Los Cuates New Mexican Food

4 hours after eating at Los Cuates I vomited -- a lot. My wife also got sick at the same time. Enough said. The food was so-so at best. We've lived many places in New Mexico and love the cuisine. Los Cuates is not representative of what our state has to offer!! If you want really good New Mexican food, take a trip to Sadie's. El Pinto is good too. The original Garcia's Kitchen on 4th street downtown (not the satellite locations) is a great budget option too. If you crave a cheap stuffed sopapilla for $2, go to El Modelo on 2nd street downtown. I have no idea why people keep going to Los Cuates when there are so many GREAT alternatives that don't include painful food poisoning. more

It's been a while since I have visited the Lomas eaterie but I have been to the Menual site frequently and my last visit was the worst restraunt visit I have had in years. The service was poor. I had a date and we were headed for a show and only ordered apitizers. We received our apatizers after 30 minutes and 2 tables that came in after us and were served full meals before we saw our food. Down Hill you bet!! Asked to see the manager and guess what not only have they lost their cooks they hav lost some of the best floor managers that they hav had. A young man came over to our table and tried to explain why nachos take longer than a steak or other entries, ya right! And guess what from this point or we were completely Ignored. No water, No Ice Tea, not a how are you doing. Had to chase the waitress down to get the check. Therefore I will not recommend this restruant to any of my friends. Common folks what happened to the old days, going for the big profit or what ? where is the personnality of the old times at Los Cuates? Cons: service, amount of time to get food, robot workforce more

I consider Albuquerque, NM, my second home and so I?ve been to a number of restaurants serving New Mexican cuisine. Los Cuates is definitely one of the best and by far my favorite. Everything from the unique honey-touched salsa and savory tamales to the decadent carne adovada are amazing experiences for the taste buds. The service and staff are all very friendly and nice as well. Sometimes there can be a wait, but it?s well worth it (anyway, a packed restaurant is usually a good sign!). Considering the quality and quantity (ginormous portions!) of the plates, it?s also a bargain. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who?s a local or a visitor to Albuquerque. Pros: Excellent food, great/friendly service, casual dining, huge portions more

If you are looking for authentic mexican food, DO NOT visit this restaurant. The 'Salsa' is bbq sauce, the service is so-so, the chips are cold and the waits are too long, the 'red' chile is crud and the whole atmostphere is too california and all for nothing. This is not authentic, I have lived in NM my whole life and trust me, there are several other places that have better tasting food, real salsa, warm chips and great service.\r \r Cons: we had to park in a parking lot next door due to no parking lot more

I ordered the Roast Beef Burrito and my wife ordered the Frank's Combo Plate. The beef in the burrito was pretty good, I wasn't that impressed with the red sauce and the refried beans looked like the surface of the Mojave desert but overall it was OK.\r \r Nicoles plate was a different animal altogether. She had chosen the chicken taco over the beef but what she got resembled the glop I wipe up after our cat Isis loses a hairball. She wouldnt touch it and we wondered how many days they let it stew in the vat out back. We werent sure if her beans and rice were coming on a separate plate or what. The ENTIRE plate was covered in a bland green chile goo, covering up things with even less taste beneath. But trying to locate where exactly things were was an effort . It was just a big platter of muck. Eventually the rice was discovered; when the plate was being scooped into a to-go box bound for the dumpster. As for the enchilada, what she was able to discern was alright, the chile relleno was alright. Overall the meal was something you'd expect from Swanson's.\r \r It seemed like the place was living off of a reputation that was established long ago and was now praised by people who have never tasted freshly prepared, home style mexican food before. I pity the fools.\r \r I had made it to just outside the front door when my bowels began to rumble. Luckily we live pretty close and made it home before things got ugly. I could have gone back in and used the restroom there, the idea of going back in and facing the questioning eyes of the greeter was not to be discounted, but I decided that if I was to never step inside those doors again, now would be a good time to start. Pros: I never have to go there again Cons: lousy food that should be avoided, more

I had Chicken Enchiladas and I threw up! Did not like it at all! I wish I could find really good Mexican food in Albuquerque. Pros: Sopapillas Cons: Everything else more

First time there. \r As I have a dangerous fondness for New Mexican food (especially green chile), I had to try this one. \r Definitely a casual, well established, family orientated restaurant. And for those people who felt that having to wait to be seated was a ""down-side"", to me, that's just an indication of how popular the place is. It's not a romantic place. Not noisy, but not intimate either. Certainly cozy and welcoming. \r Prices looked reasonable, and the menu was as broad a selection of NM cooking as one could want. \r Since it was a gift (read; I wasn't really paying for it) and there were so many things that looked inviting, I chose the Combo (beef/chicken) Fajitas, a cup of Green Chile Stew, and a side of Carne Adavoda. \r \r The chips and salsa came out first. It was the most interesting salsa I've ever tasted. A very rich, red chile, quite smoky in flavor with just a hint of honey. No tomatoes nor onions like many places. \r When the meal(s) arrived the portions were very generous. The Green Chile Stew was excellent. I like very hot - this wasn't, though it had good heat. And the flavor was well done. \r A couple of sopapillas with the chile were very nice. Good enough to stand on their own too. \r The Carne Adovada was very tasty, and the pork was tender and lean. I wasn't quite crazy about the texture though. Yet I would order it again. \r The Fajitas were the real prize though. As good as the stew was, the Fajitas were among the best I've tasted ANYWHERE - Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Vegas (NM)....\r The chicken and beef were marinated perfectly. And both were the most tender I've ever had in fajitas. Generous grilled onions, red and green peppers, mushrooms, and an assortment of garnish was far more than the three tortillas supplied could hold. \r It was more food than I could eat there, so the very friendly and experienced waitress let me wrap the rest to-go. \r So stop reading; Get your butt to this place. more

