This Wednesday evening, I ventured over to the South Valley to select something delicious for…read moredinner, and La Guelaguetza situated prominently on the street corner immediately caught my eye. While popular culture often champions "Taco Tuesday," visiting on a Wednesday proved to be a marvelous decision. Positioned right along the main avenue, the establishment is effortlessly easy to locate. Stepping inside, one is instantly transported; the authentic cultural decor and vibrant flags adorning the space create an enchanting, high-status atmosphere that is spotlessly clean and pristine throughout. The hospitality was top-tier from the moment I arrived. I was attended to promptly by a wonderfully gracious server who provided attentive, full-table service that made the entire experience feel delightfully polished. To accompany my meal, I selected an ice-cold Mexican Coke, which served as the ideal, crisp companion for a relaxed midweek dinner. For my main course, I ordered the carnitas tacos. When served, the dish was an absolute culinary triumph the pork was remarkably tender, exquisitely seasoned, and brimming with rich, authentic flavor. Between the immaculate surroundings, captivating Mexican ambiance, sublime food offerings, and stellar service, La Guelaguetza earns full marks from me. A thoroughly marvelous midweek retreat I shall most certainly be returning

This is one of the better Mexican restaurants I've tried. I'd strongly recommend the birria tacos:…read morethe meat was tender, flavorful, and not dry. The consome was decent, though not the best I've had. We also tried the birria pizza, which is a great option for sharing, but I would choose the tacos over it. I will come back to try their spicy mole. The servers were very friendly. The parking lot is small and is packed most of the time. They also sometimes forget to bring out the complimentary potato chips, so be sure to ask if you want to try them.

This was a great lunch! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere vibe…read morerocked. I will say parking was a bit of a challenge, but we did find a spot. We also were there at high noon, and the heart of the lunch hour. I would definitely recommend Cocina Azul for a great dining experience.

We went to dinner here our first night in Albuquerque. They don't take reservations and it was…read morerecommended that we eat an earlier dinner unless we wanted to wait for a while. We had only had protein bars and airplane snacks all day, so we were pretty hungry when we got there! We were seated right away and given menus. We were not given a cocktail menu so we had to grab one of those. I don't recall our servers name but he was very friendly and seemed to be having a good time at work. We couldn't decide on what we wanted with our chips, so he suggested a trio and we went with that. We ordered margaritas and started going through the menu. We made our decisions and settled in with chips and drinks. And then our food came and the portions were huge! There was no way we were going to eat all of it. It's a very lively place! There was a lot of chatter and laughter and movement. There were staff members running all over the place taking care of everyone. It wasn't annoying though. When we left, there were about 40-50 people waiting for tables. I was really glad we had gotten there early. We were there during Balloon Festival, so I don't know if they're always quite as busy as they were that night, but my understanding is that they are always busy. I'm not sure I'll ever be back in Albuquerque, but if I am, I'd probably go back!

Man, what a spot to visit and try! I went here twice while on vacation in Albuquerque because I…read morejust couldn't get over how good the food was! This place has been around since 1971, and it definitely has that old-school charm and vibe. The Frontier Burrito is a very smart choice -- packed with flavor and absolutely delicious! And whatever you do, save room for a cinnamon roll! Order it after your meal so it can be freshly warmed up, and let me tell you... CHEF'S KISS! As for the dining experience, you order your food at the counter, find a table, and wait for your number to pop up on the little overhead screen (shown in my photos). There are about three different dining areas, each with its own unique decor and character. Once your order is ready, you pick it up at the end of the counter where you ordered, grab your utensils from the utensil station, and dig in! They even have bussers walking around to collect your plates when you're finished, making the whole experience easy and convenient. The food, the atmosphere, the history -- everything about this place makes it worth a visit! Albuquerque, you've got a gem here. I can definitely see why this place has been around for so long, and I only wish we had something like it back home!

