Cool Water Fusion Restaurant
2010 Wyoming Blvd NE,Ste B, Albuquerque, NM, 87112
Cool Water Fusion Restaurant Menu
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Address :
2010 Wyoming Blvd NE,Ste B
Albuquerque, NM, 87112 - Phone (505) 332-2665
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Jean R.
My friend and I had dinner here this week. She chose the blue corn breaded onion rings (not as good as those at the Pueblo Harvest Cafe) and red Chile enchiladas. She said her meal was good but nothing outstanding. I had the blue corn breaded fried chicken plate. Very unusual dish but not lacking in good flavor. The garlic mashed potatoes served with it were fairly bland but not bad. The green beans were excellent. We were one of 3 tables that night. Great service.
(3)Candia M.
Really awful. Used a Groupon and the waiter was obviously put out when I told him. One other customer at lunch and it took forever for the waiter to bother getting us water, take our order, and eventually schlep it to our table and slam it down with a frown. My salad was about what one would expect from a place that faces the WalMart parking lot - iceberg lettuce and packaged shredded cheddar. Meh...I'm bored just writing this...gotta go take a nap. Won't be going back.
(1)Nathan T.
The food was really good and would have given this a 5; however be careful if you use a groupon! Groupon makes you buy two but you can only use one. And then, if you don't make a reservation you won't be able to use it at all because they have to "verify" it! Ridiculous.
(2)Nick L.
Terrific! As always! One of my favorite places . Food is always excellent, service is great, and always friendly wait staff. An excellent restaurant for a pleasant evening. We enjoy having a place to go for excellent food and courteous and friendly service. Everything we have tried has been delicious, the blue corn creations are magnificent, the steaks are to die for. It is difficult to say enought good things about this restuarant..
(5)Joseph K.
This is the first time we have tried this place.we happened to come in just before they closed to get ready for dinner and they still seated us.The service and friendliness was very good.and the food tasted pretty good itself.We were very full and the price was about the same as anywhere else.I can see us going back again.Next time not so close to closing time.
(5)Peter S.
This place is awesome! All local menus from local products. For ex: the beef is from local farm raised, grass fed cattle. I had the boneless short ribs, and it was very good. My wife had the blue corn crusted chicken, a delight! You must try blue corn crusted onion rings as an appetizer, it's an award winning combination. Service was good. Restrooms clean. Music was complimentary to the ambience. Nate was our server and all of his recommendations from the menu to the beer list to the wine menu were right on the money! Nice spot. We will return!
(5)Andrew M.
Wouldn't honor Groupon Coupon. Waitress said the boss said that you must make reservation to use. What a rip off. I would never go back.
(1)Lacey C.
If you are planning on buying the Groupon... STOP. My husband saw the Groupon & it sounded like a great deal. I mean, $82 worth of food for $27? We even had an extra discount though Groupon... but even the $20 we paid is too much for this food. Oh, where to begin... I will list the negatives in bulleted points (because if you're like me, you hate reading super long reviews). {Beer Menu} *out of most everything {Appetizer} *"Crab Cakes" = breading with crab flavor... not sure if any actual crab meat. But, tasted ok. {Entrées} *Sirloin Steak -I guess when the menu says "hand cut", they actually mean they slice it before bringing it to the table. I'm not 5. If they were doing it for presentation, it was a bad choice. -EXTREMELY chewy. It was a very laborious meal. -the amount of chimichurri could have totaled 1 thimble-full. Which was disappointing because, normally, I LOVE chimichurri. This one, not so much. -lacking flavor -green beans on side tasted like the microwaved bag kind *Rainbow Trout -a "whole trout" indeed. Head still attached. Not my thing, but whatevs. -very small -again, where's the crab meat? A disappointing amount. -same microwaved green beans {Wine Menu} *out of pretty much everything *I'm not convinced the wines we had were the actual brand. Probably just box wine. Bottom line, food wasn't terrible... but definitely not worth what they are claiming. Save your money & go elsewhere.
(1)Christina H.
I had been excited to try this place...just the name alone sounds interesting but that's where the excitement ends. First, I neglected to read the fine print so we were supposed to make a reservation because we had an Amazon Local deal. The waitress/hostess was kind enough to call the chef to see if we could still eat there because it's restaurant week. Why this was such a problem I'll never understand because the place was next to empty. After the tasting the food, I understand why. The menu is uninteresting. It doesn't seem to be a fusion of anything. Not sure why it's called Coolwater Fusion. The food is also overpriced. The portions are nice but the food is literally blah. I ordered the shredded beef enchiladas (beef is in chunks, not shredded) and my partner ordered the crab stuffed trout (three pieces of lump crab meat doesn't mean stuffed). The rice is boring and the beans are, again, blah. The green beans my partner ordered were way overcooked (floppy). He tried to get me to try them but I refused. I ordered a margarita (two actually) and should've just opted for some juice. Not sure these even had alcohol in them. Luckily my partner had a beer - it's hard to mess up beer from a bottle. We also ordered the bread pudding which was nice, but again, nothing to write home about. The best thing about this place is the service and the live fish tanks. I wouldn't even bother using a groupon, living social or amazon local voucher. Do yourself a favor and go grab something at Burger King. It's guaranteed to have more flavor.
