Ok. I was just wasting some time and saw some negative reviews about Mary and Tito's Carne Adovada…read more!! WTF !! Seriously ???!!!!! There is no better Carne Adovada in Albuquerque or in New Mexico !! You're probably some cheap ass who buys it at Kroger for 235 a pound

I haven't been here in years and now I remember why. But, you enter from the side door and NOT the…read more2 doors in front. It's very basic New Mexican food that's kinda "meh." The food we had all needed salt and more flavor. The prices weren't bad considering how everyone has raised their menu prices. The service was good and food came out fast. I forgot to take pics of our food since I was w a group of people... sorry. But, we all got different Combo plates. They were good but not great. The bldg is old but well maintained with clean dining rooms. Simple old cafe furniture and a bit of an old Landmark place near downtown. We were seated in the second dining room under a broken ceiling that could fall down w the next monsoon rain. It'll be another long while before I return. Sorry folks!"

They are really great, been here atleast 5 times but yet ive forgotten to review it?!?…read more Appetizer of a Salvadorian tamale and some plantain empanadas delicious the plantain in them was like a custard. Got a cachew fruit drink 'marañón' and it was delicious (once long ago i found some past best by date juice. At a small ethnic market. Which was simialr but this is Delicious!! Along with we each got a plate of eggs beans one pupusa and plantains. Beans were interesting very smooth blending of perhaps black and aome other bean? Was delicious with the eggs and the pupusa. Last few times we got one of all the pupusas. Really good place every meal has been affordable and great!

The food is still as delicious as always! My new obsession is The Spinach & Cheese Pupusa. The…read moretamales are pretty good too. I love the ample seating and love the service. They always wait on us super fast and are super friendly. Prices are very reasonable too. This place will always be one of my favorite places to eat at least 2-4 times a month.

I enjoyed the massive sopaipilla filled with shredded chicken, but I ordered Christmas with it, and…read moreit wasn't clear that I got it. I didn't see the green sauce on there. I asked for some more green sauce on the side, but the one that was brought out was still red. The sopaipilla was a little too big. The bread to sauce to chicken ratio got thrown off once you get near the middle of it with a ton of chicken. Still a good meal, though.

We came here for Mother's Day. I really wanted a spot where I could make reservations, but Mom saw…read morethe menu and wanted to eat here. so, we came up with a plan. Some came to put our name on the list, and others arrived later. Our wait was 1 hour. Not bad, we had some drinks at the bar while waiting. Mom had her margarita (classic), and I had a watermelon, cucumber margarita. I didn't really care for it, then switched to an IPA. My partner had the pina colada. But let's talk about how HUGE this place is. They have room after room after room. I walked around a bit and found a second bar further back. One of the rooms is sunlit, which would have been nice. But when they seated us (all 8 of us) we were in what I would consider the main room towards the front. Because of the high ceilings and vast amount of sunshine, the room feels big and airy. The one thing I would have liked is some rice to go with my beans. They serve potatoes with the beans. Huh? I ordered the shrimp tacos, which were good. The pinto beans that came with the meal were okay, and again....... the potatoes (I didn't eat them, my brother took them home for leftovers). He had the taco burger. Yes, taco burger. Really, it's a ginormous taco. Lol. He ate it. My niece had a huge burrito. The other niece had a salad. My partner has never had green chile, so we ordered that as a side. But...it's not green chile. I was confused. Oh, the salsa is spicy! She liked it, and although I kept eating it, I generally prefer a milder salsa. The chips were great! I actually came for the sopaipillas! They came towards the end and I drizzled mine with honey. They were just like Grandma's. Overall, the meal was okay. I kind of expected more, but Mom was happy. They gave all the Mother's a rose, which was nice. They also have a gift store on site where you can purchase their salsa, shirts, and other merchandise.

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.

I've been here several times over the last month or so and I just ordered DoorDash from here last…read morenight right before they closed. Each and every time the service has been wonderful the food is great I love just getting the enchilada plate. Also with DoorDash everything was in the bag and the soap peel was wonderful and the enchiladas were fantastic. Going there for lunch the ambience is wonderful as well it's just nice and cute and cozy and I've always had a wonderful experience.

This is my second time here!…read more Food is still great! Portion remains huge! Vibe is vibrant and welcoming! This is a must visit restaurant in town.

I expected a more authentic and distinctive dining experience after discovering this restaurant in…read morea highly regarded magazine. The menu initially sounded creative, especially the waffles featuring pepitas, quinoa, and blue corn, which led me to assume that the same thoughtful use of ingredients would carry throughout the rest of the menu. The blue corn enchiladas were the clear highlight and were genuinely delicious. Unfortunately, the red sauce served alongside them tasted noticeably canned. I had hoped for a fresh, house-made sauce that would complement the quality of the enchiladas. The calabacitas were also barely seasoned and could have benefited from much more flavor. The eggs Benedict was disappointing. The addition of a sausage patty made it feel more like a typical American breakfast than the regional and authentic dish I had expected. Many of the available sides were also potato-based, mainly hash browns or French fries, which made the menu feel less varied and imaginative. The blue corn porridge was acceptable, and the generous amount of berries helped bring the dish together, but the porridge itself could have been much more flavorful. There is plenty of potential here, particularly if more attention were given to fresh sauces, seasoning, regional ingredients, and a wider variety of side dishes. The service was good, and the meal overall was fine, but based on my experience, it was not distinctive enough to justify making a special trip.