"Quick local and general faves right by UNM campus!"…read more Came here at 12:30pm on a Monday-- the place was HOPPING. There was a long line to order at the counter. Still, I was impressed that the line moved fast, and that we were able pretty quickly to sit at a table for 4. The place looks like a barn from the outside, but the inside is quite large and inviting, where you order at a counter, see when your number is ready per screens, and pick up your food. I ordered the green chile cheeseburger and a side-salad with thousand island dressing. I also had a few bites of my girlfriend's sweet roll. Food was ready in under 10 minutes despite the incredibly large number of people ordering. The salad portion was pretty big-- I didn't expect that at the price of something like $4. It was good-- pretty standard lettuce/ tomato/ etc., but nothing wilted and no stems. The burger was delicious. It was a little hard to eat since the green chile sauce had made the bread pretty wet and was dripping all around. But the burger was good, the sauce excellent, and the accompaniments on the burger also fresh and tasty. The bite of the sweet roll-- wow. LOTS of butter, but man, did it taste good! The place was pretty clean overall for a large diner-like place. A nice lady came and took our trash, and the restroom seemed like it'd been maintained. To be clear, the place was hardly spotless, but when you're feeding that many people, it'd be impossible to be so. Price was great. Very inexpensive. I'd heard good things about this place, and having sampled, I get it. For a quick, easy, decent quality lunch by campus, it's hard to imagine better.

We were traveling from North Carolina to our home in San Diego…read more We looked up places to eat and were tired of "road trip food". We found Herencia and took a chance. We know good Mexican food, as we are from San Diego, and wanted to try the southwest fare. WHAT AN AMAZING CHOICE! The lovely hostess was charming, engaging and sweet (wish i had her name) and our waiter (Edgar) was authentic, personable and fun to chat with. We had been at a movie and had eaten a bit too much popcorn so we did not order a lot. The three of us shared the free blue corn (not fried) chips with three salsa samples. We then shared a salad and the amazingly good four taco sampler. Thank you Herencia (Enrique the owner, and staff) for this wonderful evening.

Went for a late lunch not knowing the kind of restaurant we had went to…read more Menu was hard to understand. We had ordered the dinner Costilla de restaurant and the Pallard de Pollo (which was chicken and my order) Chips were gray and not crispy served with 3 different sauces. very UN- appetizing. Food was overpriced the steak and chicken was very thin not even 1/2 inch thick. Service okay. BUT my real reason for review was 2 1/2 hours later I was hanging over a toilet pucking my guts out. I do believe the chicken was the blame.

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.

This place is like a Mom and Pop hole in the wall gem. The restaurant is small. Parking is a bit of…read morea challenge. There are parking meters along the street and they are free after 6 pm. We stuck a few quarters into the meter that couldn't be read, and we walked into the restaurant. We were greeted at the door and given several options for seating including outdoor seating. We took a table in the entry way, not in the main restaurant. It was a quaint spot overlooking the patio section out front of the restaurant. A server met us, took our drink order, and we placed a few appetizer orders. We got some chile con queso, and the chicharron. They initially brought out the queso in two small plastic to-go containers. I was not very thrilled with that. Then, when we polished them off, they brought out some more in a small serving dish. Why we didn't get the dish in the first place is beyond me. The queso was good, but I didn't think much of the chicharron. My husband like it though. The server did an excellent job keeping our drinks filled. We placed our order, and it wasn't too long that our orders came out. I got the combination plate, red sauce, ground beef taco. My husband thought he ordered the enchilada plate, but the chile relleno plate came out instead. He told them that was fine. The ground beef taco was so delicious. The chile relleno was pretty good, and the cheese enchiladas were okay, even though it was like they were barely there. The pinto beans, not refried beans, were also enjoyed. What really set them apart was their papas - those potatoes were soft and super flavorful. Their red sauce was spicy and flavorful. The server brought out two fresh and hot sopapillas. We poured honey on those things bite by bite. I honestly think those were the best sopapillas I've had. I also used the restroom before we left. It might need a little updating, but it was certainly clean.

I will never stop coming here. cash only? You bet I'll be hitting that atm before. Best prices best…read moreflavored foods very New Mexico / Mexico coded

A true hole in the wall for Mexican food. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Prices are…read morevery affordable although it's cash only. Our order was ready in a reasonable time and was wrapped in aluminum foil and salsa was in individual bags which is kind of unusual. Can't complain for that price though. Burritos are huge and filled with lots of protein and beans. Asada meat was flavorful with bits of charred meat. Al pastor was very flavorful too.

We had dinner at Sadie's on Saturday August 22. The vibe inside is cute and very New Mexico-Mexi…read more We were seated right away. Our server was ... okay. He asked if we would like ice waters. I told him I would like my water with no ice. He repeated "no ice" okay. And then he brought four ice waters. Oh well. I had water at home. They provide complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa is fantastic. We ordered our meals and the food came out in a timely manner. Unfortunately, our server brought the sopapillas at the same time as the meal ... by the time we ate them they were cold. Oh well. My husband ordered the carne adovada. He thought that unlike the description on the menu, the meat was not at all lean but rather a bit fatty. He did enjoy the flavor of the pork. I had a chicken taco salad. It was very good. My daughter ordered something vegetarian and she also enjoyed hers. When we were finished with our huge entrees, we sat through the remainder of the time with piles of dirty dishes while we tried to find room on the table to eat our sopapillas. It is lovely that they provide complimentary sopapillas but I'd have preferred that they were warm and that we didn't have to eat them with piles of dirty dishes all over the table.

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.

Luciana was the highlight of the night. Her attention to detail and her attitude was very pleasant…read moreto have around. Would definitely comeback just because of the way she treated us, made us feel like family!

Crystal was fantastic, she had the best recommendations!!! The Ranchers Benedict was out of sight!!!read more

When visiting New Mexico, my friend took me to El Pinto, and I was extremely impressed! From the…read moremoment we arrived, I loved the atmosphere, design, and layout of the restaurant. Make sure you take the time to walk around and see the entire property--it is HUGE! It feels like you're stepping into a beautiful Spanish-style hacienda, yet it still manages to feel warm, homey, and down-to-earth. The restaurant is very spacious, has beautiful areas for events, and is also dog-friendly. We made reservations, and I definitely recommend doing the same--you NEED them! We were seated right away, and our server was attentive, friendly, and made our experience even more enjoyable. Now, the food! I loved that you can order your chile "Christmas" style and get both red and green. And FYI--endless chips and salsa! The margaritas were strong and delicious, exactly how a margarita should be. I highly recommend the chicken enchiladas. The chicken was moist, tender, and perfectly shredded. The tacos were also great, and the mole chicken was delicious. My only wish is that the menu offered a few more seafood options. Between the atmosphere, great service, delicious food, and margaritas, El Pinto was such a fun New Mexico experience. If you make it to New Mexico, El Pinto absolutely needs to be on your list of places to visit!

Overall, the restaurant is quite remarkable. The location is unique and the interior and exterior…read morespaces are beautiful. My parents lived in ABQ for years and always thought that the atmosphere was great, but the food was so-so. However, on this instance, we all thought the food was quite good. Flavorful carne adovada, although it was a bit tough. Red chile sauce was spicy but had great flavor. The green chile sauce was hot and tasty. Posole was also good. The gold margaritas were also good - to anyone complaining about the price - at $14.50, the price is very fair considering the cost of ingredients. If you want a cheap junk margarita that is more sugar than anything else, go somewhere else! Our gripe... The place is huge and has an abundance of great places to seat guests. We had a pretty large group - 7 people celebrating a family reunion of sorts. However, they sat us right next to the bussing station that had noisy carts, dishwashers, and other distractions. It was so loud, it was hard to hear the person across the table. There were at least 10 other tables that they could have seated us at! It seems to me that this area should be used only when the restaurant is completely full. This seems to be a poor management decision rather than the fault of the servers or hosts.

We love this place. The red chili is excellent and so is their food. Their service is also very…read moregood.

The service here is good, the staff is always friendly. The ambiance is like any other typically…read moreNew Mexican restaurant, with some nice outdoor seating when it's not too hot. The posole never fails, I like the meat to posole ratio. You can never go wrong with the taco salad either (as pictured). However one star was taken off for the taco pizza... not good. It was a plain tostada with chicken and cheese... However, everything else is good. Just don't recommend that..