Visitor’s Guide (Things to do in ABQ)

Lunches

On campus

UNM has a few food and drink locations on campus. They are mainly located in the Student Union Building (SUB). This website shows restaurant options as well as where to find coffee and a quick marketplace. 

Off campus

Most lunch spots are off campus located on Central Avenue and are about a 5-8 minute walk from conference locations. Here are a few recommended eateries:

  • Frontier Restaurant– A local staple. The line to order can get long, but it moves quickly! There are also plenty of tables with larger group tables in the back. I’d recommend that this be a stop at least once while you’re here. Favorites to order are the breakfast burrito, Sweet Roll, or fresh squeezed orange juice. 
  • Gyros– A lovely Greek option. It’s a smaller sit-down restaurant. 
  • Saggios– Although we have a local New Mexican favorite, Dion’s, located in the SUB, Saggios also has great pizza with other Italian options. This location has larger tables in the back.
  • El Patio– Great New Mexican food at a very small location. Expect to sit down and relax for a while. 
  • Satellite Coffee– Nice local coffee shop with some light food options. 

Other recommended options are: O Ramen, Naruto, Sushibucks plus many more! All of the restaurants are very near to each other, so wander around and see what you find!

Neighbourhoods

Nob Hill (neighborhood to the East of UNM campus)

  • Happy Accidents– Happy Accidents is a fun bar that has won several awards for their unique cocktails and food. 
  • Phat Stax-This is a new Hip-Hop themed burger place. It’s really good. 
  • Masks Y Mas– This is a fun store with Mexican and local art. 
  • Astro-Zombies– Fun local comic book store. They also have vinyl records if that’s your thing!
  • New Mexico United Store– If you’d like a NM sports souvenir, this is the place. They carry collections for our soccer team with Meow Wolf designs.
  • The Guild Cinema– If you want to check out an independent film, this is the place to go. They’ll be hosting a Film and Music Festival the week of the conference!

Nob Hill has so many restaurants to choose from and we’ll be in the neighborhood at Bosque Brewing for the pre-conference dinner. 

East Downtown/Huning Highlands aka EDo (the conference hotel is located in this neighborhood)

  • Apothecary Lounge– Hotel Parq Central was formerly a hospital and psychiatric facility (they say it’s haunted). You don’t have to stay at the hotel to visit the rooftop bar. The view is amazing and I’d recommend the sunset hour to watch the Sandia Mountains turn pink!
  • Squidly Designs– Fun little store to pick up local art and homemade goods. 
  • The Grove– Fancy little spot to grab breakfast/brunch/lunch.
  • Albuquerque Public Library Special Collections– They also have maps!
  • Mouse Hole Cheese Shop– Cute little charcuterie and sandwich shop. 
  • Burque Bakehouse– About a 6 block walk south of the conference hotel in the South Broadway Neighborhood, this James Beard nominee bakehouse is wonderful. 

Downtown (easy walk west from the conference hotel)

  • Sister Bar and Anodyne– Sister is a great spot for drinks, food, bands on some nights, dancing on other nights, and always pinball machines. Anodyne is the place above it and is great for drinks and pool. 
  • Sidetrack Brewing– While Albuquerque has a ton of breweries, this place has a great product. Drink here and get a view of Gertrude Zachary’s Castle/ Turquoise Museum. 
  • Oni– This is a favorite ramen spot that uses New Mexican produce. You can even add red chile to your meal. P.S. you can request green or red chile on anything in NM for the most part, even you order from a national chain like McD’s or Pizza Hut. 
  • The Dog House– If you watched Breaking Bad, you’ve probably seen the Dog House. 
  • Ex Novo Brewing– This location just opened up Downtown (there’s another location in Corrales). The food is great, as are the drinks. 
  • Founders Speakeasy– Located inside El Rey Liquors. Enter through the freezer, but you’ll need a password. 
  • Telephone Museum– If you didn’t know this was here, you’d miss it. This fun and very local museum is hidden away on 4th street and Central. They’re only open MWF for a few hours. 
  • KiMo Theatre– A beautiful historic venue Downtown that features Pueblo Deco architecture. 
  • Downtown Grower’s Market– Saturday market featuring local vendors. If you start early, you can visit this market before catching the train to Santa Fe!
  • Yummy’s– Little shop that makes your donuts fresh. Cute little place if you need a dessert.
  • Fiesta Flamenca Burqueña– Coincidentally, on Friday there is a free Flamenco Festival!

Barelas (just south of Downtown)

  • Barelas Coffee House– If you want authentic Albuquerque, come here and get the Huevos Rancheros Deluxe with green…or red is fine, too…or really anything else on the menu. This is where Burqueños go for food!
  • El Modelo– This is a great option if you want a more Mexican style food. 
  • Railyards Market– Fun Sunday market with local vendors. They may even still be roasting green chile while you’re here!
  • National Hispanic Cultural Center- A great museum detailing Hispanic, Chicano, and Latinx culture in Albuquerque as well as nationally and beyond.  

Old Town/Sawmill

  • Seasons Rotisserie & Grill– They have a lovely rooftop patio
  • The Candy Lady– Local candy shop that has been around for years. They offer a Breaking Bad Candy.
  • Church Street Café– An Old Town favorite with authentic New Mexican food. They have a nice patio to enjoy your food on as well as Mariachi!
  • Sawmill Market– A short walk from Old Town is the Sawmill Neighborhood. The Market is a large food hall with restaurants. 
  • El Vado– A bit further down Central is El Vado. A cute old Route 66 Motel that has shops and restaurants connected to it. 

Our banquet at High Noon Restaurant & Saloon is located in Old Town. 

Other recommended locations in Albuquerque

  • Heidi’s Jam Factory– Homemade ice cream and jams with local flavors like Brown Butter Piñon. Get your ice cream and walk to the next street and grab a beer from La Cumbre.
  • La Cumbre Brewing Company– Award winning local brewery. 
  • Red Rock Deli– If you’re looking for Eastern European food, this is the spot. 
  • Bow and Arrow Brewing Co.- An amazing brewery that is Women and Native-owned. It’s a little off the beaten path, but definitely worth the trip. They were a James Beard nominee.
  • Indian Pueblo Cultural Center– This would have been an option for a field trip, but a little tough to transport people to. Definitely come here to learn about New Mexico’s 19 Pueblos and eat some amazing food. 
  • Sandia Peak Tram– Take the tram to the top of the Sandia Mountains! There is a fancy restaurant (Ten 3) at the top or just take in the views.

Just outside Albuquerque

  • Acoma Pueblo Sky City– About an hour drive west of Albuquerque, visit a Pueblo located on top of a mesa and the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Stop at Laguna Burger on Laguna Pueblo on your trip there.
  • Tinkertown Museum– About 30 minutes east of Albuquerque, Tinkertown Museum is a fun little place with animated miniature wood-carved figures. 
  • The Mine Shaft Tavern– Located in the old mining town of Madrid, NM, this Saloon has great food, music and a museum and the little town has a variety of art galleries to shop around in. Madrid is about an hour from Albuquerque. It’s on the Turquoise Trail and is another route up to Santa Fe.

Weather

The weather in Albuquerque during the conference will likely be warm during the day and cool as soon as the sun goes down. Bring a light jacket or cardigan for the evenings. The average weather on the week of the conference is:

High/Low : 82℉ / 58℉ or  28℃ / 15℃

If you aren’t used to higher altitude or being this close to the equator, this is your friendly reminder that you will need sunscreen. ☀️