Genaro’s Cafe

We’ve stopped and eaten here several times on our way from Albuquerque to Barstow. It’s a nice little-​ish family place. Four generations according to the cashier when we checked out Thursday (she’s the granddaughter).
As a lifelong Mexican food eater, I’m not sure why anyone would say this is the best Mexican food they’ve ever had. The place is always packed at lunch, so it’s obviously not the worst either. It seems like they get a lot of State workers from the office building nearby.
They also allow jewelry sellers to wander through, so be prepared to be hit up during your meal. Not to criticize the sellers… I bought two necklaces last time, got a good deal and love them. 15 minutes later a guy came through with fabulous belt buckles and concha belts, but we were tapped outta cash by then.
This trip the waitress kinda rushed us and I couldn’t decide, so she talked me into the stuffed sopapilla. Unfortunately, hamburger is the default meat, and I expected chicken. I wouldn’t order this dish again. The sopapilla gets tough with the fillings. Better to order it on the side and fill yourself.
This is a reliable restaurant. Food is dependable, service is (reasonably) quick, prompt and courteous. It’s not gourmet, it’s Gallup.

Good basic New Mexico/​Old Mexico cuisine. The salsa was medium hot, the red chile was hot and the green chile was medium but flavorful!

This is just about the best New Mexican food. I eat here regularly and have tried many items on the menu but my favorites are probably the chili rellenos and the huevos ranchero. The green chili is great, sometimes it’s a bit too hot even for me. I pretty much have been spoiled by the food here though and there’s very little that has come close for me. It’s almost always busy so you might have to wait for a bit but for me this is worth it. It’s well known for a reason. My favorite restaurant in Gallup.

I had not been to this place in 12 years but it has only gotten better. The same family has owned it since 1975 and the food is still great high quality with flavor to die for and the amount of food you get will make you ask for a to go box. I got two Chile Rellenos and my wife got three chicken enchiladas. My wife loved it and talked about it for the rest of the day. We talked with four members of the family and got hugs and thanks from all of them. I only wish and prey a place like this is in Heaven and when I die I will be there regularly. There green chile is very well known and is a little spicy but filled with flavor. Tonight we will be having Genaro’s left overs in Santa Fe, NM.

Excellent Mexican food, this is not Tex-​Mex so if you’re from Oklahoma or Texas this may not be for you. I got the chili Relleno, there was two on my plate «huge » at least 8 inches long 2 inches wide Hatch chili’s filled with cheddar cheese, lightly battered and fried. I have the red and green sauce (Christmas) absolutely delicious, totally authentic. My husband got the combo plate which had a cheese enchilada, shredded beef taco and a tamale all three were excellent. The salsa is very hot very tasty, it’s made with jalapeños a lot green onions tomatoes puréed to a thick salsa. You have your choice of tortillas or sopapillas we chose the sopapillas there as big as a bed pillow they are huge and delicious. There served with real honey not honey sauce. This restaurant is in the neighborhood, Family owned and operated for 46 years. The service is excellent and very friendly, they brought us extra plates so we could share and we still good excellent food, The dinner comes with beans refried, Rice and Poole (hominy) with big chunks of stewed pork, absolutely delicious. Their green chili sauce is hatch peppers chopped and cooked into delicious spicy sauce. The red sauce taste like it was made with guajillo chili peppers, which happens to be one of my favorite peppers. They also serve American food, hamburgers french fries. If you could take heat and be a little adventurous this is the place to try.

Coming from a person who lived a few years in Mexico, the enchiladas here are better than any others I’ve eaten outside of Mexico. They are incredible. Their salsa is very good and, like most things in Mexico, have some bite. If you want something authentic, order the enchiladas with red sauce but the green sauce is incredible as well. Each plate comes with a sopapilla, which I request to be brought out later.

