Albuqurque, NM?

[badge176]

Getting sent there for some training, don't know where I'll be billeted but curious if anybody can suggest 'Best BBQ', 'Best TexMex', 'best burger joint', etc. or any historical sights not to be missed...

[300savage]

Ride the tram up to Sandia fer sure.

[popper]

Reds. Stay away from the univ. or downtown.

[Harter66]

The east side north of the freeway hasn't been too bad . Of course that was just a few pass throughs and 3 sleepover/nap and goes.

[MtGun44]

Atomic Museum is interesting. +1 on Sandia tram ride or drive to the top around the back.
The Sandia is a BIG mountain just to the east of town, nearly a cliff up to 10,000 ft or so.

My uncle lives there, calls it the world's largest one-horse town. :bigsmyl2:

There is an Indian Museum with a really nice restaurant and often there are Indians
in their full dress uniforms eating, very interesting place and good food, too.

Bill

[opos]

Don't know if the Caravan East is still there or still open but don't go there unless you want to watch the local cowboy's and the visiting salesmen line up and choose sides...it really used to get rowdy there..still got a "mark" to prove it. When I traveled there as a salesman I was on that side and when I moved there I got a hat and a belt buckle.

[starmac]

I lived in New Mexico for a lot of years but can't help you. I was pretty good at staying out of Albuquerque and Santa Fe period.

[Artful]

What I do for new cities is check with the "foodie's" - no Guarantee but gives you an idea

http://www.tvfoodmaps.com/s1/NM

http://www.manvsfoodlocations.com/new-mexico-locations.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/local/nm-albuquerque/cecilias-cafe-restaurant/index.html#/38.736171/-97.222306/4/

http://www.flavortownusa.com/locations/82/monte-carlo-steakhouse

http://www.flavortownusa.com/locations/160/standard-diner
http://www.standarddiner.com/

http://www.flavortownusa.com/locations/148/sophias-place

[badge176]

Thank you all for the input.

[bearcove]

I live there, Rudi's BBQ is good. Forget about Tex -Mex it doesn't exist here. If you like Red Chili maybe try Sadies. I liked El Pinto when we went. Gardunos was good too. Don't eat out much.

Go to old town there are a few good restaurants there but pricey.

[DLCTEX]

I haven't been to NM in years, but last I was there they didn't know what TexMex was. You may have to cross into Texas for that.

[billyb]

When I visited there some time ago there was a Lot-A-Burger. Pretty good buger. I visited the Pueblo cultural center at 5th and Manual west end of I 40 on the north side. They have a small museum and lots of their wares to sell. The old town square the people set up blankets on the sidewalks and sell there wares. The university has a small museum on their campus. Been several years since we visited the area. Bill

[clownbear69]

Well I live in Gallup (2 hrs away) and I love ABQ. The city for how large it is actually fairly easy to navigate with I-25 and I-40. If we want something more specialized than Wal-Mart we have to go their. Many people will tell you Rudy's is the best there....nahhh go to Amarillo for good BBQ. But if you want a treat (lot of food for little money) go to Wecks. Im a big guy and still haven't been able to finish my food. One person said stay away from down town and UNM its not so bad if your use to driving in the big city. But theres a lot of things to do, eat, and experience. But go to an Isotopes game worth the money.

[Light attack]

When I was laying over in ABQ, we would walk to Garcia's Kitchen on 4th. Looks like a hole-in-the-wall but the food was great.
(1113 4th St NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 ) Home made tortillas and Sopapillas. But they are right it ain't Tex-Mex.

[Aunegl]

http://www.sadiesofnewmexico.com/our-locations

I love Sadie's. Chile is the only food you can enjoy twice.

[Boz330]

If you have the time go west and visit the Acoma Pueblo. The longest continually inhabited city sits atop a mesa there with a pretty good museum. It is probably 50 miles west of ABQ.

Bob

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

www.newmexico.org/

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/united-states/new-mexico-guide/

www.nmmagazine.com/

[popper]

Yea, think that was Rudi's, not Reds. It's tex mex, same as DFW mex. Astrophysics had an office there, they would take me there every month or so. Traveled there with a stupid Arab, he ordered and then got irate when he found it had MEAT in it. Went to old town once, ordered a like 4 oz filet for $20. It did come with a couple asparagus spears and a nice design of sauce on the plate. That's not FOOD. But hey, I'm used to the old Bryant's BBQ on a card table next to the beer machine. Order sandwich by the pound and pick how much bread you need. Sliced ham, pork or beef.

[fouronesix]

TexMex???? :) That style is common and available coast to coast and border to border and has morphed into a fairly bland, tourist type bulk food punctuated only by straight jalapeños where all you can taste is heat :(

If you can find it, the unique-to-the-region, Mexican food is different and IMO the best- either the red or green chile should be fairly hot and full of flavor. The jalapeños should be only on request or on the side and not part of the base recipe. That regional style food is mostly confined to the Rio Grande Valley and surrounds from northern NM, down through ABQ and on down to El Paso.

