Had the Sangre de Cristo sandwich which was everything I hoped it would be, and a side salad with mango vinaigrette, which exceeded my expectations. The sandwich is made with battered Hawaiian bread filled with turkey, cheese, green chille, and comes with a raspberry chipotle dipping sauce. It was perfect. The mango vinaigrette, house-made, was flavorful of mango, a pleasant surprise! Service was fast and friendly without being intrusive. Highly recommended after a hike in the Sandias.
(5)
DharmaLynne F.
The Gluten Free can eat here! I wanted the trout gluten free they did it! Can't order a less than wonderful meal here! Come hungry, the portions are large. The hollandaise is Sundays only because it's from scratch, and perfect. The coffee may be the best in the East Mountains. Service is Excellent.
(5)
Ben S.
The green chili fries were great. I would recommend them to anyone. The veggie burrito was good until I got food poisoning. My guess is they infrequently get customers ordering the veggie burrito so the veggies were most likely old and contaminated. Don't get the veggie burrito here!
(1)
Erich R.
First and foremost, the customer service and wait staff are awesome! Seriously, these guys and gals do a great job. Each time we've come, we're promptly greeted and our orders taken with a super friendly greet & meet. The food can some times bit a bit slower than it should be (all the more time for me to finish my draft beer), but when it does arrive it's always great. No complaints so far! Great spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I recommend you check out the "lite menu." They have a cheaper option (smaller portion) for breakfast, and a 1/4 burger for under $6. Sweet deal in my opinion.
(5)
Brad M.
Ok. I've been here a couple times now and I have yet to be disappointed. In fact, I have yet to be nothing other than impressed! I consider myself to be quite the judge of food/restaurants, so I cannot fathom the other reviews that are less than 4 stars. The owner is friendly goes out of his way to ensure you're happy. The food is wonderful! The Hen Grenade is one of those yearly treats you have to indulge in. As for my staple - the huevos rancheros with a side of sausage (I need a breakfast meat) covered in red sauce! They have an excellent red! The beer selection is current and has the best from all the local breweries in New Mexico. The wine selection is excellent as well! This truly is a gem in the Sandia's!
(5)
Eric B.
Food was pretty good and the price was not bad either. Service was excellent. They have local beer and wine to. Good place for lunch of you are doing the Turquoise Trail!
(3)
Bike Chaplain O.
Good lunch. One had a burger, perfectly cooked with a decent bun. The other had Steak Quesadilla which was also prepared nice and delicious. Great selection of beers too. We recommend this restaurant. Thanks for reading. The Bike Chaplain
(4)
C. D.
We have been traveling the country for about a month with 2 adults, 3 kids, and 3 German Shepherds. (I'm stating that fact so you can put yourself in my shoes and feel my pain as we walked through what we expected to be yet another place to eat where no one was happy and someone always looks at the menu and says 'I don't like any of this'.) We have eaten at many places on our travels and this is hands down the best meal any of us have had in the 25 days we have been on the road! I use Yelp a lot to find places to eat, sleep, and play but I seldom leave reviews. We had the fish tacos, taco salad, hot wings, fish and chips, and a breakfast meal with basic eggs and bacon. The wings were a bit too hot for the kids to enjoy but we loved them! The only thing that I would suggest to them is to serve the homemade tarter sauce on the side with the fish tacos plate. It came with the fish & chips but I took it from my son & used it with my meal. It was sooooooo good! We are all very tired from our trip and ready to get home. We came in with blank faces and just closed our eyes after we ordered. With 3 kids who are arguing every few miles and fed up with being stuck around each other you can imagine the tension between the kids and awkwardness of all of us as we placed our orders. The waitress was just too nice! She's literally the first genuinely nice person we have come across on our trip. She caught our attention with her bubbly personality. One of my sons has Autism and when we go out to eat he always wants to sit alone and be alone. Most places yell at him for having his shoes off and on the floor or because he's rocking a chair that shouldn't be rocked. Everyone here was super nice and never questioned his behaviors. He went to 'lay' on their couch so I got up to make him come back to his table. He yelled 'the sign says come in and relax!' and the whole restaurant paused for a few seconds. Our waitress giggled and mouthed 'oh he's fine' from across the room. Only those who have a disabled child would be able to appreciate the gesture as a huge deal... Any restaurant that can handle my bunch and wave goodbye with a smile when we walk out the door deserves 10 stars!
(5)
Alex W.
What a great place. A few weeks prior I was conducting surveys in the area for Comcast (possible future outdoor WiFi hotspot). This was one of my survey locations. Looked like a great place. Couldn't stop as it was too early for lunch. A few weeks later I was passing through headed to Santa Fe. Wife and I stopped for lunch. Sitting out on the patio was very nice. Wife had the steak quesadilla. Nice flavor. Not too spicy. I had BBQ meat loaf sandwich with homemade chips. Great meal. Good price. We wish we lived here or had something this back home.