(1)Maa'eyra Z.
We had a great experience with the food and service at this restaurant. The few star reviews I read did not stop me from trying this place out. From the beginning to when we left, out service was efficient and friendly. The food was an 8.5 from a scale of 1-10. Nice to know there are great restaurants in Albuquerque next time we return to visit. will return for another great experience.
(5)Brian J.
7-3-15 Went by today and they are closed. Not sure if out of business or relocated. No signs on door and inside is gutted.
(1)Ashley E.
Oh, where to start? I was so disappointed by this experience from booking the reservation, to the meal itself. I left 2 voice mails trying to get a reservation booked (I had a living social deal so they require you call 24 hours in advance to book) I received no call back and had to just keep calling for 2 days before someone finally answered the phone stating that they had been really busy and so they weren't able to take messages, etc. I find that hard to believe since, when we got there for our 7pm reservation we were basically the only people in the restaurant. The blue corn crusted boneless hot wings were delicious even though I hate boneless wings usually...but that's where the good stops. My husband's t-bone steak (which we had to pay an upgrade fee for) was so chewy, you couldn't even swallow it. My stuffed trout which was described to me as "de-boned and stuffed with crab" was NOT de-boned at all and hardly had any crab (or flavor). I definitely won't be back. Our server was pretty good except for toward the end of our date, she was socializing with (what I guess were regulars) and started taking drags off of a customer's cigarette. Ew...won't be returning.
(2)Crystal S.
Good food, terrible service! I called ahead and was told the restaurant was full. I told the woman we had a Living Social deal, and was told 'you and half of the people in here' very rudely. I asked when the earliest we could get a table, she said to come in, and she would make it work then HUNG UP on me. When we arrived the restaurant was nearly empty. The food was good, but there is nothing like service with a smile, which we did not get!! We won't be going back.
(2)Wes T.
My review should technically be more of a 3.5, but Yelp doesn't offer half-stars, and this place is pretty darn good so I'll round up. Ambiance is upscale without being stuffy. From what I gather there's a hopping happy hour here; when we arrived at 6:30 there was a small crowd outside sipping cocktails. Other than that, the interior was empty, and we had the place to ourselves once the happy hour crowd cleared out. Service was nice, very personable and on top of things. Menu had a nice selection; I liked the blue corn chicken tenders and the blue corn onion rings. Great beer and wine list. Overall, I got the impression that the chef is very deliberate in what he puts on the menu. Speaking of which: the specials. We had the Steelhead and the filet. Both were fantastic, though my steak was a tad over medium-rare. Still, not a bad cut of meat and wrapped in bacon with a demi-glace it wasn't anything to trifle over. My only real grip with this place was the music being played over the stereo. It wasn't the genre (smooth jazz) that bothered me so much as it was The.Exact.Same.Song. Over and over and over again. We were there over an hour and by the time the appetizers came out my ears had picked up the repetition, and it was subtly driving me nuts. I was enjoying the food and experience, but having the track on perpetual repeat was tugging at my sanity. But don't let the notion of repetitive music keep you away. Try this place, it's one of Albuquerque's better eateries with a nice vibe and carefully crafted dishes.
(4)JA C.
Terrible food. Very dry without any flavor. Selection seems vast on the menu but they were out of many items on a Friday night. The server seemed very annoyed by the most basic questions about seasons used in entrees and how items were prepared. The portions were very very tiny and the plating of the food was sloppy and unappealing. Not worth going even if dinner is free.
(1)LeeLee L.
Pretty great food Has a nice kids menu Great waitstaff Make sure u call ahead if you have a Groupon We came out of town and had the spinach artichoke dip which was amazing and the wedge salad with house made blue cheese was amazing P.S. enchiladas not that amazing but ok :)
(4)Mike R.
Had the green chile cheese burger and steak fries! Great meat and high quality is what brings me back to see Glenn and his crew. Love there beer and happy hr.
(4)Tory M.
Though they weren't terribly busy for a friday night I was surprised that before 7pm one waiter and the chef(s) were the only ones running the show. The food was good, very flavorful and proportionally so. The most disappointing thing about our experience was the over priced, yet tasty, spinach/artichoke dip. The entrees could have been presented better... you ever get a delivered pizza with all the toppings slid to one side... yup! I had the whole stuffed trout and my date had the tilapia. Both were done nicely. But for a place that touts the menu items to be organic and local I can guarantee that both fish came from a farm far away from here. With that knowledge I can only give three stars due to overpriced fare that could be had elsewhere for a third less.
