We had DJ from The Owl Cafe's radio commercials as our waitress, and she is a sweety. And like my first visit 5 years ago, the whole staff are amazing. After a long day, I just wanted a simple BLT, and theirs was very generous with nice, smokey bacon. Buddy ordered a good ol' Bacon Cheeseburger, and it came with some very unique--and deeelicious--onion rings, that were definitely the star of the meal. And a nice bonus was a complimentary starter of beans and green chile. We were there before closing, so it was quiet; but folks were still coming in, and no one was turned away. This is such a friendly place, with hunger-satisfying Americano diner fare... read more

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Soooo when In Albuquerque you should visit Route 66 diners.. well this totally fits the bill. It's got a great vibe and just oozes personality. It's a little dirty, a little old and a freaking mazing.. I may come here for dinner all week! read more

Food is ok, nothing special. But the place itself is in desperate need of updating. Keep the 50 theme but needs to be newer seats they are awful to sit on. Tables are sticky from age. I think it is clean but feels grimy. read more

Everyone comes here for the food. Tradition is you get a small bowl of beans and greens chili. Mmmm... the bomb So I don't know if they are following the 25% inside dining but they have plenty of outdoor seating. I had the French dip with grilled onions and hoagie bun. Wow. Awesome!! One of the best I have had for a while. read more

The Owl Cafe - Menu - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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The food was good, the service was great and the 50s theme was fun! We went about lunch time and had the pot roast dinner and meatloaf. My husband loves my meatloaf and was not disappointed with their offering. He also had one of the shakes that was equivalent to two. If you leave hungry it's your fault. read more

Great service, food was okay - their mushroom and zucchini appetizer was deep fried and not too greasy. It looks like you are in a time machine with the old style american booths. read more

The Owl Cafe - View from Outside the owl cafe - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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The chicken fried steak was burnt. The coffee is awful and definitely don't get a drink of water very nasty. Service was OK. Told the manager about the chicken fried steak and all she said was I will let my kitchen know. read more

We were looking for a place for coffee and found this place, and I am glad we did. Locally owned, The Owl Cafe is a spacious and bright restaurant with plenty of seating. It is like an old-time diner with music from the 50s and 60s playing in the background. Coming to the most important part, the food, we were delighted to see a wide range of milkshakes on the menu. The Blush, the Volcano, and even the plain Vanilla were rich, creamy and so refreshing! They have fresh burgers, hotdogs, and sandwiches on the menu that are served hot and quick by friendly staff. Will definitely visit again! read more

The Owl Cafe - Blush and Vanilla milkshake - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I've gone to Owl Cafe every time I'm in Albuquerque over the last 30 years. My first visit was around Christmas, I was maybe 6 or 7. They had insane ginger bread house competitions and offered me a cookie bigger than my head if I could count all the owls. When I brought my kids over the summer I was pleased to know their traditions remain. The food was great. Flies in the summer need to be better managed. It's the only reason we didn't visit more than once during our week long stay. read more

The Owl Cafe - Famous Owl - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Man, I wanted to love this place. It's right around the corner from my dad's and serves the type of food that my family loves. But... if you're going to charge $18+ for burgers and $24 for chicken fried steak, it better be phenomenal food. And it just wasn't. Food was lukewarm and very reminiscent of a cafeteria. The waitress was very friendly and responsive. Which was appreciated. But $100 for casual dinner for four that was a few steps below Chilis is not a value proposition I can get behind. Too bad. read more

OMG, I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! The good is amazing, the staff is incredible and the banana bread is to die for!!! ABQ IS BOMB! There's always someplace good to eat (Owl Cafe), things to see (nature center and Old town) and memories to make on the Sandias or Acoma Sky city. Don't come here ever, stay away JK read more

A real NM LANDMARK!!!! Great home cooking diner food with all sorts of comfort food. Friendly service. This time I tried the Meatloaf dinner and was blown away by the generous servings. Everything was yummy!! I could only eat half so I have a nice dinner for tomorrow. Take your time and enjoy your meal while listening to the "Oldie but Goodies" music of the 50s to 70s. My server, Mary, was very attentive and has worked here for 18 years. Another server has been here 28 years. They're like a family here so that with the comfort food makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I come here. ;)) read more

