Eagle Cafe

Nice place to stop for a bite if you’re passing through or doing some shopping in the many trading post type stores on this stretch of road. Like many nostalgic joints, this one is decorated with Route 66 memorabilia. Otherwise it has a clean and nice look of an old style lunch counter.
Unfortunately, on the day of our visit, the soda machine was out of CO2, so we both got glasses of cold syrup, which was kind of gross. The waitress said only her manager could fix the machine and the manager wasn’t there, so no soda for us. We sent the drinks back but they didn’t take them off our bill. We had to ask them to do that.
The food was quite decent for an old diner. My friend had a burger and fries. The burger is pretty big and the fries are seriously too many fries for any human being to eat. There were like 3x as many fries as there was entrée. Curly fries. Not bad, but not anything to rave about.
I chose the lamb stew. The lamb itself was freaking perfect. Some of the best lamb ever. Each chunk was perfectly tender and edged with a thin piece of fat. So good. However, the stew was mostly celery, which does nothing for me. There were also some carrots that were OK. the rest of the plate was hit or miss. The hominy was pretty good. There was a fresh, barely warmed green onion that I ate all of and half a chili that was REALLY hot. I only managed 3 bites of that. Then there were some flavorless mashed potatoes that tasted like they came out of a box and a really sad bit of salad, grey and limp lettuce and the world’s thinnest tomato slice. This meal also came with a plain sopapilla, which was a lot harder and denser than what I’m used to. I asked for some honey and got a tiny takeaway package.

What a delight!
Note: the address is in incorrect on iPhone navigation! On Route 66 between 2^nd and 3^rd street.
During our road trip, we read the reviews and had to give it a try. So glad we did.
5 Star Waitress — amazing. She was so kind and hospitable it was difficult to leave.
5 Star Food — burgers were perfect. Chicken soup, homemade and heartwarming. Salads fresh and healthy.
Décor — don’t get me wrong, this place was clean. But the décor and sound system needs a bit of work. But don’t let that deter you from visiting.
Overall, I recommend this establishment! We will stop in again.

Food was extraordinary, service was great, atmosphere was an added plus (our little waitress was SO SWEET)!
My husband ordered the chili rellenos — the best we have EVER eaten (he shared!!!), I had the breakfast burrito (yes, they serve breakfast all day), and our cousin have the eggplant Parmesan sandwich, which was a huge WOW to her taste buds!
Their homemade red and green sauces were both amazing! He had the red on his chili rellenos and I had a small dish of both with my breakfast burrito. The red had a deep, smokey flavor that was out of this world, and if your like something with a little more bite, the green sauce has a fresh, clean taste for your palate. My husband’s cousin raved about the eggplant sandwich. In fact it was the bar that she compared ALL our other meals to during our vacation. The homemade curly fries that came with her sandwich where also very good!!!

On a cold New Mexico day in December we were delighted to discover a place in Gallup that serves fresh tasty vegetarian meals — the Eagle Café! (Last time we came through town — a year and a half ago — the veggie pickins were very slim).
I ordered the vegetarian reuben — which wasn’t really a reuben of course, but was loaded with fresh cabbage and sauteed red bell peppers. It would have been even better if they had some kind of reuben-​like sauce on it, but I was really happy to have something warm and veggie. Fresh green salad on the side — with lovely greens. My partner ordered a tuna melt (canned — but that’s to be expected) — which was OK — had a spicy aioli which was nice — but the curly fries were really yummy! We shared a large green salad, which was fresh and loaded with avocados and carrots in addition to lots of greens. After a week of New Mexico red and green chili, it was nice to have something simple and veggie. Giving it five stars for its veggie friendliness, freshness — and friendly great staff too!

Just had the best Lamb Stew and Cheesecake. Understand the restaurant recently changed hands and the food is great. Wait staff is friendly and helpful. Definitely a must stop.

Driving through but don’t feel like eating junk? Best food in Gallup, hands down. Lovingly prepared and it shows! Vegetarian options available — rare in these parts.

The Eagle Café is under new ownership, while décor needs improvement, the food is top notch, including home made and cured meats. It has also become a popular spot for brunches on Sunday, usually with items you can’t get on the regular menu. The chef really cares about your taste buds! And it shows.

What a gem. I’m visiting from NYC. I NEVER Unilocal but felt compelled after seeing the old ratings and enjoying this amazing meal. Chef Marco delighted my girlfriend with his special four course Prix fixe of lamb with delicious mashed potatoes and I had a ridiculously tasty avocado cheeseburger which was never frozen and had fresh fries which were also never frozen. If you’re in Gallup and in search of a fantastic meal, this is the place.

Claims to be the oldest restaurant on Route 66 but they make no claims about the quality of the food.
Sopapilla was horrible. Chili was too watery. Relleno was nothing to write home about.