Susan's Guidebook for Albuquerque
Food Scene
This is a great little restaurant close to home, very good sushi and other cooked entrées with a sports bar-like feel. They serve beer and wine and have TVs but keep the volume very low so that it is not disturbing. Lunch and dinner except dinner only on Monday. http://www.sushixuannm.com/
Sushi Xuan Asian Grill
417 Tramway Boulevard NortheastThis is a great little restaurant close to home, very good sushi and other cooked entrées with a sports bar-like feel. They serve beer and wine and have TVs but keep the volume very low so that it is not disturbing. Lunch and dinner except dinner only on Monday. http://www.sushixuannm.com/
This is another local restaurant with several locations in the Albuquerque area. They serve creative and tasty continental fare with a New Mexico twist. Their desserts are fabulous. The atmosphere is hip. They serve beer and wine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. http://www.rangecafe.com/
20 locals recommend
Range Cafe Wyoming
4401 Wyoming Blvd NEThis is another local restaurant with several locations in the Albuquerque area. They serve creative and tasty continental fare with a New Mexico twist. Their desserts are fabulous. The atmosphere is hip. They serve beer and wine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. http://www.rangecafe.com/
The food is exceptional at Seasons and it is located near Old Town just across Mountain Road to the north. It has atmosphere and due to its popularity, there is usually a crowd of people there. Lunch on weekdays. Dinner every day. Make a reservation. http://seasonsabq.com/
74 locals recommend
Seasons Rotisserie & Grill
2031 Mountain Rd NWThe food is exceptional at Seasons and it is located near Old Town just across Mountain Road to the north. It has atmosphere and due to its popularity, there is usually a crowd of people there. Lunch on weekdays. Dinner every day. Make a reservation. http://seasonsabq.com/
If you like a casual seafood restaurant where the food is delivered in a bag to your table with a variety of dipping sauces for eating with your hands, you will like this local restaurant. The seafood is quite good and the restaurant is rated highly. https://www.facebook.com/downndirtyseafoodboil/
Down N Dirty Seafood Boil
6100 4th St NWIf you like a casual seafood restaurant where the food is delivered in a bag to your table with a variety of dipping sauces for eating with your hands, you will like this local restaurant. The seafood is quite good and the restaurant is rated highly. https://www.facebook.com/downndirtyseafoodboil/
Iconic and down-to-earth. For convenient fast New Mexican food, Golden Pride is a great choice. It's not far from home and has tables, as well as, a drive-through. I love the #9 hand-held burrito with bacon, egg, hash browns, green chile, and cheese. Watch the tortillas being made fresh every day.
http://goldenprideabq.com/menu.html
16 locals recommend
Golden Pride
3720 Juan Tabo Blvd NEIconic and down-to-earth. For convenient fast New Mexican food, Golden Pride is a great choice. It's not far from home and has tables, as well as, a drive-through. I love the #9 hand-held burrito with bacon, egg, hash browns, green chile, and cheese. Watch the tortillas being made fresh every day.
http://goldenprideabq.com/menu.html
My last guests really enjoyed Paisano's. It is an up-scale Itailian restaurant with great food, wine and beer.
Paisano's Italian Restaurant
1935 Eubank Blvd NEMy last guests really enjoyed Paisano's. It is an up-scale Itailian restaurant with great food, wine and beer.
Sightseeing
The tram will take you on a 5000 foot climb up to the crest of the Sandia mountains. What a view! My guests found the lines to be too long during Balloon Fiesta so I advise you to buy tickets in advance. http://sandiapeak.com/
502 locals recommend
Sandia Peak Tramway
30 Tramway Rd NEThe tram will take you on a 5000 foot climb up to the crest of the Sandia mountains. What a view! My guests found the lines to be too long during Balloon Fiesta so I advise you to buy tickets in advance. http://sandiapeak.com/
Parks & Nature
This is a beautiful place to picnic or take hikes close to home. Pino Trail takes off from this location and climbs into more forested terrain. There is a parking fee of $3.
54 locals recommend
Elena Gallegos Open Space
7100 Tramway Blvd NEThis is a beautiful place to picnic or take hikes close to home. Pino Trail takes off from this location and climbs into more forested terrain. There is a parking fee of $3.