The Greenside has been a favorite east mountain spot of mine for years. Their Sangre de Cristo sandwich is awesome, and they have a nice selection of beers on tap. Today I had the pleasure of introducing a friend to their delicious breakfast menu. We ordered the chicken fried huevos, with green chile and a side of gravy; and a slice of their funky Sandia French Toast. Although the gravy wasn't really necessary, it was off the charts amazing - buttery and cheesy and sausagey - and a great dipping sauce for the potatoes. The pinto beans with bacon were quite good, too. The chicken fried steak wasn't quite as crispy as I'd remembered from previous visits, but it was still delicious. The Sandia French toast was lovely - made with sourdough bread and just a touch of orange. Our server was attentive and served our split order of huevos on two plates. My friend agreed with me - The Greenside Cafe is cool!
(4)
Gregory L.
Nice place but the tables are located too close together. The food is pretty good and for the area that this place is located, it's nice to not have to travel to a big city for this type of dining experience.
(4)
Richard H.
I had a simple dinner of Chicken Fried Steak and mashed potatoes, with an Alien Amber beer. Good food and a nice environment.
(4)
Thomas R.
One of our frequent East Mountains dinner choices. Pleasant atmosphere, tasty food, awesome desserts. They have a good selection of draft beers, and I highly recommend the Agave Wine "Margarita" (exactly what it sounds like --- a margarita made with agave wine instead of tequila, attending to flavor rather than potency). I've enjoyed their falafel sandwich, the chicken fried steak, and the fish and chips. Had a green chile cheeseburger there most recently, but the green chile wasn't the most flavorful around. All in all a great choice on the east side of the Sandias. [edit: updated to 5 star from 4. I can't for the life of me remember why I'd only given 4 stars, unless perhaps it was that once upon a time they were closed on Sundays. If that was it, it's not true anymore.]
(5)
Bura R.
50s decor. I had the meatloaf and I'm thinking how can you go wrong with meatloaf? Think again. Met with friends who are regulars and I can't help asking myself why? Has potential
(1)
Damon T.
We stopped here on a Sunday on our way back from activities in the East Mountains. We'd been before for breakfast on our way up the mountain and really enjoyed it. Though it was a bit cold and breezy, we sat out on the porch since we had our dog with us. Nothing fancy, just some metal tables & chairs. We were quickly greeted by our sever who ran through the very respectable beer list, including some local, seasonal beers. I strayed from the pumpkin beer just incase it was too strong. They brought me a sample of it anyway! We were starving when we sat down, so choosing was hard. They had some great soups-du-jour; we settled on the green chile corn chowder. It was awesome! The corn had good texture and the flavor balance was just right. I went with the meatloaf for my meal. What came out was a huge piece of tasty meatloaf and mashed potatoes with an amazing gravy. It also had a side of broccoli and squash in a light butter sauce. My wife got the "artichoke po'boy" special, which was cooked just-right. Though quite full, we couldn't pass on desert: just-made pumpkin cheesecake. It was light and not too sweet with a gingerbread crust. Amazing! If you're in the East Mountains (or even the east part of Albuquerque) this is THE place to eat!
(5)
Fr D.
Setting very nice. Food was good.green Chile cheese fries were soggy, peanut stew good, but overpriced. Calabacitas soup excellent
(3)
Sherry E.
First visit we ordered a app. Never got it and was charged for it. Food came to the table cold, had to send it back. Service was hit and missed. French fries came from a bag. We will give then a second chance to get it right.
(2)
Aaron C.
I used to love this place. We would go there all the time, and the food was awesome. But lately, EVERYTHING has gone downhill. I ordered the peanut noodles, once I revived them they were watery. I decided to just finish them because I had already sent back my previous dish twice, which was the green chili Alfredo pasta. Unfortunately my father got sick for days after eating the huevos Rancheros, and after taking to the owner about the problems we had found, all that he could reply with were EXCUSES. Never going back, very sad because it used to be a restaurant that I would recommend to all of my friends, now I would be scared for a birds life if i saw it fly off with their food in its mouth!
(2)
Wes T.
Should you find yourself on this end of the Turquoise Trail, the Greenside Cafe is not a bad choice of places to stop and fill your belly. They have a nice patio for outdoor seating (when the weather permits) and their menu offers a little something for everyone. I like their french toast, and their Hen Grenade. Good specials, too.
(4)
cory b.
Not awful, but definitely missed the mark. Attentive service, but that was the best thing about it. Went with my mom after a nice drive/hike, so we were pretty hungry, but neither of us thought our burritos were all that good. My steak had no sear at all on it, which means less flavor. They gave my mom the wrong type of chili (asked for mild, got hot). The hefeweizen they had on tap was great however.
(2)
Charles K.
Very good restaurant on the east side of the mountain. Food is well above average.
(4)
James Y.