(3)Anna H.
The fish special and sangria sake were amazing! Service is top notch. Many creative dishes to choose from
(4)Connie E.
I was surprised when I recently dined at this small restaurant tucked away in a strip mall. I actually found it because I had purchased a Living Social coupon otherwise I would not have found it or considered dining there. My husband and I were in the neighborhood so we decided to stop in and have an early dinner . We were the only two diners there and were asked to move to the bar if we wanted to take advantage of the happy hour prices on our cocktails. We obliged. We ordered dinner and found the food to be flavorful and almost perfect. My spouse and I felt that we would definitely return until we were denied the use of the coupon I purchased because I didn't have a reservation. Like I said we were the only two people there. We both felt we had very poor service and will not return.
(1)Alissa R.
There is a lot of potential here. Our waitress was sweet, but I was surprised that it was just her and the chef. There is a lot of bussing involved with the cloth napkins and tablecloths and seating and running and... A small place, but a cool vibe. Food wise, the shredded pork was really good. Once we took off the over-seasoned salsa, our bruschetta was quite tasty. The mashed potatoes here are so tasty and my green beans were good too. My husband felt like his burger had too much going on. The egg over the pork or the burger with egg with that awesome bun would've been much better than both meats and egg. The coating on my fried chicken was interesting but the chicken needed to be brined or something and the coating came off it in one big piece, juicy but bland. I'll try it again for happy hour.
(3)Cristina M.
I'm a little disappointed, frankly. The atmosphere was nice, except for the TV (Family Feud, anyone? Great way to celebrate a birthday). My family and I came here to celebrate my birthday (my kids are 4 and 9). I don't usually take my kids to nice places, but they are well-behaved and wanted them to celebrate with me. We started with the calamari. The breading on it was crunchy and delicious, and instead of traditional tubes, the calamari was long strips. My picky son liked them, too. There were six strips, served on marinara which was pretty good, though I'm not sure that the flavors went that well together. My husband and I each had a glass of wine, my husband settling for his second choice (they no longer carry the Gruet Pinot Noir, in case you were hoping for it). Good wine. I had the special filet mignon 7 oz. cut and my husband tried the braised ribs. While the filet was perfectly cooked and really it was rather tasty, it also didn't taste completely fresh. My husband reminded me that it was the special and there is a reason why restaurants have specials. This was also the day after Christmas, so it's likely it wasn't that fresh of a cut. So, it was good, but something in the back of my mind nagged me that if it were another day old, I wouldn't eat it. The meal was served with mashed potatoes and green beans, as well as a mushroom gravy. The mashed potatoes were light-they must have been made with chicken stock and not so much cream, which was fine. The green beans were disappointing--they certainly were not fresh, but rather frozen. The gravy was also blasé and I don't think the mushrooms were fresh, but likely canned. My husband's ribs were tasty, though nothing special. His dish came with the same mashed potatoes and green beans. My kids shared a chicken parmesan. The chicken was coated in a batter probably the same as the calamari and the tomato sauce was certainly the same as what came with the calamari. They ate it and seemed to like it. The restaurant actually has a kid's menu, but disappointingly, it had four of the standards: hamburger, chicken strips or nuggets, pasta with marinara, or grilled cheese. B-o-r-i-n-g. How are we going to get our kids to appreciate good food if these are always their options? So, I don't know if I'll go back. There are many better places in town. This one is priced about right, I suppose, for what they serve. If they could pay better attention to detail, like *fresh* vegetables, get rid of the TV for crying out loud, making sure their food is fresh, and a little more variety with their flavors like not using the same sauces and batters for everything, then it would be a very nice place.
(3)RR B.
The food was Ok; the trout was tasteless but the sides were great. Service was also pretty solid. There was done misunderstanding with an Amazon local deal limitations, but overall a decent dining experience.
(3)Dolores G.
(4/28/11) When my brother said he received a certificate for his birthday for a place he had never tried before, I was excited. I love trying new places with people. This is located in a small strip mall near a Dos Hermanos and in the large parking area of the Wal Mart. Don't let that discourage you, the ambiance inside is charming and casual. Perfect for a quaint quiet dinner out. There were three of us and we comited to each ordering something different so we could all sample. They had a simple menu and offered several daily specials. Between the three of us we ordered the short ribs, blue corn fried chicken with honey chipotle glaze and the shrimp fettuccine. We also decided to start our meal off with the bruchetta of the evening which was an ancho pulled pork with garlic aoli topped with a roasted corn salsa. The fried chicken was a breast of chicken coated in a well season blend that included blue corn flour. The chicken was moist and the crust well flavored and crispy with or without the honey glaze. The short ribs were classic comfort food. The rich moist gelatinous texture of long simmered short ribs can be a love/hate relationship for some. I personally enjoy the texture of well cooked short ribs. The sauce was more rich and homey than I was expecting. With the garlic mashed potatoes and green beans (the starch and veggie of the day) it all worked well. The pasta with shrimp was quite nice. Flavorful but not overwhelming. The shrimp were not small and prepared well. We left rather impressed with this new find. A place to get a some ambiance and a good quality meal. For those who must be "connected" during your meal they do offer free wifi.
