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Things to do in Burque

SBG

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OK guys, here's the rundown of things to do in Albuquerque. Please feel free to copy/paste this to other CU fan websites.

Best "local" restaurant:
Frontier - Not exceptional food, but this place defines ABQ. The burritos are great (I love the #2, the bean burrito and the Carne Adovado burrito)

If you can't make it there, hit up a local Golden Pride (they are the "same", but GP doesn't offer the full menu). Crazy good burritos. Makes Chipotle/Q'doba taste like the utter **** they are.

Best red chile:
Durans Pharmacy - Weird hours, but has a great smokey flavor.

Best green chile:

The burrito lady - HOTTEST (most of the time, not always) green chile you will EVER find. This will tear your intestines apart. Cash only! The meat she uses in her potato and steak burrito is phenomenal.

Best carne adovado:
Mary and Titos - Absolutely wonderful. Definitely worth it if you have the time. I recommend this place to everyone that visits NM. They've won a ton of awards.

Also recommended: Padilla's. I haven't eaten there, but NW Buff recommends it.

Best Tamales:

El Modelo - You can't eat it there, but probably the best tamales I've ever had. The rest of the food is great too.

Best Pizza near the Uni:
Saggios: I can vouch for this.

Best places to watch the other games on:
1. Coaches Bar: Near the University and near the Pitt. Decent atmosphere, but the TVs aren't in a great location. Only non-chain place I'd recommend.
2. Fox & Hound
3.
Buffalo Wild Wings
(What can I say? We don't have any good sports bars)


Best casino:

Sandia Casino - Largest of the casinos in town, but doesn't have the best odds. For the best odds go to Isleta (now known as Hard Rock).

Best Dance club (only on Fridays):
Casa Escenia - $20 cover for guys, but the best talent ABQ has goes there. If you don't want to pony up $20, then head to Que bar in Hotel Albuquerque right next to it. Stay away from downtown Albuquerque; that place is ****** and pretty ghetto.

Best bar:
Anodyne - Cheap ass drinks and there is no difference in price between top shelf and shelf drinks. I've had plenty of margs with Don Julio for $9. Good atmosphere. Get there early for a pool table. This is in downtown ABQ.

Best bar scene/walking area:
Nob Hill: On central from Carlisle to Girard. Places here to visit are Monte Vista Firehouse Station to Nob Hill Bar and Grill. Hit up Kelly's brewpub if you want to people watch and grab a beer. Decent beer selection.

Breweries (we love our beer, like Coloradoans):
1. Marble Brewery
2. Chama Brewery
3. Lacumbre (highly recommended). 2 silvers at the World Beer Cup as well as 2 Bronzes and a Gold at the Great American Beer Festival.
4. Santa Fe Brewing Company
5. Il Vicino Brewery Canteen

Other recommendations for places to eat:
1. Barela's coffee shop: Great coffee and good food.
2. Monte Carlo Steakhouse - Damn good prime rib. When you go in you enter through a liquor store. Go passed it and in the back is the restaurant.

Upscale places to eat:
1. Seasons (downstairs)
2. Antiquity. I've heard nothing but great things about this restaurant, but my friends are too cheap to go with me.
3. Zinc
4. Torinos@Home (Italian).
5. Artichoke Cafe (Love this place)
6. Slate St Cafe
7. Vernon's Steakhouse (on Friday's it's a speakeasy, password is "Joe sent me"; incredible selection of alcohol and the owner is willing to give his feedback on different kinds of scotch, wine and even tequillas). Steaks are supposed to be pretty good, but are $50/plate, so we've only done the jazz+alcohol thing.
8. Marcello's chophouse (supposed to be great, in ABQ Uptown, but really pricey for us natives, haha)
9. Scallos in Nob Hill

Hotel/Lodging:
The Double Tree and the Hyatt downtown are nice and the Sheraton and the Hilton near the airport are nice and really close to the Pitt, but as with all chains they don't have as much local flavor. Still a good choice if you go that route. In no specific order.

