Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Barbacoa El Primo

    4.9 (109 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Barbacoa El Primo Photos

    BARBACOA EL PRIMO ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    More like Barbacoa El Primo

    Recommended Reviews - Barbacoa El Primo

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    La gordita SO GOOD
    Jenny S.

    Came for a quick lunch and this barbacoa hit the spot!! Plenty of parking and quick service so I was in and out of there in a jif I ordered the La Gordita which is like 2 flour tortillas sandwich ingredients barbacoa and then grilled. Soo good, tender and juicy barbacoa They have a self serve toppings bar with onion, cilantro, cabbage, tomatoes, limes, 2 spicy salsas one green one red that tasted like habanero I'll be back next time I'm in town!

    1lb of barbacoa 20 tortillas and the goodies
    Maggie S.

    Best Barbacoa in town! Last time I went it was in a Sunday before we went to the railyards. There was no wait. Quality and taste was no lost. The staff was friendly. 10/10 recommend if you are craving barbacoa. The salsas are spicy but are so good.

    Barbacoa taco - i added the toppings from their bar
    Aram K.

    This is my second time coming to barbacoa El Primo. The first time I came I really liked the tacos and gorditas and torta, so I ordered them again this time. But this time I also asked if they could make me a quesadilla, I didn't notice it on the menu; they made it for me and.. just wow . Their barbacoa meat melts in your mouth and has the perfect flavor and texture. Their green salsa has just the right kick while maintaining a high level of flavor from the tomatillos. Their cantaloupe drink is out of this world delicious. I've had their horchata before and it's good but the cantaloupe drink is my new favorite drink there. It blew my mind. Their quesadilla which seems to be a secret menu item was sooo delicious I had to buy a second one and take it home. I couldn't believe how good it was. I will say this, it's a bit over the top greasy, but the flavors and textures inside make up for that. You know how sometimes when you go somewhere the greasiness outshines the flavor of the food? No here it's just something passive, you'll notice some drops of oil leaking when you eat the quesadilla but the flavor of the food itself greatly outshines that. I also had a taco and torta and gordita which we're all good and you had to load your own toppings from the taco bar.

    Liz A.

    If you have never tried Barbacoa, this place is awesome to try them for the first time. This is the 2nd time I have had them. This place has friendly service, fast, efficient and is a clean facility. Plenty of food for one person. I ordered the half lb of meat. It came with all the fixings, plenty of corn tortillas. Reasonable prices. Give this place a try.

    James O.

    A bit disappointed Only available tacos are shredded beef , very small portions and a bit of a wait

    Tacos
    Heidi A.

    I was surprised how bare it looked without the toppings, but the sauce and the toppings made it complete. The service was quick. And the interior was very cute and fun. The tacos were really tasty, and full of flavor. I can't wait to come back!

    The pineapple horchata is so refreshing.
    Jean C.

    I can see why they were listed in the top 100 restaurants.in the SW. The meat is tender and flavorful. The pineapple horchata is amazing. The 1lb deal has tons of food. Great food and great value.

    Barbacoa Tacos with fixings
    Yuri F.

    the food is absolutely amazing for the price you're paying. The tacos are small and delicious. I just wish they were open for dinner too!!!

    Agua de horchata
    Antonio G.

    Buenisima la barbacoa. 100 recomendada y el agua muy buena. La de horchata excelente precio

    a sign for a mexican restaurant
    John D.

    One of the things I miss about South Texas is the food. Simple food with basic ingredients. Like barbacoa, a great weekend breakfast food. We would buy some on Sunday morning, take it home and eat. But that was then. After hearing rave reviews from friends and co-workers I had to find out for myself. I can sum it up in one word - wow! We decided to eat in. We ordered a pound of barbacoa and a couple of drinks at the counter. Drinks are mostly served in bottles/cans. Within minutes our food was served up with a stack of steaming hot street size corn tortillas - which ran out as we spooned the last of the barbacoa. Onions, cilantro, lime and red/green hot sauce. Red is extremely hot!!! - taste and then apply. A little went a long way. The barbacoa was delicious and considering the usually greasiness of the meat, I was expecting a large amount in the bottom of the cup. To my surprise it was almost nonexistent. ¡Simplemente La mejor!? Si!

    Barbarcoa burrito.      Flour tortilla filled with delicious barbarcoa.