(4)Thomas H.
Not so much sad or angering, but... disappointing. My wife and I have been hardcore fans of this restaurant since the day it opened -- unfortunately, our most recent visit did not live up to our many meals here in the past. We visited for lunch and each ordered dishes we knew we loved, our old standbys: I ordered the Indian Taco, and my wife ordered a Cuban sandwich. We were initially relieved to see that prices had not gone up, but this did not last long. Sides are no longer included with entree dishes, and corners have been cut with the entrees themselves; these both represent stealth price hikes that left a bad impression on us. My wife's sandwich was visibly smaller and narrower than the last time we'd ordered it. It was also very skimpy on the signature mustard that used to gave it a nice, snappy flavor. My own dish (Indian Taco) initially looked unchanged, but I quickly realized that wasn't the case. The spicy red sauce that used to cover the entire dish was now relegated to a mere spoonful in each corner of the dish, leaving the majority of the taco flavorless and underwhelming. I really wish Cool Water had found a way to keep making dishes at their past level of high quality and just gone ahead and raised prices a dollar or two. I work in a service business, and if you try to compete solely based on price, you will often lose -- but if you compete on VALUE, you will win. Cool Water was always a good choice in the past because, even though not very cheap, everything you ordered would be great VALUE: high quality ingredients, perfect portions, elegant presentation, and some bold flavor combinations. We saw none of that on our most recent visit. The drop in quantity and quality is serious enough to call into question our desire to visit the restaurant again, even after years of being loyal customers and trying to spread the word to others.
(3)Donovan M.
COCKROACHES, ROACHES, COCKROACHES!!! Couldn't hear the waitress because of the live music. 30 minutes to get crab cake appetizer. Crab cake was a greasy breadcrumb cake. A COCKROACH, COCKROACH, COCKROACH crawled across our table while eating our cold, over-salted, tasteless food. Did I mention the ROACH? Yes, a ROACH!!! We captured it underneath my wife's wine glass then called for the manager. The owner came and asked, "what would you like me to do? We just sprayed and they are coming out pretty strong." Are you serious? My response, "You tell me. What we should do?" My wife and I tried to be cool, pleasant and kind humans. Owner was unapologetic. We were moved to another table. Wait! Wait! Wait! Another COCKROACH???!!! I noticed that the table next to us was complaining to owner as well. I asked the table what was going on with them. Drumroll........A "bug" was in their glass. They got a complimentary salad.
(1)Maribelle D.
Don't waste your time. Came here with a groupon to check it out. Had 3 different servers who never actually served us. The food came out an hour late for breakfast entrees and our water glasses stayed empty the entire time. The french toast are little burnt squares with no powdered sugar and the eggs were cooked wrong. I wanted to walk out or tell them what a bad place this is, but the group I was with were too nice and paid anyway. I am being generous with this one star. Don't ever come here! Ever!
(1)John G.
If you want a one word summation of Cool Water Fusion, it would be 'overpriced'. If you want two words, the next one would be 'inconsistent'. This does not imply that the food is bad, it's just that it's often very mediocre, and hasn't, in my experience, warranted the kinds of prices they charge. We started with the crab cakes appetizer, which ended up being among the worst I've ever tasted. In addition to lacking almost any discernible crab flavor among the heavy, filler-laden patties, they were also unappetizingly greasy. Presumably, this was due to the pan-frying process, but even with all that bready filler and time in the oil, they were still squishy and unable to keep their shape. I have honestly had better crab cakes from grocery store delis. The entrees fared a little better, but also had shortcomings. The most notable of which is that the so-called starch and vegetable of the day (which you are given no choice about) seems to always be green beans and mashed potatoes. Look at the photos for this place. As of this writing, three different people on presumably three different visits posted pictures of entree served with these same green beans and mashed potatoes. One wonders if these are ever changed. The sides were good, admittedly, but really nothing special. The meat portions of the meals were stellar. Beautifully cooked, hefty portions of high quality meat in a couple of well-prepared sauces anchor the entrees well. I've had better braised short ribs and better chimichurri steak, but not often. On the downside, the prices for these mixed bags are steep and for that amount of money I want sides that aren't phoned in. In my reviews, I typically do not mention things like service or atmosphere because, frankly, I usually don't care. But, then again, they usually aren't this bad. Despite being a slow day in the dining room, taking our orders, getting our food, and paying our bill took a painfully long time. The wait staff, when they were seen at all, seemed distracted and uninterested in customer service. Additionally, one of the waiters had his young daughter there and she spent most of our meal running amok in stark raving boredom. The lack of professionalism at this high-priced eatery really bothered me and the quality of food did not come at all close to making up for this or for the high price. If you want a gourmet meal, there are places out there that serve better food and try harder to make it an enjoyable dining experience.
