Cecilia’s Cafe

Stood at the front door for five minutes before I was greeted with a blank stare of «what the heck do you want!?» I had to ask if I seat myself or if I wait to be seated.
Waited another five minutes for my waitress to approach me with a Bluetooth in her ear taking my drink order while on the phone.
I ordered coffee and water and asked for a straw, she couldn’t hear me because whoever she was on the phone with, was more important.
Tortillas are too small, my coffee never got refilled, but the food was great.
Has potential, but needs better customer service.

We’ve been here a few times for breakfast. The fireman burrito is excellent. And HUGE! I always have half for breakfast and the other half for lunch. Service is great. The place is super cozy. Their chicharrones are delicious!

Nice little place, food was good and my 6yr old ate what was on her plate. The salsa has a kick, nice, but a boom to it that I didn’t expect. I had the taco salad and the shell was perfect, they didn’t let the beef grease melt the bottom, and it had enough meat/​garnish to go along with the lettuce (so it wasn’t just a lot of lettuce in an edible bowl). Will return to try more dishes.
On a side note, watch your step as you exit the building, keep a tight hold on any children you take with you. My poor little chick face planted because she forgot it was a step down.

Delicious! Cecilia recommended the Machaca Christmas burrito– was excellent! Also had the green chile chicken and rice soup with a tortilla– spicy and sooooooo good. Will be back!

Cecilia’s is an absolutely excellent little diner in the heart of downtown Albuquerque specializing in New Mexican cuisine. Cecilia’s has been featured on the Food Network and Travel Channel on numerous occasions including being listed as the number 45 best place in America to chowdown on the Travel Network’s list of the 101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown in addition to being visited by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. The restaurant is very quaint and resembles an old school diner with a Mexican/​Southwest touch to it and old fashioned booths that you sit at. The walls are adorned with all kinds of colorful art and the place definitely has a nice laid back atmosphere though take note that the restaurant is small so if its busy you may be waiting for a table.
When I was here I was waited on by an extremely sweet young woman who I believe was Cecilia’s daughter though I’m not 100% sure. I had never tried New Mexican green or red chili before and she allowed me to sample the red chili to help me decide which I would like with my meal.
I of course had to go with their most famous menu item the «Fireman Burrito». This thing was HUGE and delicious. This thing is more like a small log than a burrito. It had every breakfast food imaginable in it including eggs, hash browns, bacon, beans, sausage and also chicharrones (fried pork) and carne adovada (stewed marinated pork) with red or green chile or both (Christmas!) either on the side or on top. One thing I really want to make note of in this review is that the Fireman Burrito filled me up for the entire day. It was about 11 AM when I ate it and I was not hungry again until nearly 24 hours later. Thats pretty amazing considering I have a pretty big appetite and it only cost me $ 10.60 to feed myself for an entire day.
Service was awesome and food comes out pretty quick. Cecilia’s is definitely a solid casual restaurant choice while in Albuquerque.

It took me a long, long time to evolve my position on favorite foods. For the majority of my adult life, this is how a new dining experience worked for me: order the safest or most intriguing item on the menu. If the dish was a winner, that’s what I’d order each and every time I returned. It’s human nature, right? Creatures of comfort, we go with what we know and we coddle the familiar. And this is a great shame. Stepping out of your comfort zone in any endeavor, especially as you age, is the fountain of youth. Unilocal has helped me make this migration immeasurably. I rarely order the same plate twice.
Cecilia’s is a traditional old school New Mexican joint that I simply never visited, until recently. Too many bright and shiny things downtown, I guess. But it has been on my list for years, and one day I was sitting in a barber’s chair, starving from a busy morning, and I thought «the hell with it, I’m getting myself a Cecilia burrito.» My barber held his clippers and I called, ordered a carne adovada wrap to-​go, smothered red & green. Thirty minutes later I dove into something of a revelation. I can’t think of another #NewMexicoTrue shop in all of downtown that does it like Cecilia’s. Rich meat that crumbles on the fork, earthy red chile, and yeah, the verde is good, but go with the red, Cecilia’s represents proper. And it’s hot hot hot.
And an admission. I grew up in the midwest, with a passion for spicy food that was evident from age, oh, 10 or so. I shovel wasabi down my throat, no problemo. I always order the most spicy option. I truly enjoy the fire. But I’m the genetic product of cold climate Europeans, which inherently presents, ah, issues. No need to get detailed, here. Let’s just say that I love the stuff going down, but my innards aren’t particularly thrilled about processing the ordeal. Cecilia’s… Cecilia’s hurts. It’s that serious. For me, and only me, I hope. But that won’t stop me from ordering the same plate twice, three times, and forever after.

Thank you to all Unilocal reviewers who convinced me to come here for breakfast… Amazing food! Cute little hole in the wall that’s easy to miss. You must get the blue corn pancakes and anything that has the red chile sauce on it… Divine!!! It should be bottled and sold. Love the warm fireplace and good prices… Great service! Definitely a little hidden gem.

Very good New Mexican style food here. I ordered they’re enchilada with both green and red chili. And for my meats I had ordered chicken and carne adobado. Very good flavors as I’m Mexican but not used to eating New Mexican food.

