Jess used to live in Albuquerque and it’s a city we have both visited many times, both for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and also for sightseeing around New Mexico in general.
One thing we both love about Albuquerque and New Mexico is the food. New Mexican cuisine is an absolute delight, with a focus on the New Mexico chile plant, and we have eaten at some fantastic restaurants during our time in Albuquerque.
With that in mind, I wanted to share some of our favourite places to eat in Albuquerque, covering both New Mexican food and some other options. Some of these locations were new to both of us, others were favourites of Jess’s that she wanted to share.
Whatever food you’re into, I’m sure you’re going to find something you’ll love from the following choices, which we think are amongst the best restaurants in Albuquerque!
Table of Contents:
The Best Restaurants in Albuquerque
1. Sadie’s
When we arrived into Albuquerque, Jess was craving some New Mexican dishes, and so one of our first stops was an old favourite of hers – Sadie’s. Sadie’s is a New Mexico institution, started in the 1950’s and now expanded to three Albuquerque restaurants – all focused on serving up classic New Mexican cuisine.
If you’re not sure what that means, New Mexican food is a cross-over between Native American staples and the supplies that Spanish settlers had on them – resulting in a cuisine that features blue corn, squashes, chile peppers, flour, and pork.
Add in a heaping of beans and cheese, and you’ve got the idea. Nearly every dish (ok, every dish) comes with red or green chile (or both, if you ask for it Christmas style) – a sauce like affair that is the signature of New Mexican cuisine.
Back to Sadie’s. As I said, they’ve grown beyond their initial roots, but are still famous for serving up good, no-fuss New Mexican food, and are particularly known for their home-made salsa. We had a huge pile of all things New Mexican, and can happily recommend that you do the same.
Best for: Traditional New Mexico cuisine
2. Indian Pueblo Cultural Centre
Speaking of Native American culture, a visit to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Centre is well worth it when in Albuquerque, as I already mentioned in my post on my favourite things to do in Albuquerque. Here you can learn about the 19 surviving Native American communities in New Mexico – everything from their history, through to their art, cultures and food.
But what better way to learn about their food than by eating it? Which is just what you can do at the on-site restaurant – the Pueblo Harvest Cafe, where they serve up Native fusion fare, incorporating Native flavors and ingredients into contemporary meals.
We visited for breakfast, and it’s safe to say that this was a truly excellent feast. We tried a variety of dishes, and I can highly recommend the blue corn pancakes – although we feel you won’t be disappointed with anything on the menu. Definitely a good place to eat in Albuquerque.
Best for: Tasting Native American Pueblo fare
3. Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
As the title suggests, this restaurant is a part of the Los Poblanos Historic Inn, which in its current form was built in the 1930’s – although the land has been run as a ranch for a while longer than that. Today, it’s open as a beautiful hotel offering luxurious accommodation, a fine-dining restaurant experience, and an organic lavender farm.
We took a tour of the property and learnt a little about the history and architecture of the property and the families who lived here. Now on the register of historic places, Los Poblanos offers an insight into the lives of some of the people who made this corner of New Mexico their home, and feels nothing at all like the Albuquerque you may have imagined from popular TV shows.
We also learnt about the farm to fork ethos of the restaurant – the property has 25 acres of land, and they try and use as many locally grown and sourced ingredients as possible in the restaurant. We also met the resident peacocks, who wander around as if they own the place.
On to the meal. As we’d been invited to dinner, we were presented with lovely scrolls with our names on, which also had our featured menu. The food was absolutely delicious – contemporary and classic in a casual fine dining environment with a fairly European feel. We sat outside on the terrace, although indoor seating options are also available.
Best for: A relaxed fine dining experience
4. Farm & Table
As the name suggests, Farm & Table is a restaurant, but also a farm – split between 9 acres of grazing land, and 2 acres of produce. This means that whilst you eat you can gaze out at where much of the food on your plates comes from, which is both a lovely view and means that it’s hard to find food much fresher!
