I asked the waiter for a recommendation, and that just made the decision harder. I ended up ordering from the breakfast menu and was soon staring at a plate of chicken fried steak, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and a tortilla. The chicken fried steak was covered in a Hatch Chile chicken gravy that had just the right amount of heat. The eggs were perfect and the hash browns were good too. I tried, but could not finish all of the steak. The coffee that accompanied the meal was better than usual too. The service was great too. The place is not fancy, but it's not dicey either. They had a good crowd at 11am on a Saturday, and more kept filing in. Still, the service was good and the food came out quickly. I thought the price was reasonable for the quality and quantity. I would definitely go back the next time I am in ABQ. read more

Cocina Azul This place needs a facelift. Doesn't really have ambience and it's so bright, I could've wore my sunglasses. Champagne and Arthur were fabulous actually all the employees this night was super nice. I ordered the green chili stew with potatoes and it was to die for. It was so good. I had to take some to go. I had my choice of a tortilla or a sopapilla, of course I took the sopapilla, Yum fresh and hot, so good with honey. . I WOULD RECOMMEND read more

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For a Sunday mid day it's busy with the football games on. Cool vibe sitting outside with our pup. Unsure if dog friendly but we just walked in like we own the place. Service took awhile to get drinks and orders but they got us in. We are STARVING having just got back from Santa Fe. We got our food after a small weight and it was delightful! Great flavor and enough to really feed you and place you into a food coma! The place is clean inside and out and the staff was very friendly. I think we were starving to the point of thinking that everything was just going slower than it actually was. This is a good place to stop and get some good food with Rich flavor! read more

Cocina Azul - Excellent margarita!!! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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What a true disappointment. Went to this location for Superbowl Sunday. What started as a fun outing ended with what will be my last time supporting this business. The outright poor treatment of loyal customers and hard working, wonderful staff is the determining factor of the decision to ban this business. It's unfortunate the dedicated staff are put in difficult situations and treated so poorly. read more

I enjoy their chiles' flavor, but prices have crept up and up and up and service has really deteriorated (I said "thank you" to my server _five_ times today and his only response - and only once! - was "Yup!"). Not as clean as it has been: I was seated at a booth today that needed to have its top wiped - and no one wiped it - or came to wipe it, so I did it. Food was served and but no silverware; had to request it. Salsa and chips - which are quite delicious - are no longer complientary, but are a $5 add-on to the already pricey ($18 for a plate of enchiladas?) food. And my $14 burger today - while yummy - was served with wilted lettuce and tomato that should have been in the garbage, not on a customer's plate. This was during a weekday lunch - at the front end of the lunch, so it wasn't busy. This outlet of Cocina Azul on Holly clearly needs some managerial attention. Friends and I have been coming here for lunch every couple of months, but I think I just need to back-burner this place and make the slightly longer drive to a better restaurant. read more

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My 5th yelp review for Cocina Azul and probably my 10th visit here! I've always had luck here for Sunday breakfast. We all know how packed some restaurants can get during this time. This Sunday, it was packed! They had a car show and a live music! It was so much fun :) read more

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First time trying this great traditional New Mexican restaurant. I had their Green Chili Stew. It was delicious. A little spicy but it had great flavor. The portion was huge and I couldn't finish it. So left it for my sister to finish it. Since I had to leave for my home in the BayArea. I'm afraid it was too spicy for her palate. I love the atmosphere of this place. read more

Within the last two months we have been here for a late lite lunch, ya know save room for dinner! The first time in early January both of us ordered the appetizer "taquito bowl" and 2 waters. A small bowl filled with 8 half size taquitos dunked in a good amount of queso! It was so yummy great!!! Freshly made, some heat, and you need to ask for a basket full of tortilla chips to finish off the queso!!! We were full! Our server Sonny, is the absolute best waiter! Caring, attentive and kind! There was no question that on our second visit a few days ago that we would order the "same thing." Once again, the taquitos & queso were delicious!! I did order a spicy margarita this time and loved it! Sonny was our server, and we were happy to see him again! I am sure we will be back and maybe have dinner next time. When that happens we will want Sonny as our server!!! read more

