Ratings and reviews
Padilla's Mexican Kitchen Photos
Hours
| Monday | 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Thursday | 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Padilla's Mexican Kitchen Reviews
Should you go? This one is a big fat YES Always a great meal at Padilla's!! Cash/check only-- so be prepared when you come, no debit or credit (or Apple Pay lol!) great service, and consistently amazing food!! This place is soooo busy and gets pretty packed in its smaller dining room! We will be back again and again!
I've been coming here for over 20 years and my favorite thing is it's consistency! 20 years later and the food is the same, service is always great and the prices are still extremely reasonable. We got the beef taco plate and the cheese enchilada plate. Each plate typically comes with rice, beans, and two sopapillas. The chili is great if you can handle spice and the sopapillas are some of the best I've ever had. It's a very casual neighborhood spot where locals are known by name. It's also a cash only restaurant so make sure you stop by an ATM first!
Finally made it here. Super good red chile, love a place that can actually make rice. Sopapillas were wonderful. Only downside is cash only. I would go way more often if I could pay electronically.
What a great find!! This mom & pop place was packed with regulars and travelers. The parking lot was filled. The people kept coming in so we knew this place must have been great. We were seated in one of the last tables. Service was really fast with beverages and free chips and salsa before our order. We saw the size of the plate dishes. They were huge. We went a la carte ordering one beef and one chicken enchilada no onions. Both dishes come with Sopaipillas. The orders came super quick. Both were smothered with cheese and a special homemade green sauce e came with it. The sauce was delicious as were the enchiladas. Loved the Sopaipillas too! Our new favorite place in Albuquerque! They open Monday thru Friday 11am-7pm. With all the business they get, there is no need for them to be open on the weekends.
The real deal. And really good. Located in a small strip center, Padilla's may not look like much--but looks can be so misleading. Best place in the city. Real deal northern New Mexican cooking. The carne adovada is beyond tender and the red chile sauce is even better. Love that spicy potatoes are aside rather than run of the mill Spanish rice. The pintos are cooked or so perfect--family recipes rule! As do the sopapillas--just the best around, not just in ABQ but Santa Fe too. Light, crunchy not chewy. And the beer rules--because it is COLD. And the service rules too. This place can get very busy but the staff keeps it humming, some how. It is cash only--keeps the riff raff out.
Updated: It's not my favorite New Mexican in Albuquerque, but it's not bad; actually, it's very good. I've been going here for well over 30 years (started going while attending law school nearby) and it's certainly been line-out-the-door popular the whole time. Small, fairly crowded rooms, but it's friendly like family and neighbors and they will find room for you pretty quick. Major downside is that it's still cash ONLY (or check - but no credit/debit). Giant PITA that generally keeps me from visiting and keeps Padilla's from the fifth star on this review. Not very large portions, but we could all use a little less, right? Beer and (awful) wine only. Prices are up, as they are everywhere: an additional hassle with the cash-only nonsense. They appear to once again be making their red from pods and the quality of the red is once-again top-notch. I know Norteños in their nineties who still come often; Padilla's is solid enough to attract clientele who know chile. Flat-out FANTASTIC service. And their sopaipillas are the most consistently best in town. Get in early to beat the lines.
We don't get here as often as I'd like. But here we are today. They're busy the parking lot is crazy and almost full. One recent addition to parking lot is an ATM. Great for those who forget to bring cash. Fortunately the restaurant wasn't as busy and seats were available. Our service was excellent, I ordered the bean & meat burrito. Came loaded with meat and fresh refried beans. The tamale plate came with 2 tamales, well seasoned meat without being being covered in too much masa. The food was delicious and keeps us coming back for more.
I found this spot good enough to visit twice on this trip. The red chile is very good. The sopapillas are outstanding and I was so happy that they made a Carne Adovado sopapilla with red on the side. Then I tossed in a relleno and a cup of Green Chile posole to round out my meal. My first bowl of posole was devine but the second visit it was mediocre, not consistent. The carnitas were very good on Thursday. The service is quick and the ladies may be a tad forgetful but are so darn cute they get a pass. Tables are full at 5 pm so be ready to wait. CASH ONLY! Average table is $20 per person.
