Jerry’s Cafe

Great food great service.
Traveling from CA to TX with our stoic black lab. Really wanted to stop at Jerry’s but there was no place for the dog.
The manager and staff went out of their way to help us enjoy the food without worrying about the dog.
We will most definitely be back. Chicken enchiladas a must and salsa has great heat.

Awesome, authentic Mexican food! Passing through from California with my family! Really enjoyed it! Great food, super service, and nice workers!

Jerry’s was awesome. Loved the green chile and the sopapillas were awesome! Salsa was fresh and hot!
Fast, friendly service and they gave us iced tea to go!

Jerry’s is an absolute treat. Just order any item smothered with green chili and you’ll be happy. Trust me. Deceptively modest in appearance, Jerry’s Café serves some outstanding New Mexico style Mexican food.
Equally appealing as the food are the Native American vendors that pop in and out of the restaurant, selling mostly jewelry they’ve hand crafted themselves. Nothing expensive. Ignore them if you like, but I suggest you exit the interstate and embrace your inner tourist. Buy an item or two and have some nice conversations with some locals. It’s okay to negotiate price.
Service is quick. This is not a fast food establishment, but it’s still fast enough if you are just looking for a short break from driving across the state. There are also some small shops nearby within walking distance.

I had the Chile Relleno plate with bomb vegetarian red chile sauce. The New Mexico Relleno is a bit heavy on the batter for my taste but that sauce makes everything better. I want a vat of it at home so I can bath in it and emerge as a red chile Sprite spreading deliciousness with every step. The staff was very friendly and accommodating.

Went to Gallup for a funeral and we stopped at Jerry’s Café for lunch. When we walked in at noon the place was packed and we got the last table there. The staff was cheerful and friendly, we were greeted warmly.
Our drink order was taken immediately and drinks were brought out quickly. My request for a water with no lemon was missed so my friend ordered a water without lemon for me. It didn’t arrive.
Our order was taken and the food was discovered quickly. After a third request for water without lemon, it was delivered. Hooray!
The food was excellent. We ordered flat enchiladas, huevos rancheros, and tacos. They all came with refried beans and a scoop of Spanish rice. The rice was kind of dry and not too exciting, but the beans were good and the flavor of both the red and green chile was delicious. I usually don’t like chile out, but this place didn’t disappoint. The sopaipillas were a bit heavy, but had good flavor.
Overall I would be likely to return if I ever found myself needing a meal in Gallup.

I HATE my review. We live in Arizona and can’t wait to cross the state line and get the real deal… authentic New Mexican food.
I have no idea what happened to our meal versus the other reviewers… unless perhaps you have a lot of travelers crossing the I-​40 who think they «know» Mexican food.
We have joked that it’s hard to get a bad meal in New Mexico, (so at least we got that over with the first day of our trip). I love local, family-​style hole-​in-​the-​wall joints. So, we planned our lunch stop here.
I’m still shocked how mediocre it was. The red chili on my enchiladas was more Sonoran style with none of the signature heat or smokiness that New Mexican red chili should have. (and when we cook, we only use New Mexican chili). The ground beef was just «blah» –reminiscent of fast food.
And while I am part Native American and the locals were lovely… I was disappointed that the jewelry being shown from table to table did not appear to be Native made, (I’m a collector) — and wasn’t even turquoise, but plastic and resin. I was embarrassed for the people selling the items.
So disappointed.