Very nice cafe, however if you're looking for specialty coffee be aware they no longer have an espresso machine. Chocolate molten cake was delicious.
(4)
Jane V.
We went there for lunch. They had good prices and selection of food. The food was good, but not amazing. Their draft beer had a good amount of options too. Their servers we funny and nice. They have a nice patio too. The only downside is that it is so far away from us.
(4)
Bren M.
This place is alrighty. It looks like they spent some money on the interior, but there's hardly anyone in there to enjoy it. Veggie burger is not bad. Same with the fries. Mealy tomato, though. I really wanted this place to be something different, but it is what it is, and it is pretty standard.
(3)
Tae M.
Had tried Greenside 2-3 times a couple of years ago and was somewhat disappointed, although they have some of the best iced tea ever. I would stop in just to get a tea to go. Decided to try them again a few weeks ago and was thrilled with the outcome. Daily specials have been added and food, although same menu was much better. Have returned several times since then. Daily specials include homemade soups that have been delicious.
(4)
Glen M.
Food is pricey, but of decent quality. Wait staff is attentive and pleasant. My biggest gripe is the price of its trashy wine: the house merlot, for example, is $7 for a standard size glass and it tastes terrible. Happy hour price from 2 to 6 is a buck off beer and wine; good selection of draft beer.
(3)
Glen G.
Absolutely the best french toast I have ever had!
(5)
David W.
Great weekend breakfast! The hen- grenades are spectacular.
Great location, incredible service, well designed. The food was a little bland for me, and when we ordered an order of fish and chips for 14.95, we expected a little larger portion than the 4 small pieces of fish that arrived. I got a breakfast burrito that was somehow bland and spicy at the same time. The menu was great, lots of options for specialty diets, but missing flavour.
(3)
Glen M.
Nice asst. of draft beers; happy hour (buck off) starts really early, @ 2, which is nice. Food is high priced and mediocre, at best. Finding a really good restaurant in the east mountains is a daunting task, and we've lived there for over 12 years.
(2)
Lynn G.
It's wonderful to have such a nice neighborhood restaurant in the area. Great place to meet up with friends and linger over your meal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner..........always good food and a delightful time to be in the restaurant. Amazing cinnamon rolls for breakfast on the weekend.
(5)
Larry S.
Nice little place in an out of the way location! They have a nice selection of beers on tap, the menu has a good selection of different foods and duet on a Saturday night was terrific. .
(3)
Rand R.
I had such high hopes for Greenside Cafe, but unfortunately it turned out to be a huge disappointment. We went for lunch on Sunday afternoon. All started off well -- friendly greeting, nice decor, great menu. Then the food started to arrive and it went downhill quickly. We started with an order of hot wings -- pretty basic. They arrived quickly, looked and smelled great, and tasted good until we noticed they were still ice cold on the inside near the bone. Gross and poor food safety. We sent them back, which I always try hard not to ever do. They came back much darker and were now super hot (almost dangerously so), but were edible. I had a steak quesadilla for my entree, which was mediocre and super greasy. It was served with literally, about 1 tablespoon each of bland guacamole, sour cream, and tasteless salsa. I also had a side garden salad, which is hard to ruin normally, but they managed to do so. Lettuce was very dark, wilted and dried out. It obviously had been kept in the fridge far too long, uncovered. I tried to pick out the bad leaves, but it was more than half the salad. After sending the wings back, I wasn't about to return anything else. Green chile ranch dressing sounded good, but was heavy on mayo, light on green chile. Based on reviews, we ordered the chocolate molten lava cake a la mode. It was decent, but after the series of problems it didn't do much for us. Finally, one note about the place itself -- after a short while in the restaurant, we noticed the place had an overwhelming smell of grease -- kind of like being in a big Fry Daddy. They need some better ventilation. We walked out of Greenside $50 lighter for lunch for 2 and smelled like old french fries. This was my first visit to Greenside and definitely will be the last.
(1)
Andrea L.
I was glad when this place opened and am still happy every day that Cedar Crest has a restaurant like it. The nutshell is that it is good food and friendly people, with only a few 'average' experiences in years of going there. My favorites: Romescu appetizer is fantastic; steak salad is darn tasty (I only wish it were a little bigger); chicken with artichokes is something to order over and over... I rarely eat dessert but the almond butter pie is decadent yumminess, as are the housemade ice creams. Service is usually good, but like many places it can be spotty at times - not unfriendly, just sometimes slow.
(4)
Chris I.
It's like the Flying Star Cafe, only better. Sorry Flying Star -- I love ya', but I had to say it!
(5)
Jessica Y.
A pleasant surprise on our way back to the airport from the turquoise trail. We thought we'd be stuck with airport food and saw this on the side of the road. Portions are large so I'm glad we didn't over order. I had the taco salad and the meat had really good flavor. Adam had the steak dilla, which seemed like a good sized portion though I didn't have any.
(3)
Debby A.
