I gave this place a star because I had to. The service was great but the food was terrible considering that we had a broad range of food from the menu and none was good. It was 1030 for "brunch". The kids had breakfast food and the adults ordered lunch. Not any thing special just standard meals off the menu. Carne adovada, enchiladas, green chile burger, tamales. We had red and green sauce. All was tasteless. We had to salt everything just to give it flavor and none of us finished our meal. If you do green or red chile in New Mexico, you gotta do better than they did.
(1)
Rhonda S.
I have no idea which one of you people in Albuquerque's Yelp told me about Garcia's Cafe, but I never would've stopped had it not been for you. What can I say? I've eaten at Montano's in Belen, El Taco Tote on Nob Hill, some place across the Rio Grande, and a bunch of diners, and at a vegan restaurant. Garcia's Cafe is cool cause it's a Mexican food diner. It has the diner chairs, and pies and cookies and diner menus. I believe this was decorated for Cinco De Mayo, which unfortunately, I'm going to miss in Albuquerque. I ate the chicken enchilda special. It was really good. The chicken, you could tell, was cooked, and not gross processed or pulled apart in a billion shreds. I could see it, and taste it. I had green sauce cause this Kansas City girl isn't ready for the red stuff yet. The green sauce was tasty, with a bit of spice. There was cheese on it, perfectly, not too much. The refried beans weren't entirely refried like dog food. The refried beans were really good. I always eat that first cause it's the part I like the least. I could eat a plate of rice from Garcia's. If I'd had another night, I'd have ordered some, to microwave another day. I'm saving the sopadillas for before I leave in the morning. They put 2 packets of honey in the bag. The service was excellent. iI was good, solid food. Excellent choice. I do suggest anyone coming to Albuquerque to eat at Garcia's atleast once. It even looks cool on the outside, with the route 66 sign, and the painting on the side of the building. I think Garcia's has a food truck by the way.
(5)
Ted R.
Fun atmosphere , people are great. Sit in Veronica's section. Sopatillas are excellent. They offer good food with generous portions. Veronica likes her football, be ready.
(4)
Sarah E.
The service is good but the food is bad. The prices are high for what you get on your plate. I find the atmosphere depressing. Overall Garcia's is gross.
(1)
Jess T.
Great food with an incredibly friendly staff! The Karnitas (beef marinated in green chilies) was AMAZING. I've never had a sopapilla before, but now I'm hooked. I will definitely eat here again should I find myself in Albuquerque again!! I wish Garcia's would send some sopapillas out here to CA!!
(4)
Jeremy M.
This is honestly one the most tasteless New Mexican restaurants I have ever tried. I ordered a burrito and the chile had no bite, the meat was flavorless and the service left much to be desired. With so many great options in Albuquerque I don't see why anyone would step foot inside this restaurant.
(1)
T.R. A.
This Garcia's is our basic Go-To for New Mexican food. We don't live terribly far, but we're not exactly close, either. The drive is always worth it. Garcia's is exactly what it is supposed to be, a New Mexican diner that has fallen slightly out of time. The painted walls are great, the exuberance of crepe paper decorations that ALWAYS festoon the ceilings (changed pretty much monthly, or for whatever holiday is most pertinent) are wonderful, the odd old padded swivel stools at the bar that are anchored in place are awkward and vintage. Love it. Service is always super down-to-earth and friendly, on the happy side of "no-nonsense." The staff also has fun with each other, you can tell that these people know and love each other, and that is a very comfortable place for us. Food is great. This is no frills, neighborhood New Mexican food, but done exactly right. Just like the place itself, the food is exactly what it is supposed to be. The tortillas are thick, hand-made affairs (I think each Garcia's has its own "Tortilla Lady," from what I understand from an old co-worker who is related to the family); and my husband likes these sopapillas best in town. I go for the chile relleno burrito, double rice, 2 sopapillas. My honey gets chicken enchiladas when they're on special (he swears that the chicken enchiladas are better on special, rather than off the menu--who knows?), or he will choose from a variety of burritos on other days. Vegetarians will be glad to note that their beans, and their frying oil, are meat free. New Mexican food is SUPER subjective, as all food can be. But this is our New Mexican diner of choice.
(5)
Melanie S.
