El Bruno Restaurant Y Cantina

We were in the beautiful area of North 4th and decided to finally try Albuquerque’s El Bruno. I used to go to the one in Cuba, New Mexico all the time as a kid. The dining room was not too full but seemed a little cramped for my style. I noticed the patio door was open and they happily let us sit outside. It was the perfect day for it. We got the taquitos appetizer which came with delicious guacamole and sour cream, beans with garnish. Next time I think I’ll ask for lettuce/sour cream/guacamole on the side because it was on top of the beans. We also got the chips and queso which had fresh flour tortilla chips! We asked for salsa and our server happily brought us some. It was very bland which was surprising. We got the 2 beef/bean burrito plate & a carne asada burrito with christmas. I was so happy they put it on the side without me asking. The steak in the carne asada was perfection and the green chile was the best I’ve ever had. Flavorful and not too hot. The red was good and very hot! Has us sweating! The Spanish rice was not good so next time I’ll ask for all beans which were good. By the way, our service was awesome. Everyone was so nice. It took awhile for some things but I know that’s the price you pay for sitting outside. It is pricey but you can find affordable plates too. Like my carne asada burrito was $11. Overall very good especially with the patio in spring!

Grad dinner w/ party of 10. Our server was amazing! Her vibe was top notch. Food was fantastic as always. Would request the same server again.

My first visit. I was shown around by a nice lady. Got the taco plate with 3 different types of meat. All tender and good. Salsa good. Rice was lukewarm but good. Finished my whole plate. Service was also good.

Food was the bomb! Grandma Lou's tacos were so good, that I had to order it twice! Highly recommend those if you like grilled tacos. The service was also really attentive. Never had an empty glass.

Food is pretty good. However, no complementary chips and salsa, no sopapillas and honey to end the meal. Chips and salsa is an up-charge. In my opinion, chips and salsa is a staple for Mexican food restaurants. Either a money-grab or just and extremely short-sighted business decision. I would rather them increase each dish by a dollar. With so many amazing New Mexican restaurants in NM, I’ll move our business elsewhere. So sad.

I love this place. I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Our server was great, best service I had. I will definitely be going back!

First restaurant we came to in New Mexico. Guacamole, queso and salsa were all awesome. The "Christmas" smothered enchiladas were amazing, but definitely had some serious kick! Sopapillas were fire!

Great service, food delicious, margaritas on point. Absolutely no complaints we will Absolutely be back!

I loved the ambiance and service while I ordered my food to go. Rodd was great, professional and took good care of me while I was waiting for food. At home I set up the plates and enjoyed a nice dinner (my client and I share big meals) The sopapillas with honey drizzle were a very nice treat. Will be back for chicharrón and an El Bruno!

Stopped in to have lunch today. I like the old Hispanic home feel of this restaurant. Today's dining experience was a big disappointment. The only good part was the service. Riley was new and her first day by herself. She did good. I ordered the tableside guacamole which was very good. Waitress did a good job making it. For lunch I ordered the chile rellenos. The rellenos were almost over cooked so the batter was very crispy boarding burnt. The Spanish rice was terrible! It was mushy and had a whole partially cut tomato which should have been diced. The refried beans tasted old and were barely warm. I ordered 3 sopapillas and they were cold....extremely disappointing.

We went in for to celebrate a birthday and where not busy. The service was poor we rarely saw the server he did not check on the table. The food took a very long time to come out and other tables who had come in after us were served way before we were served. The food was cold when means is was waiting to be taken out. I had asked to have one ingredient off the dish and it had it in the dish. There are other places nearby with this kind of food and would recommend to go elsewhere.

We love El Bruno's, we do Taco Tuesdays every week when it's 2 tacos and a Tecate for $5. Great ambiance, good tacos, and awesome service thanks to Amber who takes really good care of us every Tuesday. Comfy chairs, great place to gather with friends or family.

Fabulous Service. Thanks to Amber. Food is delicious. Drinks are generous. Setting is warm and wonderfully New Mexican. Staff is friendly and professional. It is a great place to go with friends. Taco Tuesdays are fun. Shrimp fajitas were delicious for dinner.

