Loyola’s Family Restaurant

Great customer Service, clean establishment, beautifully retro place & building ~~~But Golly Gee Whiz the food is sooooooooooooooo plain with lack of taste and the quality is so basic on so many levels. Unless they up the game with fresh quality and do not purchase bottom end ingredients I definitely wouldn’t recommend this place if your palate loves fresh & fine food.

I wish I could give them negative stars for rudeness. I was sitting in a booth with one leg tucked under the other and middle aged woman whom I took to be the owner strode over and told me to «take your feet off of the seat». I don’t appreciate being chastised like a child. Never again.

It was up to me to make the executive decision for our last hurrah meal in Albuquerque, and I think I made a damn fine choice. Loyola’s obliged me in my mission to consume green and red chile errthang in New Mexico.
We ordered way more food than we could eat in one sitting because we just wanted to try a lot of things and basque in all the New Mexiconess. That was fine because we literally had an ensuing 20 hour drive home, so leftovers were in high demand.
You can’t go wrong ordering anything that’s smothered in the aforementioned chile. If it looks like you’re about to eat Christmas on a f**king plate, then you’re doing it right. But if you’re adamant about only trying one chile, their green is the stronger of the two, both in heat and flavor. Try a stuffed sopapilla (chicharrón preferably), or a chimichanga. Or get the combo plate if you’re really indecisive. I also had the privilege of trying the menudo, and while it wasn’t much different than menudo I can get anywhere else, it was also very good.
I also love that their menu lists the chile and salsa available to-​go. We didn’t hesitate to get a container of green chile to take home with us, as well as their red salsa (spicy af!). Our kind waitress knew we had a long drive home and offered us chips and sodas for the road, as well as neatly packing our leftovers and salsas for us. Service was just as good as the food.
Very happy with the decision to dine here, and would totally go back.

Excellent food and a great value! Service is very good and they have a good range of choices.

The standard by which I judge all red and green chile! The service is always outstanding! You always leave full, loving the food and feeling like part of the family.

Visited this restaurant on a business trip. I must say the Huevos Rancheros are a must try. Would definitely recommend. Great customer service and friendly staff.

So good on so many levels, I think you should give it a try. Off street parking, good location, lots of menu choices, friendliest staff in town, fast service, generous portions, very clean and neat, very comfortable…
The menu is a diverse selection of good New Mexican food and well prepared American diner food. They are open for breakfast and lunch only so don’t expect to find dinner items… but their breakfast and lunch selection should satisfy all but the most picky and finicky eater. I’ve tried most of their menu at one time or another and have never been disappointed. They have daily specials as well and if you don’t see it on the menu, ask your server, there may be something stashed in the kitchen just waiting to be ordered. In addition, their coffee, pie and cake are good, fresh and generously served. You don’t survive in this market without good chili and they’ve survived for many, many years.
I have several favorite places in Albuquerque and this is one of them as it reminds me of many good places from earlier times… Get a window seat on the Central Avenue side and enjoy the people watching as you eat…
An all around enjoyable restaurant experience in my opinion.

We have been eating here for decades. Some of the best red chile in the state. Love the huevos rancheros, tacos, burritos and just about everything else they cook. The staff are some of the best. Always friendly and welcoming — just wish they were open for dinner :)

This is an Albuquerque treasure! There are a lot of places to have excellent New Mexican food in town and some great red chile and though Loyola’s does have great red, I’d say they have some of the best green in town! Do yourself a favor and get some! The whole variety of breakfast items is delicious. Service is fast and friendly! If you happen to be in town for a Breaking Bad tour, then you can’t miss this place, it is a favorite of the show. If you are a local, then why haven’t you been to Loyola’s yet!?!

Best breakfast in ABQ. Puts the Frontier to shame. Get the Loyola’s Special smothered in green… BEST. OMLETTE. EVER. Wish they were open on Sundays though.

Excellent customer service. The staff always remembers us when we come in. Overall just a great place with amazing food.

Most delicious breakfast in town. Super friendly service, excellent burritos! Try their chorizo!

I think Loyola’s stands among the top local restaurants in this city. The dining experience here is reliable and satisfying. The staff really has it together and the upbeat way they handle their business is a model for others! You will be eating amongst many regulars here who need to get stung by Loyola’s chile.
Yes the red is hot. So is the green. The servers know the current levels. It does vary so just ask. My favorites include the Rellenos, Carne Adovada or a straight up bowl of Green Chile. The fried Breakfast Potatoes are perfect and hard to resist any time of day!
Loyola’s decided to end their Sunday hours recently. I’m pretty bummed about that. The place was absolutely packed out on Sunday! Monday is closed too. But, everyone needs a break I know. The families, couples, law enforcement, fire department, old timers and myself appreciate how reassuring this community hub is.

I just love this place! I rode my bike over last time I went & as I rolled up I saw them loading up red chile pods thru the back. It confirmed what I already knew… this place is legit! And to my surprise that days green was even better than the red! Everything on the menu is fantastic, just make sure you finish with the natillas. THE best I’ve ever had!

Red or Green? Hard to choose when your lookin at these perfect choices. Great food their spinach omelette is also great smothered red or green. And always great service.

