This was the best customer service we've had in quite awhile. Our food was brought out in a timely manner, and we never had empty glasses. I'd go back in a heartbeat! read more

Since I moved to Albuquerque in the late 80's I have lived within walking distance of both the Lomas and Osuna locations, but I've only ever eaten here twice, and for no particular reason. The people who I trust in these matters have always given them high marks. I just never made it in. Until last month. It was a Sunday evening and we had no plans for dinner and we were passing on our way home and decided to stop. The fam and I were quite pleased. The food was good, the service was excellent, and we all had a nice dinner together. So today I woke up to an empty house after working a graveyard last night, hungry and craving nachos. I have a go to in the North Valley for a nacho fix but didn't feel like making the forty five minute to an hour round trip, and I remembered how good the chips and salsa were at Monroe's and was pretty sure they had em on the menu. So I made the call, drove over and picked them up. I should've taken a pic because they looked horrible. You now how nachos traditionally have crisp shredded iceberg lettuce and fresh tomatoes? These had some kind of dark, limp, leafy lettuce. The tomatoes seemed to be sitting in a juice, so maybe canned? The cheese wasn't so much melted as it was stringy, sinewy, coagulated threads of cheese. There was plenty of not too flavorful ground beef and some pretty tasty beans. The whole mess looked dark and unappetizing. But the biggest letdown of all were the chips, which when we had them in the restaurant were crispy and crunchy, these today were just a soggy mess. Not a dry crispy one in the bunch, just a mass of soft, mealy, shite. GROSS. I could get down about a 1/4 then threw the rest in the trash and made myself a grilled cheese. If Taco Bell can deliver crunchy nachos for ninety nine cents, y'all should be able to as well for what you charge. Anyway, I'm sure we'll continue to eat here from time to time, cause like I said, excellent service and good food plus a pleasant atmosphere. But y'all dropped the ball big time today. read more

Ordered the cheese enchilada plate to go due to a packed restaurant and COVID. It was ok. I've been going to Sadie's every time I pass through Albuquerque and wanted to try something else. Didn't get any chips and salsa with my meal and the food wasn't anything to get excited about. I'll stick with Sadie's. read more

Avoid this place at all costs, Service is terrible. I had a party of ten and in advanced asked for separate checks and yet they still put it all in one check. Took about half an hour to get it resolved and was still incorrect. Prior to that my spouse asked for another glass of wine on two occasions and after ample amount of time still no wine. I had to complain and ask a third time to finally get a glass. Also one member of my party ordered beef rolled tacos and they brought chicken instead. I came from out of town and heard good things bout this establishment and figured to try out this New Mexican food.. stay away.. better off going to Taco Cabana or even Taco Bell .. it's overrated plus parking is horrendous and not worth the hassle!!! read more

Good food. Great service. My water was filled four times! My glass never got half empty. Very much appreciated on a scorching summer day. Received the hottest- fresh out of the fryer sopapilla in New Mexico. read more

This place used to be the best place to satisfy your craving for some good ole Mexican food. Went here for lunch today and holy cow the food was by far the worst I have ever seen . We had to reorder our food because the slop that was given to us was totally wrong. Steer clear from the "Mexican pizza" it had grease on it that had hardened up and turned white on the top looked like dandruff off someone scalp! I sent it away and figured oh well maybe the enchiladas which my fiancee always orders will be ok WRONG! COAGULATED cheese cold in the middle! We were asked about our experience upon paying and I tried to voice my opinion and was told it's hard when they have so many good reviews then u have that one person! Uh excuse me there was 3 people with piss poor quality food. Get it together Monroe's looks like casa de Benavidez here we come! UPDATE: We all make mistakes and dropping the ball is one thing ur place dropped it 3 times in the same visit . Lack of customer service from your wait staff as well as your cashier is not an excuse and you can not use the excuse that you are human. Your cooks see a pile of greasy crap coming out and choose to serve it to customers that my friend is lack of good judgement and to me a person who doesn't pride themself in their job . read more

Worst fajitas ever. I would rather go to Taco Cabana for Fajitas than Monroes. My friend got a combination plate and he said it was decent. I've heard good things from other locals so perhaps it was just an off night in the kitchen. read more

Good food for a fair price. Service is always excellent. Monroe's has diffnatly become one of out regular feeding spots.

The food is always good, chips and fresh salsa are great and service is outstanding! Wonderful local cuisine. Daily specials are always great, especially Friday's! Would highly recommend Monroe's!!!! read more

It's right across the street from our house, so we always smell the food and it seems like it's going to be GREAT! But, it doesn't taste so awesome. I mean, it's ok... but nothing really to get super excited about. For the price... not a bad deal. read more

Perfect local food. Staff was kind and prompt, the chips and salsa were among our favorites we had on our trip. Definitely recommend!