Stopped here for a Chili cheese burger after we found out the burger bar was closed on Tuesday. The food was great but the service was so slow. Waitress was a bit to busy talking to her friends... We probably wont be back.
(3)
Kelly R.
On our trip cross country, we headed off I-40 to eat lunch here due to the reviews and recommendations found in reviews of a restaurant in a nearby town we were considering. Cafe has a nice ambience and a patio area that allows dogs, which is nice. The food was decent, nothing to write home about. I had the breakfast burrito plate with sausage and veggies, green chile, and bacony pinto beans. Huge portion! The burrito was a little bland. I thought the addition of veggies would make the burrito more flavorful, but I feel like they actually brought the flavor down. Husband had a burger. He said it was good. Reasonable prices and friendly staff. I can see this being a popular cafe since there doesn't seem to be much else in the area, and I would definitely eat here again if I lived nearby, but I wouldn't go out of the way to make the trip.
The staff is super friendly and it's a great scenery. I had the meatloaf, which was good but rather average. They have a nice selection of tea and a cozy spot in the back if you want to relax and read. I was by here a while back and can't remember what I had, but I do remember it made me want to come back...I'll be back again to try other things soon!
(4)
Meg M.
We always stop for lunch at Greenside Cafe if we're nearby. And it's always good. Really pleasant wait staff. I always feel welcome and comfortable here. The food is good and fresh. Today we sat outside which was very nice. We all enjoyed our lunches.
(5)
Rita D.
After a long day flying from Tampa to Albuquerque, I was looking forward to a late lunch (or even better, a New Mexico breakfast!) while driving along the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe. Voila! Greenside Cafe was perfect! Serving breakfast until 3 pm, my travel companion and I decided to split the Huevos Rancheros Fried Steak. Our very helpful server had told us it was a huge amount of food, and she wasn't kidding! How one person could ever eat the entire meal is beyond me. It was a perfect first meal of our long weekend of enjoying food. It was so filling, we didn't even both with a regular dinner that night. It was yummy and our server couldn't have been better.
(4)
Crysal G.
The food at greenside is pretty good on most days. My husband and I loved the fact that they were open until 9pm on Friday and Saturday, that is, until recently when we were turned away for service at 8:20pm on a Friday. This was extremely disappointing since there aren't many food options in the East Mountains and we have been long standing customers. With the now lack of convenience in weekend hours, i would recommend you not pay the higher prices of Greenside and simply go to the Lazy Lizard. The food is petty great and the prices are extremely reasonable.
(3)
J C.
great location, but unfortunately the food quality and service have gone downhill. Side salad included a nice dead fly on top..when brought to the attention of the staff, they said this was common with organic produce..huh? at least they comped the fly entree
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch 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 : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Leslie S.
Had the Sangre de Cristo sandwich which was everything I hoped it would be, and a side salad with mango vinaigrette, which exceeded my expectations. The sandwich is made with battered Hawaiian bread filled with turkey, cheese, green chille, and comes with a raspberry chipotle dipping sauce. It was perfect. The mango vinaigrette, house-made, was flavorful of mango, a pleasant surprise! Service was fast and friendly without being intrusive. Highly recommended after a hike in the Sandias.
(5)DharmaLynne F.
The Gluten Free can eat here! I wanted the trout gluten free they did it! Can't order a less than wonderful meal here! Come hungry, the portions are large. The hollandaise is Sundays only because it's from scratch, and perfect. The coffee may be the best in the East Mountains. Service is Excellent.
(5)Ben S.
The green chili fries were great. I would recommend them to anyone. The veggie burrito was good until I got food poisoning. My guess is they infrequently get customers ordering the veggie burrito so the veggies were most likely old and contaminated. Don't get the veggie burrito here!
(1)Erich R.
First and foremost, the customer service and wait staff are awesome! Seriously, these guys and gals do a great job. Each time we've come, we're promptly greeted and our orders taken with a super friendly greet & meet. The food can some times bit a bit slower than it should be (all the more time for me to finish my draft beer), but when it does arrive it's always great. No complaints so far! Great spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I recommend you check out the "lite menu." They have a cheaper option (smaller portion) for breakfast, and a 1/4 burger for under $6. Sweet deal in my opinion.
(5)Brad M.
Ok. I've been here a couple times now and I have yet to be disappointed. In fact, I have yet to be nothing other than impressed! I consider myself to be quite the judge of food/restaurants, so I cannot fathom the other reviews that are less than 4 stars. The owner is friendly goes out of his way to ensure you're happy. The food is wonderful! The Hen Grenade is one of those yearly treats you have to indulge in. As for my staple - the huevos rancheros with a side of sausage (I need a breakfast meat) covered in red sauce! They have an excellent red! The beer selection is current and has the best from all the local breweries in New Mexico. The wine selection is excellent as well! This truly is a gem in the Sandia's!
(5)Eric B.