Small diner with great local eats and New Mexican food. You know it’s good when a majority of the diners on a packed Saturday night are locals. Entrees ranged from $ 8 – 13 and were worth the price. Friendly wait staff and water was quickly refilled. Food arrived quickly.
Beware, the salsa of the chips & salsa is VERY hot. I miiiight’ve tried to wipe off the heat from my tongue while in the bathroom. Still delicious though. I ordered a plate with a tamale and a cheese enchilada. I wasn’t sure which chile sauce I wanted and the waitress immediately suggested doing half and half (if only this was offered everywhere as quickly!). Most entrees come with rice and beans and a sopaipilla, which I enjoyed with honey. Best sopaipilla I’ve had in a very long time.
Enchilada and tamale were standard, but the chile sauces added a nice flavor – and if you’re wondering, they weren’t spicy.
This next note isn’t necessarily a pro or con, but depending on the person, one could find it takes away from the experience. There were 5 people that came by throughout the course of the 45 minute meal selling jewelry, pots and artwork. Not sure if this is a regular thing or just a Saturday night deal. They weren’t pushy, and I understand they’re trying to make some money.

Jerry’s Café is simply one of my very favorite places to eat, a perfect combination of friendly service, great food and merchandising.
Merchandising? They leave the locals alone, but there is a steady stream of Native American vendors selling items to the rest of us, mostly inexpensive jewelry they have personally assembled. Prices negotiable. It makes Jerry’s a perfect stopping place for the traveler looking for a break from I-​40, some local flavor and a friendly encounter or two or five.
The food? Do you like Mexican food smothered in chili? We often do the «half» order, a choice of two items such as a chicken enchilada and a beef taco. Includes rice, beans and a good sized sopapilla with honey, all for about eight and a half bucks. Beware. You might think you’re missing your soft taco when served. Trust me. It’s there, buried under all that green sauce along with your enchilada. Amazing.
You also might want to go to the restroom at Jerry’s. Clean? Yes. But that’s not why. They’re right next to the kitchen, giving the curious diner a great view.
There are also quite a few shops within walking distance of the restaurant. This is fortunate, because you might need a little extra exercise after enjoying a great meal at Jerry’s!

Best green chili relleno in Gallup? Perhaps in New Mexico! This fine little place is off the beaten path and is heavy with the locals, and folks peddling their wares. Phenomenal relleno, so spicy, I cried (from deliciousness and heat). We asked for sauce and it did not disappoint. Beans and rice SO good and a sopapilla as well, the last half of which I saved for some honey as a great caper and to calm the nerves of my burning mouth. This is a busy, fast paced restaurant with lots of service staff working quickly. It took 5 minutes or less to get our food. Super fantastic, I can’t wait to return when I come to Gallup. Put Jerry’s down on your to-​eat list.

Jerrys has some of the best Chile rellenos I’ve tried and the sopapillas were very light and fluffy. the place was quite busy considering it was a weeknight evening, filled with locals and tourists alike. the prices were very reasonable and the portions were large. definitely worth the stop if near the Gallup area!

Mexican at its best. Loaded with locals and others who have packed on the pounds. I’m sure I gained while I was eating. Salsa, quac. Relleno, fry bread w honey. All was fantastic and fairly priced. Some eat here everyday! Hostess and wait staff are wonderful. Loved it.

The green sauce here really is that good! It is one of the best, if not the best green chili sauce in town. I think Genaro’s is their best competition. The chicken in the enchiladas was a little dry and the price was steep for what it is. The little site can be crowded and hard to find a seat. Though it really ads to its character and charm. Definitely worth a try!

Great job Jerry’s.
I stopped today looking a for a late breakfast and as soon as I stepped into the shop, I knew I made a good decision. This is a quaint spot. Wood paneled walls, tiled booths, and seating capacity tops at 60. But you get the vibe of a good neighborhood diner. Boths are packed with couples and young familes. The 2 page menu cocers something for everyone from New Mexican to club sandwiches. Homemade hips and salsa along with my ice tea was delivered within seconds of being seated. Served is the classic plastic red coco-​cola soda cup.
I had the short order of chicken enchilada with red chilie sauce. Minutes later, my order was served. Nice portion with beans and rice some julliened iceberg lettuce and a side of sopapilla. Enchillada was moist with pulled chicken tender but not chewy. The beans and sauce were a nice accompaniment. But the cheese was very good quality. Melted from the broiler, had great pull even after 15 min into the meal. This isn’t Kraft. Sopapilla was freshly fried fluffy but remarkably not greasy.
Very happy with the ambience, the service, and the quality of the meal. Total bill $ 10 bucks before tip. You can’t beat it for the price point.

