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    Shark Reef Cafe

    3.1 (69 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Shark Reef Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    SHARK REEF CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Touristy
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Shark Reef Cafe

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    I just got a basket of fries and they were good aside from the price but I ordered at the table with the QR code and on the receipt it said it would be delivered to my table and after waiting for a while I hear someone yelling my name saying my orders ready and I think my order was sitting their for a while. It's a good place but if you don't deliver food to the table they shouldn't say they do.

    a salad in a box
    Lindsay B.

    This restaurant was so neat! You can eat right next to a gigantic fish tank and watch the sea-life swimming while you're eating. Animals I saw were all kinds of enormous fish, sting rays, sharks and even a turtle! We got the chicken salad and fish and chips and both were delicious! The food is slightly expensive, but it's totally worth it for the neat and unique atmosphere. You don't need to buy an admission fee for the zoo or aquarium-you can just go right into the restaurant. You order up at the front and then wait at your table until your order is ready-they hand out light/vibrating beepers to notify you when your food is ready. The food was served in cardboard to-go boxes - maybe for easy clean up as well as for covid precautions.... No matter where you sit, you will have a view of the giant fish tank-there are also smaller fish tanks scattered through the restaurant as well. (Everyone wants to sit close to the big fish tank but even if you sit farther from it, you might get a more comprehensive view of the whole place). I would definitely recommend this place for a visit!!!

    View from seating area of Shark Reef
    Kevin M.

    Shark reef café is one of Albuquerque's true gems. The food is excellent. I particularly recommend the sliders. It's presented in a visually effective way and is also very tasty and filling. They have a nice selection of beers on tap. It's particularly serene to sit and watch the aquatic life. I strongly recommend putting your smart phone away, and just sitting there and watching whole you enjoy the food and ambience. The staff is particularly friendly and helpful. Prices are very reasonable; it's adjacent to the botanical gardens, but you can enter the shark reef café, without going into the gardens.

    queso sliders & fries
    Kalie G.

    Perfect place for dinning with a view. They have comfort foods and good coffees. A must visit for an aquarium or botanical garden day.

    The Aquarium may be closed, but the Shark Reef Cafe is open.
    Laura B.

    The Aquarium is closed still, but the restaurant is open. The food is always good quality, but pricy, even with the member discount. The children's meal with Mac and cheese is good with tons of melted cheese. The cheeseburger was cooked to perfection and the French Fries are great. I love their raspberry lemonade too. The star of the show though is the huge aquarium to view large sharks, fish and a mega turtle. I do not know that the fish have seen many people during the Covid shutdown, so some of them were entertained by us, staring at us! Too funny.

    Ashley L.

    The last time we ate at the Shark Reef Cafe was before they remodeled and updated the menu. It's always been fun to eat by the shark tank but the food was nothing spectacular before. Today we stopped in to check it out and grab lunch to go. We were very happily surprised to find how fun it looked and how much the food has improved to go with the new atmosphere! Since I eat Keto, I got a cheeseburger without the bun and a coffee. Their coffee is fantastic! They even offer piñon coffee! It's self serve too with to go cups so fill up! My burger was AMAZING! It came with fresh, crisp veggies and homemade pickles. The meat itself was spiced just right and the cheese was delicious! My husband ate the homemade chips that came with my burger and loved it! He got the house salad (sans radish) with grilled chicken and balsamic dressing. He said it was fantastic! We will definitely be back to eat in and enjoy the ambience!

    Debi Ennis-Steven B.

    My wife and I went here for lunch today. She had a chicken pecan salad except it had walnuts. I had a hamburger patty between two sopapilla rolls and a ton of french fries with enchilada sauce and cheese. Both were about $12. Both meals were only mediocre. My hamburger patty was cooked to death and I ended up really only having french fries with cheese and sauce on them. My wife let me have part of her salad because she felt sorry for me. The aquarium is pretty cool. It takes up an entire wall and has sharks, Turtles, barracuda and a variety of others. I would not go there and order the food but I would buy a drink and sit and watch the fish. Be ready to shell out $4 for a soda.

    Microbrew
    Vin S.

    I give the Shark Reef Cafe four stars based on the ambiance and the service. The food would only warrant two and a half stars, however. Our server Natalie was friendly and very attentive. It was recird hot outside on the day I was there, and a cold beer sounded fantastic. Natalie told me a bit about their local microbrew offerings from Marble Brewery, so I ordered a Marble Red Ale. Turns out it was a good choice. Very refreshing! The bottle was $6.00, which is a bit high, but I went for it anyway. My friend ordered the fish and chips, which came with just two small pieces of fish and some potato chips. Most folks think "fish and chips" means fish and fries, or fish and potato wedges. Fish and potato chips doesn't work, particularly for $11.00! My companion complained a little bit, and Natalie didn't hesitate to bring him out a side order of fries. No charge. That was nice! The best part of dining here is watching the fish and sea turtles in the big saltwater aquarium. Very cool! There are also lots of smaller tanks along the walls, so nearly every seat has a great view. Try to sit near the big tank if possible for the best show.

