   | Albuquerque Restaurants with Vegetarian Available AlbuquerqueThe nickel slots are bright, noisy: Bien Shur is subdued, quiet, tasteful. The dining room is classy and beautiful but still comfortable, leaving diners to contemplate the wonderful contemporary cuisine and stunning views of the city and Sandia mountains. After your meal, you can head back downstairs into the casino scuffle for some live jazz in the Tlur P’a Lounge and a hand of video poker. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] A New Mexico tradition since 1952! For a quick, award-winning (for both Best Burger and Best French Fries) burger or chili dog, fresh fries and fountain favorites that hit the spot for just a pocketful of change, it’s got to be Blake’s. Countless counters are scattered throughout the city, and each is a model of efficiency and cleanliness. Why look any further? They’re easy to spot from afar—just keep an eye out for the giant Asian Uncle Sam sign. This one even has a drive-through. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] A New Mexico tradition since 1952! For an award-winning (for both Best Burger and Best French Fries), quick burger or chili dog, fresh fries and fountain favorites that hit the spot for just a pocketful of change, it’s got to be Blake’s. Countless counters are scattered throughout the city, and each one is a model of efficiency and cleanliness. Why look any further? They’re easy to spot from afar—just keep an eye out for the giant Asian Uncle Sam sign. Comes with a drive through, too. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review A New Mexico tradition since 1952! For an award-winning, quick burger or chili dog, fresh fries and fountain favorites that hit the spot for just a pocketful of change, it’s got to be Blake’s. Countless counters are scattered throughout the city, and each one is a model of efficiency and cleanliness. Why look any further? They’re easy to spot from afar—just keep an eye out for the giant Asian Uncle Sam sign. Comes with a drive through, too. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Flying Star CaféSun-Thurs: 6am-10pm
Fri-Sat: 6am-11pm (subject to change)
Winner of Best Casual Dining, Best Veggie Burger, Best Toast, Best Healthy Breakfast and Best Desserts in our restaurant polls. Sure, you go in thinking you’ll be good and get a skinny latte, scrambled egg whites and a side of turkey and green chile sausage, but five minutes later somebody’s saying “eclair” and the voice is coming from your mouth. But, boy, do they taste good. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Guava Tree CafeMon-Wed: 11am - 3:30pm / Thu-Sat: 11am - 7pm Closed Sun (subject to change)
Plum Cafe Asian Grill serves a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food that’s new to the city. Wyn Chao and his brother Brian Triem have been working for 10 months in preparation for their recent opening, but they’re a part of a family restaurant business that began decades ago. (They opened Banana Leaf in Rio Rancho, which they sold in 2006.) Plum uses the order-at-the counter model, but the dining area is spacious and elegant. Plus, its location in the Century Rio complex is right on the money for folks looking for a bite before or after the movies. Most dishes can be made vegetarian. The tama cod, battered and crispy, is glazed in a tamarind sauce that would appeal to orange chicken fans. The Thai mango curry is creamy and expertly spiced, but you can always ask to have the heat adjusted. (Alibi Staff, March 29, 2012) Add a Review Albuquerque - Downtown Blackbird BuvetteMon-Fri: 11am-2am
Sat: noon-2am
Sun: noon-midnight (subject to change) $$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Full Bar • Craft Beer • NM Beer • Live Music • DJ • Karaoke • Dancing • Outdoor Patio • Wireless Internet • Dog-Friendly • Credit Cards
The old home of Pearl's Dive has a new lease on life. Brainchild of local band The Dirty Novels, the Blackbird has been appropriately rock ’n’ rolled with excellent music, black-clad waitresses and a cool look. There are an impressive number of draft and bottled beers, and a few nice wines by the glass, which are fan-freaking-tastic on the back patio. By the way, "buvette" (boo-vet) is a loose French translation for "refreshment bar." Now you’re really in the know. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 22 ] AmerAsia & Sumo SushiMonday - Saturday
11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Friday - Saturday
5 - 9:30 p.m. (subject to change)
Dim sum and sushi under the same roof? It's like a dream come true. The beautiful interior of the antique filling station just east of the federal courthouse is a marked change from the cozy home interior of where AmerAsia used to reside near the University. Hyangami Yi's food is just as good as ever. Expect her familiar dim sum plates and buns, and feel free to order sushi like you've never had in this town from her brother Woo Youn. He's got all the usual sashimi and nigiri in his adjoining restaurant, but it's the original, creative rolls that really set Sumo apart—that, and the adorable little train that ferries your pickled ginger around the sushi bar. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ] Artichoke Café and Wine BarLunch: Mon-Fri: 11am-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon: 5:30-9pm
Tues-Sat: 5:30-10pm
Sun: 5-9pm
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 3-6pm (subject to change)
Once your lunch or dinner at the upscale Artichoke Café has concluded, you’ve got to adjourn to the sexy new 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. It’s open until 11 p.m. on the weekends, but beware: The kitchen stops serving at 10 p.m. No matter. It’s got one hell of a breadbasket, and, as our server once suggested, "You can fill up on the wine!" Don't mind if we do! (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Asian Noodle BarMon-Thurs: 11am-9pm
