfast Carne plate, chile on the side-just in case it was too hot. Wonderful meal! Home cooked feel. Would love to go back for the tacos, as Annie gave them her "the best in Albuquerque" vote. Will definitely be visiting Baca Boys again.