Food was pretty good and the price was not bad either. Service was excellent. They have local beer and wine to. Good place for lunch of you are doing the Turquoise Trail!
(3)Bike Chaplain O.
Good lunch. One had a burger, perfectly cooked with a decent bun. The other had Steak Quesadilla which was also prepared nice and delicious. Great selection of beers too. We recommend this restaurant. Thanks for reading. The Bike Chaplain
(4)C. D.
We have been traveling the country for about a month with 2 adults, 3 kids, and 3 German Shepherds. (I'm stating that fact so you can put yourself in my shoes and feel my pain as we walked through what we expected to be yet another place to eat where no one was happy and someone always looks at the menu and says 'I don't like any of this'.) We have eaten at many places on our travels and this is hands down the best meal any of us have had in the 25 days we have been on the road! I use Yelp a lot to find places to eat, sleep, and play but I seldom leave reviews. We had the fish tacos, taco salad, hot wings, fish and chips, and a breakfast meal with basic eggs and bacon. The wings were a bit too hot for the kids to enjoy but we loved them! The only thing that I would suggest to them is to serve the homemade tarter sauce on the side with the fish tacos plate. It came with the fish & chips but I took it from my son & used it with my meal. It was sooooooo good! We are all very tired from our trip and ready to get home. We came in with blank faces and just closed our eyes after we ordered. With 3 kids who are arguing every few miles and fed up with being stuck around each other you can imagine the tension between the kids and awkwardness of all of us as we placed our orders. The waitress was just too nice! She's literally the first genuinely nice person we have come across on our trip. She caught our attention with her bubbly personality. One of my sons has Autism and when we go out to eat he always wants to sit alone and be alone. Most places yell at him for having his shoes off and on the floor or because he's rocking a chair that shouldn't be rocked. Everyone here was super nice and never questioned his behaviors. He went to 'lay' on their couch so I got up to make him come back to his table. He yelled 'the sign says come in and relax!' and the whole restaurant paused for a few seconds. Our waitress giggled and mouthed 'oh he's fine' from across the room. Only those who have a disabled child would be able to appreciate the gesture as a huge deal... Any restaurant that can handle my bunch and wave goodbye with a smile when we walk out the door deserves 10 stars!
(5)Alex W.
What a great place. A few weeks prior I was conducting surveys in the area for Comcast (possible future outdoor WiFi hotspot). This was one of my survey locations. Looked like a great place. Couldn't stop as it was too early for lunch. A few weeks later I was passing through headed to Santa Fe. Wife and I stopped for lunch. Sitting out on the patio was very nice. Wife had the steak quesadilla. Nice flavor. Not too spicy. I had BBQ meat loaf sandwich with homemade chips. Great meal. Good price. We wish we lived here or had something this back home.
(5)Kai S.
When I think of my dining experience at Greenside Café, I immediately think fresh 'n yummy. The gf & I had breakfast here a few weeks ago. The fruit was fresh, the eggs over easy just right, the coffee extra good, and the service super nice. We also enjoyed the pleasant interior décor and cleanliness of the place. Best of all were the very fair prices and decently sized menu. This is, in my eyes, the sort of little café that needs local support to keep on doing what they do well. We will definitely have breakfast here at our next opportunity. Check 'em out!
(5)Michael J.
The Greenside Café looks so cute, scrunched up in the upscale Triangle shopping Plaza in the affluent little village of Cedar Crest, NM where, you guessed it, the motif is a soothing shade of light green. So why the 3.5 rating by 30 other Yelpers? We soon found out when we showed up one fine Sunday morning at 8 a.m. The décor was retro cool, the greeting was friendly, and we got a nice table and perused the large breakfast menu. Coffee arrived in humongous cups and was good and strong. So far, so good. But alas, it was downhill from there. Abbe had the Veggie Romesco Scramble ($8.79) made from fresh spinach and tofu scrambled with eggs and topped with their "zesty" Romesco sauce, and served with red-skinned potatoes and fresh fruit. I chose the Just Everything ($8.86) that featured a choice of Sandia toast, Barbie cakes (love the name!) or biscuit, two eggs "your way," choice of bacon, ham or sausage, red-skinned potatoes and fresh fruit. Let the Meh begin. When I why asked why Abbe had left a sizeable portion of the tofu on her plate, she confessed she had gotten tired of the taste. As for me, I was chagrined that my plate came just on the warmish side of cool, which is not the way I like poached eggs, and certainly not the way I liked the large and thin (and tough) slice of ham that looked and tasted like it came out of the deli counter of the Triangle supermarket right next door. The portion of Sandia Toast, a "now famous recipe" (their quotes) of sour dough bread dipped in an orange & vanilla scented batter was okay, but the portion was meager. And the "fresh fruit" on both our plates also looked tasted like something that came out of supermarket plastic tub. While the atmosphere was pleasing, the food was not. It did not seem like it was made with any love, and it did not live up to the glowing descriptions on the menu. Other reviews by locals have said the place has slipped since it's opening a few years ago. Sadly, I agree. Ambiance, friendliness and good coffee only go so far. They have to be backed by a little sterner hand on the tiller in the kitchen, 'cause right now they're on autopilot.
