Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Ben Michael's Restaurant

    4.0 (216 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Ben Michael's Restaurant Photos

    BEN MICHAEL'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    More like Ben Michael's Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Ben Michael's Restaurant

    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

    Scratch made key lime pie with peach jam made with peaches grown by the restaurant owner himself!
    Aram K.

    So I went to Ben Michael's tonight, it was my second time there, I went for my friends birthday, and I'm glad I did. The jazz musicians were awesome, loved the old school New Mexican theme. Ben michael got himself an old traditional New Mexican adobe house, and transformed it into a restaurant himself! It really made you feel at home, no pun intended! :) I feel like many people who were there were regulars snd I saw a lot of them even seemed to know each other, it had a very quaint vibe to it. Ben Michael himself is a really nice, social, and really cool guy all around once you get to know him. But I wanna touch on why you guys are seeing the negative reviews about him. So, you gotta understand he has sort of a unique personality, the minute you meet him he might joke with you in a way that you think is rude, he's treating you as if you're familiar to him. My friend gave me a heads up so I knew that as it was happening, but he warms up to you and you can tell after a while that he's a super friendly guy just has an interesting way of dealing with his customers. You see at ben Michael's, when you step foot inside, be prepared to be treated like you're at his family party and you're one of his cousins, uncles or brothers, that's the way he will communicate. It's important to know this and be okay with it before you go there. Also he's a little sensitive about his cooking, he gets his feelings hurt from what I've been reading, but luckily I liked everything I ate and I had no reason to make any comments or else I would probably experience what he would be like in that situation lol. The picture I attached was a Scratch made key lime pie with peach jam made with peaches grown by the restaurant owner himself! This taste nothing like store bought or most restaurant key lime pie so if you usually don't like key lime pie you gotta try his version of it. He had a buffet today I forgot to take a picture of it, but normally you order from a menu but he had a big turn out for jazz night and we went with buffet style. Something you should know about this restaurant is there's no real menu, everything always changes and ben makes everything from Scratch, organic, locally grown and sourced.

    a person entering the restaurant
    John D.

    Organic and Mexican food? Well it's here. The owners are 70's throwbacks playing 70's music. The building looks even older. How can you go wrong with that? 1st customers of the day so the place was empty. Chips and salsa came out. I like blue corn so that was good - the salsa was meh. For meals we ordered the enchiladas - it came with whole pinto beans and grilled zucchini? Ok. different. Plus a salad with chicken. Both meals were great, I misunderstood when being asked about an egg (I thought he was talking red or green) so I said on the side - oh well. Got the egg and put it atop the enchilada where it belonged (juries out on that one). The zucchini worked with this dish. The salad was equally tasty with nicely cooked chicken. What made this a meal though was the desert. It was their flan! Not a typical "jiggly" flan. This had some texture and wasn't drenched in caramel syrup. Pleasing to the palate without being overly sweet. An epic finish to a nice lunch. They are cash only - but if you show up without it there is an atm nearby to save the day.

    Outside, on corner.  Charming restaurant
    Jen M.

    We throughly enjoyed our dinner tonight at Ben Michael's. We started with chips and salsa. This salsa was sweet but had a nice kick. I ordered the fresh veggies with shrimp: perfectly prepared asparagus, onions, tomatoes, red peppers, fennel, squash, something like a Hungarian pepper, organic and some homegrown plus nicely grilled shrimp. My husband ordered Manatza enchilada and he said it was awesome. All flavors fresh and portions perfect. We've been traveling for two weeks and we put this meal right up there with one of our best meals.

    The jazz band

    Cash only (ATM is close). Pork enchiladas with rich red New Mexican chile sauce, beans and summer squash (seasoned with fennel from his garden). And then the jazz band started. According to a neighbor at the bar, they were particularly talented (aka, we were particularly lucky to see & hear them). Small old interesting space that felt ideal for the chef and the music. The chef assisted with serving and handling checks.

    Mom and Ben Michael's!

    What a great place! The food is excellent NM fare! Freshly prepared by Ben Michael's himself with local ingredients and served by him or his lovely girlfriend. The atmosphere is absolutely charming. It feels like you are over at a friends house for dinner. Tuesday nights are live jazz nights and are really a "can't miss" when I'm in town visiting my mom. Ben is the greatest of people and I recommend anyone who is dining at his place to strike up a conversation with him. Maybe even ask him to "tickle the ivories" a bit if he's not too busy. He might even come up with a personalized tune for you and your party! At the end of your meal you'll come away feeling better about life and certainly with a spring in your step!

