I felt that the Church Street Cafe catered to tourists, as in, it did not matter how you served or treated them because they are only visiting and won't return (?) I ordered the combo platter, $22.00. I found the service rude. The platter was huge yet it was suggested that I order an appetizer (?, thankfully I did not follow this advice. The sopapillas came out with my meal, they should arrive at the end...that was ridiculous, I did not want cold sopapillas. The food was average.
Susanna Ehlers
Went last night with my friend and was one of the better experiences had in a while. It’s hard to find gems like this one. Geo, our server, was tops!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Abhash Kumar Singh
Don’t let the entrance fool you - the place is really huge inside! There was a 20min wait on a Friday afternoon. It’s in the middle of Old Town plaza so it’s a bit of a tourist trap. The court yard inside and the decor is really beautiful. However, the laughs and giggles stopped there when it came to the food. We got the traditional chile rellano and southwestern barbecue chicken salad. The food was stale, the salad on the rellano entree tasted off and the whole entree felt like it was heated in a microwave. The chile rellano was almost cold and seemed to have been prepared a while ago and just reheated. The bbq salad was okay but the chicken pieces in it were overcooked and chewy. I wanted to try new mexican cuisine but the food was damn terrible. The server also forgot to give spinach in the entree and we had to chase him for that to be changed. I would not recommend this place to anyone. This is probably among the worst bites of food I’ve had. I had to leave almost all of entree as it was so bad.
chrisfinchapex
Best steak fajita we’ve had on this trip. It was very HOT (temp wise) and delicious although we were only adventure some enough to try the green chiles. 2 of us were able to split it. Took a little longer than usual to get served but nice authentic Southwestern ambience! $22 for the meal. Salad and chips were not free as they are at most restaurants though.
James H
Excellent service and great atmosphere. New Mexico beers were fantastic - Alien Amber Ale and Desert Lager. I had chili rellenos which was delicious with green and red chili on the side. Green sauce is much hotter than you might think, so be careful with amount at first. Tamales were also good and a little different than in Texas. Navajo taco was more like a pizza. Bread was great. Didn't like the beans on the bottom and beef is preferred over chicken. Sopapilla were served gratis at the end, which was a nice surprise.
Pioneer56661716677
Not crowded at all for lunch on a warm Tuesday. AC was great indoors. Chili rellanos were ok. Squash and beans side. For Christmas style. All food was lukewarm which is surprising given the few tables. Sauces not at all spicy so some disappointment there. Place is charming but looking tired
pauldA9139WH
For number the number one .exican it was disappointing.high expectations low outcome. Margaritas was weak. food just ok.
MeredithS
We had an excellent meal at the Church Street Cafe. I highly recommend the Southwestern grilled fajita salad. Our server was attentive and informative, and the back room with the soaring ceiling was an attractive setting. The prices were reasonable. We found parking on the street after going around the block twice.
HollyC757
A pleasant place to sit outside out back and have some good food. Nothing earth shattering but good solid New Mexican food. The whole experience is pleasant and if you are in Old Town, a good choice. Not sure I’d go out of my way to go there but if you are in the neighborhood, a solid choice.
548tammyw
Great food, great place. We had the same fabulous waitress we had two trays ago, last we were in two. Love this place. We will certainly be back!
Really good food and good atmosphere. If you ever find your self in Old Town Albuquerque then this place is a must visit for lunch.
Cubette6
We love this restaurant and try to eat here each time we visit Olde Town. We arrived around 2 PM and were seated immediately. I ordered the pork in red Chile sauce with squash and beans. The pork was all meat and very lean. This was an excellent choice. My husband ordered the combination platter which had a tamale, chili relleno, and enchilada. He loved his meal as well. Service was superior. This restaurant never disappoints.
N3686EZjima
A family restaurant with good service and homemade, local favorite entrees. Inexpensive and in a nice walkable neighborhood.
488charlesv
We first found this wonderful little restaurant while we were working on the Navajo Rez. We would come to ABQ on the weekends and loved to eat there. We have now moved to ABQ and get to go more frequently. We went on May 12, 2025 with a friend from Austin Texas. My wife had their Navajo Taco and loved it. She said it was one of the best she has ever had. This is from a woman who worked and lived on reservations for many years. I had the Carne Advoda and it was also some of the best I have ever had. The wait staff was excellent. Our server Jesus was one of the best I have ever had. He could work in a five star restaurant. The cafe is located in a very old home of the Ruiz family. The house was built during the founding of Albuquerque sometime after 1706. This would make Casa de Ruiz the oldest residence in Albuquerque and one of the oldest structures in the state of New Mexico.
savvytraveler492014
Food was good. Much hyped, expensive margaritas were lousy. Maybe they simply forgot the premium tequila, or any tequila really. These comprised 40% of food bill. Exploitative.
