This local favorite is a small family owned restaurant just west of Atrisco on Central Ave. We are always treated like family when we go in, its unconventional order at the counter and then have a seat model works because you know you'll always get a table. As for the food, all I can say is THE RED CHILE is the BEST I have ever had, I'm serious! I long to know their recipe because it really is that good! This year for Christmas we got a quart of red chile and some tamales and they did not disappoint! I only learned of this place within the last year and I will definitely be back again and again! Seriously you have to try the red chile!!! #supportlocal read more

Are you looking for a local New Mexican restaurant in the South Valley? Look no further, because this is the place to be! El Charrito is a beautiful establishment, well maintained and beautifully decorated inside and out. The food is delicious too! If you are unsure of what to get, I would highly recommend the "Button Buster". The steak fingers are delicious, and in my opinion better to than Mac's.. read more

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We've been here a couple of times but always too late. Today it is early enough. Order at the counter before sitting - done. It's busy, most seating is taken. But we found a booth and waited. Chips & salsa arrived - salsa is hot. You might want to try it before dunking your whole chip. Food took awhile - but it was busy. The taco meat was excellent. They did a great job on spices. The tamale meat was also excellent. The tamale had way too much masa. I peeled off enough to make another tamale. Food was good, a lot - another place where we could have shared an entree and still have something to take home. Next time we'll get there early enough to try breakfast. read more

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The food was amazing. Good customer service. I would recommend the chicken fried steak or the chili Riano's.

So let's start with the inside. Very nice and spacious. The wait staff was phenomenal. When our initial meals came out we were very pleased. Meal, extra napkins and our condiments as well were brought out. Really awesome! The green Chile cheeseburger did not disappoint at all, I would even go as far as not enough credit given to the burger. Juicy, cheesy, and the green chile was very very tasteful. Now on our other plate which was the red tamale plate was not good at all. The tamale crumbled when cutting into it and the red chile was bland. The best thing about the plate was the refried beans. The queso con chorizo dip was also great and the sopas as well. We will come back but only for the burger, queso, and sopas. I hope that we came on a bad day for the tamale plate but if not there are others we will go to. read more

This place was gross. I do not recommend. Food was soggy. The tortilla and masa from the tamales were dry and did not taste good. Cheese was also disgusting. read more

Came to eat here on a Sunday morning before my aunt had to head to the airport. I have never been here but have been told that the food is really good. I would have given 5 stars instead of 4 but there were 2 downfalls. First the parking lot is extremely tiny. Good luck finding a parking spot. Second, the doorway gets so congested. You have to order and pay before you can even look to see if there are tables open. That is a pain for someone not familiar with the menu. I felt rushed to pick something as there were people behind us. It is also a pain to leave since there is only one way in and out so you have to weave through people to get out the door. Now for the food. Our meals came out promptly. The waitress was very friendly. The chips and salsa were good. The salsa and the red chile both had a bit of a bite and really good flavor. I enjoyed my stuffed sopapilla and my husband liked his huevos rancheros. All in all everyone at the table enjoyed their meal. If I was in the area I probably would go back but it is a little too far away for it to be a regular visit. Definitely recommend. read more

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They say Heaven is a place on Earth and this is it. This place is flavor heaven. A little off of the beaten path and very unassuming from the outside but my goodness - it truly doesn't get any better than this. First greeted by all of the crosses and the lovely woman at the counter, we looked at the menu to decide what to eat (you order and pay first, then sit down and wait). I told the woman behind the counter that I cannot have cilantro and she gladly shared with me that New Mexican cuisine is not like regular Mexican cuisine in that they don't typically use cilantro. I was in absolute heaven! I ordered the El Charrito Super Combination (ya know, one of everything) and my husband ordered the Carne Adovada - both of which were INCREDIBLE! I am absolutely serious when I say that I will be going back home to Philadelphia and try to recreate this cuisine. I am a green chile sauce convert and want it on everything from now on. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. They shared that the food is made in-house and very authentic. Also, the sopaipillas were to die for. Add that to my list of things to learn to cook at home. Oof - if you are reading this review and have gotten this far, it's already too late. Don't walk - RUN to El Charrito! read more

The food was fresh and by far so delicious . The service was great and atmosphere . I always enjoy trying new places. One thing don't forget to try the sopapillas. read more