Cocina Azul - So great to have this restaurant close to us in the foothills. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I love this location! The food and service is above and beyond. We come here once to twice weekly. The chile is always on the hot side, so don't be surprised. If you're are on the hunt for a truly NM meal, this is the place! read more

I rarely leave negative reviews, and I never imagined I would write one about Cocina Azul. I've been a loyal patron for years, but after our experience on Super Bowl Sunday, I won't be returning what we witnessed was both disappointing and disheartening The way the owner treated staff was unacceptable and it became painfully clear that loyal customers aren't valued either working in a customer facing role myself, I deeply appreciate great service and that's always been the reason I supported Cristina Azul their staff is wonderful and works incredibly hard, but I can't continue to to support an establishment where the owner bullies employees and takes advantage of patrons. It's a shame to see a place I once loved loose sight of what truly matters. read more

The only reason I gave two stars was for the salsa. Pretty much the only edible thing. I got tacos de la casa. and there wasn't one ounce of seasoning. So bland and for $16?! My husband got the brisket enchiladas and the meat was so dry. The place was a mess when we showed up. There were cobwebs all over the chandeliers. I cannot see myself ever going back. read more

Service was slow, food took forever and then was lukewarm warm and not very good (taco burgers). Absolutely nothing special. Will not be returning. read more

Fresh food, really good steak. I love the wait staff. They're real people. Gave a damn about my comfort. The queso is off the chain. I can't wait to try all the new appetizers. read more

After picking up a to-go order, arrived home and discovered an entree was missing from the order. Immediately contacted the restaurant and notified. Returned the following day in attempt to receive a refund and the on duty manager advised only the General Manager Travis can authorize a refund. After three days of attempting to reach the GM Travis, contact was made, receipt provided and notified a refund will be credited within a few days. A week later GM Travis was notified the refund has still not been received. GM Travis advised he will look into the issue and call back in 30 minutes. It is now two week, no call back received, no refund has been received and the establishment does not answer any phone call attempt. Poor business practice to not be able to receive a refund for service paid for and unfulfilled. read more

Food was par for the course. I had a to go order and they forgot the appetizer so i had to wait a little while for that to finish. Dont plan on going back anytime soon, but will give them a second chance someday :) read more

Ordered the chile relleno with brisket and a brisket burger. The relleno was completely soggy when we got it, and it had no flavor. It was like eating raw dough. The bottom bun on the burger was also so soggy the burger had to be eaten upside down. The only thing tasty was the French fries. read more

For such a large menu it is very bland. Totally unimpressed. My order was chicken tacos. What a mistake, they didn't even improve after home doctoring! Wow. And pretty pricey for what you get. I should've tried the fajitas. My friend seemed happy with hers. Our other friend is vegetarian and the options were pretty boring. I understand other locations are better. Not sure I'd take the chance. But if you like generic American Mexican food. Go for it. Service was sub par and atmosphere was barfly. read more

The green chili cream pork soup was too spicy for most of us. Liked the burger and a taco. Line out the door on Saturday 14 October after the eclipse and balloon festival. Please put a QR code in the window so that people can see the menu before they enter read more

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Returned with my hubby for a date last night, and was pleasantly surprised by fantastic live music in the bar area. The singer played a variety of music across the decades with a smoky, gritty quality that made me wonder why she wasn't a legend somewhere. As for the food, the chips were crisp and light, the red salsa a bit heavy on the cilantro, though the green is tasty. I enjoyed every last one of the fish tacos plus an a la carte brisket taco with their rice and calabacitas. Every bit as good as the first time. Hubs ate the creamy chicken rellenos, but was underwhelmed. I tried them and think they'd be perfect comfort food, though they could've used a warmer kick. The Azul Martini was disappointing--strong but not in a good way, too sweet, lacking balance and a punch of something to bring the flavors together better. Overall, we'll be back again to sample more from the menu. Hubs wants to try their red chile before deciding if they'll make it into our regular repertoire. As for me, I'd come back for the fish tacos a hundred more times. read more

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Used to be my favorite place to go and enjoy the friendly atmosphere and the wonderful staff, but after Super Bowl Sunday I saw the way the owner treated his staff and loyal customers and it was disrespectful. I will not be going back!! read more

