Ah, yes, the sopaipilla—the golden pillow of dough that makes every New Mexican meal all the more delicious. Whether you are ordering yours savory and stuffed as the main course, or rounding out a meal with the slightly sweet dessert version, what comes as inarguable is that sopaipillas hold a special place in hearts—and on plates—across the state. This year, El Patio clocked in with the most votes in this category, sweeping the contest. And rightfully so. I know quite a few of us have pulled apart the fried dough of many a distinctly good sopaipilla on that singular patio south of campus. (MG)
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best New Mexican Restaurant
Red, green, Christmas, huevos rancheros, carne adovada, chile con carne, enchilada, chile relleno, calabacitas and tostada may seem like jargon to out-of-staters but they are some of the first food words New Mexicans learn … Another first thing we learn is that this is some of the best food around. From all around the state, people know this restaurant and get equally excited at the possibility of devouring some of Sadie’s famous salsa or just walking in and squeezing the whole family into a booth to enjoy a delicious meal together, served by a friendly and familiar staff. (RG)2) Tie: El Patio de Albuquerque/El Pinto Restaurant & Cantina3) Los Cuates
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Enchiladas
How do you like your enchiladas—doused in mole? Or maybe green chile sauce? What do you dream of rolled into those perfectly crispy corn tortillas—meat? Potatoes? Beans? Vegetables? However you take this quintessential dish, both Los Cuates and Sadie’s are certifiably serving up the best in the city. These two long-running Albuquerque institutions came in neck-and-neck, a testament to the strong feelings patrons of each restaurant have for the way the chefs in each kitchen are serving up the quintessential dish. (MG)2) Tie: Duran Central Pharmacy/Padilla’s Mexican Kitchen/El Patio de Albuquerque
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Green Chile Cheeseburger
This staple of the fast food local culinary scene is clearly a favorite for Burqueños—they’ve been around since 1952! With a trifecta of perfection—chile, burgers and speed—these people are everyday heroes for their customers. We like to swing by for an ooey, gooey green chile burger before work, during lunch and for dinner because not only are we self destructive, we wanna die doing what we love … eating! (RG)2) Tie: Laguna Burger (66 Pit Stop)/Owl Cafe
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Burrito
Driving down Lomas at all hours it is a common sight to see cars backing up traffic on their way through the Golden Pride drive-thru. It’s no wonder then that this beloved spot would clinch the coveted title of “Best Burrito”—Albuquerque’s allegiance to Golden Pride burritos is evident just by a glance at their busy storefront. To us, there is no food more perfect than a burrito—making this accolade from our voters all the more impressive. (MG)2) Twisters
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Frito Pie
Winning Best Frito Pie for the second year in a row, Sister Bar shows that they can consistently create, make and celebrate with good food. Maybe it has something to do with the house made red chile, the Mexican crema or that it can be prepared for vegan and vegetarian folks alike. (RG)2) Bob’s Burgers
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Tacos
Best Tacos: Sister
Who’d have guessed that one of Downtown’s best places to drink, play video games and watch live music could also serve such amazing tacos? Sister Bar really shows its staff’s varied talents by dishing out little inexpensive bundles of flavor that keep bringing us back for more. If they installed cots, it would be the perfect place to live. (JL)2) Tie: Pericos/El Cotorro
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Green Chile
C-h-i-l-e, you are super yummy, ch-chile, yeah, yeah. Yeah, ch-chile! New Mexicans go alllll crazy for the New Mexican fare and economical booster, especially from these local establishments. The hub around these two great restaurants keeps locals from every corner of ABQ coming back for more. What will you put it on? A burger? Huevos? And don’t lie, you’ve thought about putting it on that sweet roll, huh! Or is that just us? (RG)3) Blake’s Lotaburger
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Red Chile
This place hasn’t been around for over 50 years for no reason—blood, sweat and tears don’t go into their food because that’s just unsanitary—it’s only love! Is it the little bits of hamburger in the red chile that made you feel it? The love, that is. Noted in many categories by many fans and voters alike who clearly love Mary & Tito’s red with all their heart. (RG)2) Garcia’s Kitchen3) Duran Central Pharmacy
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Carne Adovada
No one can fulfill their personal journey in the Burque without having carne adovada from Golden Pride. The soft, juicy, shredded meat make can make anyone into a hero. Have it in your burrito, eggs, tacos, whatever, bring that (or a whole bag) as a gift anywhere and people will never forget the person that saved their day. (RG)2) Sadie’s3) Tie: Cocina Azul/Mary & Tito’s Cafe
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Tortillas
It’s typical for a group of people to go into Frontier, order a bag of tortillas and chow down and chat for hours. Tearing the soft, flat bread apart, inhaling it, brushing the fine ground dust of the tips of one’s fingers while maintaining a conversation is truly an art. We have high expectations of these New Mexican institutions, in which they never fail. Out-of-towners, we hope you packed light because once you try this, you’ll try to bring the entire daily stock back home with you (or you could just stay and never worry about missing it ever again). (RG)2) Golden Pride BBQ, Chicken & Ribs3) Garcia’s Kitchen
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Tamales
El Modelo sure does set the bar for Mexican food in Burque, and that bar is high! After opening in 1929, they’ve had many years to perfect their method and recipe, but we can’t help but to think it’s mostly magic—regardless, with the ability to order tamales singularly or by the dozens, y’all know where the good stuff is. (RG)
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Chips And Salsa
You know the feeling—you roll into a restaurant already way too hungry, that hunger edging its way dangerously towards hangry. In those instances, for both you and your dining companions, an immediate serving of chips and salsa is like a godsend. According to Burqueños, nobody does the job of nailing this simple snack quite like Sadie’s. From their perfectly baked tortilla chips, served fresh and warm, to their on-point house salsa, Sadie’s chips and salsa is the standard by which all appetizers are measured. (MG)2) Tie: Monroe’s New Mexican Food/El Patron
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Indian Taco
This beloved local institution—which has been in business since the ’70s—is operated by the 19 pueblos of New Mexico. On the menu here is the Tewa taco—AKA the Indian taco—served on handmade frybread, topped with beans, beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and your choice of chile. There’s a lot of places to grab an Indian taco in town, but at the Pueblo Harvest Cafe, they serve a consistently good and carefully crafted dish that reigns supreme by the count of our readers. (MG)
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Chile Cheese Fries
A classic, cholesterol-elevating dish—there may be nothing quite as hearty and satisfying as a paper boat filled with french fries, doused in chile and cheese. According to our counts, in Albuquerque there is no single restaurant that throws together these simple elements quite like Bob’s Burgers. This no-frills dish is here offered to the hungry on the fly in all its greasy goodness. Bob’s Burgers fills your order with just three ingredients, served warm and usually at less than $3. Unbeatable. (MG)
Best Of Burque Restaurants 2017 Best Taqueria
Serving up classic Mexican dishes at an easily accessible spot on Lomas—Taqueria Mexico offers simple, delicious dishes, all made to order. Walk up to the window and place your order, then maybe duck inside and see if you can carve out a little counter space and find a stool to sit on. With daily specials, an extensive menu and 12 business hours a day, there’s no excuse not to stop in at this beloved taqueria—certifiably the best in the city. (MG)2) Tie: Taco Mex/El Paisa Restaurant