In operation since 1996, Farm & Table is one of the most popular brunch (and dining) locations in Albuquerque, and after our dining experience, it’s not hard to see why. The food is fantastic (you have to try the trio of pastries), beautifully presented, and the views from the sunny terrace are wonderful.
We also appreciated that we were free to roam the gardens, see where our food was coming from, and that the owner, Cherie Montoya, took the time to meet us and walk us through some of the property and produce farm. This is definitely a great spot for brunch.
One last tip – spare a bit of time to visit La Parada, the next-door retail shop and sister business, which is housed in a 200 year-old adobe building. Featuring items from local artisans and artists around the world, it’s well worth a bit of your time exploring.
Best For: A truly fantastic, lengthy brunch
5. Dog House
And now for something completely different. The Dog House is a Route 66 classic which has been serving up their signature foot long chile coated hot dogs for over fifty years. So they must be getting something right.
It’s not exactly a fine dining experience, but it’s definitely an experience, the hot dogs are delicious, the price is fantastic and it’s a classic piece of Route 66 and Albuquerque history. You can eat in or take out, and of course they have more than just hot dogs – other New Mexican highway staples like the green chile cheeseburger are available.
Best For: Great value fast food with a dose of nostalgia
6. Route 66 Diner
Want to believe you’re living in the fifties – sipping milkshakes, picking music on the Wurlizter, and paying cents for a gallon of gas? Well, look no further than the Route 66 Diner, which can offer you nearly all those things in a fun, vintage style diner.
It’s got pretty much everything you’d want from a fifties themed diner, including wonderful decor, costumed staff, and the glorious neon lighting – hallmark of Route 66. Don’t miss the wall of signs outside!
Best for: Milkshakes, burgers and that 1950’s Route 66 vibe
7. Food trucks
Albuquerque really has something for everyone, whatever kind of dining experience you’re looking for. If you’re more the eat on the hoof whilst sight-seeing, then Albuquerque has you covered with its food truck scene!
A good place to experience the food truck scene in downtown Albuquerque is at the Civic Plaza on a Tuesday, where a number of food trucks will set up shop. We found a number of options, including a BBQ food truck & a frozen yoghurt food truck when we visited – and since it was a hot day, we took advantage of the frozen yoghurt!
You can find out more about which food trucks are where at this facebook page and also on this map, which should list recent locations for some of the more popular food trucks in the city.
Best For: Tasty food on the go
8. Scalo Northern Italian Grill
If for some reason you are starting to hanker for something a bit different to Mexican or New Mexican cuisine (variety is always good!), then we can definitely recommend the Scalo Northern Italian Grill. This offers up excellent Italian fine dining, with huge portions and a fantastic selection.
As well as staples like pizza and pasta, Scalo offers a great range of other Italian dishes, from Antipasti to fish and meat dishes. I can particularly recommend the Fritto Misto and the Costola Breve – the former being fried seafood, the latter being an incredible slow roasted beef short-rib. Bring an appetite here though – portions are generous!
Best For: Excellent Italian food in an upscale environment
9. Golden Crown Panaderia
A bit of a curve-ball this one – but one of our favourite food experiences in Albuquerque, so it’s being included anyway. The Golden Crown Panaderia is a family owned bakery in Albuquerque which specialised in New Mexican baking. Their Green Chile bread in particular is fantastic, and they have some of the best biscochito’s in the state.
As well as bread, they do sandwiches, pizzas and pastries, so you definitely won’t leave hungry, plus of course they offer a range of beverages. This place is a real Albuquerque gem, so make sure you visit.
Best For: Filling yourself with incredible baked goods
10. Range Cafe
The Range Cafe is a restaurant that seeks to provide an authentic American diner experience but with a modern, locally inspired twist. Menu items include such staples as Mac & Cheese and their famous Meatloaf.
Note, this diner was made famous by an appearance on US TV show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, although that was in its previous guise as the Standard Diner. That brand closed in September 2020, and was replaced by the Downtown Range Cafe. Much has remained the same, including many of the menu items, so we have left it on this list. There are a few Range Cafes in Albuquerque, this one specifically is at 320 Central Southeast.