Fri&Sat: 11am-11pm
Closed Sunday (subject to change)
This is the spot for a satisfying pre- or post-movie bowl of noodles, with a menu that stretches across the Asian continent. Think pho and pad Thai with a side of Japanese cold sesame noodles. The warming Thai soup is restorative on chilly days. Inside, it’s clean, classy and calm, and open until 11 p.m. on the weekends. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 5 ]  bRgRMonday though Friday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon to 9:30 p.m. (subject to change) Read more: Locovore: Downtown’s bRgR focuses on local meat with exotic flavor (7/21/2011)
All of bRgR’s long menu of meats is entirely from New Mexico, even a robust wild boar burger with citrus sauce. The Euphoria is one of four “kobe” beef burgers on the menu, and it combines Korean bulgogi seasonings with kimchi and a slice of pineapple. The Nirvana features sautéed mushrooms and demi-glace. It’s not all meat, though. Vegetarians are well cared for, salads are served on a bed of grilled Romaine (try the lentil), there’s gourmet mac and cheese, and $2 sides like sweet potato tots are a favorite. To drink, there are 32 regional and local craft beers and well-priced wines. (Alibi Staff, September 1, 2011) Add a Review This cute, Italian-styled café is tucked
between Gold Street Caffé and P’tit Louis Bistro in one of Downtown’s most desirable dining districts
. The rest of the place follows suit with
bello
hand-pressed espresso (tea, too), panini and other Euro-centric treats. (Alibi Staff, July 12, 2011) Add a Review Café Lush7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday brunch; closed Sunday (subject to change)
Café Lush is like a daydream of the way things might be in some future hybrid of Europe and Albuquerque. It’s an urban café on a quiet street corner, with a small menu of simple yet well-crafted dishes and a pledge to use local, seasonal and organic ingredients whenever possible. But unlike in Europe, the red and green chile won’t disappoint. Now serving brunch on Saturdays! (Alibi Staff, November 17, 2011) Add a Review This little restaurant clings close to the heart of Downtown on Sixth Street and Silver, and the food is actually made by Cecilia herself in the kitchen. The tacos, burritos and enchiladas are traditional, tasty and pretty friggin’ cheap, too. The red chile packs a wallop, and Cecilia’s is even open on Sundays. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 10 ]  The Daily GrindMon: 7am-4pm
Tues-Fri: 7am-8pm
Sat: 7:30am-5pm
Sun: 9am-3pm (subject to change) Read more: First Taste (5/3/2007)
Owner Nancy Rogers makes at least two flavors of mouthwatering scones every morning near the Artichoke Café on Central. Try the raspberry: a buttery little nugget served warm, perfectly crumbly and bursting with real raspberries. Inhale it and lick the plate. D.G. also serves good coffee, omelets, breakfast burritos and more. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Farina Pizzeria and Wine BarMon: 11am-9pm
Tues-Fri: 11am-10pm
Sat: 5-10pm
Sun: 5-9pm (subject to change) Full review: Seriously sexy food (12/25/2008)
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) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ] Winner of Best Casual Dining, Best Veggie Burger, Best Toast, Best Healthy Breakfast and Best Desserts in our 2008 restaurant poll. Sure, you go in thinking you’ll be good and get a skinny latte, scrambled egg whites and a side of turkey and green chile sausage, but five minutes later somebody’s saying “eclair” and the voice is coming from your mouth. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 8 ] Gold Street CaffèEvery day 7 am-4 pm. Open until 8 on the weekends. (subject to change)
Gold Street was cool before Downtown was cool, but now that Downtown is cool, Gold Street is even cooler. Open for breakfast and lunch (and now dinner service on the weekends!), this charming café has pet-friendly sidewalk seating and serves up a menu of homey breakfast favorites like waffles and sophisticated lunches. It shouldn’t surprise you that the place with the Best Bacon in our restaurant poll also makes a memorable BLT. If you’re really lucky, they’ll have freshly baked cupcakes or a slice of flourless chocolate cake waiting for dessert. Now serving weekend dinner—a four-course prix fixe for only $15. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 5 ]  The Grove Café and MarketTues-Sat: 7am-4pm
Sun: 8am-3pm
Closed Monday (subject to change) $$$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Wine Bar • Outdoor Patio • Wireless Internet • Dog-Friendly • Credit Cards Full review: Twenty more years (9/21/2006)
This ray of sunshine in Huning Highlands serves gourmet breakfast and lunch, sells house-made English muffins, and has a mini-shop filled with goodies like honey, jams, mustards and vinegars, not to mention non-edibles like cook books, serving vessels and cards. A tiny wine list is just as chic—five reds and five whites are marked on a chalkboard, and all are constantly changing. This list is extremely well thought-out and offers a sampling of some of the most esoteric varietals and brands available in Albuquerque. There’s also a large, shaded patio, incredible house-made cupcakes and too-cute French
macarons. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 5 ] |   
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
home | feature | news
| film
| music
| art
| food
| classifieds
| personals
| staff
| lo-fi
| search
© 1996-2012 Weekly Alibi webmaster@alibi.com Mobile version | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