I've really only had the huevos rancheros here. Eggs over-medium, with Xmas (both red and green chile). Tortillas are soft and thick. Papas (potatoes) are wonderful. The best!!! Breakfast served all day. I highly recommend this Garcia's or the Garcia's on 4th st and Mountain, especially as a breakfast choice.
(5)
Kelly B.
A solid four. Two chille rellenos bean/rice and SOPAPILLAS (and honey). Red sauce was good a heartburny. :::grin::: service was both efficient and caring. Even though we were there when they were packing up and getting ready to go home, we never felt rushed or hurried. Sopapillas were to die for... what more can I say? Prices were reasonable, portions were not overwhelming, but adequate. Love the decorations, love the neon, love the whole thing. I guess I have to go back for breakfast!
(4)
Mindy J.
The food here is by far not the best New Mexican food. The chips (reminiscent of cardboard), salsa, and queso are of the lowest grade possible. We ordered a range of things including a quesadilla, enchaladas, nacho's supreme, among other things on the menu and all were dismal. The service was also something less than desirable. We arrived at 11:30 and it took about 40 minutes for us to get served. I will not be going back here and I will not be recommending it to anyone either.
(1)
Joshua M.
Store bought chips and salsa. Chicken fajitas tasted like Chinese chicken, unable to sit where we wanted with the high chair for my son. The food was mediocre at best.
(2)
Davey R.
This is indeed a cheap place to eat. And it was indeed a place to have a heart to heart with one of my best friends about love, money, treachery and the like. I was promised by him, in so many words, that the sopapillas we were about to have would rock my world and that this place really held a candle to fine Mexican cuisine. I suppose I went on an off day. In fact, it was down there in the bottom 3 Mexcican restaurants I've ever been at, but fortunately the bottom 2 are comprised of California establishments. Food was served well after 45 minutes of ordering. Little to no presentation involved as the plate was filled to the brim of what could only be described as melted dog chow. I am not fooled by how it looked, it tasted like a Don Jose microwave meal, and I had to keep the conversation off of the food to avoid upsetting my friend. Tons of other better places to storm for Mexican fare in this city. Garcia's is not one of them...unless you enjoy being in a restaurant that looks like a cross between Cheech's psychadelic dream after a filling tamale dinner and...a quinceañera colorful enough to induce a grand mal seizure. Because I am one of them, hence the deuce rating instead of the lone ninja star.
(2)
Gio P.
I love Garcia's because I remember eating there as a kid. The festive environment was the highlight. Although I remember being afraid of the cartoon version of Andy Garcia. I also remember taking napkins as momentos. Anyways till this day I still go there for lunch with my uncle. I still eye that Flinstones prize machine.
(4)
Langly L.
I loved the Indian taco I had here while in town for USAR nationals. The Indian taco was flavorful with pintos, ground beef and christmas chili sauce. Imagine a taco salad on a plate sized sopapilla. I liked the roadside dinner atmosphere.
(3)
Steven B.
Been here several times as this is one of my favorite Mexican (New or Traditional) Restaurants in the United States. Great food, staff, and customers. The tortillas are some of the best around. Not sure you can go wrong with anything on the menu. Any place that sells a shirt that says "Stomp out gringo food" is the tops.
(5)
Aly L.
They make the most delicious Huevos Rancheros and will certainly be on my places to dine list whenever I am in Albuquerque. The refried beans are fantastic as is their green chili. Yummmmmm!
(4)
James R.
Some of the worst food I have ever had. How does this chain have 7 locations with food so bad? We were visiting Albuquerque and ran into some of the best food I have ever had, and this place. Got a burrito and fajitas for a little over 13 bucks. For almost 10 dollars you get ONE fajita. The rice has zero taste to it as well. The steak was very spongy. Chips are from a bag you can buy at walmart and they are not even the good kind.
(1)
jer h.
Epitomizes the "New" Mexican dining experience: military grade slop. Perfect for your fussy four year old, no bothersome flavour. You can really taste the can the beans came from. I'd give it one star, but the waitress was nice.
(2)
Jo H.