Overall great experience. 2 reasons for not a five star would be: 1. The chips that were offered were cold and stale tasting. 2. If you have a nice car be prepared to be sad about the parking. It's basically a free for all in a squished oddly packed lot. I understand this isn't an issue for everyone. When we go back, if the chips are good then I will update this to a 5. The food was great though and we would recommend it to friends. read more

The service was slow. The waiter stated that they have team service. We relieved our chips and salsa 1 min before our entrees. The veggie red child huevos rancheros were awful. There was no taste to the red chile and the potatoes were full of pepper. The green chile cheeseburger was good. But the other food and slow service will result in not returning to eat here. read more

Went to Monroe's because we heard what a great place it was to eat. So disappointed.. food was only so so and small servings. The queso tasted like it came from a can . We had been told they were making it fresh. I had the super Huevos Rancheros which was a folded flour tortilla with eggs and green Chile on top , a small scoop of potatoes and a small portion of beans. Not even close to being as good as many other places in town. Service was also lacking. So that was our one and only time going there. Wish it would have been better. read more

I like Monroe's but the quality of their red chile left me wanting, and this being New Mexico is so, so important. Its bright orange hue was the first indicator that something was amiss. Upon tasting, the chile was watered-down, like a foggy, distant memory of an old friend. I understand the need to cost-cut where you can and that restaurants are a low-margin business but for the love of god this is not the place to do it. Perhaps I'm mistaken and the chile is like this to appease folks who don't want an intense chile experience. Either way, this is a problem. Besides the chile, I was pleased with the chips that were fresh and crispy, and the quality of the cheese, rice, and beans were high. The service was friendly and prompt. The sopapillas were transcendent. read more

I looooove Monroe's! I recommend it anytime I have friends who're visiting from out of town and it never disappoints. Great service, awesome food (that is ready pretty quickly) and overall a lovely local spot. If you've been thinking about giving it a shot, please do. From their chips and salsa to their carne adovada enchiladas and their fried ice cream (actually fried and topped deliciously), it's all delicious. read more

Monroe's is our family's second kitchen. A fixture in the Heights, it serves consistently good food. It will never blow you away, but you'll always find the food good and the service pleasant. The team system works pretty well. There are a ton of regulars here and the staff does a good job of remembering them. It's a nice place to bring an out-of-towner who wants Mexican but is afraid of "hot" chile. The chile is tasty but never hot. Bring a group! They do well with large parties. read more

Ok so coming from California they say Mexican food is different from New Mexico food. Instead of chips and salsa you get Sopaipilla which looks like a bread and you eat it with honey. Also I'm not a huge person when it comes to spicy food. There salsa here in New Mexico is hot. So try it, I did is good just a little spicy for my taste. So I had cheese enchiladas platters. I think it was a little over cook but for the most part the enchiladas we're good. So if you're in the area and want some Mexican food I would stop by and give it a try. read more

Always tasty. Their sauces are not so hot that it hurts but have enough zip to be very tasty. Great local place. Good service! Nice patio. Recommend read more

I consider myself pretty lucky to have found Monroe's using Yelp. It's a quaint place tucked away in a North Albuquerque neighborhood. I initially arrived to a pretty open dining room, which gave me an impression that I might have made a mistake. That was quickly abated by prompt friendly service, clean table menus, and later, I would find out, I had just beat the rush. There's a patio also, so there were more people dining than I assumed and for good reason. Plenty of New Mexican selections and also several "gringo" options for the cuisine challenged guest that seem to accompany any group gathering. I was impressed with my visit and would recommend to anyone I know looking for a tasty and reasonably priced meal. read more

Stopped in to enjoy Puerto Rican night. It happens only in Friday night folks so if you want your fix this is the place. We had one of each of the specials which was chicken or pork, black beans, red beans, arroz con gandules, mofongo and salad. It was delicious as always. This place is buzzing on these nights because of the warm atmosphere and delicious food. The food tastes like being back in Puerto Rico and the service is warm and welcoming just like it as well. read more

Sunday evening arrived at 6pm did not get any service for 30 minutes. They continued to seat people without the staff to provide any service. I wish they would have let us know and we would have gladly went somewhere else. read more

Good food, comfortable atmosphere, and efficient servers. I had two chicken enchiladas al la carte for lunch. Both were full of meat, and covered in both red and green sauces since I just couldn't decide between the two. I also had iced tea which was unfortunately a bit watery. I often stop here when in town. The food and service are reliably good. read more

