Barelas Coffee House

Had chicharonne and have to say it was only ok. Very gamey. Service was good and location wad charming. My colleague had combo. plate and said it was ok.

Gosh I was hoping to give them higher stars but… it has been over 20 years since I had returned here to this New Mexican Iconic restaurant. Im sad to say it didnt move mountains for me, as a matter a fact through all the anticipation of the long lines waiting to be seated, I was really hoping to being mind blown by the food, and quite simply I was sadly disappointed. Another basic NM style breakfast with NO ooomph of flavor that I am use to. I know there is plenty of people who love this place, but Im not sure if there really familiar with quality. I did the Huevos Rancheros and it was really bland, green chile was good, but everything else was lost in the dish as well as when being served a cold tortilla in the plastic serving basket with no paper linen, had me questioning «sanitary» as Im not sure whether those are washed or just reused over and over again. Definitely I know they are a friendly, fast paced environment with old-​school ways but seriously think owners need to reevaluate the quality/​flavor of the food, environment and really making some Fresh NEW changes for there establishment.

Love it. Classic New Mexico Diner. Plus lots of photos of Obama!

The food was great as always. Eric had huevos rancheros (what I usually have). Today I had carne adovada. Green chili is better than red in my opinion. Carne adovada was tender but as far as flavorful… Garcia’s kitchen is best.

Portions are very generous and prices are more than reasonable. Their food is very homie and filling. Had their cheese enchiladas and they were good, but quite heavy.
Service was nice and friendly.

This is my new favorite place for breakfast. All the food was fresh and tasty. My only two complaints is the dining area is too warm, and I wish both chiles didn’t have meat in them. Thankfully, the salsa is great and goes well on the huevos rancheros I like to order.

I have been going here for years. The atmosphere is elegant yet rustic south west New Mexico feel. It’s a New Mexican restaurant, that primarily serves New Mexican dishes. My favorite which I order on the regular us the heuvos rancheros deluxe, with red and green and an egg over easy with a side of bacon for less than 10 $. The staff has been working there for 10+ years and it’s all older Mexican women. I really enjoy this place for breakfast or lunch. They don’t serve dinner which is kind of a shame.

Came during a Thursday lunch hour and didn’t expect exceptional service for that reason, but on this visit, it wasn’t even at a grade C-​. Not friendly waitresses. Anyhow, after reading so many reviews about the huevos, I decided to give it a go. I got Christmas chili. I was pretty disappointed. My food was warm at best and the chili was a little disappointing. Maybe I had gotten too spoiled with the huevos I had in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, NM. I wouldn’t say I’d come back, unless my meal guest insisted on going here. Not one of my favorite places to eat for good chili.

The chicharron burrito was crunchy and flavorful! Very hearty and filling.
Also really liked the coffee — the hint of cinnamon at the end is perfect.

Huevos Rancheros is what I come back for. Deluxe with over easy eggs. Sooooooo good. Love the home like atmosphere and the staff is super friendly.
Need a different brunch place? Check out this gem of a restaurant.

Barelas Coffee House. A true Albuquerque institution. Frequented by locals the establishment is also known to have its share of celebrity sightings, particularly of the political kind.
Notable patrons have included Mayors, Governors, Senators (John McCain ate here on a campaign stop in 2008) and yes even Presidents, (Barack H. Obama in 2010).
Located on 4^th St. near Avenida Cesar Chavez in the historical Barelas neighborhood just south of downtown Albuquerque.
Traditional New Mexican cuisine and one of my all time favorite local breakfast destinations.
I recommend the huevos rancheros «delux», red, with a side of carne adovada, and don’t forget the coffee!

This place was rad! Super friendly and fast service. Also pro tip for menudo lovers, order the small bowl and order sides of hash browns, egg and the carne adovada.

I love this place. It isn’t fancy or fake. This is small town New Mexico right here in ABQ. The chicharones and red chile are classic. This is an old school place with charm and history. We make a point to bring visitors here for the flavors of New Mexico.

Work lunch — 12 of us and they didn’t bat an eye. We ordered just about everything — huevos rancheros, patty melt, tacos, pasole, you name it — and everyone cleaned their plate, so I’d have to say it was pretty good. The coffee was good, too. I like the little store but the trinkets and stuff are overpriced. I think I’d like to eat at the counter and just people watch next time. Fast, clean, satisfying.