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Outstanding breakfast burritos. Great service and clean. Loved all the fresh chopped ingredients at the condiment bar.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jenny S.
    2235
    2995
    10355

    2 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Food great. I accidentally put top tip and they called it to my attention and fixed it. It was a take out order. Tasted like homemade.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    I was wowed. One of the best barbacoa burritos I had this place definitely a go back. Super clean place. Service was fast and very friendly.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Extremely fast service. The food is good and pretty affordable. I ordered the torta which is just meat inside.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dee S.
    1
    39
    24

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    You know when a place only does one thing, that thing is good as hell. Enter Barbados el Primo. Salsas are fire, too!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J.C R.
    124
    47
    56

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jen W.
    5
    81
    28

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K G.
    1
    42
    19

    4 years ago

    They have moved! Great inside eating location at 1300 San Mateo. We visit every time we are traveling though! Consistently delicious!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Barbacoa El Primo Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Barbacoa El Primo

    When do you open? It looks like it's getting close?

    Barbacoa is only open from 10-3 pm No dinner time here

    View All 2 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 12,970 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Frontier

    Frontier

    4.2
    (2.7k reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Yes, I get the hype, and in my opinion, totally worth it!…read more I came here on a Sunday night and they were very busy. The place is huge so they have plenty of tables available. I stood on line to order for maybe 10 minutes or so. I had the Carne Adovada Burrito, one soft Beef Taco, and rice and beans. Everything was excellent and tasted delicious. The price was very reasonable. I wish we had a restaurant like this on Long Island.

    It seems like this place has been around forever. I remember passing by this restaurant as a kid…read moreand seeing the wagon wheel chandeliers from the road. Directly across the street from University of New Mexico's main entrance, this place is packed when school is in session. This place is huge, but not at first glance. Walk into the retro-looking, Western themed dining room, and you'll see a huge menu board above the order counter. There is are several freestyle soda machines in the middle of the room. There are little digital screens in the corner where you watch for your order number and a counter in the corner where you go pick up your food. It's not until you go into the next room that you discover there is another "next room," and then another. There is a lot of art on the walls, including several John Wayne pictures. The girl at the counter who took our order was an absolute ray of sunshine--so friendly and sweet. We ordered the green chili cheeseburger with onion rings and the daily special which is the "green pile-up" (beans, hash browns, scrambled egg, and green chili beef). The good came our talented quickly, and was quite yummy. Frontier is an Albuquerque classic. If it old? Yes, but it has a huge faithful following, not including the things of UNM students that pack this giant diner during the school year. It may not be a "must try" for some, but if you want Albuquerque nostalgia, this is your place. Btw--it's pretty darn cheap,!

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)
    Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)
    Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

    See all

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

    Herencia

    4.5
    (133 reviews)
    6.3 mi

    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.

    Very expensive Mexican food with small portions. Food was good but not worth the price. They took…read morethe food too artsy and shrinked the sizes too much. Service did not match the price. Server didn't check on us too often and let someone at the table run out of water for 5 minutes until we asked for more. I had the pork al pastor ($26). It was cooked well and seasoned really nicely. Lobster enchiladas were nice but unique just to be unique. I asked for recommendations and all of the options were the most expensive on the menu which was odd to me. If they have a cheaper lunch menu it might be worth trying, but I think the dinner isn't worth it for the price. Four entrees and a soda was $130 plus tip.

    Photos
    Herencia
    Tacos
    Tacos
    Costilla de Rez

    See all

    Costilla de Rez
    El Pinto

    El Pinto

    3.4
    (1.9k reviews)
    10.1 mi
    $$

    Late lunch/ early dinner today. Hotter than heck outside so decided to hide at El Pinto for…read moreawhile. Ordered cold beer and cocktails after we were seated inside Lotsa flies.....we get it....pretty much an open-air restaurant this time of year They did set a spinner on our table which helped. Was decently cool inside too I have been wanting to try their Kizer beef and pork offerings so i threw down on a cheeseburger (hard to not order New Mexican food here) But that burger was perfect! Delicious I recommend and was plenty big Of course i dropped a big spoonful of green chile on it And the green chile strip appetizer was outstanding Summer at El Pinto. Enjoy!

    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.

    Photos
    Come on in!
    Come on in!
    Hatch Chile and Chicharrones
    Hatch Chile and Chicharrones
    Interior entrance

    See all

    Interior entrance

    Barbacoa El Primo - mexican - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...