I had McDonalds 3 times in a row on my way from Nevada to New Mexico. UGH Garcia's Kitchen was a great introduction to New Mexican twist on Mexican food. I read the reviews on Yelp the night I arrived but they were already closed for the night.. After wandering around the streets of Albuquerque for a few hours on my first day in town I stumbled on one of their locations. I needed a real meal after two days of non-stop fast food. I ordered the Burrito Adovada with chili inside and the Green chili stew (yes in 90 degree weather) to go. My food was ready in no time. The burrito was very different from what we get in California. It was more like a wrap sandwich, smaller in comparison to the CA burritos (yet somehow more filling), simple meat, and chili sauce wrapped in a tortilla. I took one bite...real food!!!! The meat was tender and full of flavor. The tortilla was thicker than the ones I've seen in CA but pillowy soft. Next I tasted the green chili stew, spicy, with pieces of meat and potato. It strangely reminded me of home. I polished off the burrito and the bowl of chili stew before it got cold. Then passed out for 2-3 hours in a food coma like no other. I only ate one meal that day. If I'm ever in the area I will definitely visit Garcia's Kitchen again. I will make sure that I have a place to sleep it off reserved.
(4)
Shawna B.
Andys Juevos Rancheros were a good mid day brunch for a reasonable price, although they lacked some flavor. Service was a little slow, but the kind cashier made up for that. Environment is very casual and seems to be a favorite with the local residents.
(3)
Dean W.
We ate breakfast at the Central Ave location. I had the Brisket omelette & wife had the Carne Adovado. Both were very tasty. The sopapillas were Slightly sweet (just an observation, neither a complaint nor a compliment).
(4)
Ken G.
While I have my favorite New Mexican restaurants, this is actually pretty good. It's not as good as Los Cuates or Garduno's, but it's nice homestyle food..the portions are decent and the food is flavorful. It's also pretty inexpensive. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive.
(3)
David S.
Came across this place walking back from the old plaza to our hotel (the blue one). I loved this place, interior full of character, had cheese enchilada's i think ... it was actually about three months ago that I went, and have been meaning yelp it since. I passed by an epic korean place on el camino real that reminded me how much I liked Garcia's. Maybe people in Albuquerque get good food like this all the time - I was just a tourist passing through.
(4)
mimi p.
You can get better Mexican food in Milwaukee. Without the thin veneer of chilies (red or green) poured over everything the food here is bland. The refried beans are boring, the rice has no flavor, the salsa is mediocre. The place has a nice old Route 66 feel, but other than that, you might as well just eat at Frontier, it's cheaper and has the same type of uninspired Mexican cuisine.
(2)
Chanel F.
Decent food, for a very good price. They still don't wrap up their burrito's like they do back home in CA. In fact, they kind of look at you weird when you tell them to put everything inside the tortilla and wrap it up, but they do offer guacamole on their menu, and their beef was pretty good. Their sopapillas were excellent, IMO.
(4)
Amanda P.
I loved eating breakfast here and I love the menudo.
(4)
Paul G.
Garcia's is one of my go to places near my house (Albq Country Club). I've been going more often as I really think the food has gotten better over the years. I stayed away (really) from around 1995-2010. The staff is super friendly and I get take out often for reasonalbe prices. I was there this week and the owner sat us and made us feel welcome. My stuffed carne adovada sopapilla Christmas was fantastic. Sure, the chips and salsa don't taste homemade.....but the rest is some pretty good New Mexican food. Again, diners out there.....support local restaurants as much as possible.
(4)
Jolene P.
After a HORRIBLE experience at a resturaunt in Old Town Alburqurque we drove around trying to find something good to eat and we came across Garcia's Kitchen. The staff was so so friendly and the food was DELISH PERFECTION!!! Garcia's turned our bad experiance around 180 degrees!! If in Alburqurque you have got to eat there!!!
(5)
Natasha T.
My first stop in Albuquerque after checking in to our hotel was Garcia's, per the hotel staff's recommendation. I had been dreaming about sopapillas for literally the better part of twenty years, as the last time I was in ABQ was 1993. We came here with a mission - my mom was more or less yelling for sopapillas when we arrived, and they delivered, hot and fresh with a big ol bottle of honey. I am pretty sure I died and was reborn after eating them - so, so good. Then we ordered lunch. Mom had the adovado and I had the karnitas plate. I don't really think we qualify as experts in the New Mexican cuisine world, but good GOD was this food delicious. Perfectly spicy, tender meat, yadda yadda. It's good. just take my word for it. The service was really wonderful - I sadly don't remember our waitress' name, but she was really attentive and sweet. And she put up with our constant questions and provided really good suggestions when we were at a total loss for what to order. We liked Garcia's so much that we came back a few days later for stuffed breakfast sopapillas AND a basket of sopapillas before we headed back home. I'll definitely be back here when I come for the 2014 Balloon Fiesta!