(2)Shelly A.
The Greenside has been a favorite east mountain spot of mine for years. Their Sangre de Cristo sandwich is awesome, and they have a nice selection of beers on tap. Today I had the pleasure of introducing a friend to their delicious breakfast menu. We ordered the chicken fried huevos, with green chile and a side of gravy; and a slice of their funky Sandia French Toast. Although the gravy wasn't really necessary, it was off the charts amazing - buttery and cheesy and sausagey - and a great dipping sauce for the potatoes. The pinto beans with bacon were quite good, too. The chicken fried steak wasn't quite as crispy as I'd remembered from previous visits, but it was still delicious. The Sandia French toast was lovely - made with sourdough bread and just a touch of orange. Our server was attentive and served our split order of huevos on two plates. My friend agreed with me - The Greenside Cafe is cool!
(4)Gregory L.
Nice place but the tables are located too close together. The food is pretty good and for the area that this place is located, it's nice to not have to travel to a big city for this type of dining experience.
(4)Richard H.
I had a simple dinner of Chicken Fried Steak and mashed potatoes, with an Alien Amber beer. Good food and a nice environment.
(4)Thomas R.
One of our frequent East Mountains dinner choices. Pleasant atmosphere, tasty food, awesome desserts. They have a good selection of draft beers, and I highly recommend the Agave Wine "Margarita" (exactly what it sounds like --- a margarita made with agave wine instead of tequila, attending to flavor rather than potency). I've enjoyed their falafel sandwich, the chicken fried steak, and the fish and chips. Had a green chile cheeseburger there most recently, but the green chile wasn't the most flavorful around. All in all a great choice on the east side of the Sandias. [edit: updated to 5 star from 4. I can't for the life of me remember why I'd only given 4 stars, unless perhaps it was that once upon a time they were closed on Sundays. If that was it, it's not true anymore.]
(5)Bura R.
50s decor. I had the meatloaf and I'm thinking how can you go wrong with meatloaf? Think again. Met with friends who are regulars and I can't help asking myself why? Has potential
(1)Damon T.
We stopped here on a Sunday on our way back from activities in the East Mountains. We'd been before for breakfast on our way up the mountain and really enjoyed it. Though it was a bit cold and breezy, we sat out on the porch since we had our dog with us. Nothing fancy, just some metal tables & chairs. We were quickly greeted by our sever who ran through the very respectable beer list, including some local, seasonal beers. I strayed from the pumpkin beer just incase it was too strong. They brought me a sample of it anyway! We were starving when we sat down, so choosing was hard. They had some great soups-du-jour; we settled on the green chile corn chowder. It was awesome! The corn had good texture and the flavor balance was just right. I went with the meatloaf for my meal. What came out was a huge piece of tasty meatloaf and mashed potatoes with an amazing gravy. It also had a side of broccoli and squash in a light butter sauce. My wife got the "artichoke po'boy" special, which was cooked just-right. Though quite full, we couldn't pass on desert: just-made pumpkin cheesecake. It was light and not too sweet with a gingerbread crust. Amazing! If you're in the East Mountains (or even the east part of Albuquerque) this is THE place to eat!
(5)Fr D.
Setting very nice. Food was good.green Chile cheese fries were soggy, peanut stew good, but overpriced. Calabacitas soup excellent
(3)Sherry E.
First visit we ordered a app. Never got it and was charged for it. Food came to the table cold, had to send it back. Service was hit and missed. French fries came from a bag. We will give then a second chance to get it right.
(2)Aaron C.
I used to love this place. We would go there all the time, and the food was awesome. But lately, EVERYTHING has gone downhill. I ordered the peanut noodles, once I revived them they were watery. I decided to just finish them because I had already sent back my previous dish twice, which was the green chili Alfredo pasta. Unfortunately my father got sick for days after eating the huevos Rancheros, and after taking to the owner about the problems we had found, all that he could reply with were EXCUSES. Never going back, very sad because it used to be a restaurant that I would recommend to all of my friends, now I would be scared for a birds life if i saw it fly off with their food in its mouth!
(2)Wes T.
Should you find yourself on this end of the Turquoise Trail, the Greenside Cafe is not a bad choice of places to stop and fill your belly. They have a nice patio for outdoor seating (when the weather permits) and their menu offers a little something for everyone. I like their french toast, and their Hen Grenade. Good specials, too.
(4)cory b.
Not awful, but definitely missed the mark. Attentive service, but that was the best thing about it. Went with my mom after a nice drive/hike, so we were pretty hungry, but neither of us thought our burritos were all that good. My steak had no sear at all on it, which means less flavor. They gave my mom the wrong type of chili (asked for mild, got hot). The hefeweizen they had on tap was great however.