Their food was absolutely horrible. I ordered the Carne Adobada Sopapilla which was dry and lacked the chili that I had requested. The side order was rice that flowed like a river into my main course. My friend ordered the Chili Rellenos (homemade?)which was all masa (flour). The Spanish rice that she was served was also watery. Flowed like a river into her Chili Relleno,too!!! .During the middle of our meal we didn't say anything about the food until the server asked, how's our meal? And it just blurted it out that was the worst rice I had ever eaten. I felt sorry for him cuz all he could say is okay. Them both of us broke the ice and discuss what a horrible meal we were served and we would never ever go back. Then to add insult, we had ordered a plate of food to go for both of our husbands. Will not say anything to them while they're eating their food unless they make a comment. Please , Even if you're a tourist and have never eaten Mexican /New Mexican food, I wouldn't have the heart to recommend this place to you. it was that bad?! One thing I will say, the service was excellent, but on the other hand ,they didn't have that many customers in the restaurant.. So sorry! Do you have a new owner, cook, manager? Was just a bad experience! My apologies!!!!!!!

Food was tasteless and cold. Order came wrong. Service was apathetic. You would have to drink a 5 gallon bucket of the terrible margaritas to find out if they actually contain tequila. They don't need a liquor license.

Food is ok, not bad but not great. The problem is this is NM and we have lots of New Mexican food options. Ambiance is nice. Decent food.

I don't know where to start. Authentic, amazing, New Mexican food! The chips and salsa were perfection. The chips were nice and warm, and that salsa! Yum! The only food I didn't care for that I ordered was the appetizer of Chicharrones. It was definitely reheated multiple times. My order of the Carnitas Ala Mex Plate was out of this world. The skirt steak was the most flavorful and tender bites of steak I've had. Now normally, I'm a green chile fan, but I wanted to try both and got Christmas on my enchiladas. Red all day! So much flavor! (And it's the spicier option fyi). Also stole a Sopapilla from my Dad's order of the green chile stew. Perfect sopapillas. All in all, I am in LOVE with the flavors here. But I will be skipping the chicharrones next time. The server was great. And if you can see the decor pictures- there's a huge room in the back for meetings that would be semi-private! Definitely try the skirt steak!!!!!

Food was wonderful. My wife ordered the Bruno's Special steak. It was perfectly done and came with their special fried spinach on the side. I ordered the Navajo Taco with an El Bruno's Mexican lager. Outstanding! We got the tableside guacamole and they make it to taste of course. Their green chile is the best in Burque! It has a better roasted/smoky flavor! The indoor ambiance is great and their patio is comfortable.

Waited over 30 minutes for two bowls of stew that never came. No free chips. Ended up waking out

price service and food quality none none of which is very good. the prices for New Mexican. service was slow to say the least. the food that came out after a while was just plain greasy. the ambience was old and not kept up. there was dust on the overhead lights above the table and the lights were not fully functioning. all this for an amusingly high price. give this one a hard no.

The service is always crappy, The food is always great. Got here only to discover that they longer offer chips and salsa complimentary. $4.95 just cost them a loyal longtime customer. I overlooked the service and long waits if I had chips and salsa to keep me occupied while waiting. I'll likely never be back. We are the only people here at 4:30 on a Saturday evening. Service is still a joke. Sad that they are ruining a once great place.

My son and I went Saturday 11/18 around noon. We were seated promptly and given drinks along with chips and salsa. That's where the service stopped. They weren't that busy but a bowl of stew and enchiladas took 45 min to receive. We got drink refills about 30 min into it. Overall the food was adequate but stew was meager at best. I had the added bonus of a large bone in my bowl and not much pork. I won't go back due to the poor service.

Delicious, and authentic New Mexican food! We stopped here for a late lunch, and were greeted to an attentive waiter who brought delicious salsa and fresh chips. The ambience has an old western type of vibe. Somewhere that Ansel Adam's would have definitely stopped at. I got the tamale, enchilada, and taco combination plate! The best red and green chile flavor I've had in years! The red is very smoky and just spicy enough to get your nose sweating. The green is very flavorful with a good balance of heat. Then we were on to the sopapilla! Hot, fresh, and flaky with a sweet finish brought the meal to a dank dank close.

The one STAR is for NO SALSA and CHIPS. NOW there is a charge. Not enough staff help. Waited awhile for service at the bar. One waitress? Happy hour the cost has gone up. Portions are small. Amount not on menu. Will not return.

The one star is for the salsa. We had lunch there today after staying away for a few years. I was hopeful there would be improvements with the food quality but nope! We definitely won't be going back. Their ground beef tastes weird and everything was so salty. Their green chile looks like mush.

From the beautiful building, to the fresh, delicious food, we had a wonderful experience at lunch today. I had the carne adovada stuffed sopapilla. The meat was tender, the red chile hot and flavorful. My sister-in-law had skirt steak wrapped in a flour tortilla. She raved about the meat. The Christmas decorations were so tasteful and beautiful, it really made our lunch feel special. The service was friendly and attentive. A big thumbs up to El Brunos!