(5)
Tessa J.
This is the best location to eat of all the Garcias. Great food. The only thing I don't recommend is the chicken on the kids menu options.
(4)
Donnie B.
Been eating here most of my life. Hands down, the best red chili in town. Try the "Chicken Fajita Burrito" w/extra cheese and extra red!
(5)
Ray L.
I was in town for a business trip and somebody recommend this place! I enjoyed the food and the staff as well. Very friendly, the food was great! I tried their enchilada plate. I asked for one of each so I could taste the NM cuisine, Veronica was outstanding and gave me a great New Mexican hospitality by granting my request! Definitely I will return to this place if in town. Ps: the green chili sauce isn't hot, and I do not eat hot sauces.
(5)
Vero P.
No surprises=happy customer. All I think about is the breaking bad laundromat across the street. Love the quiet downtown restaurant on the weekends for brunch. Super hungry after the disappointing farmers market down the street...gotta walk somewhere guaranteed to leave you stuffed. Thx garcias for being so reliably pleasing to the tumm. Service really is hit or miss though:(
(4)
Karen D.
Husband and I took a stroll down deserted Central Avenue during the marathon. We were trying to make it to Old Town but we were exhausted looking at all those folks huffing and puffing. So, a little lunch at Garcia's was a nice respite. It screams Route 66 with vinyl booths and a counter with stools. The waiter was prompt and friendly. Husband had nachos with beef, I had carne adovado enchiladas Christmas style. Food was OK, beers were cold, and it didn't break the bank. Good thing we walked back downtown for digestive purposes! Not sure if it warrants another visit...but you certainly could do worse. Oh, sopapillas were muy bueno!
(3)
Terry T.
I coveted my both of my friends breakfasts. Their eggs, something I never order, were floating in a New Mexican Chili sauce. L's was served with a very tasty Carne Adovada and K had sasuage with his eggs I am not sure what possed me to have mini pancakes with strawberry's and cream. I did enjoy my breakfast and yet even as I as eating, I was trying to figure if chili sauce would improve it and if the sauce and would blend will with the syrup that I had put on my pancakes Garcia's is roadside diner and and it's quite spacious. Although this is listed as a Mexican restaurant it is really New Mexican food which I think is very different than Mexican food.
(4)
Cruz K.
Been eating here for a long time.. service might be a hit and miss but they get slamed.Like the area downtown....far from bad..Like there Ice tea.
(3)
Adrianna L.
Chicharon burrito After a nice Aveda experience downtown, my mother and I walked over to this place because she says it has the best food ever. Her and I shared a chicharon burrito. It was huge! the plate portions here are perfect. I was busy stuffing my face with this goodness when I saw our server taking sopapillas to the table nearby. He looked like an angel floating with gold on a plate. after that 5 second slow clip, I stopped him in his tracks and said I NEED 3 of those. I say 3 because 1 can go to my mother and she can't possibly fight with me for the 3rd one, it's mine. They were SO GOOD. Sweet and fresh to perfection. I highly recommend this place, it's like eating at Grandmas. Only you don't have to wash dishes. But you do have to leave a tip. Try it. Love it Yelp it...
(5)
Michael L.
The food is good and the service is great. They have a nightly special so it won't break the bank.
(4)
Clayton A.
This place always seems to be the first my family members think of when eating New Mexican food in Albuquerque and that's really a damn shame, because I can think of so many better places for NM food. I came here for a Saturday breakfast and decided to deviate from my typical NM order of carne adovada in any iteration and try Garcia's Karnita's plate. This dish sounded pretty damn good on the menu: strips of beef in green chile with beans and rice and a tortilla. I got exactly what the menu had promised I'd get, except lukewarm. Major minus already. As a matter of fact, this really just set the tone, because as the saying goes: "A lowering tide sinks all ships." Well, I just made that up, but it applies here. Anyways, beyond the food disappointment, our waiter was slow to get us menus and drinks, so that was another strike against this place. There's too much competition in Burque for this mediocrity; I'll just take my money to the much better Mary and Tito's, Cecilia's or Cervantes.
(3)
Dale B.