I have never been to the original Los Cuates on Lomas; only the location in the Northeast Heights. It's wonderful. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was just the mood I was in, or maybe it was the dinner company I was enjoying, but they served me the finest steak I've ever had-moist and tender despite being well-done and perfectly marbled. The salsa assaults the tongue with sweetness then heat, and the marvellous sopaipillas are served with the meal, not after it. I love this place. Pros: Chips & Salsa more

for the diehards the original Los Cuates is across the street, and it may be smaller in size the but portions and the quality, plus the atmosphere is phenomen. I have been going there for over twenty years and I will continue to go there. There salsa and chips are to die for and they make the best chile rellano's to be had. if you need a larger gathering place though the 2nd one is the place to go Pros: food, parking more

The best fajitas and guacamole you will ever have, great service, everyone who works there seems like they love their job!! Great food, haven't tried anything else, since I'm so addicted to those fajitas!! Oh and take home some salsa!! more

This place is a standard, but it has lot a lot of its Mom & Pop feel since it was sold by its previous owners. The food seems to suffer at times, as well. It used to be our favorite place for NM food in ABQ. Now, it is just one of a few other places frequent. Pros: That red chili sauce Cons: Long waits for table more

I lived in Albuquerque for 28 yrs, and whenever I go back, the first stop is Los Cuates. It's got all the makings of a good New Mexican kitchen, cheap plastic tablecloths, brightly painted walls, a basket of sopas with a honey container ready to deploy on each table. The Carne Adobada is to die for, but you can't go too far wrong. Service is good, there's lots of noisy kids, and a great deal of hustle and bustle, but if you're looking for the real stuff, Los Cuates is where its at. The only other competition in Albuquerque is M&J's downtown, and perhaps Sadies on N. Fourth (they lost some of the essentials (plastic tablecloths, tacky wall decor when they moved from the bowling alley, but the green chile is still some of the hottest and most flavorful , and you'll NEVER go away hungry!). John Pros: Fast service, Great Value, Authentic NM food Cons: Noisy, Crowded more

I used to eat at Los Cuates on a regular basis until a couple weeks ago when I noticed some changes. The salsa was different and the food had taken somewhat of a nose dive. I asked the waitress why there was a change and she explained to me that Los Cuates had just been bought by Little Anitas which is another New Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque. I was somewhat disgusted and I haven't eaten at Los Cuates since. Pros: service Cons: food, value more

Los Cuates is an excellent restaurant. So excellent in fact, that they had to build a second one. FYI, the smaller, older one is better. more

I remember eating here when we ate dinner for $6.25 for two and that included the tip. We weren't rich and they had the best food. Even when we could afford the higher priced items on the menu, we never ate anywhere else. They always had the best food and college atmosphere in the old location. Highly recommended and always a special place for us. more

I have been a regular at the Southern (original) store for 15+ years. The service is good and the food is great. The fajitas are to die for. The salsa is too sweet and no re-fills on drinks. There is little separation between smoking and non. Worth the wait. The North-side site is aweful. You have to walk through the smoking section to get to the non. The food is not good. They will seat their regulars before you even if you were there first. Parking is limited. Don't go to the North side... ever! Go South! Pros: Good food, Inexpensive Cons: Bad parking, Have to wait, Allows smoking more

It's often crowded, but they always over-estimate the wait time, and it's never as long as they say it will be. The food is good, and I almost always have enough leftovers for a second meal. Try the chile con queso! more

The place is very dirty. The food looks like it was mixed in a blender. It does well off of reputation but the food is just plain bad. The service is comparable to Kettle One. Pros: Bad Food more

I've never lived in Albuquerque but I visit often and I ALWAYS make sure to go to my favorite restaurant, Los Cuates. Los Cuates has been an Albuquerque native for many years and there's nothing in town that's comparable. Traditional New Mexican-style food - 'hotter than hell' hot sauce and the best Chile Reyenos in town! Be sure to try the homemade sopapillos! I can't emphasize enough how good the food is at Los Cuates. The next time you're in Albuquerque - be sure to check it out! Pros: Inexpensive, Large food portions, Authentic Cons: Crowded more

Los Cuates is a great place to go for good New Mexican food. The chili is great, service is great, and the prices are fair also. If you don't like Cuates, then you don't really know New Mexican food, and you don't really deserve to go to Cuates anyway... :) more