Step back in time for old-fashioned diner food and atmosphere with a New Mexican twist (incarnate in the hot-and-spicy Frito pie). The real stars in this place, though, are the awesome frozen desserts. They run the gamut from mammoth banana splits to 99-cent teeny-weeny hot fudge sundaes. The milkshakes come in almost any flavor combination you can think of and are some of the creamiest, most lip-smacking concoctions around.
Look beyond the marketing gimmick of the poor, sweaty guy asphyxiating on the Central median, face concealed behind a sequined Mexican wrestling mask. Chow down inside the colorful restaurant (try the fresh peanut salsa and horchata) ’til 11 p.m. on weekends!
Brickyard Pizza is known for fast slices and beers on the cheap. It's the only full bar directly across from UNM, making it the prime watering hole for your post-theater and post- or pre-class needs. It also sometimes has live music and, usually, more televised sports than you can handle.
In the front, it's a standard restaurant laid out with a small bar and big window facing the street. Travel a short way through a blacklit hall and enter the kind of friendly neighborhood hangout this city needs more of, complete with TVs, a jukebox, a ping-pong table, air hockey and arcade games. Though the entire menu is available no matter where you choose to spend your time, you can't go wrong with the twisty-crust pizza.
If your thirst for sports requires that you watch them on more than a dozen screens, you’d better head over to Coaches. You can root your team on while gorging yourself on first-rate American fare. There’s also a lounge that features an assortment of old-school video games and a less raucous atmosphere than the rest of the restaurant.
With an ambitious menu of tapas from around the world, the crowd here (especially when there’s live music) is young and diverse. Filling up on small plates can get expensive, but there are bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese, lollipop lamb chops with olive tapenade and scallops al pil-pil. The mixed drinks are interesting (try the Samba).
Gelato is a gift from the gods. These flavors are fantastic (try the tiramisu), the texture is soothing and it's lower in fat than ice cream. Stop by Ecco for a tasty frozen treat, a hot, hand-pressed espresso and a European-style café experience. Open until 10 p.m. weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends!
Winner of Best Casual Dining, Best Veggie Burger, Best Toast, Best Healthy Breakfast and Best Desserts in our 2008 restaurant poll, this Nob Hill staple is open the latest of all the Flying Star locations—until 11:30 p.m. weeknights, and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Frontier is pretty much the one restaurant most folks in Albuquerque can agree on. Breakfast burritos, sweet rolls, huevos rancheros, green chile stew, fresh-squeezed orange juice: It’s all great. The ambience is strictly cafeteria plus lots of plants and tons of John Wayne art. Don’t miss this place, whatever you do. Now open until 1 a.m. every night.
Gecko’s has a killer patio in a corner of Nob Hill that’s perfect for people-watching. Set directly between La Montañita Co-op and Scalo, you’ll be sure to bump into folks you know as you’re sipping a cocktail and enjoying tidbits from the affordably priced tapas menu.
Il Vicino’s thin-crusted, gourmet-topped pizzas and salads are perennial favorites among Alibi readers, but the big salads and sandwiches are equally popular. Order at the register and a server brings the food to your table. Stop in for a bite and a microbrew until 11 p.m. weeknights, midnight on the weekend.
Imbibe is an über-trendy cigar lounge with backlit smoke-tendril art and contemporary seating. There are hordes of annoying knockoff-clad barflies as far as the eye can see, but you can smoke indoors, the humidor is well-stocked and well-attended by knowledgeable staff, and there’s a rooftop deck (if you can make it up there; there’s always a line).
Besides the late-night menus and 20-odd house-brewed beers, Kelly's has an enormous, dog-friendly patio that somehow manages to be packed to the elbows, lively and laid-back all at the same time. The food is decidedly geared toward the bar crowd, with shades of cow, ostrich, turkey, buffalo or veggie on the burger menu. Get one with a side of sweet potato fries.
If you like your comfort food with a gourmet twist, it’s here. Nob Hill Bar and Grill boasts meatloaf (crowned with smoked bacon), enchiladas (mole-braised duck) and burgers (kobe, and you can add fois gras). Signature cocktails, a few solid vegetarian entrées, and a comfy but chic atmosphere make Nob Hill Bar and Grill a great addition to the neighborhood.
O'Niell's is comforting, a little cheeky and unapologetically Irish-American. All the old standouts like the “Burger in Paradise” and fish and chips are still there, as is live music on weekend nights. The huge patio is gorgeous.
Saggios serves up some of the biggest slices in town. Dotted with fat slices of sausage and loads of gooey cheese, it’s one of our top favorite ’za destinations. The crust is moderately thin, but the edges are puffed and crunchy, just like we like ’em. Even though it can be loud, thetrompe l’oeilmurals are even louder—dine in until 10 p.m. weeknights and 11 p.m. weekends.
The surprising thing about Scalo is that it’s simultaneously more fancy and less expensive than you’d think. It’s just as breezy and classy as ever in its high-ceilinged dining room, while the patio has had a nice long season of pleasant weather. All of the bottles on the wine list are half-price on Monday nights, and there’s always free live jazz in the bar.
This British Isles-style pub is the brainchild of successful local restaurateur Tom White (Scalo and Il Vicino). Highlights include buckets of beer, scads of Scotches and a full menu until 11 p.m. weekdays and midnight on weekends.
Zinc is a delightfully renovated historic space in Nob Hill, reborn as an upscale restaurant serving elegant American food with noticeable French inspiration. Downstairs, the wine bar attracts a younger crowd for drinks and music.
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