Great food great service.... Guacamole is delicious fresh and plenty of food . Great value
(4)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :1736 Central Ave SW
Albuquerque, NM, 87104
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
D T.
I gave this place a star because I had to. The service was great but the food was terrible considering that we had a broad range of food from the menu and none was good. It was 1030 for "brunch". The kids had breakfast food and the adults ordered lunch. Not any thing special just standard meals off the menu. Carne adovada, enchiladas, green chile burger, tamales. We had red and green sauce. All was tasteless. We had to salt everything just to give it flavor and none of us finished our meal. If you do green or red chile in New Mexico, you gotta do better than they did.
(1)Rhonda S.
I have no idea which one of you people in Albuquerque's Yelp told me about Garcia's Cafe, but I never would've stopped had it not been for you. What can I say? I've eaten at Montano's in Belen, El Taco Tote on Nob Hill, some place across the Rio Grande, and a bunch of diners, and at a vegan restaurant. Garcia's Cafe is cool cause it's a Mexican food diner. It has the diner chairs, and pies and cookies and diner menus. I believe this was decorated for Cinco De Mayo, which unfortunately, I'm going to miss in Albuquerque. I ate the chicken enchilda special. It was really good. The chicken, you could tell, was cooked, and not gross processed or pulled apart in a billion shreds. I could see it, and taste it. I had green sauce cause this Kansas City girl isn't ready for the red stuff yet. The green sauce was tasty, with a bit of spice. There was cheese on it, perfectly, not too much. The refried beans weren't entirely refried like dog food. The refried beans were really good. I always eat that first cause it's the part I like the least. I could eat a plate of rice from Garcia's. If I'd had another night, I'd have ordered some, to microwave another day. I'm saving the sopadillas for before I leave in the morning. They put 2 packets of honey in the bag. The service was excellent. iI was good, solid food. Excellent choice. I do suggest anyone coming to Albuquerque to eat at Garcia's atleast once. It even looks cool on the outside, with the route 66 sign, and the painting on the side of the building. I think Garcia's has a food truck by the way.
(5)Ted R.
Fun atmosphere , people are great. Sit in Veronica's section. Sopatillas are excellent. They offer good food with generous portions. Veronica likes her football, be ready.
(4)Sarah E.
The service is good but the food is bad. The prices are high for what you get on your plate. I find the atmosphere depressing. Overall Garcia's is gross.
(1)Jess T.
Great food with an incredibly friendly staff! The Karnitas (beef marinated in green chilies) was AMAZING. I've never had a sopapilla before, but now I'm hooked. I will definitely eat here again should I find myself in Albuquerque again!! I wish Garcia's would send some sopapillas out here to CA!!
(4)Jeremy M.
This is honestly one the most tasteless New Mexican restaurants I have ever tried. I ordered a burrito and the chile had no bite, the meat was flavorless and the service left much to be desired. With so many great options in Albuquerque I don't see why anyone would step foot inside this restaurant.
(1)T.R. A.
This Garcia's is our basic Go-To for New Mexican food. We don't live terribly far, but we're not exactly close, either. The drive is always worth it. Garcia's is exactly what it is supposed to be, a New Mexican diner that has fallen slightly out of time. The painted walls are great, the exuberance of crepe paper decorations that ALWAYS festoon the ceilings (changed pretty much monthly, or for whatever holiday is most pertinent) are wonderful, the odd old padded swivel stools at the bar that are anchored in place are awkward and vintage. Love it. Service is always super down-to-earth and friendly, on the happy side of "no-nonsense." The staff also has fun with each other, you can tell that these people know and love each other, and that is a very comfortable place for us. Food is great. This is no frills, neighborhood New Mexican food, but done exactly right. Just like the place itself, the food is exactly what it is supposed to be. The tortillas are thick, hand-made affairs (I think each Garcia's has its own "Tortilla Lady," from what I understand from an old co-worker who is related to the family); and my husband likes these sopapillas best in town. I go for the chile relleno burrito, double rice, 2 sopapillas. My honey gets chicken enchiladas when they're on special (he swears that the chicken enchiladas are better on special, rather than off the menu--who knows?), or he will choose from a variety of burritos on other days. Vegetarians will be glad to note that their beans, and their frying oil, are meat free. New Mexican food is SUPER subjective, as all food can be. But this is our New Mexican diner of choice.
(5)Melanie S.