If I could give 10 stars, I would! Excellent food in this family owned restaurant. We were…read moregreeted and seated quickly. Their plates are huge. We decided to order from the à la carte menu otherwise we'd be asleep after the meal. Staff were super sweet. We got the chicken and beef enchiladas. It comes with comp chips and salsa and sopapillas. You have your choice of red or green sauce. I chose both. Service is quick. Prices are modest. Food is delicious. Both sauces are homemade. The green sauce is especially good. In fact they need to bottle this and sell it. If I could, I would lick the bowl! Cash or check only. Closed on the weekends. Shared lot parking.

Great food good service and reasonable prices don't like that you have to pay cash and can't use…read morecredit cards and parking is very limited but highly recommend one of the top two places to eat in Albuquerque

Great food and salsa!…read more The atmosphere was fun and we had a blast with the sopapillas.

We haven't be here in a long time, when we were not used to New Mexican food, so we were hesitant…read moreto come back. Had family in town and gave it another try. So glad we did, it was a great experience for a large group. There were 8 of us and no complaints, that is always a win! The food is delicious, definitely very New Mexican though, so make sure that is what you are wanting. There was a long wait time for a table, which is typical for a Friday night most places. The food came out fast and are good portions. Service was amazing: quick, correct, were on top of drink refills, to go boxes and bags, and great teamwork and energy from staff.

Every time I go here, Lavender Cocinita goes higher in my esteem. It's solid New Mexican cooking by…read morea skilled artisan - notably tastier than most local places _even in spite of_ the fact that no animal products are used in the chile. Yes, the chiles are vegan. (So are the beans - pressure-cooked to creamy tenderness.) Yes, they're delicious - both the red (from pods!) and the green. (And, yes, it's me - noted grumpy traditionalist who usually wants an extra scoop of bacon grease in pretty much every dish - who's writing that.) The room is small, but well thought-out. There are nice little two-top tables outside along the sidewalk/patio in this pleasant part of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Lavender Cocinita is popular, with a steady stream of folks coming in - but I've never had a problem getting seated and I've never felt rushed (even when sitting a while, jabbering in the chile afterglow). (Free parking is plentiful in the area, but a little weird in the Los Ranchos pedestrian area: your best bet might be trying for street parking on Tyler Road, the E/W street just N of the restaurant.) The chef is friendly and will answer questions. The counter folks have always been friendly and kind: checking on us periodically. Really nice folks. It's an order-at-the-counter/pay/take-a-seat/they-bring-it-to-you place, but the service is good enough that you'll kick yourself if you don't tip heavier than usual for such an arrangement. Get your own water at the counter. Food is cooked to order (perfectly in all my visits thus far) and will take a few minutes to get to your table, but you'll be happy. Portions are always large (I leave full, and I'm a big eater) and the cost is on the low edge of today's pricing. The chiles are real-deal: they tend to be notably more piquant than at most places in town but they're real chile and vary in heat with the batch being served (I am used to and appreciate heat and one time the green was HOT!). As noted, the flavors are just wonderful. Bear in mind, NM red and green chiles are relatively simple sauces with few components: the artistry of the chef and the quality of the ingredients are absolutely vital to the flavor impact of the finished product served - and Lavender Cocinita absolutely nails this. Foodies have written the place up over and over, and they've won awards that would impress folks in the know in the short time (less than two years) they've been open. Without being melodramatic, this place gives a serious-about-the-flavors vibe that reminds me of those noted in places that have won James Beard American Classic awards. Lavender Cocinita is a reasonably inconvenient drive for me, but every time I've made it I've driven back with a grin and a vow to do it again soon.

It's great to have additional dining options along 4th Street in Los Ranchos, and Lavender Cocinita…read moreis a welcome newer addition for breakfast and lunch. I stopped by for lunch and found the menu offered a nice variety of choices. I ordered the Los Ranchos Turkey sandwich with homemade chips and a Lavender Iced Tea. Both were flavorful, and the homemade chips were an unexpected treat. The iced tea was ready right away and was a refreshing complement to the meal. My sandwich arrived about 24 minutes after ordering, which may have been due to the lunch rush. Including tip, lunch came to about $30. While the price point felt a little high for the overall experience, the quality and flavor of the food helped balance that out. Overall, I enjoyed the food and appreciate having another locally owned option in the neighborhood.