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    Viva Mexico

    4.2 (84 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Viva Mexico Photos

    VIVA MEXICO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Chips and salsa
    Alyssa O.

    My wife has been coming here since she was 16.. she seen the old building standing outside waiting for the food to now, the bigger building with a full indoor dinning room. They are so consistent and delicious. The customer service is amazing. They cook the food fast and it's delicious. We love ordering the small nachos to share. The top things we order the shrimp cocktail, taco plate, the soups.

    Parrillada para dos
    Maxwell M.

    Dos palabras mis amigos. Parrillada para dos. Jajaja. I'm telling you. The meat is succulent, the tortillas are fresh, the salsa is flavorful, the queso fundido is soooooooo friggin good. You get potatoes and beans. It's a feast. It says it's for two, but it's really for 4-6 adults. Come lo!

    Costillas de res - all beans no rice
    Bern B.

    This is my GO TO restaurant every time I visit Albuquerque. The food is amazing! Every bite has so much flavor! The shorts ribs are 10/10 so good! Through the years the flavor hits every spot still years later. Chips and green salsa so good, not really spicy but flavor is savory. Horchata 9/10. Not everyone can make a good horchata but this one is a must. I will always come here every time I'm in Albuquerque and I will recommend this restaurant for authentic Mexican food to anyone and everyone who wants a great plate of food.

    Shrimp Ceviche
    Theodore D.

    Absolutely loved their ceviche here and can't get enough of it. Place is always packed so be prepared to possibly wait in line. Need to explore more of the menu but would highly recommend this place if you are on the hunt for a good ceviche in town. I would suggest holding off on devouring the chips and salsa and save the chips for the ceviche.

    Fajitas!!!!
    Kirstin B.

    This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the world! The salsa is heavenly and the guacamole is to die for!!!! Tried the fajitas today and couldn't be happier. Pro tip- if you like soup try the Caldo 7 Mares. Make sure to try a cheese enchiladas here too- the cheese is delicious to the max

    Great plate of food at a great price

    Best place to enjoy good home cooked meal. I make a point every we come to ABQ. Carne Asada Burrito

    Asada Tacos

    Queso is decent. Salsa (the red) is good, green not so much. Service is HORRIBLE. Expect to WAIT and be ignored...at least until you finally just give up and cash out. The asada is flavorless. Just finely diced beef with little to no seasoning, charred a bit on a flattop. Would not eat here again; nothing is memorable, nor tasty enough to revisit, and with the poor service, is a waste of time

    Gerrit K.

    Delicious Mexican food in an understated casual environment with excellent service at a great price. I've been here a few times so far and every time everything was perfect. The food is even more delicious than it looks. Each time I've tried something new and had a taste of what my friends ordered and everything has been great. We will continue to come back as often as we can.

    Fajita with asada and shrimp

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    5 years ago

    Always busy. But it's busy because the food is authentic and delicious. The prices are reasonable.

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great food and atmosphere never dissatisfied. Asada plate is my go to and sauces are great.

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    5 years ago

    Delicious! Prices are reasonable and portions are large. I love the tortas here, they are my favorite!

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

    Great breakfast burrito. The cheese was perfect.

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    7 years ago

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    12 years ago

    The only resturants in ABQ that is closest to authentic Mexican food. Best carne asada tacos in town!!

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    The food is good I've been here a couple of times, the only thing I don't like is that they don't give you a receipt.

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

    By far the best menudo in Albuquerque! Amazing flavor, awesome bread, and fast friendly service. Huge recommend!

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    9 years ago

    Best carne asada in Albuquerque. The food here is consistently good and never disappoints.

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Best chile rellenos and Mexican seafood dishes! And great Minchilada beers!! Fish soup is as good as moms home cooked one.

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    Page 2 of 3

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    Frontier - Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

    Frontier

    4.2(2.7k reviews)
    3.9 miMidtown/University
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    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.