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Owl cafe was a welcome stop on a road trip my dad and I were taking. Very cute ambiance, service was very friendly, and the food was good. I had a veggie omelet and my dad had a half order of the French toast meal, we loved every bit of it. Prices were a little higher than I was expecting but not awful. I'd come back again for sure. read more

The Owl Cafe - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Solid, consistently good diner food, with a side order of 1950's Route 66 nostalgia throwback included. Green chile cheeseburger is the signature item for which they are justly famous. Shakes are very flavorful and very big. The Owl Cafe is my archetypal New Mexico eatery where I take out of town guests if we only have time for one meal. Their pre-meal beans with a dab of green chile on top are among the very best I've found anywhere. They bring a little bowl of whole beans that are always cooked just right - firm & plump. Green chile topping delivers good punch in the heat department and excellent green chile flavor. While service is solidly friendly & very proficient at taking care of the customer in my dining experiences, my last trip there (early Dec 2021) had a couple burps on the food front. Being allergic to avocado, dining partner ordered turkey quesadilla without any avacado/guacamole on it. The quesadilla came with guac on it. Waitress was quick to return it to kitchen & get a new one made sans avocado as originally ordered. But, still a bump in the road of the dining experience. I ordered the green chile cheeseburger with side order of sweet potato fries. The plate arrived with regular potato fries. Rather than wait for a kitchen correction, I simply ate what came on the plate. Nonetheless, I will continue to dine at The Owl and bring guests there for a taste of New Mexico & an echo of the glory days of Rte 66. read more

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I came in, was sat by one of the cooks because none of the lady's were looking at me, I asked for coffee and water that came, I knew what I wanted when I walked in but after 10 minutes of sitting no one came. It made me really sad because I don't know why they were ignoring me. They'd look away as they walked past me. Wish i had a good experience here. Better luck to others. read more

We ordered the blue cheese burger with fries and it was awesome. My husband ordered the New Mexican Reuben which was soggy and seemed light on the meat, overall pretty disappointing for the cost of it. The staff was nice. Lots of fun merchandise to look at and buy. read more

Needs to stick to what it's good at - lunch, dinner and desserts. I gave their breakfast a shot and it was nothing spectacular, actually quite gross. My friend sent her burrito back and they didn't charge her. I should've done the same with my $18 huevos rancheros but I felt terrible for complaining. It was flavorless and not good. I've never had a terrible experience here until now. I will not make that mistake again. Their shakes and juice cake, on the other hand, are to die for and I'm certain one can't go wrong with the hamburger. It looked delicious. It's a great place but skip the breakfast menu. read more

What a wonderful find. And right off the freeway. The 50's vibe with the table jukebox was fun! We arrived at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday and there were only 3 other couples in there. The waitress said it would get busy after 9 on weekdays after the kids were off to school and sure enough it had more customers when we left. Friendly, timely service. She kept the coffee full and hot! The food was good. Nice menu selection. The hash browns were crispy on the outside, bacon was crunchy, egg over easy was perfect, and the biscuits fluffy. Real butter would have been better tho! The green chili and cheese omelette with red potatoes and onions was super tasty. Coffee was good too! Servings were just right, not huge portions like in TX but that was great since we were traveling. We also bought a cute t shirt for the granddaughter and got a huge cinnamon roll to go. Definitely a stop next time we come through!!! read more

Went here on Valentine's Day with my gf for valentine's day so this is a but late. We got the valentine's special which was two burgers and a milkshake and worth the price. It was at night so the soft lighting was also nice. The waitress who served us was very amiable and funny. I didn't get her name but she had brown hair and ear gauges. read more

The Owl has been open since 1986 and I liked the vibe when we came in and Meg our server was so nice and bubbly and like to joke around which was a nice change. I ordered the blue cheese burger and was very good. The chili relleno was deep fried but the exterior was very hard so it was not as enjoyable. One of the guests I was with had it returned and she tried the green chili soup which was very tasty. The menu had a lot of meals and maybe to many. read more

The Owl Cafe - Blue burger - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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It has diner style food, not super great but it is good. I'd certainly stop here again. I had the veggie quesadilla with chips, salsa and guacamole. Salsa was very mild, guacamole was great! Veggie quesadilla was spot on! My SO had a hamburger with hatch chili and everything. Slap that ball outta the part! Ooooo! It was great! It's a modern dinner with the old style flavor. Music boxes at every booth, great diner food. Try it, you'll like it! read more

