Red Ball Cafe

The first time someone took me here, the area seemed slightly sketchy but I got over it because of how damn good the food was!!!
The server was great, I feel like family when I go in, I love it. Food is fantastic! Seriously, you need to go here. Delish!!! I wish it was more conveniently located because I don’t get to eat there as much as I would like.

One of Albuquerque Diamond In The Ruff R/R…food is really good 10 on my scale the staff are fast friendly they never leave your glass half empty i recommend this place to everyone passing thru the Barelas community… Hey i even bought one of there t-​shirts to show my support… Be Back Soon!!!

The husband’s favorite place for lunch. He loves the green chile cheeseburger, his coworker’s lunch of choice is the Carne adovada burrito. Very popular and affordable for downtown diners who want a quick, hot, delicious meal.

Local family owned restaurant. extremely busy at lunch time. Food is ok and affordable. Some of the magic was ruined for me when i saw the waitress making chocolate milk with milk and generic syrup, using kroger brand ranch on the salad, making iced tea with powder etc… then it just felt like i was eating at home.

This is the exact kind of local place that I really love to find.
The food is good diner food – not too greasy, not loaded with salt or butter, and very full of flavor and local flare. There is green chile galore and the «wimpy burger» with its bare-​bones meat, bread, and red chile is deceptively good.
The building is great too. There’s a lot of info on the walls and tables about the long history of Red Ball as a Route 66 standard.
We didn’t have breakfast here, but others around us did and it looked amazing!

Ok folks, we’ve met our soul mate — it is a burger that has been served right here on Route 66 since 1922.
Though we arrived as Red Ball Café was about to close, one of the ladies sweeping the restaurant noticed us and gladly seated us at a table with smiles and no notice of the time — she was just glad to serve another hungry customer the best burger Route 66 has to offer.
The atmosphere is historic and Southwestern. Murals of New Mexican landscapes, articles about the restaurant, awards and memorabilia decorated the walls while a black and white checkered floor was decorated with wooden booths and tables whose tops were lacquered with newspaper articles and artifacts from the restaurant’s history.
Complimentary chips and salsa are a great way to start any meal, and make sense as the Red Ball Café serves mostly New Mexican menu items. Though it is home of the Wimpy Burger (a red chile slider), we stumbled upon the Red Ball Burger — a new favorite.
Fresh cut fries come with this delicious bite of heaven, as does the warm and fuzzy feeling of meeting an old friend. At the gorgeous price of $ 5.55, this cheeseburger is just waiting for you to make the trip down and meet it in person. Resting within a warm sesame bun, two 4 oz. patties, each topped with melted cheddar and chopped green chile on a bed of shredded iceberg and a slice of tomato, it wasn’t too much or too little of anything.
The first bite was what cheeseburger dreams are made of. A light crispness to the outside of the patties was a delightful contrast to the juiciness contained within them. The still-​melting cheese and tasty green chile were fundamental in completing the euphoric texture and taste of the best burger we have had to date. Honestly, words can’t do it justice.
Our first 10-​star burger was so good that we ordered one to go. We’d stockpile an arsenal of them if we could. To complete the experience, the owner of the restaurant enthusiastically offered to take a photo of us outside the restaurant’s historic storefront.
Thank you, Red Ball. We love you dearly and can’t wait to return.