Albuquerque - Downtown
 | | | |  | rating (21 votes) |
A diverse array of drinkers stops by for a cold one every night at the Anodyne. No matter what social clique you belong to or what your beverage of choice is, the staff at the Anodyne make sure you get it fast. It only takes a few visits before the bartenders know what you want before you even ask for it. (Alibi Staff, December 23, 2010)
Artichoke Café
Lunch:
Mon-Fri: 11am-2:30pm
Dinner:
Sun-Thu: 5pm-9pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-10pm
Happy Hour:
Mon-Fri: 3pm-6pm
Closed Sun (hours can change without notice)
| | | | | rating (85 votes) |
It only makes sense to order the steamed artichoke at the Artichoke Café. Slathered in lemon-caper oil and a raspberry vinaigrette, it makes a great starter before trying a more hefty order of grilled curried chicken or sliced steak. Once your lunch or dinner at the upscale Artichoke Café has concluded, you’ve got to adjourn to the sexy wine bar next door. The wine list is actually a leather-bound tome with a massive assortment of wines. Prices start at a decent $28 or $30 a bottle and zoom up into the upper stratospheres of frivolity, but you can also order select vintages by the half-bottle or glass. You'll love the front-facing "big city" windows, curvy wooden bar and comfortable seats. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010)
Burt's Tiki Lounge
Cuisine: Bar
Booze Served • Full Bar • Craft Beer • Wine • Live Music • DJ • Outdoor Patio • Smoking Permitted • Lounge
| | | | | rating (31 votes) |
Technically speaking, a dive bar indicates an establishment of ill repute. Furthermore, while we're being technical, Burt's Tiki Lounge is a tiki bar. In any case, the new location for the old Albuquerque favorite is shiny, new and better than ever. The two-level bar not only is getting the best musical acts in the country, they remain showcasing the best local talent. Get whatever your mood requires: Chi Chi, Mai Tai or PBR, there’s no judgement here. (Alibi Staff, December 23, 2010)
Dialogue Brewing
Mon-Wed 4pm-midnight, Thu-Sun noon-midnight (hours can change without notice)
$$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Craft Beer • Wine • Cider • Live Music • DJ • Outdoor Patio • Wireless Internet • Dog-Friendly
| | | | | rating (1 vote) |
This indoor-outdoor brewery is as cozy as it is fun. The bartenders are friendly and informative, and you’ll often find the owners working the taps with a smile. The identifying feature of the outdoor patio are metal towers stretching high above the building. Gaze up at them as you savor an American dark sour or Scarlet beh gose. (Alibi Staff, February 22, 2017)
Downtown Distillery
Sun 4pm-midnight, Mon-Sat 4pm-1am (hours can change without notice)
Cuisine: Deli/Sandwiches
| | | | | rating (16 votes) |
Climb what feels like 500 stairs and enter into a small, neon lit pool hall. In the era of internet jukeboxes, any song you want can blast through the speakers while you pool shark your way through the night. Order from the food trucks downstairs, and mix the best of both worlds: street food and jukebox pool. (Alibi Staff, December 23, 2010)
Duel Taproom
Sun 1-8pm
Mon-Thu noon-10pm
Fri-Sat noon-midnight (hours can change without notice)
$$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Wine Bar • Craft Beer • Take Out / To-Go • Live Music • DJ
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Cruise down Central to this Belgian-style brewery in the heart of Downtown. There’s plenty of room for everyone in the enormous space and plenty of beers to choose from. Try the Manikin small Scottish ale, Whistler blonde or Fiction IPA. Get yours by the glass, bottle, growler or keg. (Alibi Staff, February 3, 2017)
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If you’re in the mood to stay up with the twinkling stars and experience how wild Downtown can get, put on your tallest stilettos and totter over to Effex. This popular gay nightclub features go-go dancers, badass DJs, a rooftop bar and tons of people with whom you can get your groove on. Grab a drink from one of multiple bar areas and shake that thang. (Alibi Staff, July 13, 2017)
Farina Pizzeria & Wine Bar
Mon: 11am-9pm
Tues-Fri: 11am-10pm
Sat: Noon-10pm
Sun: 5-9pm (hours can change without notice)
Full review: Seriously sexy food (12/25/2008)
Read more: Food News: Green Jeans Farmery delayed, and more (11/5/2015)
| | | | | rating (117 votes) |
Across Edith from the Artichoke Café, Farina’s proximity to some of the most established fine dining in Albuquerque isn't an accident. Farina is the punked-up younger sibling of jazzy Artichoke Café, and it brings a tantalizingly direct message to the neighborhood: pizza, beer and wine, and all of it damn good. Sharp, concise and to the point with 20 superb choices offered by the glass or bottle, Farina’s wine list is straightforward and focused. The bar is comfortable and every wine is perfectly matched to the kitchen’s chic pizzeria offerings. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010)
Holy Cow
Mon-Thu 11am - 10pm
Fri-Sat 11am-11PM
Sun:11am-9pm (hours can change without notice)
Cuisine: American
| | | | | rating (22 votes) |
The New Mexico grass-fed Holy Cow burger comes on a brioche bun, while an ahi tuna sandwich, veggie club and dinner salads offer some more choices for bovine-averse diners. Beer and wine, plus shakes, malts and floats are available to complete the sacrament. (Alibi Staff, September 1, 2011)
Ibiza at Hotel Andaluz
Mon-Thurs: 4pm-10pm
Fri-Sat: 4pm-12am (hours can change without notice)
Full review: The view from Ibiza (5/30/2013)
| | | | | rating (16 votes) |
This rooftop bar offers a breezy patio, a menu of small plates and specialty cocktails for those looking to relax after a long day at work (the kind where you wear suits!). The food is hit or miss, but the house-created cocktails—like the spicy-yet-refreshing cucumber-jalapeño margarita—make it well worth a visit. (Alibi Staff, October 10, 2012)