We mistakenly sat by one of the doors. The food was served pretty cold, and it was completely cold by the time we ate it. We had enchiladas and they were mediocre. The chips and salsa were good and it appears to be a clean place. Only the sopapillas arrived warm. There was so much interference and checking by the staff that it made the meal quite a task. I guess no one was in charge, so everyone took it upon themselves to ask how everything was. I wouldn't go back - mediocre - blah. If you're in the mood for SW food, look elsewhere. read more

Good food. Good service. I missed this place from when I lived here in the nineties. Just get that men's room toilet seat fixed! It's loose and when my six year old son sat on it the seat shifted and pinched the flesh on the back of both his thighs leaving awful instant bruises. A great way to ruin his impression of a good restaurant. read more

Ate this afternoon at Monroe's this for the first time in many years. We looked forward to it, and "remembered" the day's we once ate there so fondly. We wondered how it could have possibly have been so long since we had eaten there! We ordered shredded beef chimichangas and a stuffed sopapilla with ground beef and beans. Due to Covid, we called in the order. The service was fast. The servings were generous, the prices reasonable. My stuffed soapilla was delicious. My husband had the chimichanga. The beef was so dry, it was crackly. Difficult to chew and even more difficult to swallow. Nevertheless, we ate our meals, it's COVID, didn't eat in house...that is not even an option due to State Laws. The less contact the better, right? After dinner, I called the manager. This is where our issue became bigger than need be. I explained to the manager first, my food was awesome, we were hungry, so we did eat, however, we wanted to let him know there was an issue. At that point, I expected to hear, I'm so sorry....how can we make it right? Instead, was told we should have brought it back. Credits in house were not issued, "but, let me check the meat"...pause..." nope, don't see anything wrong with it, and after all we fry it...so at a minimum...it should have been greasy". So my words, not his...your out of luck, not being honest and during a pandemic you should have returned your bad food. My greatest issue now has become the lack of professional courtesy, passion for the product, him essentially calling me a liar. When it was said and done, he hung up on me after I asked if he was suggesting I was telling stories. Monroe's is Royalty, an empire, built by hard working people. It's unfortunate that this experience will end in us never returning. Honestly, all it would have taken was, I'm sorry this happened, we'll do better next time. He should have tasted it and been more diplomatic To bad! Monroe's your better than that. read more

What a great restaurant in food but also service. We stayed down the street and it was our first night in Alburqurque . The yelp app helped us find this place, with the great reviews. The SW states have a gem in food to share with the rest of the states. The adavada was superb! Our wait staff was excellent. If you go ask for Brandon as your Waitier. We mentioned we were from out of town and came back with a list of places to go and try some great food and beers! Made our night! Thanks again Brandon! read more

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Pretty nice place. I like all the plants hanging and especially that they are not dusty and well taken care of. The service was great at first, this was the first time I had ever been asked if I wanted garnish on my plate (lettuce, tomatoes, onions). Thank you, I appreciate the chance to not have lettuce on my plate. It seems more and more restaurants are not giving out the complimentary chips & salsa, and Monroe's is on that list, and seems to add a few extra bucks to the entree plates and then you are served the chips and salsa. Our server took our order of chile relleno, and stuffed sopapilla. My husband was impressed and had a good experience, but the so papilla was on the thicker side and not crispy. The chile relleno was small but fresh and tasty, and per the usual a bit too much batter. Our server never came back to our table as he seemed to be training someone. We tried 5-6 times to get the attention of another server to get our check, but finally my husband had to get up and ask someone to get it for us. We will probably go back again, but not sure when. read more

This place is a family favorite and it rarely disappoints. The chips and salsa are my gold standard. Which I think says a lot. I'll often fill up mostly on the chips that come before the meal. The salsa, as well as the chile (red and green) are available for shipping anywhere in the US, and makes an excellent gift. The food is good too though. The red chile is delicious and every plate is packed with goodness. A couple of complaints, probably more personal than anything though: 1) The spanish rice is not really so good. But I don't really like rice that much anyway. Ask to substitute it for something else. 2) When you do take-out, the food somehow loses something and isn't quite as good. This is why I recommend always eating in. I can't really think of a bad dish I've had here, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Be sure to get your order with a side of sopapias and a "Cuchi Cuchi Delight" to drink. read more

As my previous review stated, I was not so pleased with the patty in my green chile tortilla burger. With that being said, it was only the patty that I was not fond of. The rest of the food was good, I.e.. The green chile, tortilla, fries. I also stated before that I would probably not be coming back. I retract that statement simply due to the fact that the owner massaged me about my review with great concern. For the rest of you business owners, please take note, genuinely caring about your customers will bring them back despite not the greatest first impression. I look forward to yelping about my next visit. Stay tuned.... read more