I felt that the Church Street Cafe catered to tourists, as in, it did not matter how you served or treated them because they are only visiting and won't return (?) I ordered the combo platter, $22.00. I found the service rude. The platter was huge yet it was suggested that I order an appetizer (?, thankfully I did not follow this advice. The sopapillas came out with my meal, they should arrive at the end...that was ridiculous, I did not want cold sopapillas. The food was average.
Went last night with my friend and was one of the better experiences had in a while. It’s hard to find gems like this one. Geo, our server, was tops!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Don’t let the entrance fool you - the place is really huge inside! There was a 20min wait on a Friday afternoon. It’s in the middle of Old Town plaza so it’s a bit of a tourist trap. The court yard inside and the decor is really beautiful. However, the laughs and giggles stopped there when it came to the food. We got the traditional chile rellano and southwestern barbecue chicken salad. The food was stale, the salad on the rellano entree tasted off and the whole entree felt like it was heated in a microwave. The chile rellano was almost cold and seemed to have been prepared a while ago and just reheated. The bbq salad was okay but the chicken pieces in it were overcooked and chewy. I wanted to try new mexican cuisine but the food was damn terrible. The server also forgot to give spinach in the entree and we had to chase him for that to be changed. I would not recommend this place to anyone. This is probably among the worst bites of food I’ve had. I had to leave almost all of entree as it was so bad.
Best steak fajita we’ve had on this trip. It was very HOT (temp wise) and delicious although we were only adventure some enough to try the green chiles. 2 of us were able to split it. Took a little longer than usual to get served but nice authentic Southwestern ambience! $22 for the meal. Salad and chips were not free as they are at most restaurants though.
Excellent service and great atmosphere. New Mexico beers were fantastic - Alien Amber Ale and Desert Lager. I had chili rellenos which was delicious with green and red chili on the side. Green sauce is much hotter than you might think, so be careful with amount at first. Tamales were also good and a little different than in Texas. Navajo taco was more like a pizza. Bread was great. Didn't like the beans on the bottom and beef is preferred over chicken. Sopapilla were served gratis at the end, which was a nice surprise.
Not crowded at all for lunch on a warm Tuesday. AC was great indoors. Chili rellanos were ok. Squash and beans side. For Christmas style. All food was lukewarm which is surprising given the few tables. Sauces not at all spicy so some disappointment there. Place is charming but looking tired
For number the number one .exican it was disappointing.high expectations low outcome. Margaritas was weak. food just ok.
We had an excellent meal at the Church Street Cafe. I highly recommend the Southwestern grilled fajita salad. Our server was attentive and informative, and the back room with the soaring ceiling was an attractive setting. The prices were reasonable. We found parking on the street after going around the block twice.
A pleasant place to sit outside out back and have some good food. Nothing earth shattering but good solid New Mexican food. The whole experience is pleasant and if you are in Old Town, a good choice. Not sure I’d go out of my way to go there but if you are in the neighborhood, a solid choice.
Great food, great place. We had the same fabulous waitress we had two trays ago, last we were in two. Love this place. We will certainly be back!
Restaurantji Recommends
Really good food and good atmosphere. If you ever find your self in Old Town Albuquerque then this place is a must visit for lunch.
We love this restaurant and try to eat here each time we visit Olde Town. We arrived around 2 PM and were seated immediately. I ordered the pork in red Chile sauce with squash and beans. The pork was all meat and very lean. This was an excellent choice. My husband ordered the combination platter which had a tamale, chili relleno, and enchilada. He loved his meal as well. Service was superior. This restaurant never disappoints.
A family restaurant with good service and homemade, local favorite entrees. Inexpensive and in a nice walkable neighborhood.
We first found this wonderful little restaurant while we were working on the Navajo Rez. We would come to ABQ on the weekends and loved to eat there. We have now moved to ABQ and get to go more frequently. We went on May 12, 2025 with a friend from Austin Texas. My wife had their Navajo Taco and loved it. She said it was one of the best she has ever had. This is from a woman who worked and lived on reservations for many years. I had the Carne Advoda and it was also some of the best I have ever had. The wait staff was excellent. Our server Jesus was one of the best I have ever had. He could work in a five star restaurant. The cafe is located in a very old home of the Ruiz family. The house was built during the founding of Albuquerque sometime after 1706. This would make Casa de Ruiz the oldest residence in Albuquerque and one of the oldest structures in the state of New Mexico.
Food was good. Much hyped, expensive margaritas were lousy. Maybe they simply forgot the premium tequila, or any tequila really. These comprised 40% of food bill. Exploitative.
Loading...