(2)Suburban R.
It started nicely enough: we were offered water upon being seated. And a few minutes later the waitress greeted us and took our wine order. So far so good. Or mostly. The Meritage was good, but the Pinot tasted like it may have turned but I did not make an issue; I ordered a second glass of house merlot. It was serviceable. CWFR is located in a mall accross a Walmart. But that doesn't usually turn me off as I'm wanting to disprove a friend's [a new yorker's] hypothesis about location that goes something like this: no restaurant can be located in a mall that is decent. The interior is cozy, hi-exposed ceiling, clean and modern with pendant lights over each table, polished concrete floor, two rows of booths, an expansive view of Walmart, a dollar store, skies and the tip of the Sandia mountains, paved parking lot. There were perhaps 5 tables occupied when we got in. The restaurant received another 5 tables after we were seated. Seeing that and seeing no sign of the waitress , we flagged a wait help who refilled our water glasses and told him that we were ready to order. He ensured us that he'd send our waitress. We ordered an appetizer (crab cakes) and two mains (steak and stuffed trout). I would rate the experience between arrival and first course higher than the last two thirds of our time. If only the second part had gone as swimmingly as the earlier... It was not to be. And I wanted to like this place so much. All the tables that came after us were served their mains ahead of us. A pair of mains were put in front of us only to be taken away and put to the table next to us when I told the wait help that the salmon did not look like a trout. That was 30 minutes into the wait. The waitress came to mumble something about switching my fish order which had no positive affect whatsoever. On top of that, the newly issued fork had dried rice or potato on its eating surface. This was replaced when I quietly pointed out to the waitress. The mains arrived alas close to one-hour after our appetizer. they were OK-- deboned stuffed trout, slices of steak in brown sauce. no big whoop. the long wait pehaps coloured a fairer evaluation. or maybe not. suffice it to say that it was not exceptional. As I am realistic when it comes to ABQ dining, I was not expecting a Daniel Bouloud or a Gramercy tavern or an Eleven Madison experience here given its location but the restaurant clearly has a long way to go to be serviceable. God, as they say, is in the details. There are too many misses for this venue to be where it was envisioned to be: a decent place for linnened-dining in the heights. If you want fine dining, this is not the venue. There are venues in ABQ that is more convincing for a good night out: Savoy, Artichokes, Scalos. Our waitress mentioned in our chat that her restaurant (she intimated that she co-owned it with someone else) is small enough a venue that they are flexible and can cook whatever they want. I could only retort quietly in my mind and may have conveyed it to my dining companion this sentiment: What use is flexibility if the fundamentals of restaurant service are no where near mastered? I wanted to think that this was an off nite. [am i experiencing a restaurant in ascendance or in decline?] You would think that after two years of operation, these bugs- sure palpable signs of indifference-- would have been worked out. But some other reviews here, more or less, have corroborating facts. CWFR, in short, is NOT-- did i say NOT?-- ready for prime time.
(1)Franklin F.
The owner/chef is rude and belligerent. We tried to make a reservation but no there was no answer, so we left a message. That wasn't good enough for him even though the restaurant was empty. No wonder! We won't be back.
(1)Lisa M T.
I dined @ Coolwater Fusion for the first time this evening with a friend and I will definitely be returning. The servers were attentive and my fave part of the meal was the starch. Tonight, the starch was garlic mashed potatoes. I also liked the chimichurri sauce that came with my steak.
(4)Steve U.
5/29/2014 Groupon/ Restaurant.com Complaint. Seems that they don't honor these coupons. Was told that you must make a reservation in advance to use it. It was 11"20 AM and no customers. Nothing on the coupon states that reservations are required. Was told a song and dance about needing time to verify, and that people were trying to use the coupons twice with their smart phones. Appears to be a total scam.
(1)Shawn S.
What a great little hidden gem! Excellent steak special Extremely friendly and helpful staff.
(5)Jeff M.
After 2 bad experiences I think we're done going to this place. The other night we went there and there were about 6 tables occupied, plenty of room left. Only one server, and it took way too long to just seat us. After we were seated the server came and gave us menus, then went to chat with a table she obviously knew. After about 15 minutes she arrived to take our drink order, we also ordered the calamari as an appetizer. The drinks arrived after another 15 minute wait... and no calamari. Another 20 minutes pass and some overdone calamari that looks like it was hurriedly thrown on the plate arrived. A couple of the pieces were rubbery.... We ordered dinner, and my son ordered the trout. Over an hour later our food arrived, the server said that the trout was the reason for the delay, because it was over 12 ounces it took longer. I've butterflied and grilled trout that were twice this size, and it doesn't take that long, and that trout was not that large.... During the entire time we were there, which was well over 2 hours, I think the server was at our table a total of 4 times.... while we were waiting, a couple that arrived 20 minutes AFTER we did, was served their dinner before us. I used to love this place, but it's gone way down hill. Slow service and the quality of the food is now just mediocre. The wine is also overpriced compared to several other places in town. Overall it was not a very nice experience....
