We found a very mixed bag at the original Menaul outlet of El Chamo Arabe today. Food is tasty and…read moreplentiful for the toll. Service is fine, if not welcoming. The room is pretty but overly warm and reeks of grease. And there were some additional cleanliness issues. I want to return for the food, but if the other issues aren't addressed it may be the last time. Tons of grease smoke hanging in the air (the kitchen needs more serious ventilation - I texted and warned a friend not to come, as she hates the smell of cooking grease in her hair) when we came in at the early end of lunch (the place filled up pretty well behind us - it's Tuesday). It's a nice enough room (loved the painting of Bolívar and the Venezuelan tchotchkes in the case by the door) with plenty of seating - grab and read a menu, order at the front - it prompts you for a tip (went on the heavier side even with the counter ordering because I want El Chamo Arabe to stay around) and the counterwoman (not the friendliest person, but not rude) delivers everything to your table when it's ready (which will be a minute - but you're not here for _fast_ food). The room is pleasantly decorated but overly warm and - well, there's that grease smell issue: it was bad enough that we had to change clothes after eating here. Okay, prices seem reasonable. But when the food comes, prices seem downright _good_ - these folks give you a LOT of food. We got a $5 dolmas appetizer to start (juicier than what one usually finds; quite good) which came with the grape leaf rolls sitting on a pretty tasty dressed salad. We sure didn't need it, though: our mains (a shwarma plate with gyro meat and an arepa picada with one of chicken and one of beef) were really large. Really large. And it's tasty food. Enormous salads with both $14 plates: dressed well with great, fresh romaine leaves cut just right for easy eating. I'd note with some surprise that both the shredded chicken and beef on the arepas were pretty tasty, but was surprised to find the chicken grabbed me more. There is habañero salsa (albeit in a greasy bottle) on the tables if you need piquancy (why not? we're in New Mexico), and that was great. I'm not sure that the plentiful quantity of the mustard/ketchup (or was it Russian dressing?)/mayo sauce drowning of the arepa picada salad was a good thing. It was pretty, but it got to be a bit much for my taste down toward the bottom of it all - I'd ask for it lighter next time. The lunchmeat turkey and American-type cheese slice and perfectly cooked round fried egg certainly added to the salad, and the arepas themselves were a delight. My wife liked the rice and gyro meat and salad of her shwarma plate. Here's the thing: in addition to the grease-in-the-air situation, there were some cleanliness issues. The table where we sat (it was dead when we arrived, except for some waiting DoorDash drivers) hadn't been properly wiped and there were some old rice grains on it. The bottles of habañero and other salsas on the table were grimy and needed to have been wiped. The tray on which the silverware was brought to our table was greasy - repositioning it on the table to make room for our food made me want to wash my hands. And there was a hair (not ours) in the salad under my dolmas: I didn't mention to my wife because she would have stopped eating and I also didn't bring it up with the counterperson since the small restaurant was at that time full of lunching customers who didn't need to be troubled by hearing about it. And I know mistakes happen and I was not interested in a refund or apology; things happen. But I hope El Chamo Arabe customarily pays more attention to keeping things sanitary - the food is good enough that I want to come back and see. Food - 5 Service - 3 Atmosphere - 2 (lose the grease, fix the temperature and it's a 4) Cleanliness: 2 Value - ?

If I could give a zero I would. We placed an order for a chicken shawarma bowl and a beef shawarma…read morebowl with drinks. It came to over $40! This is for take out mind you. I asked her for a reminder buzzer to pick up when ready, and the girl claimed she gave it to my daughter. She did not. I went back to ask for it. She had to place a call to someone in the kitchen, in a separate building for my order number to get the right number. We sat down in the communal dining area for all the other mini restaurants there and waited over 20 minutes. I had gone back to see where the take out was. Finally I saw her bring it through the door from another location outside the food court. The chicken shawarma bowl was in the tray, but instead of the beef shawarma was a chicken shawarma wrap and cold French Fries. I told her she brought me the wrong order and begrudgingly she took it back outside to where she had brought it and 20 minutes later I got it. The bowl was 1/2 yellow rice, 1/2 romaine lettuce with almost no dressing and 3 of the skinniest sliced tomatoes I have ever seen and some cooked beef, very sparingly scattered on only the rice side of the bowl with a drizzle of a nondescript white dressing. My daughter was mostly done with hers when I got mine. I also orders the fried plantain side. It was 4 pieces, equivalent of one small plantain on one side of the cardboard serving boat and some shredded mozzarella on the other side! Now that is a bizarre combination! With almost no meat on either of our shawarma bowls, it was such a huge disappointment. The girl kept rolling her eyes with her mistake and then giving me dirty looks from behind the counter. In the 35 minutes we were there, we were the only people who had placed an order. With the lack of service, and overpriced items, this place will go out of business soon at The Block, just like the overpriced Thai place in the same complex that only lasted around 2 months!

First time here. SO satisfied with the food everything was delicious and the food came out quick…read more Will definitely be visiting the main location. Pelotero special: 10/10 the pork was juicy and tender, the sauce is amazing and the hot sauce is made in house. Great kick and the yuca fries were also nice and crispy Maduros: 100/10 crispy on the outside and soft on the inside I could've eaten 10 Arepa del patron: 8/10 the meat was juicy and the toppings were very flavorful. The arepa itself just a little dry but still good. Papelon lemonade was the star of the show and not too sweet, very well spiced and uniquely tasting with cloves and other spices. Really refreshing and tasted great at the beginning of fall.

Still the best Cuban I have had, along with the arepas are to die for!…read more Tostones cooked perfect, the garlic sauce, tomato, and the spicy arbol so much flavor!!!! Everything was perfect, they have a very friendly staff and it's a nice spot to be in. The plants hanging everywhere were so beautiful too. Food will always come back for. Thank you so much!

Whether you're staying at The Imperial, looking for a quick eat-in spot, or need some take-out for…read morethe night, this is some of the best food I've ever had. The Shredded Chicken, Cheese, & Green Chile empanada was light and full of delicious flavors. Fried plantains were sweet and filling. And I wanted to drink the fresh green Venezuelan Guasacaca Sauce. The folks who work here were friendly and knowledgeable. This is a must-stop eatery in Albuquerque.

Been following these folks through various venues, From railyards, to the pretty expensive sawmill…read moremarket, now they do the railyards, and they have a food truck that does its rounds, but their walk in location is inside the Imperial Dive, at High Street and Central (EDO). in a very good small food court alongside Vegan Vato and a Pupusaria, and a small desert place. Got a really really good Green chile Cheeseburger, was cooked perfectly. hot inside but just a thin line of pink, Tasty and spicy green chile, beautiful cheese melt on it. Smash patties are all the rage these days, but a nice thick well constructed patty is better in my opinion.

I wish I could separate reviews for good and service!!…read more I'll start with the food - it was delicious!!! We ordered a Shawarma and a chicken bowl. It was cooked perfectly and was very tasty!! I would have liked the fries cooked a little more but the food was a 4 star!!! Service - this is the second time Ive been here and the first I ordered because the girl working there is very rude! We walked up and there was no hello, no smile, nothing. I asked if she could tell me what the chicken was spiced with, I have food allergies. She rolled her eyes, big sigh and said I don't know. Okay, you have no idea??? Then we place our order, and she walked away....no here is your total, it will be c amount of minutes, just slide the beeper on the counter and walked away. We looked at each other, saw the total on the pay pad, processed and walked away. Then after we got our food - no thank you, enjoy, have a good day, etc, we watched her smile and be friendly to a young man who walked up. The first time when we did t order we specifically did not order because same girl was very rude and literally walked to the back of the store, left "to get something" and left us standing there. Your food amazing!! Your service, especially when not busy on a Tuesday evening - will not return if I see her there.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to The Block on a quiet Monday night. We were there people and we…read moreordered food from 3 different places. My choice was this place. I wanted their Arepas but the attendant told me that it would take 25 minutes. That was a turn off for me. I then decided to order a Falafel sandwich that came with fries. I like Falafel but here they are prepared with too much cumin. I asked for a cup of water and like last time I was told that there didn't have any.

Friendly service. The owner/manager is really nice and super accommodating. He let me sample their…read morelemonade and talked me through the menu to figure out if there was anything I could make vegan. I ordered an arepa with black beans, sweet plantains, and avocado (no butter, no cheese). It was phenomenal! I also ordered a mango juice and I loved that I could choose with or without sugar because many times they don't give you the option and it comes out too sweet. I asked for no sugar and it was perfect. Indoor and outdoor seating was available and the bathroom was clean. I tried to come back a second time during my trip and they were sold out of their arepas. That goes to show just how good they are and how popular they're becoming, so definitely go check them out!

I've gone twice now and this may become a go to lunch spot in downtown. It's a small shop situated…read moredowntown with a cute patio to dine outside. The first time i visited, I tried the veggie arepa (black beans, plantains, aguacate and queso fresco) which was very tasty and filling. Then my most recent visit I had the pabellón which is shredded beef, plantains, black beans and queso fresco. Also very delicious. Their sides are ones best shared with a friend. Yuca Fries were garnished with chimichurri. Then they had the cheese wrapped in breading with a dipping sauce. I can't remember the actual title and don't see it on the menu but they were great. All in all a sweet visit. I will go back just just for the refreshing beverages alone and friendly service alone. Staff is very friendly and family run and can't wait to keep going back to support this small business.

Stopped by Tune-Up Café recently, and it totally lives up to its reputation. The place has such a…read morecozy, authentic Santa Fe vibe, and the menu is loaded with variety--everything from flavorful Salvadoran dishes to incredible homemade pies, plus a ton of gluten-free options. The prices are super reasonable, especially considering how generous the portion sizes are. I went with the Chile Rellenos, and honestly, "amazing" is an understatement. They were executed to perfection: light and golden batter that wasn't greasy at all, chiles that held their shape without getting mushy, and perfectly melted cheese inside. But the real star of the show is the sauce. Whether you get red, green, or go "Christmas" style like I did, you can taste the real depth of flavor and high-quality ingredients in every single bite. It's the kind of comfort food that makes you want to take your time and savor every bit--though I was already thinking about what I'm going to order next time before I even finished my plate! Between the friendly, prompt service and the incredible food, Tune-Up Café is easily one of the best eating spots in town. Highly recommend it to anyone in Santa Fe, whether you live here or are just passing through!

So...great food & drinks Grumpy man running cash register-…read moreolder -maroon plaid shirt-not kind to coworkers He is an arbitrary price-er. $18 for a cup of Togo red chili Nice wall art for sale Otherwise everyone great.

The food was amazing! Service was great. Cocktails were creative and delicious…read more An article posted in the restaurant told how they were once a food truck and now are a brick and mortar restaurant. The restaurant was busy and it appeared everyone was enjoying their food and service.

The food was delicious! We split a side salad prepared with fresh strawberries, cucumber, & tomato…read morewith vinaigrette that was so refreshing and tasty. I had the chile en Nogada I would highly recommend and my husband had the Santa Fe enchiladas with chicken and green salsa that we found to be outstanding. The house margarita was also very good. Service was good and attentive. The restrooms are down the hall and shared with other businesses and requires a combination code. This is perfect for a casual dining experience for authentic Southwest cuisine.