Hearty New Mexican style food. Service is always good. Restaurant is clean and well kept in traditional south western style. Big fan of the shrimp tacos. The chile can be pretty hot but good. The rice could be better. Tonight the sopapillas were a little old and hard. Eaten here many times and this is a first this has happened.

You know how sometimes someone will feel out the rest of the table and ask if I get this would anyone else eat some? Be careful how you answer that. Because if you give the impression you might eat some, that person who ordered it may not stop asking you if you're ready for your portion of said food you expressed a mild interest in. It is truly a delicate dance we must do at the dinner table. 5 stars

This place was a lot of fun. I haven't had New Mexican food since my last trip to Albuquerque in 2017 and it was very much overdue. I told my friends that I needed the food and said that we must go to a good restaurant that serves New Mexican food! I was very insistent to them, haha. They happily obliged! You could tell this place was cozy. Definitely a fun and family friendly atmosphere that just felt like you could be going to visit a fun aunt. I had the fajitas with the green chilies. Very good! I'm not going to say it was the best I've ever had but it was very good. Service was very friendly and overall we had a good time. I just had to take away a star because I wasn't completely blown away by the food but I was pleased. I would definitely want to go back and try some other other dishes. I feel like there's a lot more to discover with New Mexican food.

This is an end of a era of eating out. New Mexico is completely disappointing. First time I have eaten at this establishment and the last. Not because the staff was horrible. It is not their fault. The food cost are ridiculous and the portion sizes even more so. I order cheese and onion enchiladas with red sauce, no rice, with a side of guacamole. First off, this was not enchiladas, it was two flat corn tortillas with cheese with purple onions sprinkled on top. Very few onions at that which I prefer. I got an extremely small amount of guacamole and well, to say the least, the enchilada sauce was tasteless. I am so tired of tasteless food. Unsatisfied with the meal, the bill comes. I ended up paying $19 and tip for a small plate. What? I had no meet. Only cheep corn tortillas, a quarter cup of beans with maybe an 8th of a cup of cheese and a small spoonful of guacamole. And literally a dash of onions. A $1.25 was added for the dash of onions. Really, who does this? I expected a charge for the guacamole, but $1.50 for a spoonful? Really? Y'all need to figure out how to stop screwing people over for a small plate of food that cost maybe 5 bucks. All I did was pay for the staff, the electric, water, waste.. to sit there and be completely in utterance of disbelief of how Americans have let go of quality and expect a return. And I stand here saying, what if this was take out? I would have the same experience, but without the use of the wait staff, seating, ect. Ridiculous The lighting was horrendous as well. Everything LED it hurt my eyes. Not ever going back and do not support another boring New Mexican food establishment, that some ancestor is turning in their grave for how pitiful the new generation is clearly damaged goods.

We went in on a Friday Night. It was a bit busy but not crazy, and we had reservations so we weren't worried about a wait anyway. Luckily our service was good or this would be a 1 star review..... Our waitress was young, but super attentive and was on top of everything our table needed timely. The Rellenos are absolute TRASH. Without a doubt the worst Rellenos I've ever had and I've had a lot! The frozen ones costco used to sell were better than this sad excuse of a relleno, and it isn't close....... I ordered the green chilli on the side so they wouldn't get all soggy right away. Even with the chilli on the side they showed up soggy as a wet sock stuck in a huntin boot all day! Tasted about like a wet sock to! Very Bland and unseasoned. I had to look for the cheese because there was so little of it! Rellenos have 2 ingredients inside...chilli and cheese, and this was basically just soggy breaded chilli. The beans were decent and the rice was pleasantly good. I usually don't expect much for Spanish rice, but this was better than most I'll say. 20 bucks for 2 rellenos that were abysmal and a small bit of beans and rice is wild though. I can go a few miles south and get a relleno for 3 or 4 bucks and it's 10x better than this soggy, bland insult of a relleno. I also tried some bites of a chicken taco and a shredded beef taco(both were also bland and flavorless). My bro was gave me one bite of the stuffed sopa with carne adovada that he got. That was by far the best thing i tried, and if I ever get forced to return here that's what I'll be getting, but I will never choose to return on my own. The salsa at the start was also good. The chips however had more salt than the Atlantic ocean..... Some of them were fine, other's seemed to have been wet first then a pound of salt poured on them so it stuck to them. Odd, but I've never seen so much salt just stuck on a chip before! And it wasn't just one. It was like every 3 or 4 had it. Overall this place won't see my money unless someone else chooses it and we can't get out of going. If you do go here DO NOT be fooled into ordering their rellenos. I'd recommend the Carne adovada stuffed sopa, or just stick to some beer and get food after......