    Great view of the big fish.
    Davin T.

    The zoo, aquarium experience was so great we didn't get a chance to get out before lunchtime so we were kind of trapped at the only food outlet at the aquarium. It was pricey and food was average, but you got to sit right next to the fish tank that house the sharks, large turtles and a variety of other amazing sights. I had the fish and chips for $14, it said french fries were an extra two dollars and if I was going I was getting potato crisps I might've gotten that option. My son went the grilled cheese kids item for $7.50, his fries came in a cute deep fryer basket. That was my favorite thing of the lunch.

    Cheese burger tower
    Denise H.

    Impressed.... Brought my kiddos here before the river of lights tour. It was very worth our trip. Walking in I wasnt sure what to expect, I found out you had to order at the counter then take a seat in the dining area. We ordered a tower of cheese burgers and the New Mexican Turkey Panini. They also have a decent list of beers and wine to choose from. The tower of cheese burgers did not disappoint, there was 4 cheese burger sliders and the tray it came out on was a bed of crispy French fries topped with fresh chopped green chile and the entire try was smothered in queso. We will definitely order this again. Next, the Turkey New Mexican was served with fresh made potato chips. The sandwich was a panini filled with sliced turkey, chopped green chile, avocado and queso. This sandwich was delicious and the chips were just as food. This cafe is a great place for date night, kiddos outing dinner, girls night out.

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    6 years ago

    HAVE AGAIN: The strawberry, pecan, chicken salad was really good. Great place to eat just before the River of Lights.

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    Stackers Burger - Green chile cheeseburger

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    4.3(55 reviews)
    7.7 miBusiness Parkway/Academy Acres

    First time going to this location. I'm sad to say it wasn't as stellar as I had originally…read moreanticipated. This start off by saying the employee there was not very friendly. He walked away as I approached the counter. I was confused as I wasn't aware I had to order on the tablet on the counter. When I began using the tablet I was in search of the new mushroom burger they sent me an email yesterday about. Of course you know it's what I wanted to try. Sadly it wasn't on the menu on the tablet. When I called the employee for help I basically got the vibe he didn't want to be there and he was hesitant to approach. When he did come to the counter I asked about the burger even showed him the email to get told it's not out yet and it was coming soon. I found myself wondering why I even got the email if this was true. Needless to say the food came out really fast. I thought well that's good at least. The presentation was better than the experience. The cheese on the queso fries was pretty skimpy. There were way more fries than cheese which was disappointing. The burger I wasn't a fan of either. It needed more cheese and the stackers sauce tasted strange like it a chipotle sauce it wasn't the same as I recalled. I'm sad to say this is the second location I've had a bad experience with. It's really disappointing because I really loved this place. I guess I'll have to stick to the central food hall because so far that's the only location that hasn't disappointed me like this yet.

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    Lucky Goose - The chicken sammie called the Lucky Chick'n

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    4.5(109 reviews)
    4.3 miNob Hill
    $$

    In search of vegetarian options and stumbled on this place…read more Super friendly service. Will visit again when in Albuquerque. The ambience was quiet given it was a Friday evening. Super proud of my decision to come here they sure did not disappoint.

    I walked in... normally, used to be, other customers got, a welcome/hello. I got a look and sigh…read more Walked up to the counter. Sigh lady says "it'll be a few minutes." Ok. I peruse the menu, another customer drops their shake. Gonna be longer. That's fine, go help them. "No, I can take your order REALLY FAST." Well, I was looking at the menu, but cool to be rushed. I remember when the young lady that used to work there was at the counter. 6-8 people in line, greeted with a smile and Hi! Welcome in! There was a longer wait, but it was ok, because the service was good, and so was the food. Today? I'll never return. I spent over $15.00 including a credit card surcharge (a business owner that wants to take credit cards but can't be bothered to be a business owner and pay their bills.) I left a $5 cash tip - I figured I'd the business owner can't pay the 3% on a bad merchant account, they most likely aren't paying the staff livable wages... I sat down and put my gear down, and waited... for about 15 minutes, before this garbage salad that was falsely advertised as having toppings and 3 sliced chick'n strips. The entire salad didn't fill the bowl.? On the bottom were less than a teaspoon of diced tomatoes. In the entire salad there was ONE "fried onion." The lettuce was chopped like slop, there was barely enough chick'n to call it 1.5 slices. Absolute trash. For 15$ I ate my salad, listening as Morticia Addams' understudy pleasantly said good bye, have a nice day, et cetera to the customers who were leaving. I got up, threw my trash, walked out. Silence: The whole time I was in there, a cheap speaker was streaming some crappy 90s "radio friendly hip hop." When my salad was brought to me, even after explaining it's very hard to eat, or carry , a salad on a motorcycle, it arrived in a to-go/carry out, lid is RIGHT THERE,.Morticia helpfully pointed it out, a subtle hint that I wasn't a welcome guest. As I was gearing up to get on my motorcycle out comes our antagonist. Not to be polite or anything. To smoke or vape. I didn't stick around to smell which one she was doing in the doorway. I get it, lucky goose doesn't want my money. They've made it abundantly clear. That's fine. I'll go to Steelbender, where they have vegan options, and like that customers come on to give them money. I accidentally posted this review to the uptown location. I've never been, and will never be, to that location. This review was the knob hill location.