(1)Sara P.
My boyfriend picked breakfast on his birthday... which happened to be Sunday brunch at Cool Water. I had the Sweet and Savory Crepes. I got mine double sweet, which was creme and black berry. I just couldn't see mixing it with the savory selection, which was pork and green chili. It was surprisingly delicious. I cleaned my plate. It was real creme, and real berries. Not compote and heavy artificial creme like you get everywhere else. The presentation was also very pretty. My boyfriend had the Cuban sandwich with chips. He said it was good as well. Its something he recommends. The atmosphere wasn't optimal. Its a nice place, but it feels like its been squashed. Its a long thin room with the tables and booths all close together. Then again, I suppose as a new restraunt you need to start somewhere. I'd like to try this place again and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different.
(4)Brad H.
Not great. Not horrible, just 'meh'. Dishes are pretty mainstream. I don't have a compelling reason to return.
(3)Eileen P.
My husband and I had been meaning to try this place for awhile and finally checked it out this weekend. It's a very small restaurant, but we loved the decor! Lots of bold colors and soft accent lighting. We were seated right away at 7PM on a Friday night, which is unusual in Albuquerque. The atmosphere was very calm. There was only one waitress/hostess/bartender, but she handled it so well and was very nice and helpful. We ordered the bruschetta of the day, which was braised pork and it was phenomenal! My husband and I barely said a word to each other while we ate it because we were in heaven. For dinner I tried the tilapia, which was very good though not particularly memorable. I wanted to try the trout because it sounds amazing, but the whole fish is served and that grosses me out a bit. My husband had the CoolWater Burger and said it was the best beef patty he'd ever tasted. I also tried the sake sangria not really knowing what to expect, but it was super tasty. A nice alternative to straight up wine since they don't serve liquor cocktails. We finished with the vanilla creme brulee and it was very well done. We will definitely be back. I love that they use fresh, local ingredients. And I love that it's not a chain!
(4)Haroon A.
This place is a must! We've come here numerous times and each time have had delicious entrees. The blue corn crusted chicken is the best! The short ribs melted off the bone. The artichoke dip is incredible. Huge portion sizes. I have to say, the vegetables are not as great as the main dish and would benefit from some improvement. The service is usually good, though it is a small restaurant with a small staff.
(4)Lauren G.
I recently tried this place for Sunday brunch with a Groupon, and it was delicious! I had the crepes, one savory (pork and red chile), and one sweet (strawberries and creme). Both were fantastic! I first ate the savory, telling my boyfriend that I should have gotten two of them because the pork was tender and flavorful and the red chile was deep and rich. But once I tried the sweet crepe, I took that back. Delicously sweet, tart and perfect. My boyfriend had the steak and eggs...not very creative, but still delicious and cooked perfectly. I definitely recommend this place! Update: Recently went back to Cool Water Fusion with another Groupon, and my bf and I both tried the Croque Madame. AMAZING!!! It's not very traditional, but it is a fantastic twist on the classic sandwich (with pulled pork!!), and I will return for this sandwich alone! YUM!
(5)Dan R.
I really wanted to like this place. The decor is understated and pleasant, there seems to be a pro-LGBT component, and the menu is interesting. However, my dinner visit was just a mess. There were fewer than fifteen people in the place, and only one person taking orders and bringing beverages. She was having a very tough time of it and, for whatever reason, there was obvious turmoil in the kitchen, lots of hands-on-hips sotto voce earnestness punctuated by occasional yelling. Nobody in the place received a morsel of food in the first twenty or more minutes we were there and, as the plates came out one by one, it was an unusual table that had no errors. The food: I ordered one of the specials, "blackened" rib eye. It arrived covered in some sort of salty, gloppy gravy or sauce, which I had to scrape to the side of the plate. My friend's fried chicken had a very dry blue corn crust that included at least one hair. The waitress finished the evening in tears, explaining that the kitchen was unhappy with her, and I heard a woman at a nearby table phoning some other restaurant to ask if they were still serving. Looks like brunch has been a good experience for a number of reviewers and I hope that, if brunch is that good, they can bring dinner up to match it. But it was just a bad experience for us, I'm afraid, and I won't return.
(1)Trish T.
