What's going on, Albuquerque?

Best New Mexico-style food restaurants in Burque

I used to live in Albuquerque from 1965 until 1973.
During those years I acquired the great taste of New Mexico-style food.
What impressed me most about New Mexico-style Mexican restaurants was the abundant use of locally-grown green chiles, as well as distinctive-tasting New Mexico red chiles.
My favorite New Mexico-style food is definitely:

1) bowl of green chile

2) carne adovada

and, of course, to finish everything off, yes, sopaipillas.

When I moved to Arizona in 1973 and lived there till 1982, I craved for New Mexico-style food. There was none there in Arizona.

Then I moved to California i9n 1982 and lived there till 2008.
I again craved for New Mexico-style food there but there was none there in California.

Thank God I moved back to New Mexico in 2008.
I will never ever leave New Mexico until I die.

In New Mexico, there are regular so-called Mexican restaurants that do not serve New Mexico-style food.
Quite a number of the so-called Mexican restaruants in this area these days are food from Mexico itself and, unfortunately, not New Mexico-style food.
Many people who come to New Mexico from places like Back East (New York, Chicago, etc.) and Mid-west and from the West Coast, seem not to know the difference between New Mexico-style Mexican food and Mexico-style Mexican food.
Here, in this discussion, I would like to talk about NEW MEXICO-STYLE FOOD RESTAURANTS.

What is your favorite New Mexico-style food restaurant in Albuquerque?

Let's begin the discussion.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Norio Hayakawa on December 1, 2010 at 6:06pm

PADILLA'S MEXICAN KITCHEN on Girard.

By far, this is the best, in my opinion.
Padilla's is the best, authentic New Mexican eatery in Albuquerque.
We have eaten in larger places such as El Pinto's and Garduno's (basically they seem to cater towards tourists) , but they don't even come close to the "authenticity" ("New Mexico-ness") that is found here at Padilla's.
The menu is simple. That's the way it should be.
The price is very reasonable. Their red chile is outstanding.
It's worth standing in line for 20 minutes, especially at lunch time.
The food is absolutely great and simple! Padilla's green chile sauce is especially great tasting. It even has some meat in the sauce. This is the only New Mexico eatery that I recommend anyone visiting the greater Albuquerque area.
Somebody made this comment about Padillas:

Look at it this way: If you can stay in business being open only M-F 11:00 to 7:45 and not taking debit or credit cards, you must be doing something right. And they are not only staying in business, they appear to be thriving. They've been busy every time I've been there.

Permalink Reply by luna on December 2, 2010 at 11:25am

La Esquina

Permalink Reply by Norio Hayakawa on December 2, 2010 at 6:13pm

O.K., thanks, luna.
La Esquina is located at the corner of...?

LOL!!

Permalink Reply by Ron Da Bomb on December 1, 2010 at 7:20pm

Padilla's is near the top of my list too. Here are some others that I enjoy.

Duran's Station - I hear that the original location at Duran's Pharmacy is better. Never been, though.
Mary & Tito's - good red chile
The Burrito Lady - breakfast and lunch, m-f cash only. prepare to wait for your food
Charlie's Front Door (and Charlie's Back Door) - awesome carnitas and sour cream enchiladas
Los Cuates - my craving for this place comes and goes.
Mick's Chile Fix - cheap no-nonsense food
El Patio
Monroe's - they have a low-carb menu. good calabacitas
Cervantes
Perea's Tijuana Bar (in Corrales)
Garcia's
Richard's

Permalink Reply by Norio Hayakawa on December 1, 2010 at 7:33pm

Thanks, Ron, for your comments.
Yes, we have been to Duran's Pharmacy near Old Town just about a year ago because someone had told us that their bowl of green chile was excellent.
However, personally, it wasn't up to our expectations.
Perhaps Duran's Pharmacy may have had great bowls of green chile many many years ago, but, unfortunately it seems that it's not the same anymore. (which happens to lots of restaurants....after so many years, because of so many reasons possible, the taste start changing).
O.K., I will try to get to Tijuana Bar in Corrales, since it is closer to Rio Rancho.
Thanks.

Permalink Reply by once banned twice shy on December 2, 2010 at 9:29am

The places I would add to Ron's list are:

El Modelo on 2nd street south of Bridge - great tamales and I am certain great carne adovada, but I've never had it
Cecilia's on 6th and Silver (or is it 5th and Silver?) - just good home cooking
Taco Sal - last time I went there (which was admittedly a while ago) the red chile was very, very good.

I also hear that Richard's on Menaul west of Carlisle is very, very good, but I have not eaten there myself.

Permalink Reply by Ron Da Bomb on December 2, 2010 at 9:54am

I used to like Taco Sal, but the last two times I've been have been subpar. The service was terrible and our orders got screwed up both times (we ordered straight off the menu, no special requests, and the place wasn't that busy, so in my opinion no compelling reasons for the mixups), and the food has not been all that it used to be. They DO have weenies and eggs on their breakfast menu, though. I think I also saw spam n eggs on the menu, if that is your thing...

Good call on El Modelo. I've heard good things about Cecelia's, but have never been.

Permalink Reply by Norio Hayakawa on December 2, 2010 at 6:17pm

Thanks, once banned.
I will have to try those.
I just LOVE to eat tamales.
I thank God for those who created this great food.
I know that tamales are universal....throughout Central and even South America, in some form or another.
I have this craving for tamales once in a while.
I espcially love to eat tamales and also posole, during the holidays.

Permalink Reply by Phil_0 on December 2, 2010 at 10:29am

Barelas Coffee House does a great bowl of green w/beans. Their posole is awesome too.

I like the red chile at Duran's Pharmacy, Mary and Tito's, Cecilia's, and El Camino...to me, good, piquant, earthy red chile is one of the real marks of New Mexican-style Mexican food. (If you've ever eaten at a Pueblo feast day you will know what I mean). El Patio has great green chile and wonderful sopapillas (another New Mexican hallmark).

Charlie's Front Door up at Wyoming and Menaul is sort of a strange place, but serves a lot of very traditional New Mexican dishes that can't be had elsewhere, like sopa de fideo, quelites, and torta de huevo. These dishes may seem strange to those expecting enchiladas and green chile stew, but they are what the people of New Mexico were eating 100 years ago, before cheddar cheese became a big part of NM food.

Permalink Reply by Norio Hayakawa on December 2, 2010 at 6:19pm

I see what you mean, Phil.
I will never forget my experience of being invited by a native American friend to his home many many years ago. I had the best-tasting chicken soaked in this amazingly tasty red chile sauce....almost like a soup. I am not sure of this dish but....it could be something like pollo enchilado or something like that.
Yes, red chile is great.

Permalink Reply by Clifton Chadwick on December 3, 2010 at 11:27am

We used to eat torta de huevo on Fridays. Haven't had it in years though it crosses my mind frequently. Thanks for the tip.

Permalink Reply by ramon t on December 3, 2010 at 11:55am

"like sopa de fideo, quelites, and torta de huevo. "

FWIW...these dishes are still served in Native NM family homes. My family as well as my wife's still make those dishes to this day. Sopa de Fideo (or Fideo's as we called them) are primarily made in the Norther part of NM. Quelites are made by those along the river and ditches ,as that is where Quelites grow. My MIL has some growing in her garden and we have some growing at our house near old town.

Torta de huevo is primarily made during Lent on Friday's, though I will make it at times during the year. Chico's are something else I will make at different times during the year.

Pastel de Chile Verde

Calabasitas

Natillas

Arroz Dulce

Epenadas de Carne

Pastelitos

and Atole

are some other dishes we make that you typically can't find in restaurants.