Ever go to try a new place and as soon as you walk in, you know it's not going to be a good experience? But you talk yourself into staying thinking maybe it'll get better? With the vibe of an abandoned Chili's that has been taken over,confusingly, by country music, prepare to begin your experience by awkwardly standing in the lobby wondering if anyone is in charge of seating or if you should have sat yourself. Expect to finally be sat in a dilapidated dimly lit corner booth that may or may not have been cleaned and have one cheek falling into the broken section of booth the rest of your meal. We tried moving. Same issue. The only thing keeping this from a one star review is that our waitress was lovely and the food (when it finally arrived, years later) was pretty good. The chile was hot and there's fideo on the menu. I really liked the creamy chicken soup. The queso was great. Things that make me really wish the rest of the experience didn't suck. Even a margarita from the bar when we first arrived took 40 min, and it wasn't that busy. All in, this dining experience was LONGER THAN A MARVEL MOVIE. Dear God please bring us out check so we can leave and restore feeling to my butt, which has been precariously perched the entire time. We won't be back, but if you brave this establishment - maybe sit at the bar? read more

First time at this location!!! Cool spot for hanging with friends or watching the game. In my opinion , the red Chile is better than the green at this joint.... Green is super mild and not spicy. But overall the food is great.... It's hard to nail the authentic New Mexican Cuisine, this place does that and more! Enchiladas, tacos, posole, fideo.... They got it! The owner is such a personable guy.... Great guy.... They will spoil you with exceptional service.... And of course cervezas and margaritas! Cheers! You're welcome! read more

I used to really enjoy this place. Went in for lunch ordered the chicken enchiladas with an over easy egg and sour cream. Came without the egg and sour cream. I let the manager know and he rudely said "that want on the order but i will charge you for them". Later i got rhe bill and they charged me $4.00 for one egg and a little cup of sour cream. I asked for the complimentary and customary sopapillas that came with every meal and i was told that they charged $2,00 for them. I wont be back. Portions are small and quality has gone way down. They are nickle and diming valuable repeat customers for condiments. read more

Second time coming here and I'm just as pleased. Staff is very nice and polite. Food is delicious. I especially love the green salsa. A little hard to find if you don't know what to look since it's just in the middle of a neighborhood, but you'll be happy once you do! read more

The huevos rancheros was tasty! The red chili was the right amount of hot. Good service. Nice and cheesy so it went down easy! read more

Cocina Azul - Huevos rancheros with carne adovada! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This place is awesome, I accidentally went to eat there and to my surprise their red and green chili is the best in Albuquerque by far.

very disappointed. my husband ordered free my chIke stew and instead we got beans and chili.. he drove and picked up our food and there's no one that answers the calls to fix the order. this is not inexpensive food. you need people that pick up the phone to resolve issues like this. waste of money! read more

Eaten here a few times, as it's close to home. I've decided it's 'ok'. DH has creamy chicken enchiladas today and really liked them. I imagine the red and green sauces would be quite tasty, but I haven't come to appreciate the spicy NM chile quite yet. Without it, the food is a bit bland. The brisket they use is yummy, I'll give them that! I also appreciate their house margaritas. And the chips have a nice crisp (I've noticed some places around here seem to not bother with fresh made chips), but they are not complimentary. Neither are the sopapillas. Will probably come again bc it's close, but glad I'm remembering to write it's not a favorite. One last bit--staff is very friendly and outside patio is nice. read more

I like that they aren't afraid to serve hot chile. The salsa and food is spicy and everything I tried was delicious. The enchiladas are to die for. I can never decide so I get them Xmas and I'm never disappointed. Service is excellent and it's a comfortable place that isn't too loud. read more

Food was pretty good. Not as good as the Cocina Azul near oldtown though. Service has been hit or miss sometimes. Environment is. Little dark compared to other Cocina Azul. read more

The service was decent, not spectacular. The food was ok, nothing memorable. We were only in New Mexico for a couple of days, but we definitely found better options for New Mexican food. read more