In Albuquerque there are a handful of rocking places to rock, but when it comes to really rocking out to some sweet rocking rock, be it shredding, noodling, head banging or self-conscious toe-tapping, the Launchpad is where the magic happens. Grab a cocktail or a beer from the bar, head upstairs and enjoy the show. (Alibi Staff, December 23, 2010)
The Library Bar and Grill
Mon-Sat: 11am-2am
Sun: noon-midnight (hours can change without notice)
Happy Hour!: every Friday 3:00:00 pm - 8:00:00 pmHappy Hour!: 4:00:00 pm - 7:00:00 pm
| | | | | rating (46 votes) |
The food is pretty standard bar fare with burgers and the like. But hey, you can have a delicious Pickleback (whiskey and pickle juice) to wash it down. Then hop out onto the dance floor, cheer on the neon go-go dancers and boogie. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010)
If twerking contests, 18-year-olds and urban dance music is your bag, well, enjoy. Drink some vodka (if you’re over 21), get sweaty on the dance floor with a stranger, and gaze up at the go-go dancers in boots with the fur (with the fur) as they get everybody amped up and ready to drop it like it’s hawt. (Alibi Staff, December 23, 2010)
Marble Brewery
Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30am (hours can change without notice)
Cuisine: Brewery
Read more: Food News (6/5/2008)
Read more: Patio and Happy Hour Guide: Pati-yo’ Beer Belly (6/16/2016)
| | | | | rating (112 votes) |
After admiring the expanded interior and hip industrial-style lighting, have an award-winning beer or three and wobble on over to whatever food truck is there (which you can find on their website). While the trucks stay until about 10pm, Marble is open ‘til midnight every night except Sunday. Listen to some live bands on the community patio every Saturday night, or grab a growler, six-pack or keg to go if you want to avoid the loyal following this Albuquerque favorite has gathered. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010)
Sidetrack Brewery
Mon-Thur 3-11pm, Fri 3pm-midnight, Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-10pm (hours can change without notice)
| | | | | rating (2 votes) |
If you’re in need of a good conversation and a personalized sampling flight, Sidetrack is the best brewery to go to. The servers are personable and chatty, but if you’re feeling introspective or want a private conversation, take your drink and meal (the food is provided by local restaurants that they have on rotation) and head out to the gorgeous patio. The beer selection is always changing, so there’s always something new to try at this modern taproom. (Alibi Staff, February 22, 2017)
Sister
$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Full Bar • Craft Beer • Wine • Cider • Bar snacks • Take Out / To-Go • Live Music • DJ • Dancing • Outdoor Patio • Wireless Internet
Full review: Next level bar food at Sister (5/11/2017)
| | | | | rating (32 votes) |
The cavernous, ground-floor counterpart to Anodyne, Sister is a space tailor-made for happenings. This is a perfect spot for enjoying a quiet dip into the vast draft beer selection with your comrades after work or boogying to the multitude of live bands that occupy its stage nearly every night. Don’t miss the Sunday brunch—our favorite hangover cure is the breakfast burger. (Alibi Staff, February 1, 2013)
Slate Street Café
Mon: 7:30am-3pm
Tue-Thurs: 7:30am-3pm, 5-9pm
Fri: 7:30am-3pm, 5-10pm
Sat: 9am-2pm, 5-10pm
Sun: 9am-2pm (hours can change without notice)
$$$ • Vegetarian Available • Gluten-free available • Booze Served • Wine Bar • Craft Beer • Wine • Catering • Take Out / To-Go • Outdoor Patio • Wireless Internet • Lounge
Full review: The Slate Street Café (9/3/2015)
Full review: This ain’t your mama’s meatloaf (1/3/2008)
Read more: Patio and Happy Hour Guide (6/8/2017)
Read more: Mina's Dish: Two museum cafés offer more than eye candy (10/20/2011)
| | | | | rating (105 votes) |
Slate is on a quiet, blink-and-you-miss-it avenue between Fifth and Sixth Street, nestled right in the heart of the legal district. Like the space itself, the menu is polished and unintimidating. Don’t miss the ahi tuna sandwich (with gluten-free bread available!). It's all very affordable for its level of quality. There’s also a fabulous wine loft with the wines listed by style—“just a little sweet,” “ABC: Anything But Chardonnay” or “sexy, elegant, austere”—not varietal or region. Demystifying the label like this makes it easy for patrons to pair wine and food. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010)
Zullo’s Bistro
Tue-Wed 11am-9pm, Thu 11am-11pm, Fri 11am-midnight, Sat-Sun noon-11pm (hours can change without notice)
Cuisine: Italian
| | | | | rating (9 votes) |
In the space of the old Blackbird Buvette is Zullo’s Bistro. Pop over to sip a glass of pinot noir and munch on a insalata caprese in their spacious back patio, complete with twinkle lights and overhead shades. Happy Hour is every day from 3-6pm or take advantage of their Wednesday couple’s night special: dinner for two including a whole bottle of wine for $40. Mamma mia, that’s a deal! (Alibi Staff, June 2, 2017)
Albuquerque - Fairgrounds
The Cooperage
Mon-Fri: 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm
Sat: noon-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm
Sun: noon-9pm (hours can change without notice)
| | | | | rating (96 votes) |
The Cooperage is old-school Albuquerque, right down to the dusty light fixtures. The barrel-shaped steakhouse has been a standby for 30 years thanks to its mile-long complimentary salad and soup bar, aged steaks (at a place like this, prime rib is king) and a big dance floor that’s always packed on the weekends. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010)