I so want to see this restaurant rise to distinction as an ABQ small gem restaurant that stands the test of this recession. We've been to dinner at CWF twice, both times on a Saturday evening when I'd expect the restaurant to be at its busiest ... but it was in fact quite slow both times. Service was attentive, but I have to wonder if this would have been the case if there weren't so few diners. Enjoyed the calamari appetizer - found the crab cakes to be mushy but flavorful enough (I like a crunchy coating but their breadcrumb crust was moist). Our guests conveyed their thumbs-up content with the pasta dish, the steak and the trout entrees. The fried chicken got an ok rating, but the short ribs were smothered in a much-too-rich sauce that was overwhelming. Both times that we dined at CWF, we ordered the bread pudding dessert to share. This was pure decadence and I'd go back just to indulge in this treat accompanied with a cup of coffee. Perhaps it's the location that is sub-optimal, but once you get inside ... the atmosphere is pleasant enough. There was no live entertainment when we dined at CWF (as has been described in other reviews here), but I can envision that this WOULD in fact "cozy up" the experience. We live on the west side and I don't know that I'd make my way all the way across town to eat there again ... UNLESS I was in the mood for bread pudding. :)
(3)Jeff R.
Excellent service. Loved the flat iron steak with chimichuri . My partner had the pan seared tilapia that was not seasoned well. The garlic mashed potatoes were awesome! We'll be back.
(4)Richard W.
Been wary of this place as the menu on their website seems truly schizo trying to be all things to all people. Can't recommend. We were the first table there at lunch at 11:45 on a Wednesday and it took over 20 mins. to get our sandwiches. They serve fish and chips (but not fries-they are potato chips-not the way to do it). When we asked to substitute either potato salad or pasta salad as the side (which are on the menu for other items as options beside the chips) they said no. You have got to be kidding me.
(2)Charles K.
Excellent food, acceptable service. A little slow on seating, but good once the drink order goes in. Looking of an out of the ordinary culinary experience? This is your place.
(4)Beverly L.
Was excited to come and try, however, after being greeted and sat down with four others at my table outside, waitresses had never come back to take our order or give us water. They did not come back to acknowledge us to let us know they were busy or whatever the case. We sat for over 15 minutes and decided to just get up and leave. They need more waitstaff or better customer service. Will not return do to bad experience.
(2)Leah B.
Cute atmosphere w/beautiful fish tanks to watch. Delicious food. Wide-range menu & great service.
(4)Marcy M.
Food was good. Tablecloths on table. I met a friend for lunch. I had the chicken chipotle salad--nice, big, tasty pieces of white meat chicken. Service was slow, though. The restaurant definitely needs to order more help. Only 2 waitresses; no hostess or cashier.
(3)Jeremy P.
My wife and I were really looking forward to this place, but were sorely disappointed. The time between ordering and geting our food was ridiculous (over and hour). The servers were visibly frustrated, probably because it looked like there were only two (including bussing and hosting). The food was unremarkable, especially for the price. Save your money and time, and look elsewhere.
(1)Lara H.
Great little resturant tucked in a strip mall off of Wyoming and Menual. Food was a little bland. Appetizer of salmon it was really dry and much flavor. We had steak and talapia as entrees. But side dishes lacked any pizzaz. Good part was garlic mashed potatoes and dessert - our waiter was exceptional. "Bart" made everything better, except the entrees.... too bad I was really looking forward to a Great New Find... I'd go back just for dessert and a glass of wine.
(2)Ayesha S.
We were excited to give this place a try since it's less than a half mile from our house. We showed up to a completely empty restaurant and were asked by the hostess if we had a reservation. Since we were using a Groupon, I let the hostess know as soon as we walked in. She seemed reluctant to seat us in an empty restaurant because the policy was that Groupons had to be used by making a reservation. We ordered the red chile braised pork appetizer, which was flavorful and well executed, and one of the specials, which was a grass fed rib eye steak. The price for the "special" was actually not given to us because we were using a Groupon. We ordered the steak medium rare and it arrived bloody and red, and the server informed us that was their medium rare. They did take it back and cook it for a few more minutes at our request. Overall, the food was decent, but definitely very overpriced. The service left much to be desired, and for a restaurant that has had many Groupon deals posted, they seem to not be interested in creating a welcoming atmosphere for those using Groupons. Even though this place is right around the corner, I'm not sure we would go there again.
(2)Malinda W.