El Pinto restaurant in the ABQ's north valley is pretty consistent. The Sandia Tram is a nice trip -go up midday and try to avoid holidays, weekends and the waiting lines then return after dark.

[marlin39a]

I used to go there on business quite a bit 9 - 10 yrs ago. Was a barbeque place called "Quarters" that I used to hit all the time. It would be the 1st place I would go.

[badge176]

So no TexMex, how about good, authentic, old-fashioned, down-home MEXICAN food joint?

[TCLouis]

Bennie Burger in Peralta.

Grab some indian bread from the tobacco shop in Isleta as you go for your Green Chili burger. Sunday Morning about 9 and it should still be warm from the oven.

Tram is worth the time.

Some really sketchy areas of town so pick and choose where you go.

Like BBQ joints some of the best Mexican food will be found in some of the most unimpressive looking places

NO tex mex food served in the area.

Last time I went to the "Best BBQ" in ABQ I got to eat some baked pork.

Heck we don't even have BBQ in Nashville anymore.

[375RUGER]

My favorite joint in the whole metro area is a little place called Kathy's on Isleta Blvd. Kathy's burger is the best in town. I either get a burger or a burrito when I go. It's kind of a fast food place but everything is made from scratch.
If you have an appetite, go to Grandma's K&I diner on South Broadway. It's been there so long it's legendary.
Best BBQ is Whole Hog Café on Montgomery Blvd. NE. Rudy's is second and Quarter's 3rd.
My favorite Mexican is Cazuela's in Rio Rancho. Ate at the new El Patron last month and it is good and I can say that Albuquerque finally has a restaurant with some decent salsa.
If you want texmex go to tacobell.
Sites to see depends on what you are into. NM probably has more museums than any other state. Lots of people I know go to the Museum of Natural History a lot. As well as the zoo and aquarium.
Trip on the Tram is worth the $12 or whatever it costs nowadays.

[375RUGER]

My favorite joint in the whole metro area is a little place called Kathy's on Isleta Blvd. Kathy's burger is the best in town. I either get a burger or a burrito when I go. It's kind of a fast food place but everything is made from scratch.
If you have an appetite, go to Grandma's K&I diner on South Broadway. It's been there so long it's legendary.
Best BBQ is Whole Hog Café on Montgomery Blvd. NE. Rudy's is second and Quarter's 3rd.
My favorite Mexican is Cazuela's in Rio Rancho. Ate at the new El Patron last month and it is good and I can say that Albuquerque finally has a restaurant with some decent salsa.
If you want texmex go to tacobell.
Sites to see depends on what you are into. NM probably has more museums than any other state. Lots of people I know go to the Museum of Natural History a lot. As well as the zoo and aquarium.
Trip on the Tram is worth the $12 or whatever it costs nowadays.

[Aunegl]

If you feel like going north of Albuquerque to the town of Bernalillo. Here's another good restaurant:

http://abuelitasnmkitchen.com/

[easymoney]

A great place for BBQ in Albuquerque is “The County Line”. It's a sit down style restaurant with great BBQ, fair prices and you won't leave hungry, guaranteed. They are locate at 9600 Tramway Blvd, NE. (505) 856-7477. The “County Line” is only minutes from the Tram so you can make a nice day enjoying the sights from the Tram and a great dinner afterward. “Rudy's BBQ” is located at 2321 Carlisle Blvd NE. (505) 884-4000. They have some very good old fashioned pit smoked BBQ at reasonable prices but it's more of a fast food style restaurant. “El Pinto Restaurant” serves some very good Mexican food. A little pricey, I thought, but good food. Their address is 10500 4th St. NW (505) 898-1771. “Sadies of New Mexico” also serves some very good Mexican food. They have several locations in the Albuquerque area. I believe we ate at the 4th Street location, The address is 6230 Fourth Street NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque (505) 345-5339. Both “El Pinto” and “Sadies”serve up some excellent New Mexican style Mexican food and, if I remember right, their chili had just the right amount of zing to make it enjoyable. There are a lot of corner restaurants that serve some very good New Mexican style Mexican food also but I can't remember the names and locations. Like anything else, when you want good food ask the locals. My experience is they are more than willing to steer you the right direction and nine times out of ten you won't be sorry.
As for sight-seeing I'll leave that to others. There are plenty of Native American pueblos around and scenic areas worth visiting depending on your interests and available off duty time.

[geargnasher]

Been through there many times, the food is "different" to say the least. Apparently red chili peppers are either unknown or prohibited. Try the Owl Cafe on I-20E near the edge of town. I would have recommended Garduno's for a reasonable facsimile of Tex-Mex, but last time I was through there they had shut down.

If you want a bowl of honest-to-God CHILE, I'm afraid you're going to have to come to Texas.

Gear

[badge176]

Thanks to all! Didn't have much down time but did get to Sadie's and really enjoyed it!

[badge176]

Got hooked on Sopapillas and have found a recipe that I've made several times for my family!!!