I've really only had the huevos rancheros here. Eggs over-medium, with Xmas (both red and green chile). Tortillas are soft and thick. Papas (potatoes) are wonderful. The best!!! Breakfast served all day. I highly recommend this Garcia's or the Garcia's on 4th st and Mountain, especially as a breakfast choice.
(5)Kelly B.
A solid four. Two chille rellenos bean/rice and SOPAPILLAS (and honey). Red sauce was good a heartburny. :::grin::: service was both efficient and caring. Even though we were there when they were packing up and getting ready to go home, we never felt rushed or hurried. Sopapillas were to die for... what more can I say? Prices were reasonable, portions were not overwhelming, but adequate. Love the decorations, love the neon, love the whole thing. I guess I have to go back for breakfast!
(4)Mindy J.
The food here is by far not the best New Mexican food. The chips (reminiscent of cardboard), salsa, and queso are of the lowest grade possible. We ordered a range of things including a quesadilla, enchaladas, nacho's supreme, among other things on the menu and all were dismal. The service was also something less than desirable. We arrived at 11:30 and it took about 40 minutes for us to get served. I will not be going back here and I will not be recommending it to anyone either.
(1)Joshua M.
Store bought chips and salsa. Chicken fajitas tasted like Chinese chicken, unable to sit where we wanted with the high chair for my son. The food was mediocre at best.
(2)Davey R.
This is indeed a cheap place to eat. And it was indeed a place to have a heart to heart with one of my best friends about love, money, treachery and the like. I was promised by him, in so many words, that the sopapillas we were about to have would rock my world and that this place really held a candle to fine Mexican cuisine. I suppose I went on an off day. In fact, it was down there in the bottom 3 Mexcican restaurants I've ever been at, but fortunately the bottom 2 are comprised of California establishments. Food was served well after 45 minutes of ordering. Little to no presentation involved as the plate was filled to the brim of what could only be described as melted dog chow. I am not fooled by how it looked, it tasted like a Don Jose microwave meal, and I had to keep the conversation off of the food to avoid upsetting my friend. Tons of other better places to storm for Mexican fare in this city. Garcia's is not one of them...unless you enjoy being in a restaurant that looks like a cross between Cheech's psychadelic dream after a filling tamale dinner and...a quinceañera colorful enough to induce a grand mal seizure. Because I am one of them, hence the deuce rating instead of the lone ninja star.
(2)Gio P.
I love Garcia's because I remember eating there as a kid. The festive environment was the highlight. Although I remember being afraid of the cartoon version of Andy Garcia. I also remember taking napkins as momentos. Anyways till this day I still go there for lunch with my uncle. I still eye that Flinstones prize machine.
(4)Langly L.
I loved the Indian taco I had here while in town for USAR nationals. The Indian taco was flavorful with pintos, ground beef and christmas chili sauce. Imagine a taco salad on a plate sized sopapilla. I liked the roadside dinner atmosphere.
(3)Steven B.
Been here several times as this is one of my favorite Mexican (New or Traditional) Restaurants in the United States. Great food, staff, and customers. The tortillas are some of the best around. Not sure you can go wrong with anything on the menu. Any place that sells a shirt that says "Stomp out gringo food" is the tops.
(5)Aly L.
They make the most delicious Huevos Rancheros and will certainly be on my places to dine list whenever I am in Albuquerque. The refried beans are fantastic as is their green chili. Yummmmmm!
(4)James R.
Some of the worst food I have ever had. How does this chain have 7 locations with food so bad? We were visiting Albuquerque and ran into some of the best food I have ever had, and this place. Got a burrito and fajitas for a little over 13 bucks. For almost 10 dollars you get ONE fajita. The rice has zero taste to it as well. The steak was very spongy. Chips are from a bag you can buy at walmart and they are not even the good kind.
(1)jer h.
Epitomizes the "New" Mexican dining experience: military grade slop. Perfect for your fussy four year old, no bothersome flavour. You can really taste the can the beans came from. I'd give it one star, but the waitress was nice.
(2)Jo H.