Visit the bosque. Unique environment with great bird watching, biking and walking trails up and down the Rio Grande river. http://www.rgnc.org/
146 locals recommend
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
2901 Candelaria Rd NWVisit the bosque. Unique environment with great bird watching, biking and walking trails up and down the Rio Grande river. http://www.rgnc.org/
The BioPark has two locations connected by a small tourist train, The Rio Line, that operates 10:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays. At one location is the Aquarium and Botanic Gardens and the other location is the Zoo. Live music is played on some summer evenings.
https://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark
263 locals recommend
ABQ BioPark
903 10th St SWThe BioPark has two locations connected by a small tourist train, The Rio Line, that operates 10:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays. At one location is the Aquarium and Botanic Gardens and the other location is the Zoo. Live music is played on some summer evenings.
https://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark
A bird watchers paradise, especially in the winter months during migrations.
44 locals recommend
Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
1001 NM-1A bird watchers paradise, especially in the winter months during migrations.
Arts & Culture
This venue is the most popular for events that have a cultural nature like Globalquerque and Dia de los Muertos. It also has an ever-changing museum of unusual and daringly creative art. Check the website for current events: http://www.nhccnm.org/events/
109 locals recommend
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 4th St SWThis venue is the most popular for events that have a cultural nature like Globalquerque and Dia de los Muertos. It also has an ever-changing museum of unusual and daringly creative art. Check the website for current events: http://www.nhccnm.org/events/
The Kimo is an historic building downtown, my favorite, with performances several times a week of various kinds - theatre, music, film and dance. The architecture and decorative style of the building is Pueblo Deco, a rare and exquisite cultural find. http://www.kimotickets.com/
47 locals recommend
KiMo Theatre
423 Central Ave NWThe Kimo is an historic building downtown, my favorite, with performances several times a week of various kinds - theatre, music, film and dance. The architecture and decorative style of the building is Pueblo Deco, a rare and exquisite cultural find. http://www.kimotickets.com/
Getting Around
This is a way to get around if you stay on the most traveled paths like Central, downtown and the malls. The buses generally run every 15 minutes on Central. For access to the rest of the city you will want to drive. The schedule: https://www.cabq.gov/transit/bus-routes-and-schedules
Rapid Ride
4182 Central Ave SWThis is a way to get around if you stay on the most traveled paths like Central, downtown and the malls. The buses generally run every 15 minutes on Central. For access to the rest of the city you will want to drive. The schedule: https://www.cabq.gov/transit/bus-routes-and-schedules
The train (Railrunner) is a fabulous way to get from Albuquerque to the Santa Fe plaza. In Santa Fe, there is a shuttle system that tours the plaza during daylight hours that is cute and convenient. I once rode the train from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and toured yarn shops on the plaza. I love riding trains and there are so many excellent restaurants in Santa Fe within walking distance (El Meson, Cafe Pasqual's, Sazon, ..) that it is a great mini-vacation even for locals.
http://www.nmrailrunner.com/
15 locals recommend
Los Ranchos/Journal Center Station
101 El Pueblo Rd NEThe train (Railrunner) is a fabulous way to get from Albuquerque to the Santa Fe plaza. In Santa Fe, there is a shuttle system that tours the plaza during daylight hours that is cute and convenient. I once rode the train from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and toured yarn shops on the plaza. I love riding trains and there are so many excellent restaurants in Santa Fe within walking distance (El Meson, Cafe Pasqual's, Sazon, ..) that it is a great mini-vacation even for locals.
http://www.nmrailrunner.com/
Drinks & Nightlife
Nob Hill has been building up for years near the University and exhibits eclectic shops, great for a stroll. For fine dining, Yanni's for Mediterranean fare, http://www.yannisandlemoni.com/, Scalo's for Northern Italian, Two Fool's Tavern an Irish pub for grog, La Montañita Coop for natural groceries, The Herb Store http://www.herbstorenm.com/, ...
209 locals recommend
Nob Hill
Nob Hill has been building up for years near the University and exhibits eclectic shops, great for a stroll. For fine dining, Yanni's for Mediterranean fare, http://www.yannisandlemoni.com/, Scalo's for Northern Italian, Two Fool's Tavern an Irish pub for grog, La Montañita Coop for natural groceries, The Herb Store http://www.herbstorenm.com/, ...
Shopping
The closest mall is this outdoor mall. It has many stores including Apple, Eddie Bauer, Coldwater Creek, the North Face, Trader Joe's, Talbot's, Fidelity Investments, T-Mobile, AT&T, J Jills, Pottery Barn, Chico's, etc. Restaurants include The Elephant Bar, Bravo! Cocina Italiana, Starbucks, ..
18 locals recommend
Uptown Shopping Center
The closest mall is this outdoor mall. It has many stores including Apple, Eddie Bauer, Coldwater Creek, the North Face, Trader Joe's, Talbot's, Fidelity Investments, T-Mobile, AT&T, J Jills, Pottery Barn, Chico's, etc. Restaurants include The Elephant Bar, Bravo! Cocina Italiana, Starbucks, ..