There are of course plenty of other options, including burgers, New Mexican staples and fish and meat options – definitely something for everyone. Definitely worth a visit.
Best For: As their tagline says: “Ordinary food done well”
11. Church St Cafe
Whilst the old town of Albuquerque is well worth visiting, it’s not a place that many locals often come to – being generally focused on the tourist trade, with shops, restaurants and museums catering to visitors for the most part. There are a number of places to eat here, but the most regularly visited and recommended is the expansive Church St. Cafe – a Tardis like property that seems to go on forever.
Housed in one of Albuquerque’s oldest buildings (around 300 years old), there are plenty of seating options, and we opted to dine outside. The meal choices focus very much on New Mexican dining, with the restaurant open throughout the day.
Best for: New Mexican Cuisine in the Old Town
12. Papa Felipe’s
Another of Jess’s go-to places from her time living in Albuquerque was Papa Felipe’s, located a short drive from where she used to live. It has been serving up great value tasty Mexican and New Mexican food for over 35 years.
It’s particularly good value at lunch time when they have a variety of lunch specials on offer, which we took full advantage of, but it’s worth visiting any time of the day for a tasty feast of local favourites.
Don’t miss the sopapilla’s – a fried pastry that you’ll smother in honey for desert and eat warm.
Best for: Authentic great value Mexican & New Mexican cuisine in relaxed surroundings.
13. Grove Cafe and Market
The Grove Cafe and Market in downtown Albuquerque is an excellent city centre location for brunch, meeting friends, and eating delicious local food.
It was also the first place in Albquerque that I had a breakfast burrito in, which is an essential part of any New Mexico trip – a state where pretty much everything can be served in a burrito. This is no bad thing.
As well as wonderful brunches, breakfasts and lunches (or just coffee), the Grove Cafe and Market is, as the name suggests, a market. So you can pick up everything from recipe books to granola as you sip your coffee.
Best for: City centre casual brunch with friends
14. El Pinto
A New Mexico institution, Jess was super-excited to have the opportunity to visit El Pinto on our trip to Albuquerque. Running since 1962 (although greatly expanded since then), this family owned restaurant creates absolutely fantastic New Mexican cuisine – and has been voted as the city’s best New Mexican restaurant.
Dining here is a wonderful experience, with a wide range of excellent meals to choose from, not to mention the largest Tequila Bar in New Mexico. They also make their own line of green chile sauces and salsas, produced on site. Finally, we were thrilled to meet their on-site chickens who supply them with eggs, and learn about the focus on sustainability.
We had an absolutely incredible meal (and drinks) here, and on one of our trips to Albuquerque this venue was the last restaurant we visited in Albuquerque. It was a wonderful place to celebrate the end of our trip!
Best For: An upscale New Mexican dining experience
15. Owl Cafe
As this post has already hopefully made clear, there is a wide variety of dining options in Albuquerque, from fine dining to food trucks, and everything in between. If you’re after some classic New Mexican diner-fare (with huge portions!), then you need to add the Owl Cafe to your list.
Established in 1986 in Albuquerque, the Owl Cafe has been serving fantastic food for over thirty years, including their famous OwlBurger, shakes, New Mexican classics and much more.
Portions are very generous, and you’ll also be served their famous beans and green chile on arrival.
Best For: Classic Diner Fare, New Mexico style
16. Vernon’s Speakeasy
Established in 2017, Vernon’s Speakeasy is a relative newcomer to the Albuquerque restaurant scene. So on a recent visit to the city, we had to try it out for ourselves.
This offers a unique dining experience – echoing the “Speakeasies” of Prohibition-era America, where bars would often masquerade as restaurants. To get in, you access a fairly nondescript door, and you have to remember the password that you’re given on booking.
The interior is very dark, and the serving staff are all in period costume, which makes it all feel very authentic.
Of course, all this would be largely pointless if the food wasn’t good, and in this area, Vernon’s Speakeasy delivers in spades. We had the steak, which is what they are known for, and we’d say this was one of the best steaks we’ve ever had.