I had McDonalds 3 times in a row on my way from Nevada to New Mexico. UGH Garcia's Kitchen was a great introduction to New Mexican twist on Mexican food. I read the reviews on Yelp the night I arrived but they were already closed for the night.. After wandering around the streets of Albuquerque for a few hours on my first day in town I stumbled on one of their locations. I needed a real meal after two days of non-stop fast food. I ordered the Burrito Adovada with chili inside and the Green chili stew (yes in 90 degree weather) to go. My food was ready in no time. The burrito was very different from what we get in California. It was more like a wrap sandwich, smaller in comparison to the CA burritos (yet somehow more filling), simple meat, and chili sauce wrapped in a tortilla. I took one bite...real food!!!! The meat was tender and full of flavor. The tortilla was thicker than the ones I've seen in CA but pillowy soft. Next I tasted the green chili stew, spicy, with pieces of meat and potato. It strangely reminded me of home. I polished off the burrito and the bowl of chili stew before it got cold. Then passed out for 2-3 hours in a food coma like no other. I only ate one meal that day. If I'm ever in the area I will definitely visit Garcia's Kitchen again. I will make sure that I have a place to sleep it off reserved.
(4)Shawna B.
Andys Juevos Rancheros were a good mid day brunch for a reasonable price, although they lacked some flavor. Service was a little slow, but the kind cashier made up for that. Environment is very casual and seems to be a favorite with the local residents.
(3)Dean W.
We ate breakfast at the Central Ave location. I had the Brisket omelette & wife had the Carne Adovado. Both were very tasty. The sopapillas were Slightly sweet (just an observation, neither a complaint nor a compliment).
(4)Ken G.
While I have my favorite New Mexican restaurants, this is actually pretty good. It's not as good as Los Cuates or Garduno's, but it's nice homestyle food..the portions are decent and the food is flavorful. It's also pretty inexpensive. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive.
(3)David S.
Came across this place walking back from the old plaza to our hotel (the blue one). I loved this place, interior full of character, had cheese enchilada's i think ... it was actually about three months ago that I went, and have been meaning yelp it since. I passed by an epic korean place on el camino real that reminded me how much I liked Garcia's. Maybe people in Albuquerque get good food like this all the time - I was just a tourist passing through.
(4)mimi p.
You can get better Mexican food in Milwaukee. Without the thin veneer of chilies (red or green) poured over everything the food here is bland. The refried beans are boring, the rice has no flavor, the salsa is mediocre. The place has a nice old Route 66 feel, but other than that, you might as well just eat at Frontier, it's cheaper and has the same type of uninspired Mexican cuisine.
(2)Chanel F.
Decent food, for a very good price. They still don't wrap up their burrito's like they do back home in CA. In fact, they kind of look at you weird when you tell them to put everything inside the tortilla and wrap it up, but they do offer guacamole on their menu, and their beef was pretty good. Their sopapillas were excellent, IMO.
(4)Amanda P.
I loved eating breakfast here and I love the menudo.
(4)Paul G.
Garcia's is one of my go to places near my house (Albq Country Club). I've been going more often as I really think the food has gotten better over the years. I stayed away (really) from around 1995-2010. The staff is super friendly and I get take out often for reasonalbe prices. I was there this week and the owner sat us and made us feel welcome. My stuffed carne adovada sopapilla Christmas was fantastic. Sure, the chips and salsa don't taste homemade.....but the rest is some pretty good New Mexican food. Again, diners out there.....support local restaurants as much as possible.
(4)Jolene P.
After a HORRIBLE experience at a resturaunt in Old Town Alburqurque we drove around trying to find something good to eat and we came across Garcia's Kitchen. The staff was so so friendly and the food was DELISH PERFECTION!!! Garcia's turned our bad experiance around 180 degrees!! If in Alburqurque you have got to eat there!!!
(5)Natasha T.
My first stop in Albuquerque after checking in to our hotel was Garcia's, per the hotel staff's recommendation. I had been dreaming about sopapillas for literally the better part of twenty years, as the last time I was in ABQ was 1993. We came here with a mission - my mom was more or less yelling for sopapillas when we arrived, and they delivered, hot and fresh with a big ol bottle of honey. I am pretty sure I died and was reborn after eating them - so, so good. Then we ordered lunch. Mom had the adovado and I had the karnitas plate. I don't really think we qualify as experts in the New Mexican cuisine world, but good GOD was this food delicious. Perfectly spicy, tender meat, yadda yadda. It's good. just take my word for it. The service was really wonderful - I sadly don't remember our waitress' name, but she was really attentive and sweet. And she put up with our constant questions and provided really good suggestions when we were at a total loss for what to order. We liked Garcia's so much that we came back a few days later for stuffed breakfast sopapillas AND a basket of sopapillas before we headed back home. I'll definitely be back here when I come for the 2014 Balloon Fiesta!
