The Top Restaurants in Bernalillo, New Mexico

Lupe’s Antojitos is a family-owned restaurant on the northern side of Bernalillo. It’s a cozy place with an American diner style and colorful decorations. The menu revolves around classic Mexican dishes including tacos, burritos, and enchiladas served in a variety of ways, Mexican-style soups, and some seafood options. Be sure to try their barbacoa de borrego, a rich lamb stew, and wash it down with horchata, a traditional plant milk drink.

Kaktus Brewing Co. is the only brewery in Bernalillo that produces craft nano-beer. Dining options attached to the brewery include a restaurant and bar decorated in a funky retro style, and a cozy backyard terrace. The chefs here use the best local ingredients to produce an innovative mix of American, Italian, Mexican, and German cuisine, featuring homemade pizzas with unusual toppings like elk, duck, and wild boar. Their menu of artisan craft beers includes lager, imperial stout, amber ale, and German pilsner. We recommend you try them all.

Halfway between Bernalillo and Placitas this friendly little cafe has a pretty extensive menu. Centring on typical New Mexican fare, it offers a huge amount of choice (especially for breakfast) with options ranging from homemade scones and pancakes to bagels and omelettes. If you’re visiting for lunch choose from one of the many kinds of burrito and burger, or go for something a bit different such as the grilled salmon salad. Several evenings a month, for a treat, a live band serenades you during dinner.

On Bernaillo’s main drag, Abuelita’s has been serving up the best Mexican food in the area for years. The recently modernized interior features a bright eating area with traditional artwork and tapestry hanging on the walls. The menu is mostly traditional Mexican dishes paired with hot green and red chillies. Top-rated dishes include the burgers, the Enchiladas Abuelitas and the Chile Rellenos. Abuelita’s legendary Huevos Rancheros have also made this a popular breakfast spot amongst Bernalillo residents.

Twisters serves its New Mexican chain restaurant fare at locations throughout New Mexico and Colorado. One of the most popular items on the menu here is the generously-sized breakfast burrito which comes in many varieties, loaded with bell peppers, potatoes or sausages. Other popular items include huevos rancheros, enchiladas, and tacos, and all-American classics such as burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches and chicken wings. For a quick fix, you’ll find Bernalillo’s branch of Twisters on Highway 550, north of the town’s centre.

Blake’s opened in 1952 and is now arguably the state’s most popular chain eatery. Its signature dish blends the all-American classic burger with a quintessentially New Mexican ingredient: the green chile. The unique result is their fiery cheeseburger. At the start of the day the menu offers New Mexico’s classic breakfast burrito, with fillings like bacon and chorizo. Blake’s also loves the humble jalapeño, and adds the spicy little pepper to many of its plates for a hotter-than-most culinary experience.

This Hawaiian establishment doesn’t just brew one of Bernalillo’s best cups of coffee (although it certainly does do that) – it’s also a great choice for breakfast or lunch. Start the day with a bacon or sausage burrito (or the vegetarian ‘no-meat’ option) and accompany it with coffee or a freshly blended smoothie. If you’re calling in for lunch, choose from a wide selection of wraps or gourmet deli-style sandwiches. Bad Ass can be found on Highway 550, between Bosque Brewing and Blake’s.

Bosque Brewing Co. started out in 2010, and is now a popular bar-restaurant in Bernalillo. Like many other places, the menu centres around Mexican-American classics, with standouts including street tacos, and burgers you put together by selecting your own toppings and sauces. Be sure to try their homemade IPA – also used in the batter for their fish and chips – and German pilsner-inspired lager. You’ll love the spacious outside seating area, and the friendly and efficient waiting staff.

Santa Ana Cafe is another eatery in the Hyatt Tamaya Resort, a few miles outside of Bernalillo. The breakfast buffet, lunch, and dinner offerings consist of a mixture of American and New Mexican cuisine, with plenty of options for vegetarians or gluten-free diners. Star dishes include tamales and homemade pizzas, especially those with a cauliflower crust. Take your pick from a sumptuous wine list and enjoy the views of the sacred Tuyuna Mesa landmark, with the Sandia mountains beyond.

Don’t be put off by the fact that Chili’s is a countrywide chain – it’s a great spot for inexpensive Mexican-American dishes, whether you’re eating in or on the move. Bernalillo’s branch (three miles north of the centre) offers a vast range of steaks, burgers, fajitas, tacos, soups and sandwiches to choose from. A popular combo is the ‘3 for $10’ deal, which includes a non-alcoholic drink, starter, and main at a hard-to-beat price. There’s also a great selection of beers, wines, and cocktails.

Dion’s is another quality chain restaurant, with diners throughout New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. Its specialties are pizzas and sub sandwiches, served with speed and flair. Must-tries include the meatball and provolone sub and the gourmet pizzas – especially the Duke City’with cheddar, turkey, green chile and parmesan – and the Napoli which comes heaped with Italian sausage, roasted red peppers and pepperoni. Bernalillo’s nearest branch of Dion’s is a ten-minute drive from the centre, on the Pat D’Arco Highway, so there’s really no excuse not to swing by.

Despite the unloved exterior and dated interior, Guang Dong serves up the best Chinese food for miles around. It’s a great option if you’re craving something other than burgers or burritos, and it offers all the classics like egg fried rice, noodles, spicy Mongolian beef, and curries served with sticky white rice. It’s great value for money, especially when you consider the substantial portions, and there’s a decent choice of beers and wines to wash it down. When you’ve finally had your fill of burritos and tacos, you’ll find it on the northern edge of town, just up the road from Twisters.

Additional reporting by Mark Nayler