Veggie-friendly
Annapurna's World Veg. Café
In spite of allegations from Guide readers of employee mistreatment and a couple remarks about the owner making the ladies feel a bit uncomfortable, Annapurna’s remains a favorite. You don’t gotta be a vegetarian to find a munch.
Artichoke Café
Any joint with the balls to call itself something so brazenly New York better pony up where the food is concerned. An impressive and regularly updated menu. Gourmet clientèle; classy, complex grub; and the artichoke apps are to-die-for. The cheese platter, while pricey, is scrumptious. Terrific wait service, as you’d expect. Albuquerque at its fine-dining-est.
Asian Café
Formerly Chow’s Asian Bistro, Asian Café maintains its progenitor’s menu: fresh, healthy Chinese food that won’t leave you swimming in grease. There’s plenty here for both the veggie– and meat-lover, but with value comes price, so make it special or consider splitting a plate.
Asian Noodle Bar
An excellent all-round Asian restaurant, featuring everything from fresh sushi to dangerously good pad thai, though the phở is a real standout. One of the most vegetarian-friendly Asian restaurants in town.
Bailey's on the Beach
Roy ‘Iron Man’ (he competes!) Solomon, daughter Bailey, and Kirk Clark (plays with local group Chris Kill Trio), had a vision. A silky, wavy-palm-tree, with plenty of drinks in a lawn chair, in the middle of the city… type of vision.
Café Istanbul
This ‘everything from scratch, made by family’ café is also a grocery store and deli, offering pickled and canned bulk, most with labels indiscernible to English-only speakers.
Cecilia's Café
A cute and quirky family-run nook in the heart of Downtown. Amazingly hot (read: colon-punishing), richly flavorful Chimayó red chile.
Central Market Deli
Now under new ownership, and family owned, this local deli is finally standing ground against other downtown restaurants, and we’re thrilled to see more Middle Eastern fare down that way. We’re not sure of the sort of alchemy they’re practicing back there, but it’s a shockingly good price for the taste.
ChebaHut
Oh, stoners. Oh, the marketing savants that appeal to stoners.
Oh, the stoners who bite anyway, and oh, everyone else who’s hungry… for something other than pizza, danishes, twin varieties of mediocre deli sandwiches, bruschetta, an epic combination plate, General Tsao’s Chicken, or a Breakfast Burrito Deluxe.
Dion's Pizza
If you didn’t work at Dion’s in high school, you’ve dated someone who did. Named after the Greek god Dionysus, they’ve spread as far as Lubbock, but the business model stays pure Albuquerque. Their pizza is among the best, and their subs, served with their famous Greek dressing, are craved around the world.
Dos Hermanos
Enormous, delicious burritos. Carne adovada, potatoes, chicken, calabacitas, green chile, red chile, whatever. One more reason we don’t need a fucking Chipotle.
Farina Pizzeria
This is what pizza is like when real foodies get in the kitchen. Opened in 2008 by one of Albuquerque’s most established fine-dining restaurants, the Artichoke Café, Farina has been packed to the walls since day one.