(5)Tessa J.
This is the best location to eat of all the Garcias. Great food. The only thing I don't recommend is the chicken on the kids menu options.
(4)Donnie B.
Been eating here most of my life. Hands down, the best red chili in town. Try the "Chicken Fajita Burrito" w/extra cheese and extra red!
(5)Ray L.
I was in town for a business trip and somebody recommend this place! I enjoyed the food and the staff as well. Very friendly, the food was great! I tried their enchilada plate. I asked for one of each so I could taste the NM cuisine, Veronica was outstanding and gave me a great New Mexican hospitality by granting my request! Definitely I will return to this place if in town. Ps: the green chili sauce isn't hot, and I do not eat hot sauces.
(5)Vero P.
No surprises=happy customer. All I think about is the breaking bad laundromat across the street. Love the quiet downtown restaurant on the weekends for brunch. Super hungry after the disappointing farmers market down the street...gotta walk somewhere guaranteed to leave you stuffed. Thx garcias for being so reliably pleasing to the tumm. Service really is hit or miss though:(
(4)Karen D.
Husband and I took a stroll down deserted Central Avenue during the marathon. We were trying to make it to Old Town but we were exhausted looking at all those folks huffing and puffing. So, a little lunch at Garcia's was a nice respite. It screams Route 66 with vinyl booths and a counter with stools. The waiter was prompt and friendly. Husband had nachos with beef, I had carne adovado enchiladas Christmas style. Food was OK, beers were cold, and it didn't break the bank. Good thing we walked back downtown for digestive purposes! Not sure if it warrants another visit...but you certainly could do worse. Oh, sopapillas were muy bueno!
(3)Terry T.
I coveted my both of my friends breakfasts. Their eggs, something I never order, were floating in a New Mexican Chili sauce. L's was served with a very tasty Carne Adovada and K had sasuage with his eggs I am not sure what possed me to have mini pancakes with strawberry's and cream. I did enjoy my breakfast and yet even as I as eating, I was trying to figure if chili sauce would improve it and if the sauce and would blend will with the syrup that I had put on my pancakes Garcia's is roadside diner and and it's quite spacious. Although this is listed as a Mexican restaurant it is really New Mexican food which I think is very different than Mexican food.
(4)Cruz K.
Been eating here for a long time.. service might be a hit and miss but they get slamed.Like the area downtown....far from bad..Like there Ice tea.
(3)Adrianna L.
Chicharon burrito After a nice Aveda experience downtown, my mother and I walked over to this place because she says it has the best food ever. Her and I shared a chicharon burrito. It was huge! the plate portions here are perfect. I was busy stuffing my face with this goodness when I saw our server taking sopapillas to the table nearby. He looked like an angel floating with gold on a plate. after that 5 second slow clip, I stopped him in his tracks and said I NEED 3 of those. I say 3 because 1 can go to my mother and she can't possibly fight with me for the 3rd one, it's mine. They were SO GOOD. Sweet and fresh to perfection. I highly recommend this place, it's like eating at Grandmas. Only you don't have to wash dishes. But you do have to leave a tip. Try it. Love it Yelp it...
(5)Michael L.
The food is good and the service is great. They have a nightly special so it won't break the bank.
(4)Clayton A.
This place always seems to be the first my family members think of when eating New Mexican food in Albuquerque and that's really a damn shame, because I can think of so many better places for NM food. I came here for a Saturday breakfast and decided to deviate from my typical NM order of carne adovada in any iteration and try Garcia's Karnita's plate. This dish sounded pretty damn good on the menu: strips of beef in green chile with beans and rice and a tortilla. I got exactly what the menu had promised I'd get, except lukewarm. Major minus already. As a matter of fact, this really just set the tone, because as the saying goes: "A lowering tide sinks all ships." Well, I just made that up, but it applies here. Anyways, beyond the food disappointment, our waiter was slow to get us menus and drinks, so that was another strike against this place. There's too much competition in Burque for this mediocrity; I'll just take my money to the much better Mary and Tito's, Cecilia's or Cervantes.
(3)Dale B.
Great food great service.... Guacamole is delicious fresh and plenty of food . Great value
(4)