1. Hotel Parq Central. Pretty close to the Pitt. It used to be a hospital, but they have since turned it into a hotel. It's supposed to be haunted. Very slick and a bit upscale.
2. Hotel Andaluz. Recently renovated. Love the feel.
3. Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. Within walking distance of Old Town and a lot of the high end restaurants.
4. Sandia Casino
5. Hard Rock (formerly Isleta) Casino

Both #4 and #5 are "out of the way," but aren't bad. About 15 minutes to the Pitt (not accounting for parking). There are a lot of decent places in town and, unfortunately, a lot of shady ones. Stay away from "motels" and just about anything off of Central (except #1). Let me know of the place you are thinking of staying and I'll tell you if it's in a crappy part of town. I don't mind helping fellow Buffs. I got room for 2 at my place if you don't mind the floor (for students), but you have to be vouched for by sacky since I've met him a couple of times, haha. I doubt he'd vouch for any of you assholes though!

Stay away from eating at:
Sadie's
Gardunos
El Pinto

All of these places are tourist traps with ****** food. Decent to great atmosphere, respectively, but who gives a **** if the food sucks?


Other things to do:

1. Canyon Rd in Santa Fe is beautiful with 100s of shops/galleries. Do this instead of the plaza if you go to Santa Fe. The plaza is nice, but this is great.
2. If you want to do some skiing hit up Taos on the way back to Colorado. If you like narrow chutes and ski blacks (single or double) it's great. Al's run is a one of the best runs I've ever skiied on (I've skied all throughout Summit Co and parts of SLC).
3. Old Town - All southwestern cities have a plaza/downtown area and this is Albuquerque's. It's definitely not as nice as Santa Fe's, but it's also not bad either. There are a couple of cool museums and shops around. Hit up the upstairs at Seasons (the downstairs is pricey, go in and up the stairs) for a good burger.
4. The weather here has been wonderful, for the most part, and if you are up for golfing then you should hit up some of the municipal courses. In order I'd do this: Arroyo Del Oso, Arroyo Del Oso Dam 9, Puerto Del Sol (only 9 holes), Ladera and Los Altos. Golfing here is cheap UNLESS you want to hit up the really awesome courses. If you do, I'd recommend Pakko if it's open; buy your golf tickets at Costco for $89, this is usually a $130 course.
5. Albuquerque Uptown is pretty nice. Nothing really too fancy, but something to do if you want to do a little shopping with the Mrs and want to eat somewhere; mostly chains, but OK.

---


If anyone wants any recommendations on Santa Fe, unfortunately, I can't offer much advice. For other restaurants go to http://nmgastronome.com/blog/ and check out the highest rated section.

Let me know if anyone else has any questions.

Also, who am I going to go to the game with? :)
 
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Best bar:
Anodyne - Cheap ass drinks and there is no difference in price between top shelf and shelf drinks. I've had plenty of margs with Don Julio for $9. Good atmosphere. Get there early for a pool table. This is in downtown ABQ.
 
I hear good things about this place:

Breaking-bad-20090515094628067_640w.jpg
 
Mods, can we make this a sticky until the we're done with Albuquerque and head on to the 4th round?
 
We need to have a CU get together before the game? Hopefully we have the later game so we can do lunch.
 
Some questions for you:

What is the best restaraunts in town?

Closest decent hotel to the arena?

Good place to eat late (11pm+)?
 
Best restaurant is always subjective. I prefer to steer people towards New Mexican cuisine since the "new mexican" or "mexican" food they have elsewhere is awful, including Colorado.

As far as hotels, what is your price range? The area near the Pitt is pretty shady, but ABQ isn't too big and there are a few decent places around.

The Frontier is the best place to eat late at night and early in the morning. It used to be 24/7, but now it closes from 3-6am.
 
Thinking about going highend for dinner and hotel since I'll be there about 40 hours
 
Another thing, there are a TON of good breweries around town.

In no specific order:
1. Marble Brewery
2. Chama Brewery
3. Lacumbre (highly recommended). 2 silvers at the World Beer Cup as well as 2 Bronzes and a Gold at the Great American Beer Festival.
4. Santa Fe Brewing Company
5. Il Vicino Brewery Canteen

Like Colorado, New Mexico has one of the highest per capita breweries per person around.
 