How do they stay in business??? Could not get happy hour prices because we were using a Groupon, expired(only worth the price paid). Decided to go ahead and give it a try anyway. Ordered Bruschetta of the day, which was pulled pork, excellent! We ordered Mediterranean Fettuccini al Pesto and the Salmon special with a mango salsa. They were just ok. Nothing special about the fettuccini, overpriced at $16 for a meatless pasta. The salmon dish shouldn't have cost us more $12-$15. They originally wanted to charge us $29, but our waitress asked them to charge us the $25 that was the HH price. Still way OVERPRICED. I could have made the salmon better at home! What a disappointment! People at the next table didn't seem too pleased with the food or the service either. When the waitress brought the check, I had my cc in hand and put it in the holder. She had already left our table. We waited, walked up to the counter, decided to use the restroom and left the check and cc on the counter. Came back and she still hadn't come out of the kitchen. Btw, the restaurant only had a few tables occupied the whole time we were there. My husband was at the car waiting for me, I could have just walked out(we don't do that), but I walked into the kitchen area and got her attention. Don't want to leave any stars, not worth it! And now that I think about it, they should have treated our groupon like cash, since it was only worth the price I paid! Don't see them in business much longer.
(1)Aaron S.
A favorite lunch destination when I'm in the area. An upscale "hole-in-the-wall"; blink and you might miss it, sort of joint. Come for the ever changing specials, keep coming back for the beautiful decor and friendly service. I especially like the CoolWater burger. A steal for the price, I dare you to eat the whole thing, but believe me; you'll want to try. Perfect heat in the green chile paired with a lovely aioli spread on one of the best buns in Albuquerque. ...and word is they're getting a liquor license. So I'll be back for dinner and a beer very soon.
(4)Kate M.
This is possibly the worst new restaurant I have tried in a very long time. We arrived there later in the evening on a Saturday not knowing they closed at 8pm, which seems early for restaurant. The server already seemed irritated that she had to help us and didn't bring our drinks for well over 15 minutes. Our appetizer arrived before she remembered our waters. Aside from the lack of service the food was so bad it was unedible and very overpriced. We ordered the trout and salmon, which the server claimed to be flown in fresh daily. Both pieces of fish were mushy and smelled extremely fishy, definitely not fresh. My tiny piece of salmon came with an over dressed caesar salad and cost 35 dollars. The trout was not de-boned and came on top of mediocre mashed potatoes. If you value your money and wish to enjoy a satisfying meal stay away from Cool Water Fusion.
(1)Sandra H.
I was really looking forward to eating here. Sadly I was disappointed. We (family of four) arrived around 5:30 Saturday evening and were seated promptly. I ordered the boneless short ribs but the waitress came back to say they were all out. So I had the salmon cakes and wedge salad for dinner. The salmon cakes were tasty with a nice crispy coating. Hubby had the blue corn fried chicken. He wasn't impressed. The chicken was tough and dry, the green beans were rubbery(frozen?) and the horseradish mashed potatoes were cold. One son had the bacon wrapped trout. It wasn't really wrapped in bacon but a piece was laid across it. He only ate the fish as the veggies were cold. Our other child had the grilled cheese with hand cut chips. No complaints there. Service was good but the food was slow coming out. Overall a little overpriced for the quality of food and not enough potential for me to try again.
(3)Gary F.
Used 50% off certificates over 4 lunches. The food each time was good but not great. Service was consistently very good. Tried the CW burger which was the best of all. Fish tacos were so so. Turkey wrap was fair. Cubano was good but a far stretch from a traditional cubano. I doubt I will go back, unless I can score some more discounted certs.
(3)Brian O.
Food was different but good. Staff was very friendly and welcoming. I called ahead for a reservation because I wanted to listen to the live music on Friday. I was told , and it's advertised, that music started at 6. Unfortunately, he was all set to pay and decided to eat dinner in the kitchen and didn't begin to play until 7:10. At that point we were finished having dinner. I was very disappointed in the poor communication and misleading advertisement of "live music at 6". It put me in a bad mood and I left with a bad taste in my mouth. It's the little things that make the big difference in dining.
(3)Kay B.
This restaurant is one of the worse that i have ever tried. We came here for new year eve dinner, they have nice decoration but dont be fooled by its look. The waitress went over some entrees that were not on the menu. So we ended up ordering calamari, ripeye and ono fish. They are so horrible. First, the calamari was so crunchy because of tons of flour, we could not taste the squid. Second, the ono fish was so dry and salty even tho the waitress said that they just got them in the morning. The worse one is rip eye, it was 16oz but 10oz was fat. Honestly i never seen a fatty piece of steak like that before. We paid $30 for that piece of nasty piece of rip eye, oh my god, i feel so ripped off. So the waitress came and grabbed the dish real quick when we were done without asking us how the steak taste. I guess she already knew it tasted like a piece of crap cuz there were a bunch of fat left over. They said those entrees were on special but they charged us full price at the end. We didnt want to argue with them so we just paid and left. But honestly, that is not how ppl should run their business and yes we will never ever ever go back there again. HORRIBLE place.
(1)Judi A.
Great new restaurant! Blue Corn crusted onion rings wer fantastic! Cool ranch dressing for dipping. The crab stuffed trout was fresh and the corn salsa just added enough spice and crispness. Everyone at our table loved their meal. We will be back often!
(5)