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aram K.
    1784
    409
    1344

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S M.
    0
    203
    8

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jen M.
    0
    47
    19

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 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

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of LaLa G.
    404
    527
    4566

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Great restaurant, awesome atmosphere, incredible, local, organic food prepared with care and love.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Deb A.
    89
    14
    0

    3 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

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Andy L.
    344
    43
    140

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Shabbir S.
    234
    69
    20

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pat C.
    0
    86
    14

    3 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

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emily A.
    396
    13
    6

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C M.
    0
    5
    0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Ben Michael's Restaurant

    What vegan options do you have?

    He makes the most wonderful salad in the world with locally grown fruits and veggies. I wasnt even hungry and had to eat the whole thing!!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for New Mexican Cuisine 5,415 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    El Pinto - Fresh Guacamole

    El Pinto

    (1.9k reviews)

    $$

    Business Parkway/Academy Acres

    We came with a group of about 25 with our soccer team for dinner Saturday night and it was very…read moreimpressive. The property seems massive and it's really beautiful with all the cottonwood trees. When you get into the restaurant, there are just tons of combinations of these cozy little nooks, long dining tables, separated rooms, patio seating, and event spaces. There is something to see everywhere you look; fountains, fireplaces, and plants, hanging chiles, and more. They even raise cattle and chickens on property and source from their own greenhouse for their menu items. The ambience was just really cool and even though the winds were blowing like crazy, we were totally comfortable out in the patio section with the screens up. The food is authentic New Mexican cuisine. They brought out delicious tortilla chips for us to snack on while we decided on what to order. It really felt like there was no wrong choice to make. They were very accommodating for food allergies and restrictions. There was great flavor in everything our group tried. I split the half order of chicken nachos and it was a hefty half order! I was so stuffed, but then, hot sopapillas appeared and I couldn't say no to those! Especially not since the tables had their own sourced honey. There is also a full tequila bar, but since we were traveling with kids, didn't get to take too much advantage of that as an option. I wish we would've had more to explore the property but if I end up back in the Albuquerque area, I'll stop by again.

    I keep saying that I'm so over this place, but here I am eating overpriced food and having a…read moreweak-ass margarita... The good: The red chile rubbed ribs are phenomenal, but 1/2 rack for $44?! It's not a lobster tail. Beans and guac-excellent, calabacitas-very good. The chicken enchiladas-delicious with tender chicken. The bad: 2 Grand Gold margaritas at $15 each that were neither grand or gold. I've had better house margaritas at Applebees, lol. Their red chile was sparse, but that actually turned out in my favor because it was on the edge of burnt. A bit acrid. The sopas were dense, flat, chewy, and overcooked. The salsa-underwhelming. If you want excellent Grand Gold margaritas, the best salsa in New Mexico, and excellent portion sizes- SADIE'S ALL THE WAY!!!

    Piatanzi - Pene pasta with vodka sauce

    Piatanzi

    (196 reviews)

    $$

    Midtown/University

    We came here for a girls night and were so glad we did! It gives off the cute, neighborhood vibe…read moreand would be adorable for date night. We shared an eggplant marinara and bruchetta for appetizers. Both were good but nothing special. I absolutely LOVED my entree though. I got the penne alla vodka and added pancetta. YUM! The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was rich and delicious. It paired perfectly with my glass of wine. We all shared the cheesecake for dessert. It was fluffy and not too dense. The berry coulis was definitely needed for sweetness but we enjoyed it. The wait staff was awesome. Our water glasses were never empty and it felt like we were being waited on by 3 people because everyone was so in sync. Upon leaving we all agreed it was delicious and we cant wait to come back for another girls night!

    Service was great and the staff was friendly. The restaurant was clean and quite cold but once we…read moregot food I was able to warm up from our hot plates. The first couple slices of bread are complimentary but that is all we wanted since we didn't want to get full eating just the bread. Once our main meals came out, they looked delicious. My Husband liked his baked penne al forno but said it could be a little less noodle in portion. I had the chicken parmesan the chicken was great but it was served in a bowl like dish, so it was difficult to cut up. It was on a bed of penne pasta had no sauce under the chicken. Only the top of the plate had sauce and cheese. I asked for some extra sauce and they came out with a little one ounce serving cup. When I asked for another small cup, they said they would need to charge me two dollars for more. The pasta under my chicken was so dry I decided to take the rest home and add my own sauce. This was a huge disappointment for me and I didn't want to offend them by saying the pasta had no sauce underneath and was very dry. I guess we won't be coming back and will try other places in town that are more affordable and nickel and dime people for bread and sauce.

    Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe - Chapati "taco" with filling.  It was so good I was almost done before I remember to take photo

    Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe

    (283 reviews)

    $$

    Midtown/University

    Annapurna's food is my kind of food! It's healthy, tasty, and cruelty free. We visited here after a…read morelong drive down from Denver, and we were famished. The only problem here is that there were too many delicious choices! I chose the yogi bowl with spiced potatoes and chana masala. My husband chose the "green plate" with stuffed poblano peppers. While my son had the cauliflower tacos with black beans. We all enjoyed our meals and left the restaurant feeling full and happy. To those who complain that the food is "bland", I totally disagree. Try their sauces, my favorite was the date chutney. The service was also friendly and fast. I will say, however, that the dining area needed a clean, but I sympathize because they did appear to be understaffed. I plan to visit again next time I'm in town!