I just moved to the area and saw great reviews for this place so tonight I tried it I wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t as great as I expected after seeing the reviews. I ordered the tamale plate. The tamales were fairly bland, but the green chile was pretty yummy. My guy ordered the fajitas. None of the ingredients seemed to be grilled. No grilled flavor at all. The service was friendly, but after he dropped our food, he was nowhere to be seen. We could have used more tortillas. It was ok, but with all the New Mexican and Mexican food options in town, we probably won’t be back. Also, no margaritas.

This is the best Mexican food I have ever had the pleasure of eating! Seriously, do not pass up an opportunity to eat at Genaro’s. If I wasnt just passing through on my way back to California I’d become a regular. A local recommended Genaro’s which is always a good sign of excellent food. Great prices, very friendly, fast efficient service. Salsa is over the top GOOD! Rice is light and fluffy. The posole is the best ever!

As a Genaros Patron since the 80’s I believe this is one the best New Mexican food joints in New Mexico. As New Mexico mexican food is on a whole other level than your typical Mexican food. I would have to say my picks are at #1 Chope’s in La Mesa, #2 Genaro’s in Gallup and #3 pretty much any Garcia’s in the ABQ Metro area. However, I was taken back the last time I was in as they give a smaller portion of complimentary salsa and charge extra for more which is fine, but I suggest please give the original amount you used to give. If I notice I’m sure others do too. The Salsa is the Best you’ll ever have and if you can’t handle it. Welcome to New Mexico!

This place has the best salsa I’ve ever had. This is real «New Mexican» style food.
The meal started with chips and salsa. The salsa is fresh and hot, but so flavorful! We had some questions about the menu and while we decided, our waiter brought us some free guacamole!
I ordered a tostada plate, which came with rice, posole, a delicious sopapilla (basically fried dough) and my boyfriend got the fajita plate. The food was great and I could barely finish half of it! We also had great service, our waiter answered all our questions and even brought us some samples to try! Definitely worth a trip if you are in Gallup.

Great food and service! You just can’t find sopapillas in California !! I bought 5 to go:)

Nice and clean but the pulled chicken salad left a lot to be desired. Chicken was tiny pieces over chunks of lettuce. Green chili was good!

I ordered the combination plate. The beef taco was particularly tasty. The enchilada was smothered in cheese. I didn’t really care for the rice. The rest was quite good. The service was good, up tothe cash register. It seem like it took forever to get anybody to take my money

I’ve been here several times, the food is the best in gallup, kinda like being the tallest midget in the room, there’s no other good option in gallup as far as I’ve seen and I’ve been here a while and tried a lot of what this town calls food. If you have the option then I suggest you cook your own food. If you want something local come here and I suggest the nightmare steak with sauce on the side. Good eats

Service was very quick and friendly. I ordered chicken enchiladas with Christmas chili sauce (both green and red), so good!!! I love spicy food so the salsa was perfect, for my kids not so much. My daughter had the kids chicken strips and fries and she said it was the best she’s ever had (she’s 7 so she says that a lot, but they were pretty good).
The only part I wasn’t a big fan of was the 8 or so people that came up to the table in a half hour to try and sell us something, they were polite though. I’d totally go back in a heartbeat

This is possibly the best Mexican food I’ve ever had in my life. Seriously.
So I was in Gallup visiting the boyfriends family. We were wanting some good New Mexico food and he knows I love spicy so this was the obvious choice. Guessing by everyone’s recommendations and reactions to our visit, this place is KNOWN for spicy … The hottest green chili in town.
Well the entire experience was delightful. The restaurant was clean, the staff was very nice, prompt and polite. The chips and salsa started us off right — fantastic (I’m guessing home made) chips and SPICY salsa but so awesome. We ordered stuffed sopapillias — one chicken and one beef with both red and green chili (I got mine on the side, I’d recommend this for newbies so you can cater to your desired heat) … SO GOOD!
For dessert we had more sopapillias with honey.
Everything was fantastic and the prices were good. I will 100% return next time we are in Gallup again!