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So.....gave The Owl Cafe another turn. We've had hit or miss, and this was definitely a MISS. Probably the last visit, as well. We walked in and was immediately greeted and seated. That was all the service we received. I had my heart set on a late breakfast (11a) The server who sat us, never returned, much less looked at us. I get it, she may have not been OUR server, but the other 7 employees on the floor didn't feel like they were our servers either. I had to walk up to the lunch counter to ask for a breakfast menu, which we weren't even given an option to receive when sat. At this point, my husband was annoyed and asked me if I wanted to leave. I said no. After I decided what I wanted to order, we waited. And waited. There were 2 people in booths, eating when we walked in. They apparently had servers. 2 couples walked in, and the employee that had just started--saw him putting on his apron-- enthusiastically greeted and sat them. And we waited. Never even got water or offered any beverage. Not one employee walked over to our table to maybe ask if we were there TO EAT!! Shame shame. 12 minutes later...we walked. We will not be endorsing this business, nor will we recommending it to our family and friends. Done trying. But thank you. Because of your stellar service, we found and tried SANTIAGO'S. Great, delicious food and the employees, well....actually did their jobs and were friendly AND attentive. So THANK YOU AGAIN, for THE FAIL. If there was an option for 1/2 star--for being sat to be fair, that's what we would rate. read more

The green chili cheeseburger at the Owl Café is legendary. The new management has taken what was a great restaurant and made it even better. You must try one of their cinnamon rolls. Pure goodness. read more

I came to the owl cafe a month ago and the green chile cheese burger was amazing! We came back today and it was bad. The meat taste different, I noticed all new people and the place looked different. I asked if it was under new management and it is:( . The food is not the same. read more

To be noted my underwhelming experience was during non-busy hours. The waitress was nice the two times we spoke, when she took my order and when she cleared my plate. I ordered the pancake sandwich. The egg in my order was cooked correctly and the bacon was served crisp as I requested. I did receive my side of green chile. The pancakes, however, were undercooked, doughy in texture and stuck to my teeth. They syrup seemed watered down and seemed void of much sweetness. Pancakes from Owl Cafe have been a favorite of mine in the past because they were light, fluffy, and cakey. It was very sad to experience the quality of food and service The Owl is delivering these days. I would have gladly told my waitress or cashier but neither bothered to be trained in the inquiring of their establishments quality. Its unfortunate how this business has changed because it follows such a nostalgic history and walks in the footsteps of a previous owner that took great pride in how it was run. Gone are the days of attentive servers, mouthwatering food and heartfelt environments. ​ read more

No no no! I am so confused as to why the rating are good! The place is absolutely adorable and the service is great but the FOOD NO! It's absolutely blend! The potatoes are just boiled no flavor! It's really just not worth! read more

The Owl Cafe - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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This review is long overdue as I haven't been there for over a year. We use to travel to Albuquerque to visit family and stayed at a hotel near The Owl Cafe. We ate there a couple of times and it's definitely a fun place to go. There's a lot of cool things to see and souvenirs to buy. The food is fine, nothing special really but nothing wrong with it either. Considering that my rating should be a solid 3 Stars. The problem is the last time we were there we ordered takeout. I went to pick up and while I waited I witnessed something that bothered me. An employee was lecturing an elderly woman about tipping and why it's important to tip. I used to work for tips, some people tip well and some don't and that's just the way it goes and it usually balances out. Anyway, after the lecture was over the elderly woman said, I guess I'll just eat at home more often and she left. How sad is that?! I contacted the manager but never heard back. read more

The Owl Cafe - Overcooked chicken strips - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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One last New Mexico meal before my husband and I are officially moved across the country, and this is the place we chose! Why you ask? Because we were craving a delicious Green Chili Cheeseburger, and we knew this place would provide! We were not disappointed!! Probably one of the best OG Green Chili Cheeseburgers I have had in years. Add to it, that the Owl Cafe will make you a MEAN shake for dessert to go with it. Fun Fact: Instead of Chips & Salsa or Chips & Guac, The Owl Cafe will give you a courtesy Green Chili Beans & Crackers. If that's not New Mexican, I don't know what is! My rating would be 100% 5 stars, if the appearance of the upholstery, and the decor was a bit revamped. read more

The Owl Cafe - Specialty Shakes: Chocolate & Java - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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First visit - four of us. Arrived around 5:30 and it was not too busy. I want to highlight the food, which was my issue. To get to the point, the overall flavor, food temperature, and quality were lacking for all of us as follows: I ordered a creamy Sant$a Fe soup - it was barely warm and too salty. Diner 2 - ordered chicken fajitas (large size). We were going to split this dish but there was little chicken and barely any onions or green peppers. The Spanish rice was dry, the refried beans were ok - not hot. Very little food for the money. The three flour pita-like tortillas were ridiculously large, thick and overall just bad. $16 for this was wasted money. Diner 3 - ordered Turkey dinner. She thought the turkey was good but salty. I honestly think she just wanted to be positive. Her vegetable was cauliflower. She left most of her food on the plate. I think that was $16 also. Diner 4 - ordered the Chile Rellenos. Two renellos - they looked good but he said they were just ok. 15.25. I paid the bill - $63. Diner 4 left a generous $15 tip. So we had a $78 meal that left me thinking I won't return any time soon - if ever again. Is the diner cute - adorable! Was the waitress efficient, polite, and bubbly - absolutely. Did the food fail - yes! read more

The OWL cafe had pretty good food in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Even though there was a wait, it went quickly. My husband and I each ordered a green chili cheeseburger. He got sweet potato fries and I got a salad with ranch. And we each got a piece of pie. The pie's were okay. The burgers were delicious, as were the fries and salad. The salad dressing was phenomenal. I would come back again! read more

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Tasty food, great service & hospitality with a classic dinner feel. Perfect for Sunday brunch! read more

The Owl Cafe - Pancake Art - Diners Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

New owners have almost doubled the price of their dishes..Salad 18 bucks... chicken fried steak 22 bucks..wow...

We had a great lunch with our dog. They are a great pet friendly restaurant. Food and staff were great. I got the California burger and the dog got a plain cheeseburger. read more

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Great burger, tasty milkshake, service that was lovely, and a vibe that took me back to a time before I was born. Lots of fun. Will go again. read more

ROUTE 66 VIBES ONLY! We had so much fun at this spot and the food was ideal. Extremely sweet servers, cute t-shirts and merch, old school jukeboxes and photos and clocks and kitschy owl decor. A great spot, highly recommend! read more

The food was just what you'd expect from an all-American diner fused with New Mexico flair. The prices were a bit high, but I think that's the unfortunate game brought on by Breaking Bad fame. I didn't even realize this place was featured in the TV series until I was walking out and saw a photo of Bryan Cranston. read more

Used to be a favorite of my family for generations... went in post pandemic after they figured out their staffing issues, they're asking $20 for a burger now. They don't give you the beans when you sit down anymore.... It's just a product of the times I suppose but I thought a local icon like the owl would resist... Sad to say, that was my last time at the owl. End of an era. read more

I'm a sucker for a great diner and this place was a dream! The fried pickles and the tuna melt made me so happy! If you're also a huge fan of diners...check this place out! read more

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Stopped to try their Original Owl Green Chille Cheeseburger. I would say it was pretty good and price reasonable. I passed on the and sides so I could have a a slice of pumpkin pie with whip cream that was also great. Staff is friendly and attentive. Will return to try something different along with a malt next time. read more

Disappointed. As we were seated we were told we would get a free sample of their beans and some water. It never happened. Tried to order a beer, no alcohol. We were told there was a new owner and they didn't have a liquor license. So we order ice tea. We ordered a green chile burger and a owlchilladas. After some time passed we were told they couldn't make the owlchilladas because they didn't have the green chile sauce. So we ordered a patty melt instead. So instead of holding the burger so we could eat together, I was served my burger and finished it before the party melt arrived. The burger was fine but the patty melt was just ok. And the prices, holy cow, a burger with fries was about $18.00. Glad I went without fries as it was only $9.50, that's a lot to add fries? Overall the food was ok, service was disappointing and it was way overpriced. We won't be back. read more