Food is always on point, delicious! Service is always good, friendly and fast Ambiance is beautiful paintings, relaxed & homey atmosphere! read more

This was my first time here and I was impressed and will be back! Upon entry into the foyer, there's a sign that says to order with the cashier first before being seated. It was a Saturday morning and was quite busy so that foyer gets pretty packed with folks going thru the menu to place their order. I ordered the combination plate x-Mas. I enjoyed a pork tamale, cheese enchilada, and a beef taco. Everything was delicious. The beef taco was filled to the top with beef. The plate came with beans and rice and sopaipillas. Everything was so tasty and satisfying. The service was amazing, not only did we get checked on several times by multiple staff, but they were genuinely friendly and gave smiles and eye contact. I felt try genuine connection with them being attentive to their customers it was very much appreciated. read more

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Excellent. Authentic New Mexican food with great chile. A favorite for my family. I like the huevos rancheros. The plate of always filled to the edges. Other family enjoy the carne adovada which is great here. read more

I decided to try this restaurant after reading about it on other social media platforms. When it comes to Mexican food, one of the staples I judge them by is by how good the carne adovada is. To me, good carne adovada has a good combination of flavor, seasonings, marinated pork, and of course, the most difficult part of all, red chile. This restaurant is very authentic. The location on Central isn't my favorite part of town so I really went out of my way to go find it and try it out. It's located on the side street right off of Central so I need a parking out on the street due to the small or limited spaces available. As you enter, there's a small lobby area where you place your order at the counter. Since my order was a takeout order, I didn't get to try out the seating area. The lady at the counter was very friendly and courteous. My order for the carne adovada burrito and a large soda came out to about $13.00. It comes, smothered and covered with cheese and garnished with lettuce and tomatoes. The pork meat came in very large chunks which I found a little odd. I prefer the pork meat to be in much smaller portions. The actual size of the burrito was reasonable and I appreciate the garnish. Smothering it in red chile is a nice touch as well. Now, for the true test; the red chili. It was flavorful, but I did not care for the bitterness and aftertaste. The chile sauce itself was perfect in terms of thickness, but it could use some honey to help with the bitterness and a tad more garlic. The tortilla was hard to judge. I couldn't tell if it was homemade. It was smothered in red chile so it was hard to tell. Overall, I gave the burrito a solid 3 stars. No comment or full review of the restaurant or service as a whole since it was a takeout order. read more

El Charritos - Red chile Carne Adovada smothered burrito with cheese. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This is one of our all time favorites for great food. The New Mexican plates, green chile, steak fingers and their cheeses burger is the best! read more

El Charritos - Green chile cheeseburger with fries. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

One of best places to eat good food and nice people thank God for that and One the clean places

The food here is undeniably delicious and the portions are large. This was my 3rd time I've ever been here today and it was busy as always. Something different from the last time I was here is that you order and pay the bill before you sit down now and the weird thing is you're prompted to leave a tip before you're served. I elected to leave a tip after I ate which I'm glad I did because not once did our waitress come to our table except to bring our food and when we were done I gave the tip to the cashier because she at least brought us more napkins. Anyways the food is delicious and the portions are large. And I was glad I stopped in for lunch today. read more

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The food is okay (better if it were served on a plate) , however they are still serving in "to-go" boxes. This is their choice as a business, but I'm not a fan of serving in containers that hurt the ozone. It is super hard to cut into a burrito and try not to cut thru the package... grr. Always will be a fail! You order and can go sit in the dining room, however your drinks don't come out until you get your food (also served in to-go cups). I've read so many good reviews, I hope they get back to "normal" service! read more

I was in Albuquerque and decided to go to my old stomping grounds. I used to live in that area. The restaurant looks the same as it did almost 20 years ago. It's decorated with different paintings and the furniture is southwest style. I loved it! When you arrive, you place your order and pay at the counter. They give you a number and you find a place to sit. Simple! The server promptly arrived almost as soon as I sat down. I had coffee and water right away. A few minutes later, I got my food. I ordered a very traditional huevos rancheros. 'Christmas' with eggs over easy. The owner was there and I had a conversation with him. Very nice read more