Located on historic Central Ave, on the historic Route 66 and not far from the University of New Mexico, my alma mater, sits, Loyola’s Diner. It elicits a nostalic feeling and will take you back to the ’50’s or 60’s mom and pop diner.
This weekend we had a family reunion and decided to meet here for an impromptu brunch because it was my deceased uncle’s favorite breakfast diner.
What started out as four of us meeting for coffee on Saturday morning turned into 20 family members who all wanted to join in the fun. One hour before we were to descend on them, I called to «warn» them of our pending arrival.
The manager said she couldn’t hold a table for us because it was really busy, but would do what she could. I said, «no problem» we’ll work it out. 15 minutes before we were to arrive, the manager called me back on my cell phone to tell me she had a table for 20 set up and was waiting for us! I couldn’t believe it.
When we arrived they were ready and delivered coffee and smiles immediately. The restaurant was packed, but our waitress took great care of us and the food was delivered en mass, still hot and steaming.
I had my traditional huevos rancheros with red chile, but when I saw the green chile, I had to have some. I would definitely recommend both the red and the green or «Christmas» style.
I shared my wife’s chile relleno, which was also stupendous. Sopapillas with honey finished off a near perfect meal.
Definitely put Loyola’s Diner on your «must do» list if not just for the food, but to experience, first hand, the atmosphere of Walter White’s Breaking Bad!

Totally overpriced for mediocre food made with Sysco-​quality ingredients. Get this: $ 2.35 for a cup of the weakest, blandest coffee endemic to diners like this. For comparison, a Starbucks Venti (largest size) house coffee costs less. (And actually tastes like coffee.)
They seem to have a lot of pride in their chile– sure it is hot, but it lacks flavor and tastes watered down.

Let me start by saying that I came into this place with high hopes after always driving by it to work and seeing the streets sidewalk full of police officer vehicles getting their morning fill. I thought, «Ah, must be that local joint».
I came in for lunch and had a chicharonos burrito Xmas and my buddy got something like the Tim burrito special Xmas. The food was honestly just average, but because the prices aren’t cheap (~10+ bucks a plate plus they charged me $ 2.50 to put a single egg on top), I can’t help but think of so many other New Mexican hot spots in Abq (Cervantes, Sadie’s, la salita, el patio, etc.) and Mexican (el modelo, la taqueria) that are outright better quality, quantity, and price. Also, the heat to the red chile and green chile is that of Texas mild and was excessively watered down. To wrap it up «end of the meal sopapillas» cost an extra buck each?! I thought there was a bill passed in Santa Fe decades ago that said these come standard with a NM meal order; a place where honey sits on the table with salt and pepper as brotherly condiments.
Because I am such an optimistic individual, I might give this place one more shot with a staple food such as chile rellenos or a breakfast burrito…

Two stars based off of two aspects: quality of food and price. For those who are familiar with ABQ restaurants the food quality is that of the Frontier but the prices are that of the Groove.
Food is good, the chile is tasty and the service is wonderful… Still not worth the price. Go to the Frontier for the same type of food at half the price.

It’s hard for me to write reviews of New Mexican restaurants and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because often times I find that they’re indistinguishable from one another, at least as far as the food goes, or because a place really has to make some egregious error in order for me to dislike my food and have a bad experience. The truth is, if you make a good green or red chile (or both, of course) and smother it over just about anything, I’ll be a happy man. That’s the New Mexican in me and I’m pretty sure that’s what unites most of us. Judging from some reviews on Unilocal,outsiders aren’t so unified in their appreciation of chile. Some like it, some hate it, some like it hot, some like it mild (aka a waste of time, go hard or go home!) some like it sparingly, and some want to emulate us locals and make it rain on their burrito like it’s a stripper and the chile is some dollar bills.
Well, Loyola’s isn’t for tourists. It’s definitely a local spot, as in it’s a place locals go. Which is not to say tourists won’t like it, but those that do are those that can handle some heat and a meal drenched in red and/​or green liquid. Yes, Loyola’s makes it rain.
But that’s just part of what’s to like about this place. For, the servers are all part of the family that runs the business and they are friendly and inviting people.
They quickly bring you drinks and take your order without leaving you twiddling your thumbs for fifteen minutes.
My first visit here was on a Friday and that fortunately coincided with their carne adovada burrito lunch special. Aside from enchiladas, carne adovada is one of my favorite NM food options and also one that I will rate a restaurant on. Here, the pork was tender and had spend plenty of time absorbing the spicy adobo seasonings and it was then wrapped up in a tortilla, smothered with cheese, chile and lettuce and tomatoes and served to me in less than 15 minutes. My mouth was on fire and my nose was running (this is why New Mexicans don’t need nose doctors) and I continued to plow through the dish; it was that good.
On my next visit, again on a Friday, I decided to try something different and went with the roast beef burrito. I hadn’t eaten this dish much growing up, but I tried it about a month ago at Cocina Azul downtown and I was blown away by the flavor of the roast beef. Here, the roast beef wasn’t the thick strips of beef I’d had at Cocina Azul and there wasn’t nearly as much roast garlic flavor, but the thin cut slices that resembled brisket were still flavorful enough to please my palate. Plus, (SURPRISE!) the massive amounts of chile transferred their way to the beef and this additional flavor put the burrito into the great category.
One added bonus here and at almost all good New Mexican restaurants is the treat of sopping up the last of the chile on your plate with the sopaipilla that awaits after you’ve already stuffed yourself. Loyola’s was no exception.
I was pleased.
End of story.