Well the first night we got the stuffed sopapilla and it was good. But my aunt started choking on her red chile enchilada, went down the wrong pipe. The darling woman is 82 and she said it was a first. So she couldn’t finish her enchilada. I took a bite and was in heaven, and very sorry I had ordered the sopapilla. My dad took a bite and then quickly finished the enchilada before I could have any more! So of course we had to come several more times during our visit, and never strayed from enchiladas again. We decided it’s the best food to showcase red chile. Genaro’s is almost as good as my aunt’s and grandma’s. Almost. Scrumptious.

Traveling through town? Do yourself a favor and have lunch/​early dinner here. I have been coming here since 1991, and seen ups, downs, closings, and remodels. I’ve also eaten all over New Mexico. And here is where I begin: This is NOT «Mexican» food. It’s NEW MEXICAN diner food. And one of the best home-​style New Mexican diners around (and I’m including Santa Fe, ABQ, and other points east here). IT’S ABOUT THE CHILI. RED OR GREEN. And as long as you understand that, you’ll be OK.
The RED AND GREEN CHILI are among the BEST IN THE STATE. PERIOD. They are equally good, and sometimes equally HOT. Yes, styles may vary with different family recipes, and some may prefer other styles, but GENARO’S KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK. They do it so well that often all i order is a bowl of green. And some fries with red (see below).
The menudo, when available, is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. Trust me. AB FAB. Like gourmet. Major hangover + menudo with green = cure.
The SALSA (contrary to some reviews here) is AMAZING. It’s New Mexico style, and a good one at that. NO, THERE IS NO CUMIN AND THERE IS NO SUGAR. Nor should there be. It’s the way God intended. Go to New York City if you want cumin and sugar in your salsa.
The HAND MADE FRIES SMOTHERED IN RED CHILI, when available, are AB FAB. But you have to ask if they’re FROZEN OR HANDMADE THAT DAY OR NOT. Frozen fries not so good, so I avoid. Also, on some days, the chips are bagged. BOOOOO.
I’m lukewarm on the burgers, and I’ve definitely had better green chili burgers elsewhere. It’s about the meat and bun. This is a diner, not a gourmet burger dive joint (i.e. Buffalo Café in Santa Fe. yummmm).
Bottom line: Just say yes. Just do it. Don’t expect «Mexican». Be selective on the menu. But expect darn good.

Stopped in for lunch while on a road trip. Good food, friendly service, older but clean.
They have Indian jewelry peddlers walking through, which I didn’t particularly like, but others may.
I didn’t like the salsa.

[5+ Stars for Gallup an easy 3.5+ by NM standards]
A friend kept posting on his facebook page how he loved the food there and on several recent business trips he was now a regular at the restaurant. My interest had been officially piqued and the opportunity to stop in and try out the place presented itself on a road trip to visit family in NM.
The timing was perfect, just before noon on a cloudy Wednesday. Waved in by the a few of the waitstaff and told to sit anywhere I liked. The service was polite and speedy. A basket of chips and a serving of savory salsa, whose heat slowly creeped up on me after about 6 chips, was addictive. Having been craving enchiladas, that is what I ordered. When asked red or green of course I opted for both not knowing their specialty (but I am typically a red fan)…then the next question… Tortilla or Sopapilla… Sopapilla of course (now I know I am back in NM).
The serving was generous and while I was only expecting rice and beans on the side I was pleasantly pleased to see a serving of posole on the side too. The rice was meh a little to tomato saucy for my tastes and the beans, I have had better, but the posole was GREAT. I would return for just a bowl of posole with either red or green chile or plain any day.
The chile… the RED was amazing and I am rather picky about my red chile [my grandma’s is still the best, red or green]. As for the green I was pleasantly pleased at it’s simplicity and flavor. The red just knocked my socks off though.
The sopapilla was the size of the salad/​desert plate it was served on and done perfectly (perfect for stuffing, I may have to try one of their stuffed sopapillas next time.)