Francis V.

Date night destination? Think of here! First time to this spot in Rio Rancho, and it is "tapas" type concept with a very inventive drink menu. We were quickly sat and quickly greeted by our waiter, Kasey. He was very helpful and attentive all night. As stated the concept is tapas or shared plates. Now, you could order your individual plates but why? We started with the chicherrones and they weren't prepared like the usual NM style, but they were heavy on the fat, which was lightly fried and not quiet crispy, but the agave nectar sauce was a savior! Next we moved to the Gambas, which were simple and fried with the smoke paprika, but an unintended flavor was rubbing the Gambas with the agave sauce! You're welcome for the hack! Next, we tried the risotto and mushrooms, which was a burst of flavor but alone was a bit aggressive! I'm thinking it would be good as a side paired with some beef. We finished up with the pasta bolognese! It was delicious and a good end to the night! My wife had some drinks! Hibiscus and sangria! She enjoyed them. It was a bit pricey, but the ambiance was worth it. They had a great mix of music! I say flock!

John S.

February 3, 2024. Saturday. Dinner. This restaurant used to be the Banana Leaf. An asian fusion place. It is painted gray and the shades in the windows were all closed. Additionally, the parking lot requires a bit of navigation to get to. Overall, from the outside, it is unimpressive and unassuming. Inside, is a different story. The staff were all friendly and happy. Our waiter, Matthew, said he had been working there for about six months. Whiptail has been open for a little over two years now. Matthew works as a server and is learning to become a chef. He told us all the dishes are made from scratch and the menu was created by a four-star chef who now works in California. The bartenders create original cocktails here, and they have won awards from Albuquerque the magazine. They have some creative cocktails for sure. See attached drink menu. Matthew showed us the special, four course Valentine's Day menu. See attached photograph. He said they are still working on the drinks to pair with the meal. This Valentine's Day meal will require advance reservations. It will be $125 per person. A bit rich for my blood but I bet they will be packed. We ordered the Patatas Bravas appetizer for $9. This appetizer consisted of smashed peewee potatoes, brava sauce, chives and honey aioli. I thought the honey would make this appetizer overly cloying and sweet, but it did not. The sauces perfectly complemented the tender potatoes. My wife ordered the mac and cheese for $12. Cavatappi pasta with triple cheese blend of aged parmesan, fontina, and gruyere, covered with toasted parmesan crumble. This was a marvelous, rich, and filling mac and cheese. Gourmet for sure. I ordered the Frutti del Mar for $23. This dish had a pound of hand breaded shrimp and calamari. Sauces included garlic aioli and spicy marinara. The shrimp and calamari had a light, delicate coating, which I really liked. The sauces were off. I much preferred eating my fried food with the lemon juice from the two roasted lemon wedges they supplied. Matthew told us all the food was prepared fresh. I could tell this was true. My wife and I shared our dishes. This is encouraged on the menu. A very pleasurable experience with top shelf service and delicious food. We left full. We will be returning to try their original cocktails.

Jess D.

Whiptail has great ambiance, unique drinks, and great food! We went around 5pm on a Friday and were immediately seated. Really enjoyed our meal here. We tried the Whiptail martini, the smoked old fashioned, and the espresso martini. The smoked old fashioned was especially good! For food we tried the Brussels sprouts, elote dip, BBQ chicken salad, and the Philly steak. BBQ chicken salad was a stand out with perfectly cooked chicken on top. All the food was tasty and we enjoyed trying a variety of small plates.

Melissa S.

We enjoyed our dinner here. The food was very good, and you could tell everything was made fresh. We started with the focaccia bread which came with some herb butter and olive oil as well. After that my son and I both had Philly cheese steaks (beef for me, chicken for him) which were both good. My husband had the Cuban sandwich which was also good. Everything comes separately (supposed to be tapas style) which is fine but ends up making it a bit more expensive for what you get. By the time we got some fries, potatoes, and asparagus so we could all have sides, we had added an extra $25+. They have an extensive cocktail menu and I tried the Rio Mojito as a mocktail and it was quite good. The servers were friendly and good. The restaurant itself is plain grey on the outside and fairly simple furniture and look inside, but clean and fine. Overall, it was a good break from traditional New Mexican food and nearby where we were staying.

Haywan C.

Great service. We been here before and they always had a good vibe and cocktails. Food was excellent. Only downside is this place is tucked away in an awkward spot in the corner of the street, feels like going into a speakeasy. Dark parking lot, but if it's a holiday and all the usual spots are all booked up for a Saturday night, think about this place for your date night!

Kevin M.

This place is great! The food, service, and ambience, make for a place that I would like to visit again. I got three appetizers. Ceviche: raw fish with the various topped on a bed of avocado, this was some really good ceviche. On top of that it comes with fried noodles and about sauce that also add tasty flavors to it. Chicharrones: this had to be my favorite dish. I got here. Chicharrones are usually fried to a crisp but I like when they're a little chewy and not so burnt. I absolutely loved this dish! Brussels sprouts topped with bao sauce: this was a little heavy on the sauce but still tasty! Again, I am so glad these were not fried to a crisp. I probably would not get this one again. Homemade bread: this was some good bread, made even better with the butter! The butter was super smooth. I even asked for some to go! I will definitely come here again! There are so many other foods to try!

Laura B.

We had not been here since it changed from being a Japanese Steak house to this cozy little bar with nibbles. We both ordered the wild mushroom omelette with bernaise sauce and a side of arugula salad with a gentle coating of a citrus vinaigrette for a Sunday brunch. The omelette was tasty, but really on the small side when you compare to ones at Weck's or The Range. We shared an order of smashed mini potatoes drizzled with a red pepper sauce and a white sauce. They were very good and the portion was good for 2. The ice tea was freshly made and our server refilled without asking. We will come back again to try the dinner menu.

Scott J.

Really nice local joint Kick back bar area with mixed drink focus Good tap beer selection Chef driven menu....small plates selection which you can definitely share (Adding picture of onion rings..wow) Pork belly on a burger ! Yep. I ate it all Neighborhood atmosphere Get in here and try it! Parking....pull around past the Twisters restaurant....or from Target area there is a dirt path....lol

Lorelei P.

This was our first time visiting this bar / restaurant. I must say that the driving direction via Siri took us on a confusing road trip. We were able to thankfully get to the location. Parking lot isn't very large but we were able to get parking right up front. The signage for this place is pretty large that you can see if the 528. Also, they have the menu displayed outside for those who want to look at the menu before entering the restaurant. We had already looked at what they served online and everything looked delicious. We visited on a Thursday night. There were many patrons in there but thankfully it wasn't too crowded. We were able to get a table right away. Our server, Chassidy started us off with water since we told her this was our first time in there. We looked over the menu. She informed us that everything was made to order. And that all items in terms of food was made to share. Their drinks are also hand-crafted. Looks like they have a variety of different libations for those who want to explore their menu. I will say that while dining there plenty of the patrons had tried many of the drinks and they looked amazing We started off with the ceviche served with fried wontons cut into strips. This ceviche was flavorful and we enjoyed every bite of it. The wonton strips were a little hard and might've been stale. But it didn't take away from the flavor of this appetizer. We ordered the following for our dinner. Philly Cheesesteak, with Cheese Wiz, grilled onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. There's an option to do chicken and impossible meat, instead of steak. You can also pick other cheeses. Vegetable options included in the Philly cheesesteak is green chili. For those of you that love green chili. Alongside our order of Philly Cheesesteaks, we ordered the Shoestring fries and the onion rings. The shoestring fries were pretty good. Because it had herbs and sea salt. Onion rings, we're not that great. Although they were huge onion rings, it was too greasy to enjoy it. Overall, we had a good experience here. We plan to visit again and bring friends too! Thank you!

Emily S.

Wow. Picked for my birthday and even though I'm old the fresh menu and music was just my style. Waiter was excellent also. It's just great to find a spot with excellent home made everything. Reminds be of some great restaurants I have missed since we moved from Ca in 2020. Will be back.

Anthony B.

When some friends wanted to go to a place known for tapas, or appetizers, I wasn't so sure. I like actual meals rather than samplers. But these friends know what they're talking about in the eats department so off we went. I am so glad I went. We went nuts on the tapas, or appetizers, menu. Mushrooms, bacon-wrapped dates, meatballs, cheeses. And, without exception, everything was served with flair and style and the dishes were absolutely off the hook. There wasn't one thing we had that wasn't absolutely fantastic. That goes to the drinks, too, including smoked cocktails which are almost as much fun to watch being poured as they are to enjoy. Lastly, the service. It's clear the owner treats her team well and respects them. To a person the whole staff was outstanding and enthusiastic. That's tough to do but they've done it. It's clear that the whole team is empowered to make decisions and offer suggestions. Overall this is absolutely one of the best places I've been in New Mexico and somewhere you absolutely should try. Seriously.

Jeremy B.

We were recommended to Whiplash by our hotel and it was great! Lots of small plates to share and choose from which I love since everyone gets to try a bunch of different things. Onion rings were some of the best I've had! The shrimp dish was a hit as were the fries and flash fried Brussels!! We enjoyed the Chicharrones but thought they were a little more on the dry side and some pieces lacked flavor. We also were not big fans of the bread which was pretty dense not easy to eat. They also have very creative and unique drinks that were excellent. Also as far as pricing goes, good value for the level and quality of food & cocktails they put out. I would have excepted to pay more for the quality of food we received. I will say there were times when it was hard to find a server, and it did take a while to get our food and drinks, but the service was still above average and very solid. It seemed like they probably needed a few more members of staff, but the staff that was there was very friendly, worked hard, and all helped every table. This was also on a Saturday night from around 5-6:30 On the whole, we enjoyed our food & experience and will return the next time in the area.

Avram L.

Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals, I get my back into my living. I don't need to fight, To prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven.... Whiptail and our Server Alajandra were spot on. We shared the Quinoa Salad filled with delish arugula, apple sticks, fennel, quinoa sprinkles, et al and a Shrimp Po Boy on a fresh crunchy so good baguette, filled with large plump juicy crispy well seasoned shrimp with a nice slaw. This was so Cheffy good...all washed down with glasses of Absoluto Malbec. She takes my hand. We'll travel south cross land. Put out the fire. And don't look past my shoulder, The exodus is here... The happy ones are near... off their rail, Let's get together, before we get much older...and enjoy this very good new restaurant...Whiptail..:) Best, Avram Baba O'Riley Jr.