I've eaten at Monroe's couple of times. Some of the meals that they fix are pretty good. Some of them are just okay. Monroe's has a patio that has a waterfall feature. The pipe out some music to the patio. Monroe's is a popular place to eat at. Every time I walk by their parking lot is full. read more

The restaurant had more space inside, than there was parking. The waiter was a teenager, and wasn't very welcoming. A couple of people walked out because he would take off and forget about us. Most times we were reaching out and asking other staff members for water or condiments. Our food was brought out by another waiter and our ticket was also. I waited 16 minutes for our waiter to bring me water, when he said he would be right back. The food was delicious, but the service was very poor. I made sure I told the cashier when checking out. This service took place on 8/26/2018. This place would be exceptional if they hired people more enthusiastic about being at work? Most of the waiters looked miserable in my opinion. read more

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I visit Albuquerque frequently and have always been disappointed by the Mexican food here. Most of places here have nothing but chili heat and zero flavor. One of the locals told me to avoid the two "famous" places in town and try Monroe's. I'm glad I did. The staff was very friendly and the food was very good. Lots of flavor and just the right amount of heat. I had a combination enchilada plate and was very happy with my meal. I would have loved to have a margarita with my meal but as I didn't see any adult beverages on the menu. Overall a great experience I'd highly recommend you give Monroe's a try. read more

We ate here twice in a period of a week and both times were great. Each visit had room for improvement, but the food was very good. Great green chile selection and the sopapillas are fantastic. They décor is a little lacking, but I think that is what adds to the local charm. The green chile burger is just the way I remember them growing up. Good stuff! read more

Reeeeally loved Monroe's! My husband is a New Mexican native and whenever we visit we want to make sure we get some good authentic sopapillas and tamales. Monroe's was a great choice in terms of both those options and I'm sure more. Service was great, also if you are a Diet Coke enthusiast such as I, they have an excellent brew , perfect combo of carbonation bubbles and DC syrup. read more

Monroe's Restaurant - Quaint perfect New Mexican vibe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

My family and I love to use the Yelp app to find fun and uniquely local restaurants when we travel. I picked Monroe's because of the great reviews, was a "locals" place and mostly because they had tamales. We were blown way by both the yummy food and the even better service. Everyone was very kind and helpful but they went above and beyond. My daughter left her retainers on the table top and didn't realize it until we got to the hotel. We called and they answered even though it was past closing. They had found them, saved them and left the door open until we drove back and were able to pick them up!!! You guys have done everything right from the awesome food to the amazing staff! Thank you for a great taste of New Mexico for these five Kansans!! read more

This place is DELICIOUS! We got there about ten till eleven and there was a large line. The patio is beautiful, it feels nice to feel a sense of normalcy during these crazy times and that's what Monroe's provides. I had the chicken quesadilla and have been wanting another one ever since. It's absolutely spotless and they sanitized everything between guests. Loved it! read more

It was our last night in ABQ during Balloon Fiesta, and we selected Monroe's, based on great Trip Advisor reviews and long history in ABQ, looking for authentic local food. This is a very clean and open restaurant, in the general area of Balloon Fiesta grounds and I-25, one of two locations. They do NOT take reservations, so we came early, like 5pm. (Also, they make/sell some of their own sauces and salsas, which we saw in a local market in Corrales, but you can buy in restaurant.) We were greeted by Ciara, who was so friendly, welcoming and patient with our menu unfamiliarity, and so she brought us bouquet of different sauces on a plate to help us decide. She also explained their team approach, as everyone checks on everyone, and tips are shared. We enjoyed their tortilla chips and homemade salsa, and I had the Frito pie, basically a pile of delicious southwest nachos and toppings picked on a bed of Fritos. I think I heard of a similar local dish at the Five and Dime in the town square of Santa Fe. Nate brought out out food with a warm smile, and everyone enjoyed their burritos and chimichangas and quesadillas, and I will try to post pics. There is a nice Mexican looking courtyard adjoining the restaurant which is used for outdoor dining but was threatening to rain during our visit, so not used. Jonah checked us out, and talked about the restaurant with pride. I recommend this place for clean, fast and authentic southwest food grown locally and served by wonderful folks! read more

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Monroe's is a solid New Mexican restaurant. Their breakfast is my favorite! Take out is very quick. I frequent the Osuna location but Downtown is just as good. I recommend the Carne Breakfast Burrito smothered. Pretty much anything with Carne is a winner! They also serve beer! Can't go wrong indulging at Monroes! read more

This is absolutely my favorite New Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque. Great food and service