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    3128 Social House - Steak & Potatoes

    3128 Social House

    4.4(73 reviews)
    4.0 miNob Hill

    Overall: Yes, go!…read more Food: we tried several items from the appetizer menu- mushrooms: crispy, lightly battened and served hot. It was perfect. Beet carpaccio- I was really impressed with the complexity of the flavors. I'd order it again. Charcuterie board- duh, yes. It's really easy to screw up a charcuterie board, they didn't. It was perfect. Dinner was everything from a salad, to the duck, to the short ribs. Service: Great but could be better. Honestly, they were very busy and everyone was pitching in. Everyone was kind and extremely helpful and professional. I give them credit for getting everything done correctly and for doing that while they were extremely busy. Ambiance: Chill vibes, casual, some would say hipster vibes. It was such a chill environment. Perfect for dates or just sharing food with friends

    I had an absolutely flawless dinner here today, and I'm officially calling it one of the best spots…read morein Albuquerque. If you're in Nob Hill and looking for a meal that actually delivers on every level, this is it. The steak was prepared to perfection incredible sear, juicy, and the toppings added such a sophisticated layer of flavor. Even the presentation was high-end; you can tell the kitchen really takes pride in their craft. Beyond the food, the vibe is spot on. The ambiance is stylish and perfect for a night out, and the service was 10/10. The staff was attentive and made the whole evening feel like a priority. I'm giving this place full marks for food, service, and atmosphere. I'll definitely be back for another round!

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    Sixty Six Acres - Shishito Peppers - not spicy. Still very good.

    Sixty Six Acres

    4.4(548 reviews)
    1.7 miNorth Valley/Los Ranchos
    $$

    Great servers! Everyone was helpful and kind so front of house manager must be doing their job!…read moreFood was delicious. Crispy Brussels sprouts had great flavor but way too much cayenne pepper (which adds nothing but heat) my husband ate them but said he would prefer less heat. I had 2 bites and gave up. Baked brie was amazing I loved the granny Smith apples! My husband loved them too. We also got the hummus duo which has dates on it and I used a date in the brie that was fantastic! I'll ask for that next time! It was the bomb. Hummus duo was good the watermelon radish was beautiful on the plate but gave both hummus a bitter flavor. Shrimp and grits. We live in Alabama currently and this was our least favorite dish of the day. Shrimp were cooked well and so were the grits but there was just something else it needed. Parmesan cheese and some onions maybe. Greek salad delicious. The flash fried chick peas made it. We needed more dressing and the wait staff was prompt and sweet about it. Spicy Lime Ceasar was ok till he requested more dressing then it was amazing. I was afraid of ordering it but the dressing wasn't too spicy . White sangria I had was disappointing it was more of a 1995 wine spritzer than a wine infused with citrus which is the very essence of sangria. It was ok and had I ordered a wine spritzer I would say yummo but I ordered sangria. Pork Belly flat bread was the winner of the night the tomato jam made that dish. I would love more on it next time but we will definitely be ordering that dish again! Yes we had a lot of left over food! But I love sampling a menu and this menu has a lot to offer. We will be back to try 4 or five other things. I look forward to my return.

    We went to this restaurant for a belated Mother's Day dinner. A place we've wanted to try for some…read moretime. It was a very pleasant meal and a lovely evening to dine on the patio. (Except for the noise from an occasional loud vehicle that drove by!) We ordered two appetizers: Korean Chicken Bites and Parmesan Zucchini Ribbons. The chicken bites weren't our favorite. Just okay. But the zucchini ribbons with the lemon basil aioli were so good! I would go back just to order that starter again. One disappointment is that I really wanted to order the Shishito Peppers. No longer on the menu. My meal was the Pastrami Reuben with fries. I switched out the Swiss cheese for cheddar. I liked the meal, and it was enough to bring half of the sandwich home for lunch the next day. The other two ordered the Crispy Pork Belly & Tomato Jam flat bread. One liked it, the other was just okay with it. Two of us ordered sangria. It was white, which came as a surprise to us. It was less sweet than we prefer. Another in our group ordered a mocktail and quite liked it. Got a second one and I don't believe they charged for the refill. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of it. It might sound like I have too many issues to give a 4-star rating, but I stand by it. The amience was nice. The wait staff was pleasant. The menu was creative. I'll definitely go back.

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    Korean Fried Chicken Bowl - yummy!

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    Shark Reef Cafe - burgers - Updated May 2026

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