Cervantes | Restaurant & Lounge

Riley DiLorenzo 2 weeks ago

I had the pleasure of dining at Cervantes during a recent work trip. I didn't realize how early most places close in ABQ so regrettably, I showed up about 20 mins to close. That did not stop the staff from providing excellent service and hospitality. Sheri was especially kind and didn't miss a beat when asking for my beverage order and suggesting an item off the menu - The Adovada burritos were phenomenal (Get the red sauce). Although I was there past closing time, I was preemptively reassured multiple times not to rush - Still, please don't do this to the staff if you can help it, I was just grateful that they remained kind after my mistake. As I finished my meal, I ordered my Uber to wait as I paid. It was about 20 minutes wait and began to feel I had overstayed my welcome as the staff bussed tables and closed around me, so I began gathering my things to wait outside. Sheri questioned whether my Uber was ready and when I told her it was still about 15 minutes away she would not take that as an answer and suggested I sit at the bar to wait. Seamus the bartender was kind enough to offer me another drink while I waited and he closed up and even found time for some appreciated conversation. Genuine hospitality is rarely felt these days, but Cervantes should be looked at as the new standard.

Hofbrauhomee 5 months ago

There’s a reason you can buy their salsa in a Santa Fe grocery store. This place rivals anything up there. The dining room is great…we all love the old school lounge. I don’t know what seasoning they use for their ground beef, but it’s the best I’ve ever had anywhere in the world. Oh…you get sopapillas included with everything. Margaritas are legit. Best place in Albuquerque…worth coming here.

Justin C 3 weeks ago

This restaurant has been around for 50 years, and you can see why people appreciate the atmosphere. The decor, dim lighting, and overall ambiance create a nice dining experience. The food was good, but nothing that really stood out or justified the prices. Most entrees were in the $20–$40 range, and the extra charges felt excessive—$2.75 for a one-ounce side of sour cream and $2.50 for a one-ounce serving of guacamole. Those add-ons seemed out of proportion to the overall experience. The fries were served without any seasoning, and the green chile was very mild. Overall, the food leaned toward the bland side compared to many other local options. Nothing was bad, but there also wasn't anything that made us say, "We have to come back for that." They offer beer, wine, and a full bar, which is a plus. However, with so many dining choices available, the value just didn't match the experience for us. The atmosphere was enjoyable, but the food and pricing make it unlikely we'll return.

Jess 7 months ago

So my mom had been out of town for 11 days with no New Mexican food of course... decided to go to Cervantes since it's not far from the airport and used to be absolutely delicious. What a massive disappointment our visit was, with the exception of service from Kyle, who was amazing & adorable!!! We ordered the queso to start, came out cold and totally flavorless, sent it back. I had the combo plate that came with one ground beef taco, carne adovada, one cheese enchilada & one chile relleño, Christmas with extra onions and the side were while beans & papas. Ugh... the taco was dry, no flavor, not even served with salsa or anything. There was about a tablespoon of Carne Adovada, tender & juicy, but only a couple bites. The enchilada was flavorless, and a raw corn tortilla, cheese not melted, just blah. The relleño was super sad!!! ALL breading, no flavor AT ALL except the pull it was fried in. Hardly found the green chile inside the breading, and definitely couldn't find any cheese inside that! Again, nooooo flavor even with Christmas. The beans were dark as heck (like old frijoles get), mushy & dry, again, NO flavor. The papa's were actually hash browns which weren't fully cooked, white as heck, no flavor AGAIN! Ohhhh, and ordered EXTRA onions, had like eight peices on the whole plate. The whole plate was just bland and dry all over unfortunately. Mom got the stacked beef enchiladas with green, all whole beans & extra onions with an over easy egg on top. She said it wasn't horrible, but the egg was over hard, no run in the yolk at all & only a couple onions as well. Kyle seriously was the only good thing about the experience. Sign says "been serving since 1975" but boy have they changed, and NOT for the better by any means. Sad to write this review in all honesty, it's been a long time, but I used to eat here at least 3-5 times a week when my dad was in a coma at Lovelace & I was a preggo, seriously, for six months!!! Hope you guys can find what you used to have with this place.

Tim Schuett 2 weeks ago

Really enjoyed this place. Great atmosphere and margaritas!