(2)Charles K.
Very good restaurant on the east side of the mountain. Food is well above average.
(4)James Y.
Very nice cafe, however if you're looking for specialty coffee be aware they no longer have an espresso machine. Chocolate molten cake was delicious.
(4)Jane V.
We went there for lunch. They had good prices and selection of food. The food was good, but not amazing. Their draft beer had a good amount of options too. Their servers we funny and nice. They have a nice patio too. The only downside is that it is so far away from us.
(4)Bren M.
This place is alrighty. It looks like they spent some money on the interior, but there's hardly anyone in there to enjoy it. Veggie burger is not bad. Same with the fries. Mealy tomato, though. I really wanted this place to be something different, but it is what it is, and it is pretty standard.
(3)Tae M.
Had tried Greenside 2-3 times a couple of years ago and was somewhat disappointed, although they have some of the best iced tea ever. I would stop in just to get a tea to go. Decided to try them again a few weeks ago and was thrilled with the outcome. Daily specials have been added and food, although same menu was much better. Have returned several times since then. Daily specials include homemade soups that have been delicious.
(4)Glen M.
Food is pricey, but of decent quality. Wait staff is attentive and pleasant. My biggest gripe is the price of its trashy wine: the house merlot, for example, is $7 for a standard size glass and it tastes terrible. Happy hour price from 2 to 6 is a buck off beer and wine; good selection of draft beer.
(3)Glen G.
Absolutely the best french toast I have ever had!
(5)David W.
Great weekend breakfast! The hen- grenades are spectacular.
(5)Erik E.
Had lunch here yesterday after a nice snowfall. The mountain views from this place are awesome! Ah, but we're here to talk about food, aren't we .... Let me cut straight to dessert (see pics). I had here the most amazing molten chocolate cake I've ever had. I've had this dessert in a number of restaurants in ABQ and elsewhere, and I've even made it at home, but they have perfected this dish here! Just a thin crust all around and lots of warm chocolate goo inside! I think there may have been tiny almost melted chocolate chips in the batter as well. None of the batter had been allowed to reach a cakey stage so the full chocolate flavor was enveloping my tongue like a [insert risqué analogy here]. But long before the dessert came out, I had the Romesco appetizer (see pic). This is a roasted pureed red pepper dip with garlic, lemon, and almonds. Served with thinly sliced bread for dipping. The bread was a little tangy (sourdough?) and the crumb more dense than a baguette. It was good! In between the appetizer and dessert was the Sangre de Cristo sandwich (see pics), which I ordered with fries (they also have house made chips, or salad). This would be their take on the Monte Cristo sandwich. The big difference is the use of Hawaiian Bread (a sweet enriched loaf, much like Challah but without eggs) and the addition of chopped green chili. Nice! You'll also notice a picture of the root beer I ordered: Way 2 Kool Root Beer on draft from the Sierra Blanca Brewing Co. in Carrizozo, NM. Good taste, but a little flat (carbonation-wise). Still, I'd order it again. I'm not sure if the lack of carbonation was done on purpose, but I actually liked it without so much carbonation. The flavor was not overly sweet. Goes good with food! I should also mention that the atmosphere was pleasant (see pic) and service good. I will definitely be back here. There are many things on the menu I still need to try. The breakfast menu looked very green-chili-centric, so I'll need to check that out next time I'm in the mood for New Mexican cuisine.
(4)Nick S.
Great location, incredible service, well designed. The food was a little bland for me, and when we ordered an order of fish and chips for 14.95, we expected a little larger portion than the 4 small pieces of fish that arrived. I got a breakfast burrito that was somehow bland and spicy at the same time. The menu was great, lots of options for specialty diets, but missing flavour.
(3)Glen M.
Nice asst. of draft beers; happy hour (buck off) starts really early, @ 2, which is nice. Food is high priced and mediocre, at best. Finding a really good restaurant in the east mountains is a daunting task, and we've lived there for over 12 years.
(2)Lynn G.
It's wonderful to have such a nice neighborhood restaurant in the area. Great place to meet up with friends and linger over your meal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner..........always good food and a delightful time to be in the restaurant. Amazing cinnamon rolls for breakfast on the weekend.
(5)Larry S.
Nice little place in an out of the way location! They have a nice selection of beers on tap, the menu has a good selection of different foods and duet on a Saturday night was terrific. .
(3)Rand R.
