1103 Mountain RD NW
243-2424
Sun: 10am to 8pm
Tue - Sat: 7am to 8pm
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As I mentioned before the outside looks like it was once a home. There is a covered patio outside and a lot of room for outdoor dining. Continue reading ‘Golden Crown Panaderia’
3636 Monte Vista Blvd. N.E.
Albuquerque NM, 87106
Lomas At Carlisle
255.8686
Two things I can tell you about this restaurant, it has a very good location and yet it is not easy to find. I lived within two miles from this restaurant for some time before I realized what it really is; a restaurant, store, and pharmacy all rolled into one.
The menu isn’t very extensive, offering only lunch choices of salads and sandwiches. The first thing you’ll notice from the menu is that the entrees are not cheap. This is a mid-range priced restaurant with entrees averaging over 8 dollars. I suppose in that price you pay a little for the attached store and hometown shop feel. The menu is straightforward and you seem to get exactly what you expect. Also, the portions are not very large, especially for the salads, so the price seems a little too much at times. My recommendations here are the Brisket Roll and also the Grilled Ham with Roasted Peppers and Melted Brie. I also enjoy the Chicken Walnut Sandwich, but think it is better at some other establishments. This restaurant is also locally famous for its Shakes and Malts made from Dreyer’s Ice Cream. Their house dessert sits cooling on the bar like a freshly baked pie on a window sill. It is a great Fruit Cobbler that is even better a la mode.
I really appreciated the classic feel to this restaurant, like a colorful shop reminding us of a time past. Both the restaurant and store are divided into small areas so it does feel a little crowded between tables and aisles. But, there is always something to catch your interest here, especially if you wonder off into the pharmacy area. It is just a friendly and laid-back atmosphere that fits in with the University area. The place has a homely feel and is run by just a couple of servers, a cook, and a shop attendant/cashier. The times I have been here they have all been very loose and friendly, which is suiting for this type of establishment. It seems to me like a good place to visit for lunch to forget your busy life and just relax.
Taste:
[rate 6.5]
Service:
[rate 7.5]
Ambiance:
[rate 8.5]
Overall Reader Rating
[ratings]
411 Central Ave. NW
Open: 11am - 5pm (Mon - Fri) ~MENU~
Other Locations:
8019 Menaul Blvd. N.E.
299-0001
The Relish Sandwich Shop is located downtown in a small little area between two clubs. It’s easy to miss, I know because I overlooked it so many times and thought it was just some little bar. I didn’t give it a try until the name showed up on the “best salad” poll for this website. I found that Relish sandwiches and salads have some really unique and quality ingredients to their food as well as some delicious fresh breads.
The menu consists of five selections each for hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, or salads. Starting with hot sandwiches, my favorites are the Cubano (house speicalty) and Grinder. The Cubano is made from seasoned pork roast, honey ham, swiss cheese and a cilantro mayo, all placed within a long baguette and toasted. This sandwich is very rich and flavorful, it is soft on the inside, but crisp on the outside, and the combination of chipotle pork roast and cilantro mayo blend perfectly. The Housemade Mozzarella is another favorite with roasted red peppers, arugula, and tomatoes are combined with mozzarella made in-house, lightly topped with a balamic vinegarette and served in an alpinetta roll. On the cold side, I would definitely recommend the Honey Roast Turkey which is a generous portion of sliced turkey, tomato, jack cheese, mizuna greens (I don’t even know what this is, but its good), avocado, and wasabi mayo all in between sourdough bread. This sandwich is a perfect mixture of my favorites with some unique touches to make a sandwich that is top notch. All sandwiches are served with your choice of house-made potato salad (thinly whipped), pasta salad (tangy like a balsamic dressing), or slaw (sweet and fruity).
Like I said before, I discovered this place form a salad poll, so even their salads are done right. My favorite is the Chicken Salad which it just loaded with flavor, from sweet to salty, all mended together for a different flavor every bite. Basically, the menu covers fifteen selections and one dessert (chocolate sandwich), but what they lack in selection they gain in quality.
Relish is very much like a small deli you would find in New York, with the same three people packed into a small place and a lot of people outside waiting. The cashier is always very nice, weather they are slow or jam-packed, and I know that can’t be easy. Even when its busy they get the food out quick because two guys are non-stop making these sandwiches with their back to the restaurant, and a girl pleasantly collects the money, takes calls, and gets the orders together and out. It’s so efficient you wonder if they have some more people in the back. Bottom line, the menu isn’t big, the place isn’t big, but the sandwiches and salads you get out of Relish will surprise you.
UPDATE:
The Double Stacked Ruben is one of the best sandwiches I have every had. I read somewhere that the downtown location is lowering prices to make it more affordable. I haven’t been to the downtown location to verify.
Taste:
[rate 9]
Service:
[rate 9]
Ambiance:
[rate 6]
Overall Reader Rating
[ratings]
400 Gold SW at the Simms Building
(505) 245 – 1711
I work in the downtown area and am always on the prowl for good places to go to during lunch. For most of us over here, finding good places to eat is a high priority because the majority of the day we sit in offices and cubicles for hours at a time. 
Lunchtime is a break for us to stretch out legs, get away for a while, and enjoy some good food before we work the second half of the day (what, you need energy to sit for hours on end). La Sierra is a restaurant that I passed by many times because it is tucked away in the Simms Building right next to the main entrance to Gold’s Gym. It also looks very plain from the outside, not like the fancy restaurants that are along Central.
When I first went here I took a look at the menu and didn’t have a good feeling because it had such a wide range of food including American, New Mexican, and Greek. I always think it is a bad sign when a restaurant mixes such different foods. However, this is one place that has really impressed me with taste, price, and portion. First of all, getting a plate in the 5 to 6 dollar range downtown is a steal. To start you are given some tortilla chips and salsa, which is good because most of the time you are starving when you get to a restaurant. Then with many of the entrees you are given a small salad or soup while waiting for your food. Nothing fancy so far right, very plain looking chips and salad, but they taste pretty good, or to the starving worker…like the best chips and salad you ever tasted!
I have had a few entrees here including the Turkey Avocado sandwich, Gyro, and Enchilada Plate. Actually, I have had the Turkey Avocado sandwich about 5 times already. Compared to most downtown restaurants it might seem plain…no imported honey turkey from Europe, no smoked provolone, no rye with poppy seeds or avocado from the nether regions of the world. So you might say that the description of turkey, avocado, and Swiss on a French roll might sound plain. You’re right it is plain…. plain good! This is not a restaurant that raises the cost with fancy ingredients, they make food simple with large portion, they make it good, and you don’t pay 10 dollars for a sandwich. They just started making Gyros and I tried one thinking it couldn’t be as good as some of the Greek restaurants, but it was also pretty good. In fact, I have yet to try something here that wasn’t good and it is shocking considering its humble atmosphere and mixed up menu.
The service is exactly what you would expect here, two ladies in aprons running around calling you “sweetie” and with about 7 other tables to talk to. They are nice and get you everything you need most of the time, so I have no complaints on that. Especially since I run into bad service at some of the more popular downtown restaurants. Like I said before, the atmosphere is very plain and looks like a small town diner, but as long as I have some good food in front of me, I really don’t care. So I definitely recommend this restaurant especially to the downtown employees on their lunch break.
Taste:
[rate 8]
Service:
[rate 6]
Ambiance:
[rate 5]
Overall Reader Rating
[ratings]