Prices are certainly on the high side (especially for Albuquerque), but the food and presentation make it worth it, especially for a special occasion. As well as food, there’s a good selection of beers and of course, prohibition style cocktails!
Best For: Classic American Fine Dining and Steak
17. Frontier Restaurant
If you are in the area of the University of New Mexico, then a stop at Frontier Restaurant should be on your food list. In operation since 1971, they are well known for their breakfast options and sweet rolls, as well as a variety of New Mexican classics from burritos to burgers.
Prices are good, and they’re also open from 5am – 1am seven days a week, meaning this also makes a great stop for an early (or late!) meal. There’s also room for over 300 people here, so it’s rare you’ll have to wait long for a table, or reserve in advance.
Another university favourite in this area is Saggio’s, which is well worth stopping by even if just to take a look at their spectacular interior decor. Of course, you might want to eat here too – this Italian restaurant serves up a range of excellent dishes from Pizzas to Pasta!
Best For: New Mexican food and breakfast near the University of New Mexico
18. Red Ball Cafe
An Albuquerque and Route 66 institution since 1922, the Red Ball Cafe was sadly closed for many years. However, it re-opened in September 2018, and are serving up their classics again, including their Wimpy burger which dates from 1922!
They also serve up Mexican and new Mexican dishes, and the new owner was a former employee at the cafe, so the tradition carries on.
Best For: New Mexican and Casual Dining
Map of the Best Restaurants in Albuquerque
To help you plan out which Albuquerque restaurants might be near your accommodation or sight-seeing plans, we’ve put together this map, which includes all the restaurants in our list. You can also see this map on Google here.
Further Reading for your New Mexico Trip
This isn’t our first post on New Mexico, nor will it be our last! We spent five week’s road tripping the state, plus Jess lived in Albuquerque for a period, and we have lots more information we’ll be sharing. Here are some resources to help you out:
- The official Visit Albuquerque website, with loads of information on what to see and do
- My guide to the top things to do in Albuquerque
- Jess’s epic guide to attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
- Something a bit different – our experience having afternoon tea in Albuquerque
- Our guide to exploring Route 66 in Albuquerque, as well as a two week Route 66 itinerary
- While you’re in the area, you might want to visit Santa Fe, in which case check out our guide to things to do in Santa Fe
- My guide to the New Mexico Space Trail
- The New Mexico Nomad travel blog – a fantastic resource for all things New Mexico
And that sums up some of our favourite places to eat in Albuquerque! Of course, we couldn’t cover all the locations in the city, and we’re sure we’ve missed a few top dining spots.
One thing is for sure though, Albuquerque has some fantastic dining options! If you’ve got a favourite that we missed – let us know in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading!
Disclaimer – So you know, Visit Albuquerque hosted us at eight of the restaurants above, although we always covered our own gratuities and alcoholic beverages. We’ve also since returned to many of the restaurants we were hosted at on our own dime. Being hosted didn’t influence inclusion in the list – we’ve only listed our favourites! See more about our code of ethics for how we work with partners.
Hillary says
Zacatecas is closed.
Laurence Norah says
Thanks for letting me know, I’ve taken it off the list! Do you have a suggested alternative? We’ll be back in Albuquerque soon and would love to try some alternative options 🙂
Debbie2008 says
The Carne Adovada at CERVANTES is heavenly.
Laurence Norah says
Thanks for the tip Debbie, will have to check it out!
Bob Curmudgeon says
Whoa GR8 Review! of indeed A1 places in ABQ!
Glad ya had a chance to “imbibe” a variety of offerings that make us The Land of Enchantment. E.g. indeed my having had 599 feet of the FootLong (NM Red, not that Tex-Mex goo*) Chile Cheesedog con onions might attest to it’s yumminess. Always pair it with their orange drink, i.e. never cola! Side note, its been settings in Breaking Bad.
YES…El Pinto! Best patio in town, besides the one at Casa de Benavidez several blocks south on 4th which is a pre-1937 portion of Route 66! BTW, El P’s 1/2 or full rack of Red Chile Ribs are to-die-for
*Chili is the Tex-Mex/Coney Island stuff. ChilE is the NM stuff. (My email addy is an “inside joke”.)