    I was so excited to come to Annapurna's because I love Ayurvedic food and innovative food and was…read morelooking forward to sharing a wholesome, nutritious meal with friends. We came around 3:30pm so we could catch the masala chai happy hour. I love masala chai and rarely have the chance to get freshly made dairy-free chai. I was disappointed basically from the first moment after walking inside. The server greeted us by announcing, "We are out of vegetables today." I didn't know how this was possible; eventually, she explained that they had run out of the "veggies of the day" that come with certain dishes such as the yogi plate; they were still able to provide vegetables in other dishes like the kitchari. But I was shocked, since I love vegetables, and their veggies of the day are so prominently advertised. I asked if the other location had vegetables available today. The server was unable to tell me. We decided to place our order anyway. I had some questions about the baked goods, since I rarely get the chance to have desserts that are vegan and seed oil-free. I was curious if any of the baked goods was entirely oil-free or at least free of coconut oil. The server seemed very unmotivated to help me figure this out. When I asked about ingredients, she just repeatedly pointed me to the labels on the cookies that denoted the type of sugar each one contained as well as certain allergens, but did not have full ingredient lists. I asked if the chef or manager might be available to clarify certain ingredients, only to be told that "the chef usually only works in the mornings." I was at a loss, and eventually, with some obvious reluctance, the server went into the kitchen to ask one of the cooks about the ingredient lists. The server returned saying "Yes, the majority of the items have coconut oil." Ummmm the majority? Which ones, exactly? At this point, I gave up and just did not order dessert. I tried to order an iced chai which they were out of. I ended up getting a hot chai as well as kitchari and dal. The chai was pretty average. It wasn't particular spicy nor particularly hot. The kitchari and dal were actually incredibly delicious. It's rare to find a restaurant that doesn't use excessive salt; these dishes were perfectly seasoned with warm, nourishing spices and very little (if any?) salt. Even the fact that they were served basically lukewarm didn't detract from how much I enjoyed them. This place seems truly special and I don't know if my experience was an exception. I really wanted to love them, but they made it pretty difficult, despite having great and healthy food.

    Sixty Six Acres - Shishito Peppers - not spicy. Still very good.

    Sixty Six Acres

    (542 reviews)

    $$

    North Valley/Los Ranchos

    I was traveling across the country and had a stay in Albuquerque and was lucky enough to be staying…read moreat a hotel right around the corner from Sixty Six Acres. First on service - I ordered carry out, and the woman who took my order over the phone was extremely kind. She also was the one who helped me once I arrived to pick up my food, and she was just as kind in person. It truly seemed like the entire staff was very customer centric. Food - holy cow it was great! I had the sixty six burger with the hatch chilis, and it was a phenomenal burger. Highly recommend upgrading to the truffle fries, worth the extra two bucks!! If I lived here I know I would be a regular and ensure I tried out the entire menu!

    We went in on a Friday evening right at 5 to avoid any dinner rush. We were seated immediately and…read morebrought water right away. We planned to split some small app's and one entree. We went with the Korean Chicken bites, the Margarita Flatbread, & the green chilli cheeseburger. The Chicken bites were terrible. Taste wasn't great at all, they were very very fried, but not in a good way. I love some good crunchy fried chicken but these just were not it! The flavor, the texture, none of it was right. The Margarita Flatbread was med. Taste was pretty good, but it was soggy and didn't hold up well at all. That said it was the best of the 3 things we did get. Unfortunately, that's not saying much..... The burger was okay also. Not bad by any means, but nothing special at all either....considering there's a burger place next door I thought the burger would be able to compete with the neighbor, but trust me if you want a burger, go next door! They don't put sauce on it at all, no nothing. Just straight up patty, cheese and bun. Only my 6 year old cousin eats like that.....I did add some mayo and ketchup, which helped, but still not a great burger.... The bun didn't add much for us either, even though it was baked in house with green chilli....A simple brioche would be better imo... The fries with the burger were actually the best single item of the experience. Their fries are really good! So good that I was going to eat every single one of them but instead my waiter just came and took my plate before I had finished the last 10 or so. No are you finished yet, or anything, just grabbed it, turned and left. I was so shocked I didn't even have time to say I'm not done with that. He left the crummy chicken bites we weren't eating though..... LOL Seriously don't touch my plate unless it's empty, or you ask first! Since it was a small amount I let it slide and didn't reduce his tip because the rest of the service was actually pretty good overall..... I definitely 100% will not be back here though, there's much better food in the area.

    Ben Michael's Restaurant - newmexican - Updated May 2026

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