Based on the hype, I expected this place to knock my socks off. Nah. Socks intact here.
The chile is meh. Based on other reviews, I expected mouthwatering aromas, fab flavor, and magical deliciousness. Instead, I got… Meh. It was bland, flavorless, and had no heat. My tortilla wasn’t even cooked all the way, and my eggs were not cooked how I ordered them.
This place has an awful parking situation, yet is always packed. How there are so many folks who like bland food reminiscent of the elementary cafeteria, I will never know.
I’ll be back if I have to… Otherwise, I’ll grab my breakfast in greener pastures.

This place is bomb. The staff members are suuuper friendly and helpful if you’re an indecisive orderer.
I like the seat yourself & pay at the front register atmosphere. Pretty casual & easy breezy. We didn’t have any trouble finding a table & we were helped immediately.
The food. I had huevos rancheros deluxe with green and red sauce. It was fantastic! The corn tortilla on the bottom was perfect and added nice texture. The sauces were both delicious! I think I preferred the red sauce, but that’s just my personal opinion. The hash browns, beans & eggs were cooked to perfection. The side tortilla was very tasty! Oh! But vegetarians beware. All of their sauces are cooked with pork. BUT they’ll give you a side of salsa if you’d prefer to skip the chili. If you’re not a super strict vegetarian you can just pick out the meat since they’re pretty large chunks. That worked out just fine & dandy for me.
Overall, we had an awesome experience. Would definitely recommend!

As far as New Mexican cuisine is concerned, this is pretty spot on. The menu is simple, full of things that any self-​respecting NM food purveyor should be able to pull off. Everyone says the carne and eggs, as well as the huevos are good. I liked them, the chile was good, and the homemade tortilla was a nice plus.
Service here is iffy at best. It’s a family affair, and they’re taking the «Land of mañana» thing very seriously. If you’re not familiar with the concept, or that of «New Mexico time» then this place is a living master class in the concept. Long waits in line to be seated, disappearing waitress, tables not bussed. One wonders if the food is really that good, or you’re just so relieved to actually get your food that when it arrives it seems almost heaven sent.

I try to get excited about eating at Barelas, even though the only time I eat here is when my uncle comes into town, but I just can’t muster up the excitement.
Everyone constantly raves about the huevos, but I could take it or leave it. There is nothing exciting, incredibly delicious, or incredibly special about Barelas, this includes the chile folks. Personally, I find their chile tasteless, aroma free (dat aroma, mmm), and kind of boring, their side dishes can only be described the same way.
I just can not jump on the Barelas bandwagon no matter how hard I try. It’s just bland food to me, and I am not a fan of bland.

Barela’s is not the owning family’s name, Barela’s is the name of the neighborhood/​barrio in this part of Albuquerque west of the old Santa Fe Railroad Depot. My friend Bill asked me if I wanted to have breakfast in a contemporary place with good-​looking servers or an older place with excellent food down on Fourth street with excellent food several blocks south of downtown with delicious food on the left side of the street with really good food.
What choice did I want?
I am not the person people look to in the West when they want to know about carne adovada. I’ve had carne adovada good and bad in many places. Usually mediocre. I had the best carne adovada, siimmered pork, I’ve ever eaten at Barela’s Coffee House. WIth eggs and tortillas too. Adovada rojo fresh, a little sweet, spicily warm, the pork tender enough for babies and others with no teeth to chew, smile and easily digest.
And history. This place has been ground zero for a lot of Albuquerque and New Mexico politics. Lots of it on the walls, most of it taken away after great meals and conversations by people who’ve shaped the area for decades.
This is a rambling place, growing over the years to fill the triangle of a tiny block it sits in. A room here, a wing there, a beautiful garden area with roses and vines throughout.
You decide. Modern food and décor with lovely service or tested recipes from the center of an Albuquerque Barrio. The service is great here too.

You must have the carne adovada or huevos rancheros. The posole and menudo are also very good.
Watch out. this place gets CROWDED, so get there early or plan to wait in line. The staff was pretty efficient and had us seated within 10 minutes even though we were in a huge line when we arrived.
The chile here is really good. I’d like to go back and try some more of the menu items.