Cecile’s is a very welcoming atmosphere, I felt like I was at my grandmothers house. The food is top notch, so much food at little cost. I could not finish, but it was delicious! I do recommend this place! When I am back in Albuquerque I will have to stop by again.

I knew when I walked in that I was in for something special. It’s a tiny hole in the wall that I believe has been there for many decades. The waitress recommended a few of their best dishes and even brought me four samples of different things without me even asking.
All were impressive.
I settled on the Green Chile Chicken Soup and a Chile Relleno ala carte. OMG! Amazing. Both were perfect. Seriously… mind blown.
I’m here for three nights. I’m gonna try to eat there again while I’m here.

The place is off the beaten path, pay to park, and broken down. No matter, as long as the food is good. My husband had the pork carne adovada burrito and I had the ground beef and beans burrito, both with green chili on top. The carne adovada was so spicy and tasteless, it was impossible to eat and gave us an instant headache. I added rice to my ground beef and bean burrito with green chili on top. The green chili was full of burned skins and the beans, rice, and ground beef had no flavor. We are very disappointed because this is one of the Diner’s Drive-​ins, and Dives places that Guy Fieri loved in 2009.

I love green chile and normally get it at most restaurants, but the red chile is definitely the star of the show here. I got the carne adovado and although really hot… it was soooo tasty! I ate the entire plate. I really wish they would give chips and salsa out instead of charging almost 4 dollars, especially because the plates are pretty pricey, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this place and will return when I’m back in town.

It’s appearance on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives makes sense because this place is a hole in the wall located in Albuquerue, NM. That’s not to say the place isn’t great. The location isn’t ideal but the food makes up for it. The quesadillas are good but they’re nothing compared to the Fireman’s burrito that made this place famous. The sopapillas are also phenomenal and make you feel like you’re eating mom’s homemade meals… if your mom ever made sopapillas this good. Service was great and Cecilis is really homey making you feel comfy staying for a little while to sit and revel in the glory that is some of the best Mexican food you’ll ever eat. It’s not the best, but it’s damn close and that’s why I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

I would never hold a restaurant in high regard just because Guy Fieri filmed an episode of Triple D there. So we landed at Cecelia’s for our final meal in ABQ simply because it had good Unilocal reviews, and it was open on a Saturday. (So many places close early, or are closed on weekends in this sleepy town!)
Our server/​hostess was the owner’s sister. A woman, whose name I did not catch, seemed to be flying from table to table and back to the kitchen and over to the soda machine and back to the waiting guests… with a furious passion for this outstanding restaurant.
She was fast, yes, but she took her time with everyone to explain the menu. She took time to bring refills. She took time to explain how everything is made fresh daily. She may have been the proudest person we met this whole trip.
The food was the best we had in ABQ, hands down. I had carne adovada enchiladas with red chile, and my wife had the best chile rellenos in history. They’re made with medium sized Big Jim’s here. It’s a NM thing, but I wish the rest of the America would figure these out.
Then again, maybe not. Albuquerque is unique, and that’s just fine. Cecelia’s is a gem, and I understand their pride. The cook even came out to boast about the freshness of their food.
Never change, Cecelia’s. Never change, ABQ.

Small space with a great local feel but to be honest the food was just okay. Glad we tried it but will keep searching for our favorite Mexican food.

So on the advice of Mr. Guy Fieri I brought the family here while we were in ABQ. Wow !!
Place is a little small but that adds to the charm. We got there just in time. Here is what we ordered wife and daughter shared chili fries. They loved them. Other daughter ordered nachos she loved the beans. Other two daughters (yes I have 4) ordered the breakfast plenty and one daughter said the eggs taste like grandma makes. I of course ordered the fireman burrito. I ordered it with the green chile. It was huge and I tried my best to finish but just could not (recommend sharing). Staff was very nice! Of course the kids wanted sopapillas !
Loved everything about this place. The owner Cecila was delightful called everyone mijo and mija!
Will definitely recommend to anyone I talk to that will visit ABQ.

Great service! Located in the middle of the city. No parking, but there are metered spots next to the location.
Chicken chimichanga was good, although, it tasted more like a burrito. Few vegetarian options.

We ordered the Fireman’s Burrito, Christmas style. It was HUGE! My husband and I shared it and it was excellent! The building is an old house, where the dining area is pretty small and cozy. We liked it! Yes, you do have to pay to park but I wouldn’t expect anything different in a downtown setting. The meters take change and credit cards, so its really not that big of a deal. We would go again!

Best kept secret downtown (which is why I am keepng the review short — I get very few points for sharing with others).
Great chile — great lady. You should go like now.

Walk into this quaint little gem of a joint and think you are going to grandam’s house (if your grandma was New Mexican) is warm and welcoming very homey and comfortable. Cecelia is there to great you and take your order. The enchilada egg dish I had was dynamite! With Carne Acevado it was the new mex dish that not only filled belly it warmed my heart.
Another triple d joint for the FoodDude but a lasting experience on my business travel adventure. Don’t tell my boss how much fun having.