Passing by Gallup on our way home to Las Vegas, we were looking for a place to eat breakfast and found Jerrys. Our breakfast was awesome my husband had the flat enchiladas and I had the chili rellenos with the wonderful New Mexico red chili. If you’re passing by our lives in Gallup this place will be a good choice.

yumyumyum. I haven’t been out to eat much these days so getting to go to Jerry’s was a real treat. Super nice service, awesome local establishment, cheap food, delicious beef enchiladas. If I’m back in Gallup, Jerry’s will definitely be my first choice.

Overall pretty good. This is a small old school diner with a distinctly Gallup feel. Service was really good. Lots of locals which is always an auspicious sign.
Growing up in Santa Fe and spending time in other New Mexican culinary hotbeds like Taos may have set my expectations a little high. As a result my overall impression of my relleno, chicken taco, enchilada combo was that it was average. The chili had good heat and balance. Sopas were a little thick but had good flavor.
My wife had the patty melt and enjoyed it.
I can see why this gets good reviews and wouldn’t warn anyone away.

While it sort of looks like a dive, the food is amazing. Fresh chips (still warm) and a nicely spicy salsa — though unlike most Eastern quasi-​Mexican places, there is a price for these but heck, it’s really worth it. I had the stuffed sopapillas. Now I am used to sopapillas as a sweet dessert type thing but this was savory and chock full of pulled pork, cheese, beans and guacamole. Rich had a mixed platter with taco, enchilada, and torta.
I’m telling you, if you find yourself in Gallup (we were driving between the Grand Canyon and Santa Fe), try our Jerry’s.

Roadside joint filled with a mix of peeps solid 3.5 stars.
Once again Unilocal came through. We were planning to go to the tamale shop, but it was unexpectedly closed, and we were happy to try another.
I ordered the stuffed sopapilla with carnitas. The red sauce was just spicy enough, and the guac inside made it all great. Plenty of roasted jalapeños and onions to fill it up… I still can’t believe I ate the whole thing! My only complaint is that the pork was much tougher than traditional carnitas.
My wife ordered the relleno since they were highly rated, and was impressed. She had a combo that also included a beef enchilada and the plate was accompanied by beans and rice. Enchilada and beans were very good but the rice was average.
The whole meal was capped by a sopapilla and honey.
Ambiance was a bit lacking and price was slightly above expectation on the stuffed sopapilla, but overall was very good.
If we stop back through we would give the tamale spot a second chance, but if closed we would surely be back.

Stopped in on a Monday night during our trip to New Mexico as a part of our quest for a good experience in New Mexican cuisine… we were not disappointed.
We arrived in Gallup following a day in Albuquerque, and were not ready to eat until 7:30. By that point, we were pretty hungry… we were going to go to El Metate, but they were closing in a half hour. This was the clear second option, and I’m glad we ended up here.
This place is exactly what we imagined when we pictured a restaurant in New Mexico. A small, traditional diner serving up all sorts of yummy stuff with chile, and also American food (but who really wants that when they walk into a place that smells like this??). This place, like the rest of Gallup, is a reminder of the good old days of Route 66.
We all had enchiladas, Christmas style. They were very awesome. The green was better than the red, but both were pretty good. Both the cheese and beef enchiladas were very tasty and embodied the flavors of their respective chiles. The rice and beans that came with the enchiladas were also good. And… as everywhere in New Mexico… we got a heap of giant sopapillas. I’m going to return to Indiana fat off those things… they don’t serve them anywhere back home, really. They were excellent also.
So, this place essentially summed up what we wanted out of regional New Mexican food.