My absolute fav NM family owned restaurant! I live in Chicago but every time I'm home I make a point to stop and visit. Each dish you'll get is always perfect, tasty and savory with the right anoint of spicy. Their salsa is FIRE and free flowing. Their smothered breakfast burritos are always spectacular. Won't disappoint plus the family is great to see. Breakfast Burritos read more

El Charritos - Smothered Red and Green Chile "Christmas" breakfast burrito with sausage, chicaron, papas, eggs and tons of cheese. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The first time I've ever walked in to a "sit down restaurant " and had to stand at the counter and place my order. Then pay immediately and asked to leave a tip! How am I going to leave a tip if I haven't tasted my food or experienced the service yet.. Very uncomfortable experience. As a few other groups arrived, we were all bunched up at the counter trying to read over a menu. Speaking of service. It was ok. Had to ask for a refill on coffee twice. Had to request silverware. Didn't seem like waitresses had much experience other than their family owning the place. The food was good at least. Need to rethink their business idea.. read more

Always good burritos and tasty green chile! Bummer that they have no waitresses working so you have to order when you walk in. Girl up front was friendly and made up for lack of table service. read more

El Charritos - Bfast burrito smothered in green chile - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I highly recommend the El Charrito hamburger steak w/ green chili dinner. To die for. Comes with papas and refried beans. A perfect compliment to the hamburger steak. Usually more than I can eat. Very reasonable priced. Staff is always polite and eager to serve. Give it a try. read more

I love this local restaurant! it is Family owned and if you arrive on a Sunday, expect a wait. The food is prepared to order and the wait staff is always so friendly and accomodating. Needless to say, I have been going here since the early 90's and maybe even earlier then that. Come in hungry and with an appetite. I love their breakfast and more specifically, I love the "button buster". This is steakfingers with homemade fried potatoes, refried beans, a tortilla and an egg. I love this plate minus the egg. I also choose red chili over the salsa for dipping my steakfingers. This is once of those meals that will hold you all day long. If you do not get out to west Central much, take the time to venture out of your comfort zone and head on over to El Charrito. Good food is worth the drive! read more

Wow!!! The BEST mexican/new mexican food in ABQ. The customer service is exceptional and the food portions are a bang for your buck. It's a very cute, delightful restaurant diner. The food speaks for itself. I ordered steak and enchiladas which came with two sopapillas! $12 for my meal and in total, my party of 3 spend about $50 with a $10 tip. As I am not from abq, but can say it is very authentic delicious food. You will not be disappointed! read more

El Charritos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Great family/friend location, food is awesome...had Carne Avovadowonderful!!!! Ambiance is peaceful family oriented, servers are kind helpful and attentive attentive very delighted with our meal and didn't rush us off! This is a Go-To place!!! Didn't have a burger...but man!!! They looked Delicious we'll be comin bacK for sure!!!!! read more

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Well lit and charming space inside, although its location on Central may be a little out of the way for some folks. You order and pay with the hostess/host when you come in and then seat yourself. The portions are very generous (really 2 meals). The refried beans and Spanish rice were solid, in fact the rice was pretty spicy, and the carne adovada was super tender and flavorful, no knife needed. The hostess checked in soon after I was served to be sure everything was going well, and the meal came out quickly and hot. Definitely would recommend for a local NM meal. read more

We walked in from the airport and the employees were super inviting and friendly. We ate enchiladas, tostadas, huevos rancheros, and a chile relleno. The sopapillas were amazing. Our drinks were always filled, and the service was spectacular. We will definitely come back before we leave for home. Highly recommend! read more

The ambience was excellent. The service was also wonderful. The food was flavorful. The sopapillas were ok. My husband didn't eat his. They are made from like a ready mix box. So they are ok. The coffee was not for me. I asked the lady helping us if they had something just a little stronger. They didn't. I think if they add at least a teaspoon in a half more to the pot they are preparing it will taste like coffee. I think she thought I wanted expresso but no just something that doesn't taste like tea. But I think if the sopas or the coffee were a little better I would have given it a 5 stars. read more

The last day of our ABQ journey, we had our last meal here at El Charrito's. As we arrived at the restaurant, we had to wait for 15 minutes, the place was packed and it took a bit to get 12 people seated. After we were able to take our place, we ordered, and awaiting the food I had the time to give the place a good look. To me this restaurant is a livingroom turned into a huge dinning area. Like I said before, it was packed and a group of 6 Mariachi's was making their way from table to table singing songs in their native tongue. The food was served and it was plenty, tasty, spicy, and yummy. I had the Carne Adovada plate, pork marinaded for 24 hours with beans, rice and two soupapias. Other orders where the Huevos Rancheros and Chile Reallenos. This is a good restaurant, and I had to force myself to stop eating, especially a few hours before my flight back to San Diego. Cause I was not in the mood, to 'Blow It Up' in the lavatory 40,000 miles sky high. read more

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While we were visiting good old Albequrque NM, the couple we were traveling with brought us here. They couldn't remember the name but only where it was. The food was excellent and my Wife had a medium combination plate that included a tamale, enchilada, a taco accompanied by rice and beans. I opted for steak and enchiladas. Which came with rice and beans also. Most meals also come with sopapillas either with or after your meal. We ordered queso and cheese for an app which we also enjoyed. All in all meal was delicious and would DEFINITELY, recommend read more

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Damn! This red chile was off the hook! If you are in the mood for a throw down with some serious carne adovada this is the jam!

This was such an outstanding meal. My wife and I ordered a few things to try. My favorite was the Avodada burrito. The flavor was amazing, from the red chile sauce to the pork which was juicy and just perfect from the 24 hour marinade. The tamale was good, as was the sopapilla with honey. The hard shell taco was normal I guess. The enchilada was spot on. The red and green sauces were spicy but also very flavorful. Great prices too. read more

the food was cold,we had to get our own silverware,and napkins, the waiterss kept strokinf her long hair, order at the front so they can bring old cold food, the res chili pork chunks were brown,avoid this place,it was lunch time and no one was in there,avoid this place!!!! read more

This is one of my favorite New Mexican restaurants in Albuquerque. I have recommended it countless times. So why 1 star? In the last 10 attempts to eat there, we have eaten there 3 times. They have been closed, or are closing the other 7 times. The hours of operation need some serious review. On the nights they are open for dinner they close at 7pm and will begrudgingly seat you after 630. They are closed completely earlier in the week. I love the food, but I can no longer recommend it to the numerous visitors to the city that I meet through work. We are willing to spend the extra money for mediocre New Mexico food at one of the other city's restaurants just because we know we won't be turned away, or find they are closed. read more

My wife and I decided to come here for lunch on Thursday July 6th with a couple family members. But, no luck at all. Doors locked, Business not open. Not even a note on the door saying why it was closed. Five other vehicles pulled in and everybody had to go somewhere else. Sad sad. read more

I hardly ever give 5 stars for NM cuisine...because we have so many NM restaurants that are similar in goodness. Then I met El Charrito and that all changed! Excellent and attentive service. Everything was yummy from the chips and salsa... down to the sopapillas! Their Chile was so savory and packs some heat!! Family owned business that has been in operation over 30 yrs!!! read more

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Might be the best New Mexican food I've had since moving here! The portions are generous, the food is fantastic, and the service was great! We started with queso which was very good (Texan approved!) and the chips and salsa. I was surprised at how good the salsa was, it also had a good kick! For my entree I ordered the cheese enchilada plate with blue corn tortillas, green chile, and added an egg over medium. It was HEAVEN! They are not skimpy with the cheese either! My husband got tostadas and enjoyed it very much. My son got the cheese quesadilla and it was ginormous! And we can't forget the Sopapillas! They were so warm and soft and fluffy! Seriously best meal I've had in New Mexico. We left miserably full but it was totally worth it! Already can't wait to go back. read more

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Walked over from the Sandia Peak inn because it's just across the street. Great service, vegetarian options, good quantity of food for what you're paying. Would recommend! Also the hot chai is lovely. read more

My last stop before I head back to Phoenix! I love this place and of course I had to get my favorite, the Button Buster! I truly miss NM food! I'll be back soon read more

El Charritos - Button Buster and sopapillas. In the background is the Mexican combination plate. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This place is awesome for New Mexican food. I have to stop by here every time I come back. Be warned though, the red and/or green will melt your face off. (I may have lost some of my tolerance from living in Texas for so long.) Their sopapillas are easily the best I've had in a long time. read more

El Charritos - Carne adovada burrito - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico