Guidebook for Albuquerque
Food Scene
Authentic New Mexican food. Sadie's has been around for a long time and is a classic local favorite.
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Sadie's
5400 Academy Rd NEAuthentic New Mexican food. Sadie's has been around for a long time and is a classic local favorite.
Another classic New Mexican restaurant. A little more expensive, but very nice feel. The outdoor area is quite nice.
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El Pinto Restaurant
10500 4th St NWAnother classic New Mexican restaurant. A little more expensive, but very nice feel. The outdoor area is quite nice.
Another classic New Mexican restaurant. They have the most flavorful green chile. The interior garden area is quite nice as well. A bit off the beaten trail. Mostly locals who come here.
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Casa de Benavidez
8032 4th St NWAnother classic New Mexican restaurant. They have the most flavorful green chile. The interior garden area is quite nice as well. A bit off the beaten trail. Mostly locals who come here.
Great local Italian food. I especially love their massive Calzones.
Mario's Pizzeria & Ristorante Paseo and Wyoming
7501 Paseo Del Norte Blvd NEGreat local Italian food. I especially love their massive Calzones.
Founded in Albuquerque but has since spread into a few neighboring states. I love their pizza!
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Dion's
8100 Wyoming Blvd NEFounded in Albuquerque but has since spread into a few neighboring states. I love their pizza!
Another Albuquerque brand. Attracts more of the upscale, trendy crowd. Great food across a wide variety of food. Mainly New Mexican and American.
I love their Breakfast Burritos.
Plan on $15-20 per person.
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Flying Star Cafe
3416 Central Ave NEAnother Albuquerque brand. Attracts more of the upscale, trendy crowd. Great food across a wide variety of food. Mainly New Mexican and American.
I love their Breakfast Burritos.
Plan on $15-20 per person.
Decent, more upscale Japanese restaurant. Food is top notch. Great sushi and fun hibachi grill where they chefs put on a show.
More spendy than other places, but good food that accommodates it. I'd plan on a minimum of $15 per person if being a minimalist. But $25-30 per person is more appropriate if getting whatever you really want.
Hayashi Japanese Steakhouse
6321 San Mateo Blvd NEDecent, more upscale Japanese restaurant. Food is top notch. Great sushi and fun hibachi grill where they chefs put on a show.
More spendy than other places, but good food that accommodates it. I'd plan on a minimum of $15 per person if being a minimalist. But $25-30 per person is more appropriate if getting whatever you really want.
My wife loves this place. I haven't been, but she recommended it as more modern / trendy for seafood.
Slapfish
6400 Holly Ave NEMy wife loves this place. I haven't been, but she recommended it as more modern / trendy for seafood.
For Albuquerque, this place is fairly high-end. Most plates are in the $30-$50 range. I'd plan on spending around $50-60 per person.
Amazing service. Best seafood I've ever had in Albuquerque. Top notch. I bring Clients here for important meetings.
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
5011 Pan American Fwy NEFor Albuquerque, this place is fairly high-end. Most plates are in the $30-$50 range. I'd plan on spending around $50-60 per person.
Amazing service. Best seafood I've ever had in Albuquerque. Top notch. I bring Clients here for important meetings.
One of my favorite burger joints. I'm a big hamburger person, and the burgers here have the right amount of grease, juice, tons of toppings, and the right amount of messiness. Great flavor. Their regular fries are disappointing, get the Cajun fries! Plan on around $15 per person.
Five Guys
6550 Paseo Del Norte Blvd NEOne of my favorite burger joints. I'm a big hamburger person, and the burgers here have the right amount of grease, juice, tons of toppings, and the right amount of messiness. Great flavor. Their regular fries are disappointing, get the Cajun fries! Plan on around $15 per person.
Another great burger joint. They are a chain, but their burgers are great tasting (get the 1/3 or 1/2 pound) and the prices are very reasonable. $8 or so for a burger. Amazing! After fries, drinks, etc... maybe $13-15 per person if going all out.
Only real downside is I'm not a huge fan of their fries. We usually get a milkshake instead!
Fuddruckers
2120 Yale Blvd SEAnother great burger joint. They are a chain, but their burgers are great tasting (get the 1/3 or 1/2 pound) and the prices are very reasonable. $8 or so for a burger. Amazing! After fries, drinks, etc... maybe $13-15 per person if going all out.
Only real downside is I'm not a huge fan of their fries. We usually get a milkshake instead!
Another local to ABQ burger joint. They have positioned themselves to be more upscale and attract that kind of crowd. The burgers tend not to be as messy as other places, more of a clean presentation, but have a lot of flavor.
Plan on $20 or so per person here if getting the fixings.
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5 Star Burgers
1710 Central Ave SWAnother local to ABQ burger joint. They have positioned themselves to be more upscale and attract that kind of crowd. The burgers tend not to be as messy as other places, more of a clean presentation, but have a lot of flavor.
Plan on $20 or so per person here if getting the fixings.
Very trendy, hip feel. Tends to attract the younger crowd. Burgers have a more new age feel and vibe to them. If that's your thing, you will love this place.
I try to stop by here whenever I'm in the area. Great tasting burgers! I like their fries too which is usually a miss at other burger joints in town. Burgers tend to be $10-12 each. Plan on $15-18 per person with the fixings.
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Holy Burger
700 Central Ave SEVery trendy, hip feel. Tends to attract the younger crowd. Burgers have a more new age feel and vibe to them. If that's your thing, you will love this place.
I try to stop by here whenever I'm in the area. Great tasting burgers! I like their fries too which is usually a miss at other burger joints in town. Burgers tend to be $10-12 each. Plan on $15-18 per person with the fixings.
My wife loves this place and goes here a lot with her girlfriends. If you like tea and a very lengthy, pampered, drawn out experience (like 2-3 hours), then come here. Reminds me of the melting pot, but tea. I have not been here. But this is one of her favorite spots. Very unique.
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St James Tearoom
320 Osuna Rd NEMy wife loves this place and goes here a lot with her girlfriends. If you like tea and a very lengthy, pampered, drawn out experience (like 2-3 hours), then come here. Reminds me of the melting pot, but tea. I have not been here. But this is one of her favorite spots. Very unique.
Drinks & Nightlife
I primarily visit here early evenings after work or for lunch. Decent food for a brewery. Has an interesting feel to it. Great variety of brews.
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Bosque Brewing Co.
8900 San Mateo Blvd NEI primarily visit here early evenings after work or for lunch. Decent food for a brewery. Has an interesting feel to it. Great variety of brews.
Decent bar food. Great prices. Ambiance isn't as great as some of the other more fancy bars, but not bad. Mainly come here when wanting drinks but also some nice cheap, plentiful decent bar food with a group of friends.
They sometimes have live music.
Stoneface Tavern
8201 San Pedro Dr NEDecent bar food. Great prices. Ambiance isn't as great as some of the other more fancy bars, but not bad. Mainly come here when wanting drinks but also some nice cheap, plentiful decent bar food with a group of friends.
They sometimes have live music.
The nicest, most upscale bar / brewery I've been to in Albuquerque. Great ambiance. Right next to a pizza place. When I come here, I usually grab pizza and a few drinks. Good beer on tap. More spendy than the other bars I've listed. More of an upscale crowd.
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Marble Tap Room
9904 Montgomery Blvd NEThe nicest, most upscale bar / brewery I've been to in Albuquerque. Great ambiance. Right next to a pizza place. When I come here, I usually grab pizza and a few drinks. Good beer on tap. More spendy than the other bars I've listed. More of an upscale crowd.
Essentials
Closest Grocery store. Nice. Has a good food selection. Fairly limited on items outside of food. Go to Walmart if looking for a larger selection.
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Smith's Food and Drug
6125 4th St NWClosest Grocery store. Nice. Has a good food selection. Fairly limited on items outside of food. Go to Walmart if looking for a larger selection.
If Walmart / Supercenter is your thing, this is the closest one. They have all the food and various supplies you could want.
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Walmart Supercenter
301 San Mateo Blvd SEIf Walmart / Supercenter is your thing, this is the closest one. They have all the food and various supplies you could want.
If farm grown, organic, etc... foods is your thing - this is the place! Cost a fair amount more than Smith's or Walmart (usually 2-3x), but the quality is also much higher here. Fruits can be a real hit or miss at Smith's / Walmart, but fruit here tends to always be really good.
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Whole Foods Market
5815 Wyoming Blvd NEIf farm grown, organic, etc... foods is your thing - this is the place! Cost a fair amount more than Smith's or Walmart (usually 2-3x), but the quality is also much higher here. Fruits can be a real hit or miss at Smith's / Walmart, but fruit here tends to always be really good.
Shopping
A huge selection of stores, higher-end feel. Nothing like your mall. More spendy, but nicer feel. Lots of good restaurants in the area as well.
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ABQ Uptown
2200 Louisiana Blvd NEA huge selection of stores, higher-end feel. Nothing like your mall. More spendy, but nicer feel. Lots of good restaurants in the area as well.
Classic, traditional Mall. One of two good Malls in Albuquerque. I tend to prefer this mall over the Cottonwood Mall on the Westside due to a slightly higher end feel and it being so close to ABQ Uptown.
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Coronado Center
6600 Menaul Blvd NEClassic, traditional Mall. One of two good Malls in Albuquerque. I tend to prefer this mall over the Cottonwood Mall on the Westside due to a slightly higher end feel and it being so close to ABQ Uptown.
Arts & Culture
This is where Albuquerque was founded in the early 1700s. Lots of tiny shops, fairly touristy. If art, culture, and the southwest is your thing, then this is a must stop. Parking can be a real pain if you decide to visit when lots of other people are visiting too, so be warned! Cars were not around when this part of the city was laid out!
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Old Town Plaza
200 N Plaza St NWThis is where Albuquerque was founded in the early 1700s. Lots of tiny shops, fairly touristy. If art, culture, and the southwest is your thing, then this is a must stop. Parking can be a real pain if you decide to visit when lots of other people are visiting too, so be warned! Cars were not around when this part of the city was laid out!
This place is right in the middle of Nob Hill (sometimes jokingly referred to as Snob Hill). Centered on old Route 66, this general area has lots of stores with a lot of character and culture. Tends to cater to people on the slightly higher end. But because it is so close to the university, it's also not entirely uncommon to see the trendy younger crowd here either. Gives a good sense of what Route 66 is all about.
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Two Fools Tavern
3211 Central Ave NEThis place is right in the middle of Nob Hill (sometimes jokingly referred to as Snob Hill). Centered on old Route 66, this general area has lots of stores with a lot of character and culture. Tends to cater to people on the slightly higher end. But because it is so close to the university, it's also not entirely uncommon to see the trendy younger crowd here either. Gives a good sense of what Route 66 is all about.
Entertainment & Activities
Usually the choice movie theater in town. Nothing too special. Pretty generic large chain theater. Though, tends to be nicer than most of the other theaters in town. Massive parking lot.
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Century Rio 24 Plex and XD
4901 Pan American Fwy NEUsually the choice movie theater in town. Nothing too special. Pretty generic large chain theater. Though, tends to be nicer than most of the other theaters in town. Massive parking lot.
Parks & Nature
Best serious hike in Albuquerque area. 6 mi each way with a lot of elevation gain. Quite hard, but worth it. Amazing views. Can't be beat in this area, perhaps even the state. Quite popular, so parking can be a nightmare if you don't show up early.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/la-luz-trail
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La Luz Trail
Best serious hike in Albuquerque area. 6 mi each way with a lot of elevation gain. Quite hard, but worth it. Amazing views. Can't be beat in this area, perhaps even the state. Quite popular, so parking can be a nightmare if you don't show up early.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/la-luz-trail
City managed open space which was a huge land grant area. A great place for some easy hiking and sight seeing of nature at the Sandia Mountain foothills.
Be careful of rattle snakes depending on the time of year (usually they like to hide in the larger rocks). If you stay on trail, it's much rarer to come across them. Also the great thing is they rattle their tails when unhappy, so hard to accidentally step on them.
I think it's $5 per car or something like that. Quite cheap.
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Elena Gallegos Open Space
7100 Tramway Blvd NECity managed open space which was a huge land grant area. A great place for some easy hiking and sight seeing of nature at the Sandia Mountain foothills.
Be careful of rattle snakes depending on the time of year (usually they like to hide in the larger rocks). If you stay on trail, it's much rarer to come across them. Also the great thing is they rattle their tails when unhappy, so hard to accidentally step on them.
I think it's $5 per car or something like that. Quite cheap.
Park off of Alameda. Nice nature area down by the Rio Grande. Great place to go for a stroll. In particular, we like to do picnics here!
Free!
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Alameda Open Space
Rio Grande Boulevard NorthwestPark off of Alameda. Nice nature area down by the Rio Grande. Great place to go for a stroll. In particular, we like to do picnics here!
Free!
Closest park. Great for kids! Several rather large kid play areas with lots of things to do. Also a very large field. Sometimes the city throws events here, like concerts, or movies. The community center also sometimes does activities as well.
I believe there is a gym here.
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North Domingo Baca Park
7521 Carmel Ave NEClosest park. Great for kids! Several rather large kid play areas with lots of things to do. Also a very large field. Sometimes the city throws events here, like concerts, or movies. The community center also sometimes does activities as well.
I believe there is a gym here.
Juan Tabo Picnic Site
Nice picnic location in the Sandia Foothills. Great views.