Alas, Scalo’s has new owners and an altered menu. Per CoVid, I haven’t been to a former FAV for fine dining. Speaking of which, I recommend (as often attested to on Best of-Lists, Antiquity https://antiquityrestaurant.com/ in Old Town. Best? Henry IV…picture artichoke leaves splayed in a circle upon which is set an exquisite chunk of Filet upon which rests the artichoke heart…as a crown…upon which is drizzled…as a cape…Bearnaise!
My Disclaimer: Per VisitABQ…I am one of itsabout 80 Volunteers giving out info at the Old Town Center (Romero @ Mountain https://goo.gl/maps/cQD92NMvxPcWLrL69) or the kiosk at the Sunport. Yo! RE your next visit: some Vols been dealing info for 30 years! Who else can give ya the real Skinny on ABQ places as well as around the State.
I found reference to Y’all in today’s https://www.nmgastronome.com/?p=53800
Hasta…
Bob
Laurence Norah says
Hey Bob!
Thanks for your comment 🙂 It’s always wonderful to hear from locals that we are doing it right. We love ABQ – Jess lived there for a time, and we always try to visit when we can. We’re hoping to make it for the balloon festival again next year if it all goes ahead, and we’ll definitely check out your recommendations when we do so 🙂 We’ll also be sure to swing by the visitor centre and say hello.
Now I’ll get right on with fixing up all my erroneous mentions of chilli 😉
Stay well!
Laurence
Rich says
Did you quarantine for 14 days prior to gorging yourselves. AND, you owe it to yourselves and your readers to return and seek out the other truly fine restaurants you failed to mention. There is no shortage of fine food in Albuquerque, you just need to broaden your horizons and dig a little deeper.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Rich,
Thanks for your comment! We put this list together based on a number of trips to Albuquerque, and Jess also used to live in the city. All the experiences were pre-2020, so there was no quarantine necessary. We have been to a lot of restaurants which we didn’t include – we wanted this list to be a good selection of what we think are some of the best, rather than a long list – too much choice isn’t always a good thing 😉 That said, we’d love to hear your recommendations for restaurants to try on our next visit to the city, hopefully next year,
Laurence
Rich says
I travel the world in search of good Goya de have lived in ABQ on and off for more than 50 years. Just to mention a few you may want to consider Antiquity, le crepe micgel, café da latt, tía B’s, Mimmos (serving wonderful Italian food for about 40 years although may be temporarily closed due to the virus.
Laurence Norah says
Great – thanks for these tips Rich. Will definitely check these locations out next time we’re in ABQ 😀
jen reynolds says
Hi! Thanks so much for this great piece. I am looking for a place to host 40-50 people in January for a dinner, do you feel that any of these spots might make sense? Does not have to be super fancy.
Laurence Norah says
Hey Jen! That’s a fair few people, so obviously you’ll want to pick somewhere that can accommodate them 🙂
I’d suggest Sadie’s would be a good one, the food is great and they have three locations, plus they have a section on their site all about larger events: http://www.sadiesofnewmexico.com/services/banquets/
So definitely give them a shot.
I also know that Los Poblanos do host events like weddings, so I’m sure they do other events as well. I’d also suggest that El Pinto would be a fantastic option, and they have a lot of space too 🙂
Whichever you choose, for a party that size I’d definitely recommend booking well in advance! Have a great time 🙂
Jen Reynolds says
Thank you so much! This is great. I am going to send some inquiries today! We are visiting (non-work) in October and will be using your article for reference.
Laurence Norah says
Our pleasure! We’ll actually be in Albuquerque in October too, visiting for the balloon fiesta 🙂 We hope you find what you’re looking for!
Shanna Schultz says
Wow, that is a heap of great food for such a short period of time! I also quite enjoyed the New Mexican cuisine during a short visit to Santa Fe 9and teh lcoals are quite rightfully sensitive about you not calling it Mexican food, as although it is similar, it definitely has its own unique features and subtleties)