Padilla's has been around for decades. Off the beaten path on Girard south of Indian School this place has a devoted following. Open at 1100 hours we arrived at 1110 and there were only 3 tables still available. By 1130 there was a wait line forming outside. The Juevos were cooked perfectly but the Chile was absolutely the focal point of the meal. But the green and the red had this unmistakable 'just got roasted' taste that's hard to describe. Suffice it to say Padilla's chile is the BOMB! And what a nice touch each meal came with 2 hot fresh Sopapillas. No question we'll be back sooner than later, that's for sure.
Padilla's Mexican Kitchen
Padilla's Mexican Kitchen is a long-standing gem in Albuquerque, located at 1510 Girard Blvd NE, serving comforting New Mexican cuisine with bold flavors and heartwarming hospitality. Visitors looking for real chile-infused dishes and a place where locals actually eat will feel right at home.
Authentic New Mexican food that feels like home
If you’re searching for a New Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque where red and green chile are more than just sauces—they’re a way of life—Padilla’s delivers. The menu here isn’t a novel; it’s a statement. Every item is a nod to tradition, and yet, nothing feels outdated. Dishes like the red chile enchiladas, carne adovada, and the beloved chile rellenos come piping hot with generous portions, handmade tortillas, and a side of nostalgia. Unlike tourist-heavy spots, this place sticks to what it does best—simple, spicy, soul-satisfying food. Expect no frills but full flavors, and keep in mind: it’s cash only, a detail that somehow makes the experience feel even more grounded in tradition.
Inside the kitchen and the story behind the flavors
What makes Padilla’s Mexican Kitchen stand out isn’t just the food—it’s the consistency. Families have been coming here for generations, and the recipes have hardly changed. That’s no accident. The kitchen staff includes people who’ve worked there for decades, some learning from the original cooks who shaped the identity of the place. When you taste the green chile stew, you’re not just having a dish—you’re experiencing a tradition maintained with pride. The balance of spice, salt, and savoriness isn’t random. It’s been adjusted over years, tested daily by regulars who would notice if anything changed. It’s also one of the rare places where tortillas are still hand-rolled, warm and soft, perfect for mopping up the last bit of sauce from your plate.
The comfort of familiarity in location and experience
Padilla’s isn’t located in a trendy shopping district or dressed up for Instagram. It sits humbly on Girard Blvd, not far from the University of New Mexico, in a building that feels more like a family-run community center than a commercial kitchen. But that’s part of the charm. There’s no need for modern polish when the food carries the weight. The dining room often fills with a mix of students, grandparents, and construction crews, all here for the same reason—to eat well without fuss. The walls are simple, the service is brisk, and the turnover is quick. But never rushed. It’s a place where regulars get greeted by name and newcomers feel like they stumbled into something special without even trying.
What the locals and reviews tell us about this iconic spot
There’s a reason Padilla’s has become a benchmark for Mexican restaurants in Albuquerque. Locals trust it. Reviewers on every major platform—from Yelp to TripAdvisor—use terms like “consistently excellent”, “best chile in town”, and “nothing compares”. It’s not a place trying to impress food critics—it’s just loved because it’s dependable. One reviewer mentioned driving two hours just to have the chile rellenos and take home a dozen tortillas. Another called it “the only place that gets the red chile right every single time.” That kind of loyalty doesn’t come from clever marketing. It comes from delivering flavor, warmth, and value—again and again.
The magic of Padilla’s is that it doesn’t try to be magical. It just is. And in a city with hundreds of Mexican kitchens, being the one everyone returns to is the highest praise a restaurant can earn.
The food was excellent, at first the tamale plate looked kind of small but it did fill me up! And on a big guy! The workers in there really bust ass to get food out. It feels like you were dining in a food Hall. Very crowded and very loud. This is a cash only place.