I had such high hopes for Greenside Cafe, but unfortunately it turned out to be a huge disappointment. We went for lunch on Sunday afternoon. All started off well -- friendly greeting, nice decor, great menu. Then the food started to arrive and it went downhill quickly. We started with an order of hot wings -- pretty basic. They arrived quickly, looked and smelled great, and tasted good until we noticed they were still ice cold on the inside near the bone. Gross and poor food safety. We sent them back, which I always try hard not to ever do. They came back much darker and were now super hot (almost dangerously so), but were edible. I had a steak quesadilla for my entree, which was mediocre and super greasy. It was served with literally, about 1 tablespoon each of bland guacamole, sour cream, and tasteless salsa. I also had a side garden salad, which is hard to ruin normally, but they managed to do so. Lettuce was very dark, wilted and dried out. It obviously had been kept in the fridge far too long, uncovered. I tried to pick out the bad leaves, but it was more than half the salad. After sending the wings back, I wasn't about to return anything else. Green chile ranch dressing sounded good, but was heavy on mayo, light on green chile. Based on reviews, we ordered the chocolate molten lava cake a la mode. It was decent, but after the series of problems it didn't do much for us. Finally, one note about the place itself -- after a short while in the restaurant, we noticed the place had an overwhelming smell of grease -- kind of like being in a big Fry Daddy. They need some better ventilation. We walked out of Greenside $50 lighter for lunch for 2 and smelled like old french fries. This was my first visit to Greenside and definitely will be the last.
(1)Andrea L.
I was glad when this place opened and am still happy every day that Cedar Crest has a restaurant like it. The nutshell is that it is good food and friendly people, with only a few 'average' experiences in years of going there. My favorites: Romescu appetizer is fantastic; steak salad is darn tasty (I only wish it were a little bigger); chicken with artichokes is something to order over and over... I rarely eat dessert but the almond butter pie is decadent yumminess, as are the housemade ice creams. Service is usually good, but like many places it can be spotty at times - not unfriendly, just sometimes slow.
(4)Chris I.
It's like the Flying Star Cafe, only better. Sorry Flying Star -- I love ya', but I had to say it!
(5)Jessica Y.
A pleasant surprise on our way back to the airport from the turquoise trail. We thought we'd be stuck with airport food and saw this on the side of the road. Portions are large so I'm glad we didn't over order. I had the taco salad and the meat had really good flavor. Adam had the steak dilla, which seemed like a good sized portion though I didn't have any.
(3)Debby A.
Stopped here for a Chili cheese burger after we found out the burger bar was closed on Tuesday. The food was great but the service was so slow. Waitress was a bit to busy talking to her friends... We probably wont be back.
(3)Kelly R.
On our trip cross country, we headed off I-40 to eat lunch here due to the reviews and recommendations found in reviews of a restaurant in a nearby town we were considering. Cafe has a nice ambience and a patio area that allows dogs, which is nice. The food was decent, nothing to write home about. I had the breakfast burrito plate with sausage and veggies, green chile, and bacony pinto beans. Huge portion! The burrito was a little bland. I thought the addition of veggies would make the burrito more flavorful, but I feel like they actually brought the flavor down. Husband had a burger. He said it was good. Reasonable prices and friendly staff. I can see this being a popular cafe since there doesn't seem to be much else in the area, and I would definitely eat here again if I lived nearby, but I wouldn't go out of the way to make the trip.
(3)Dave W.
Nice cafe! Terrific breakfast! Highly recommended.
(5)Carl P.
The staff is super friendly and it's a great scenery. I had the meatloaf, which was good but rather average. They have a nice selection of tea and a cozy spot in the back if you want to relax and read. I was by here a while back and can't remember what I had, but I do remember it made me want to come back...I'll be back again to try other things soon!
(4)Meg M.
We always stop for lunch at Greenside Cafe if we're nearby. And it's always good. Really pleasant wait staff. I always feel welcome and comfortable here. The food is good and fresh. Today we sat outside which was very nice. We all enjoyed our lunches.
(5)Rita D.
After a long day flying from Tampa to Albuquerque, I was looking forward to a late lunch (or even better, a New Mexico breakfast!) while driving along the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe. Voila! Greenside Cafe was perfect! Serving breakfast until 3 pm, my travel companion and I decided to split the Huevos Rancheros Fried Steak. Our very helpful server had told us it was a huge amount of food, and she wasn't kidding! How one person could ever eat the entire meal is beyond me. It was a perfect first meal of our long weekend of enjoying food. It was so filling, we didn't even both with a regular dinner that night. It was yummy and our server couldn't have been better.
(4)Crysal G.
The food at greenside is pretty good on most days. My husband and I loved the fact that they were open until 9pm on Friday and Saturday, that is, until recently when we were turned away for service at 8:20pm on a Friday. This was extremely disappointing since there aren't many food options in the East Mountains and we have been long standing customers. With the now lack of convenience in weekend hours, i would recommend you not pay the higher prices of Greenside and simply go to the Lazy Lizard. The food is petty great and the prices are extremely reasonable.
(3)J C.
great location, but unfortunately the food quality and service have gone downhill. Side salad included a nice dead fly on top..when brought to the attention of the staff, they said this was common with organic produce..huh? at least they comped the fly entree
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