Cocina Azul - Ribeye Steak Enchilada Plate - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This was a place I have heard a while back that it was a must try. Now I can say I have tried it once and can give my two cents. It's average New Mexican food. The quality and taste of the food is descent. The coffee is bitter and the red Chile is definitely flaming hot! The green chile is the perfect spicy combination and not overwhelming. There is plenty of sitting both booth and tables. There is a bar and lots of alcohol drinks to select. Overall the place was clean and tidy. Who ever came with the floor plan for the restrooms did not calculate the sizing of the stall in proportion to the toilet seat and one can barely fit there. They do have a bigger stall but would be convenient if they can fix the rest of the restrooms. The service was average and took about 25 minutes to get food from the time of order on top of 10 minutes to get drinks.just be mindful to go with plenty of time before ordering if you can't wait or call ahead of time and order. read more

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First time dining inside. Comfortable seating, we sat around the bar in a high top to watch football. We all needed our weekend chile fix, and the food was delicious. I enjoyed their Huevos Rancheros and a mimosa w grapefruit juice. We had attentive, enthusiastic service and everyone left happy. read more

Cocina Azul - Huevos Rancheros w Christmas - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit for an early lunch and super happy we did ! Had Carne and eggs...delicious! Chips and the salsa was outstanding and you can get booze for breakfast if you wish Great service and reasonable pricing Won't be our last visit for sure! read more

At one time, you could get delicious blue corn enchiladas smothered in chile. Nowadays, there's no more blue corn tortillas and the chile (which is still tasty) is put on sparingly. The kitchen has gone way downhil. What is the point in having Azul in your name if there is no blue. read more

The service was enough but not above and beyond. A pretty mediocre experience but they were also likely a little busier as the Balloon Fiesta was happening and I doubt they are used to this many people at 9 AM. The food was ok but certainly nothing special. New Mexican food can easily be found that would be better. read more

Cocina Azul - Omelet - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The chips came with 2 types of salsa -- red and green. The green salsa has a nice roasted flavor. We ordered the brisket nachos to share. They were very good with fresh jalapeños and guacamole. It was even more than the 2 of us thought we could eat!!! Brisket was juicy and tender. Carla the waitress was great in attending to our needs and pleasant to work with. It is a sports bar atmosphere. read more

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Make sure they don't think you're from a state without Mexican food. My tacos were something I would serve to a 5 year old. Hard shell, lettuce, tomatoes, no salsa. I wasn't familiar with one of the side dishes. Which was one of the better items. It was zucchini, yellow squash and corn. That may have made her think, I wanted pretend Mex. I live in Palm Desert, a short drive from Mexico. This would not pass as Mexican food in California. I expected New Mexico to have good Mexican food. They have chiles on their license plate. Maybe next time. read more

I just had the steak enchiladas and they were terrible. The tortillas were cold and there was no cheese. If it wasn't for the heat of the chile - they would have no flavor at all. My husband had the steak taco salad and it was equally disappointing. Not to mention that there online ordering does not give you the option to select what protein you want in your taco salad or if you want the beans or rice. TOTAL FAILURE!!! read more

My boyfriend and I came here two years ago on a road trip from Dallas, TX and were so blown away by the food that I insisted I bring my boyfriend's parents to this establishment. And it was just as good as I remember. This time, we were on hour 7 of another cross country road trip. Stakes were high. They were hungry and frankly a bit 'hangry'. We were able to find parking quickly behind the restaurant (despite every table being packed) and even found a lot for our truck and trailer across the street. Like I said, every table was packed but we were still sat pretty swiftly. The wait staff continued to make us feel acknowledged during our wait and periodically gave us updates (it was only 10 minutes, not bad at all). We were hungry, so we ordered quickly. My boyfriend's dad had a few questions as he's mostly familiar with Tex Mex and our waiter was very knowledgeable and thoughtful in his answers. We ordered the Chili Con Queso which was absolutely delicious. It was the perfect amount of spice. Now, my boyfriend and I agreed to get 2 different enchilada plates and which halfway so we can get a bit of both. I ordered the creamy chicken and he the brisket enchilada with red sauce. When it came time to switch my creamy chicken for his brisket...I didn't want to do it. It was so delicious I had to honor our agreement so I reluctantly switched but wow.... Would get the creamy chicken enchilada again and again. Note for next time to not switch! Now don't get me wrong, the brisket enchilada was good. But there was something magical about the creamy chicken!! read more

Cocina Azul - Creamy Chicken Enchilada Plate - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico