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    El Patron ABQ

    3.6 (679 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    El Patron ABQ Photos

    Business Info

    EL PATRON ABQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - El Patron ABQ

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    Pozole
    Jill F.

    I'd been having a craving for pozole, and this definitely hit the spot. The Chile rellenos hit it out of the park as always. Choosing a margarita is more difficult, but I went with the mezcal marg and was not disappointed, I never am when I eat here!

    Justin N.

    After not having been in town for awhile, I needed a good margarita and green chile fix (and some red for Christmas)! This was the perfect spot and I forgot how good it was. The sopapillas were perfect, red chile ribs were hot and delicious. And then the burritos were as equally good!

    Blueberry coconut margarita
    Jennifer L.

    I moved to a state with NO New Mexican food. I had to come to Albuquerque for a family members medical procedure and my sister decided to bring to El Patron. I ordered the stuffed sopapilla with ground beef Christmas style. It was so good! The green chile has so much flavor and just the right amount of heat. I thought the red chile had great flavor as well. I feel like I am a rice snob and I did not enjoy the rice. It was soup like and tasted of tomato sauce. The beans really didn't have any flavor and were a bit dry. The blueberry coconut margarita was tasty and just the right amount of sweetness. It did have a coconut lined rim which I didn't enjoy. Over all it was good not the best but still solid

    FLAT IRON STEAK
    Brian H.

    Always a nice spot with plenty of seating and space for large group events. Beautiful ambience and very friendly staff. Always delicious food and great prices.

    Casa Margarita
    Janelle R.

    Food is always consistently good! We like to sit at the bar, but the service is always great even when we sit at a table. Great ambiance with live music during Happy Hour and dinner time. The Serrano cream chile sauce is always delicious and super spicy!! The red and green chile are also delicious and you can adjust the heat levels from medium to hot. The portions are huge!

    CHILE RELLENO combo platter
    Scott J.

    Needed a "best tortilla chip in Albuquerque " fix tonight and we got it . Ordered guacamole and the chips that came with it were stale and strait out of a bag ! Noooooo. This can't be! Then asked for our chips and salsa....the chips that came were hot, light and very thin....exactly as we expected of El Patron! Dinner was a Stuffed sopaipilla with Carne Adovada, outstanding Beautiful restaurant decorated for the holidays and we were well taken care of. We arrived prior to the Saturday night rush but leaving a packed parking lot was a bit sketchy Bring your patience, this location gets hopping

    Balcony of the Montgomery location.
    Rosemary J.

    Best virgin bloody Mary in town also good food , atmosphere , and live music. Been at this restaurant and the north side location . Both locations have good service and the food comes out quickly.

    Appetizer chicken taquitos.
    Tricia C.

    We visited this location for the first time, after dining at El Patron North a few times. We arrived at 1130am on a Sunday and it was not crowded. Got seated right away. Our sweet server, Tiana greeted us immediately and took our drink order. They brought chips and salsa to the table. The chips were crispy and the salsa was hot, but good. My husband and I ordered Bloody Marys and they were juuussst right... not too spicy. I ordered the taquitos appetizer for my lunch (not too hungry today.) My husband ordered the breakfast tamale plate. My mom ordered the Indian taco w/red Chile. All of our food was really good. The red Chile was flavorful and just hot enough. As we were ready to leave, they started playing music and it made the atmosphere perfect. We will be back !

    Chicken fajitas
    Aryelle S.

    I saw a review that said the salsa was basically tomato paste and they were not wrong. The chips were also very "greasy". I originally ordered a frozen mango marg and it was not frozen at all just had some ice chips on the top. I don't recommend ordering frozen drinks here. I switched it out for a blueberry mojito and it was okay. Felt like something my local dive bar could make. The chicken fajitas were also just okay. I'd save your $$ and go somewhere else. The one thing I did like was the live music.

    Tiny sopas. Not worth $23 for a dozen!
    J. G.

    Ordered a dozen sopapillas today and they were very tiny and cost $23! One was burnt and another was less than two inches big. Tried their breakfast burritos awhile back and haven't been back until today. Now I remember why. Food is over priced and just eh. Put a regular spoon in pic so you can see how tiny they are. Sad.

    Spicy prick
    Destiny L.

    A great option when you are craving some not so healthy Mexican eats, including lots of chips and salsa. They have really thin chips which I like it makes some extra crispy and their salsa is really good. The building itself is really beautiful and there's some really cool decor. Having too much fun looking at their light fixtures and when you walk in, there's a fire going which was really nice. They have a pretty solid, happy hour with seven dollar drinks and seven dollar food items. I do think that some of the food items are better deals than others. The cheeseburger chimichanga I got was a good deal, especially with a little queso but a friend got a shrimp tostada, which was just a lot less food.

    Tosada, mashed bean and green and chile side
    Rina M.

    Food were so great and our waitress are so friendly and nice! For sure we will come here again next time.

    Baja fish tacos

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    2 months ago

    The salsa was top class! The waiter was very polite and nice.The food tasted amazing. I ordered a peach fuzz drink, and it was fabulous.

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    8 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Always a hot great meal. Service is fast and friendly. Clean, comfortable and very pleasant. Shaded outdoor patio is a nice spot too.

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Tortillas were old, dry and tasteless. Rice was terrible. Fajitas were good. Our server was fantastic!

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dana S.

    Dana S.

    Helpful 4
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    Dana S.

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    3 months ago

    Chris our server was fantastic, food was amazing as usual. great atmosphere and environment. I am always happy to eat here.

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    11 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    7 months ago

    The chicken tacos are so amazing every time we come it's great service and great food I will always recommend coming here!!

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Food is always on point, service is top notch, friendly and inviting. Clean and warm ambiance. Highly recommend.

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    4 months ago

    Food was yummy and great customer service. Fajitas come out hot and tasty. Would come again!

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    11 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Great breakfast offer until 11am everyday. French toast is Awesome! Plenty to eat and not real busy on the weekdays.

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

    It's our go to New Mexican restaurant. We eat in the bar. The food and service are great.

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    9 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Great service, and delicious food! He especially enjoyed the papa's and the cinnamon coffee.

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    9 months ago

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    Page 1 of 17

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    What are the vegan options available?

    I am a pescatarian, so not sure about vegan There are meat free options Be sure to check menu before… Read more

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    Fiesta Azul Tequila House ABQ - Jicama Salad

    Fiesta Azul Tequila House ABQ

    (120 reviews)

    $$

    Business Parkway/Academy Acres

    Service was friendly once seated. Had a weird experience at hostess stand, where we weren't sure…read moreif they had tables or a wait. Hostess walked off and never came back. Finally someone sat us. Service was great despite being packed! The drinks are insane--gigantic fish bowls, whole blenders, and mixing bowls with straws! Have to imagine they only allow 1 to avoid over serving. Food was fantastic. Birria tacos, fajitas. Generous portions and full of flavor. A little on the pricy side but absolutely worth it. Can't wait to eat here again.

    This felt like I was in a club, so at times it was a bit overstimulating but the music they played…read morewas a vibe. This is the type of spot you come to celebrate and definitely not for just a casual dinner. (We were there for a birthday) I'm always looking for delicious mezcal drinks and wow was their hibiscus sour refreshing. I'd heard so much about the pastor with piña assembled for you to prep yourself but sadly it was sold out by the time we ordered. Instead, we ordered the tacos norteños (asada with chorizo) nothing out of the ordinary but the flavor was good. I wasn't happy with the type of flour tortillas they had so would order corn next go around. My only downside is this place tries to upsell you to get all the things like a large $20 Margarita is wild. Would get the pitcher next time because it's cheaper that way if you come with someone. I'm always looking for great cocktails and tacos but not sure if this spot is for me. May consider giving it another go but we'll see.

    Founders Speakeasy - Decor

    Founders Speakeasy

    (105 reviews)

    Downtown

    Neat place! The entrance is about as incognito as it gets. Not gonna blow it up by saying what or…read morewhere it is, but I thought it was very clever. I don't remember needing a password, just an ID, but maybe that depends on who is in charge for the evening. Once inside, it's all vibes and great drinks. The bartenders made me a really awesome smokey old fashioned, but the star of the show was the specialty ginger cocktail they were featuring, that right now I cannot remember the name of. Pic attached tho! It's not a big place, but there are both high tops, couches and lounge chairs, and bar seating depending on your preference. As an out of town visitor, I enjoyed it thoroughly!

    Oh my goodness, I don't know how I've heard of this place for quite awhile but not how great it is…read more My partner and I went for a date night. We both love speakeasies. We actually did need a password to get in. Luckily, you could go to their website and request one and get it instantly by email. The facade is a real liquor store with a good selection of local and unique brews and spirits. We were led through a walk in freezer door and down a dark narrow staircase, which was fun and felt like a true speakeasy. We got to sit in the side room by ourselves the whole time, which was fun and nice and private. It's a small space with an old speakeasy type feel with neat art, wallpaper, ceilings, and such. Most importantly, the drinks are so good! We were enthralled by the fall seasonal cocktail menu, with smoked cinnamon, pumpkin, sweet potato!!, and other delectable fall flavors. The drinks all have a wild and complex combination of flavorings, and they make all their syrups in house. So yummy and such a good experience to sit and sip. Our server came to take our orders and check on us and was very nice.

    The Copper Lounge - Sweet life and birria tacos

    The Copper Lounge

    (217 reviews)

    $$

    Midtown/University

    Went for a happy hour after work and I loved the ambiance! Dark and cozy with a speakeasy vibe…read more Once I entered it was easy to forget it was still sunny and hot outside. The menu was listed as cast of characters/script, which was lots of fun. Our group was about 20 people, which I'm sure was a challenge, but our server was great and kept us all with full glasses and no waiting. There is a small parking lot with free parking. It was full by the time I got there, but it was easy and free to park on the street nearby. They had a great selection of local beer, wine and creative cocktails. Didn't really try the food but the drinks were great. Would definitely go back!

    I had not been to this place for many years. It used to be a dive bar for unm students. It was…read moreredone apparently 7 or 8 years ago and is a cool place to go too. When you go in the entrance the bar is to the left and is now kinda of a speakeasy. It's dark, nicely done, music playing and fancy cocktails being made. They don't have a huge menu but you can get some appetizers, sandwiches, etc. We had some non traditional nachos which were very good. The service was also very good. When we left the bar, I checked out the restaurant that was to the right when you walked into the front door of the Copper Lounge. It's has a very nice ambiance and it's not dark like the bar was next door. Don't have any other info on it but looked very nice. I would recommend checking these places out if you are looking for something very different from the usual places.

    Zema Vinyl Lounge

    Zema Vinyl Lounge

    (12 reviews)

    Nob Hill

    Always fun to find a speakeasy, especially when the entrance has some sort of hidden clue to get…read morein. The place is nice, eclectic, with nice seating area and fun decor. The menus are on a vinyl, to match their theme. And their drink menu is fun. What was disappointing was that 1. we had to wait 25 minutes for a bartender to show up and get our orders, then another long time to get the drinks. After the wait, a second drink was out of the question. 2. This is a vinyl lounge, and even though they had a setup for a DJ, there was no one playing but a speaker. 3. Some or our drinks did not come out with all the "frills" and effects as described on the menu, so we missed part of the experience. Not sure if it was an off night for them but my experience wasn't great.

    A nice stop into this eclectic spot. When we are in…read moredifferent spots we like to see what the new quirky and/or cool spots are. We heard about Zema when in town so when we got a evening open we stopped in the other day. The walk up was pretty great. The location is a refurbished motel. We walked into a couple gals working the front desk. Long story short I rubbed the wrong banana but they helped me out. Once inside we grabbed a table a appreciated the clubs layout. They have some retro club music going, but no DJ. When we left about an hour later a DJ hadn't steppe dup, but the music was pretty good all the same. We had to wait for our 1st drink for a while. The gal at the front said the DJ has stepped away for a while but would be back soon enough. The drinks were ok, the service was so-so. We really wanted to like the place, hopefully next time things are more together.

    D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro - Cottonwood Albuquerque - Entrance

    D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro - Cottonwood Albuquerque

    (122 reviews)

    $$

    North Valley/Los Ranchos

    Now this is what service and food is about…read more After having a bad experience at a local Santa Fe restaurant for NYE, a friend suggested we try this place out. From the jump, we were welcomed and given a booth with a beautiful view of the mountains. Kirk who was our waiter introduced himself, provided a sample of their signature wine and knew so much about the winery/history and only been there since October. He made suggestions on wines and overall made this experience awesome. Kudos to Kirk

    Review for D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro…read more We came here to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary and overall had a great experience. We were seated immediately and the service was phenomenal from start to finish. We started with the meatball appetizer with pesto sauce. While it tasted good, the meatballs seemed like frozen/pre-made rather than scratch-made, which was a little disappointing considering the price point. That said, we were brought bread and butter beforehand which was a nice touch. For entrées, my husband ordered the New Mexico pasta and he enjoyed it. I ordered the ribeye with a loaded baked potato and a salad with bleu cheese vinaigrette. My steak was initially overcooked, but they handled it perfectly -- they boxed up the original steak to take home AND cooked me a brand new one to medium rare (absolute perfection). That level of service really stood out. The wine tasting was phenomenal -- we tried a sweet rosé that was absolutely delicious (I wish I remembered the name!). We also ordered dessert and tried the chocolate torte, which was just okay -- not bad, but nothing memorable. Our server went above and beyond, checking on us frequently and even discounting our ticket for our anniversary, which made the night feel extra special. The ambiance inside was quiet, romantic, and business-casual, with beautiful warm décor. The restaurant was very clean and well kept. We would definitely return and recommend this spot for date nights, anniversaries, and wine lovers. Great service, solid food, and an inviting atmosphere.

    Daydream - Daydream bar seating

    Daydream

    (10 reviews)

    Nob Hill

    Very beautiful location, tucked away inside of little bear, coffee, and downstairs…read more I can see that they are trying to capture a tiki drink vibe for cocktails here, but they fell a little short in my estimation. First off, the menus were terribly hard to read. The dim lighting, coupled with the light print on the newspaper like menus was a terrible combination. Several people in my party were pulling out their cell phones to shine the flashlight on the menu to try to read it. Next, when you're trying to capture a tiki bar type experience, that includes this expectation of fun over the top, cocktails comprised of ingredients you can't easily acquire to make it home or order anywhere else. The cocktail menu that the waiter said was "balanced" when he referred to all of their drinks, didn't really hit the spot. The flavors were pretty limited, and we're all very middle of the road. Nothing too exciting or potentially gripping. And honestly, when I come to a tiki bar I want a sugary fruit filled flavor bomb. And they had nothing like that on the menu. My husband is more of a hard cocktail drinker, and he even commented that their offerings felt stilted and not exciting. I would come back at a future date, but I would check the menu first to see if any changes had been made. Very cool location, though!

    Daydream Rum Bar is hands-down one of the coolest spots in Albuquerque. We grabbed drinks at the…read moreupstairs bar and the vibe was exactly what we hoped for--totally chill, warm, and the perfect place to unwind without feeling rushed. The cocktails are phenomenal. Each one was incredibly well balanced and packed with bold, delicious flavor. Nothing too sweet or too strong--just thoughtfully crafted drinks that let the ingredients shine. You can really tell the bartenders know what they're doing. Speaking of which--major shoutout to our bartender (forgive me for forgetting his name!). He was phenomenal. Super knowledgeable about rum, clearly passionate about his craft, and gave great recommendations. The kind of service that truly elevates the experience. If you love rum or just appreciate high-quality cocktails, this place is a must. We'll absolutely be back. 10/10 recommend!

    El Patron ABQ - newmexican - Updated May 2026

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