    Photos
    Frontier - Interior

    Interior

    Frontier - Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)

    Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)

    Frontier - Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

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    Herencia - Crab Enchiladas

    Herencia

    4.5(135 reviews)
    4.3 miEastside

    We were traveling from North Carolina to our home in San Diego…read more We looked up places to eat and were tired of "road trip food". We found Herencia and took a chance. We know good Mexican food, as we are from San Diego, and wanted to try the southwest fare. WHAT AN AMAZING CHOICE! The lovely hostess was charming, engaging and sweet (wish i had her name) and our waiter (Edgar) was authentic, personable and fun to chat with. We had been at a movie and had eaten a bit too much popcorn so we did not order a lot. The three of us shared the free blue corn (not fried) chips with three salsa samples. We then shared a salad and the amazingly good four taco sampler. Thank you Herencia (Enrique the owner, and staff) for this wonderful evening.

    This place as delightful! It's a nicely decorated spot with truly incredible Mexican food. We went…read morefor brunch on a Saturday and our server was amazing with suggestions on the menu and keeping the drinks topped off and checking in on us. They have complimentary bread and salsas which were quite delightful. I had the omelette de verduras which was just amazing. The eggs were cooked just right and it had lots of veggies plus came with a side of beans. They also had a lot of other good vegetarian options and verified everything with the kitchen on that front which made me feel like they really cared about making sure. Overall great experience and I will be back!

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    Herencia
    Herencia - Tacos

    Tacos

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    El Patio De Albuquerque - Chips and salsa were fair. $4.00 for a very small serving of salsa. I would not recommend the salsa and chips for the money you are paying.

    El Patio De Albuquerque

    4.0(904 reviews)
    4.0 miMidtown/University
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    El Patio De Albuquerque - Nice conversion of old house

    Nice conversion of old house

    El Patio De Albuquerque
    El Patio De Albuquerque - Patio seating.

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    Patio seating.

    El Pinto - Fresh Guacamole

    El Pinto

    3.4(1.9k reviews)
    9.5 miBusiness Parkway/Academy Acres
    $$

    When visiting New Mexico, my friend took me to El Pinto, and I was extremely impressed! From the…read moremoment we arrived, I loved the atmosphere, design, and layout of the restaurant. Make sure you take the time to walk around and see the entire property--it is HUGE! It feels like you're stepping into a beautiful Spanish-style hacienda, yet it still manages to feel warm, homey, and down-to-earth. The restaurant is very spacious, has beautiful areas for events, and is also dog-friendly. We made reservations, and I definitely recommend doing the same--you NEED them! We were seated right away, and our server was attentive, friendly, and made our experience even more enjoyable. Now, the food! I loved that you can order your chile "Christmas" style and get both red and green. And FYI--endless chips and salsa! The margaritas were strong and delicious, exactly how a margarita should be. I highly recommend the chicken enchiladas. The chicken was moist, tender, and perfectly shredded. The tacos were also great, and the mole chicken was delicious. My only wish is that the menu offered a few more seafood options. Between the atmosphere, great service, delicious food, and margaritas, El Pinto was such a fun New Mexico experience. If you make it to New Mexico, El Pinto absolutely needs to be on your list of places to visit!

    Overall, the restaurant is quite remarkable. The location is unique and the interior and exterior…read morespaces are beautiful. My parents lived in ABQ for years and always thought that the atmosphere was great, but the food was so-so. However, on this instance, we all thought the food was quite good. Flavorful carne adovada, although it was a bit tough. Red chile sauce was spicy but had great flavor. The green chile sauce was hot and tasty. Posole was also good. The gold margaritas were also good - to anyone complaining about the price - at $14.50, the price is very fair considering the cost of ingredients. If you want a cheap junk margarita that is more sugar than anything else, go somewhere else! Our gripe... The place is huge and has an abundance of great places to seat guests. We had a pretty large group - 7 people celebrating a family reunion of sorts. However, they sat us right next to the bussing station that had noisy carts, dishwashers, and other distractions. It was so loud, it was hard to hear the person across the table. There were at least 10 other tables that they could have seated us at! It seems to me that this area should be used only when the restaurant is completely full. This seems to be a poor management decision rather than the fault of the servers or hosts.

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    El Pinto - Come on in!

    Come on in!

    El Pinto - Hatch Chile and Chicharrones

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    Interior entrance

    Viva Mexico - mexican - Updated September 2026

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