I love watching the tortilla machine at frontier!!

I am always reminded of this
[video=youtube;tEuwAh3LFvM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEuwAh3LFvM[/video]
 
Thinking about going highend for dinner and hotel since I'll be there about 40 hours

Hotel: The Double Tree and the Hyatt downtown are nice and the Sheraton and the Hilton near the airport are nice and really close to the Pitt, but as with all chains they don't have as much local flavor. Still a good choice if you go that route. In no specific order.
1. Hotel Parq Central. Pretty close to the Pitt. It used to be a hospital, but they have since turned it into a hotel. It's supposed to be haunted. Very slick and a bit upscale.
2. Hotel Andaluz. Recently renovated. Love the feel.
3. Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. Within walking distance of Old Town and a lot of the high end restaurants.
4. Sandia Casino
5. Hard Rock (formerly Isleta) Casino

Both #4 and #5 are "out of the way," but aren't bad. About 15 minutes to the Pitt (not accounting for parking).
 
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Thinking about going highend for dinner and hotel since I'll be there about 40 hours

Albuquerque doesn't have very many high end restaurants like many are used to, especially since you live in a place like Santa Monica.

But here's what I would recommend:
1. Seasons (downstairs)
2. Antiquity. I've heard nothing but great things about this restaurant, but my friends are too cheap to go with me.
3. Zinc
4. Torinos@Home (Italian).
5. Artichoke Cafe (Love this place)
6. Slate St Cafe
7. Vernon's Steakhouse (on Friday's it's a speakeasy, password is "Joe sent me"; incredible selection of alcohol and the owner is willing to give his feedback on different kinds of scotch, wine and even tequillas). Steaks are supposed to be pretty good, but are $50/plate, so we've only done the jazz+alcohol thing.
8. Marcello's chophouse (supposed to be great, in ABQ Uptown, but really pricey for us natives, haha)
9. Scallos in Nob Hill

Of those places #5, #1 and #2 are considered the "high" end; that doesn't mean the other places aren't nice, but those are the 4*
 
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If you want small local flavor near the University, you can go to Padilla's. It's a local neighborhood place near where I grew up. Family owned. Unfortunately, they only do carne adovada (I respectfully disagree with NMBuff on best carne adovada) early in the week. Girard just south of Indian School.

Another good place if you like cajun in Ragin Shrimp. Central near Nob Hill.

Standard Diner is another great place that has been written up by the nutty guy on food channel with the bleached hair. Right across the street from the old Albuquerque High, near downtown.

I will second the recommendation for Duran's Pharmacy. This place is owned by a family friend and is worth the experience. The Pharmacy is on Central and Lomas (they parallel but come together just west of downtown). There is also Duran's Station (Menaul and Washington NE). Same menu and family but more seating.

Lastly, best pizza near the University is Saggio's. Right across from the Frontier.
 
We are already on page two and no mention of best titty bar? Doesn't deserve sticky IMO

TD's is passable. There's one downtown (Knockouts?) that I have not been to. If you're looking for titty bars, you're probably headed to the wrong place.
 
If Lawrence Kansas can have a quality titty bar anyone can.

I've known a lot of really hot chicks from KU and each and every one was bat**** crazy. Seems to me that Lawrence would boast spectacular topless bars.
 
I've known a lot of really hot chicks from KU and each and every one was bat**** crazy. Seems to me that Lawrence would boast spectacular topless bars.

nope it is awful. It is the kind of place where you put money in front of your buddies so the ladies get away from you. The place is inbred crazy, right in the middle of a corn field.
 
nope it is awful. It is the kind of place where you put money in front of your buddies so the ladies get away from you. The place is inbred crazy, right in the middle of a corn field.

I saw quite a bit of talent when we were at the Dusk til Dawn strip club in Lawrence a couple years back.
 
We are already on page two and no mention of best titty bar? Doesn't deserve sticky IMO

LOL I was wondering when someone was going to mention that. TD's North is the best place in town and it's only $10/dance. They just opened up a new place called "The Palms" near it. I haven't been there since it's been a long time since I've gone. I would imagine dances are about the same.
 
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