The chips are crisp and as fresh as their salsa. Perfect amount of heat on the salsa too. I was feeling a little adventurous so I tried their Grinch Margarita. Was not a fan but if you like sugary margaritas give it a go. Our server was excellent and our food came out super fast. Their chicken enchiladas were good and their chille rellano was very tasty (spongy not crispy). I love the their sopapillas! I ate three! Clean bathrooms and great ambiance!

I wasn't too excited to go here because of some of the negative reviews recently. But I was pleasantly surprised at the service and the food. We were a party of 15. We arrived at opening and we were set pretty soon after arriving and we ordered our drinks and appetizers. I ordered the chile con queso and it was great with the little tostadas that it came with. It would have been tasty with chips but those chips just sent it over the edge. I wish I had gotten a picture but I was very hungry. For my meal I ordered the stuffed sopapilla and it was okay. It was flavorful and warm when I received it but not as warm as it probably should have been. With the meal they give you both chips and salsa and plain sopapillas which were really great. They were and fluffy. The service was really good. Our drinks were refilled often and we were asked if we needed anything. My family members knew the owners and the lady came out and said hi which was really thoughtful. Overall I will probably be back, this restaurant originated in Cuba where my husband is from so it holds a special place in his heart.

Be careful. Carne Adavada is a $2.00 up charge that is not shown on the menu. The waiter acknowledged this with a nod and "yup"

Stopped by for dinner a week ago after getting a recommendation from a good friend. She was right; the food was fantastic and service was great. We'll be going back many times.

We live in Corrales and come here all the time. Never a bad experience and the food is classic Chimiyo NM style! Service is warm and welcoming! Especially ask for Naima or amber

It is always tough to leave a horrible or review especially when things started off great. As we sat in the bar area Elijah kindly introduced himself. He was great! We received chips and salsa which both were delicious and tasted fresh. Before I knew it there was a cockroach walking just passed our table as if nothing. That was our cue to go! I understand places may have roaches, but if they are freely walking that must be a major issue there.

Was what we expected, service was decent food was ok. Nothing really stood out. Just so so, a ton of other places that would be my preference before going back.

Service was really horrible ordered drinks before our food that didnt arrive until we had already finished our food. We send them back and asked for our check then they turned around and brought the hot drinks back because "we ordered them".

A five star meal here last night Stuffed sopas with carne Adovada...delicious Tableside guacamole was outstanding Great service Definitely a locals favorite Nice and cool during summer heat Decent patio when it cools off Hearing the fajitas are something special Next visit Great place

Horrible service. Waited 30min on margaritas that never came. Seems like they have zero clue on what's going on, serious communication skills happening here. Zero chance we will ever revisit this establishment. Too bad I have to give 1* they don't even deserve that.

We had a delicious lunch at El Bruno. The blue corn chicken enchiladas with red chili were excellent as well as the green chili chicken enchiladas. The service was perfect. Martin was great, He was attentive, pleasant, professional, gracious and elegant. The atmosphere had an old world feel, reminiscent of Mexico. The overall experience was delightful.

I had been wanting to try El Bruno's for about 2 years now and got the opportunity to go during a work dinner during the week last week. We had some in our group say this was the best New Mexican restaurant, so I had to test that out for myself. It wasn't terribly crowded at the time. They have a nice patio that I would love to try when it's warm at dinner time again. I liked the decor and there were several religious icons. We got a nice party room in the back. Service was efficient, although with sitting at the end of the table, my order of a chicharron burrito got mixed up with my co-worker's chicken burrito (I was charged more for the chicken burrito price. I mentioned that at the end and they also remade my burrito to get my chicharron fix). I would say it's at the top with some of the best chicharron I've tried in the city (and I've tried several, although this one was a little on the saltier side). They had a wide range of menu items for everyone and at decent prices ($10.95 for the chicharron burrito and cheesy Spanish rice). Unlike some recent reviews, it was nice and hot on the inside. I also splurged a bit and got the coconut margarita, which wasn't terribly strong on the alcohol, which was perfect for me. The price at $11.95 was great for what was offered in that big glass. We had fresh, warm sopas at the end with honey. Overall, I think I will definitely be back. 2021 #101

Honestly this place has gotten ALOT better since they got rid of Wendell . The food actually tastes good and the atmosphere is actually nice . They finally hired nice servers .

I've been in Santa Fe for just two years now. And this is the best New Mexican food/restaurant I've encountered. Big place that was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Service was outstanding and attentive. Our server Isaiah took good care of us. Shrimp ceviche, nachos, enchiladas, taco salad -- all were really good. The rice is studded with peppers and tomatoes -- so much better than plain old rice. Complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa was some of the best I've tasted anywhere. I asked if they sold it, and indeed, they do! So I got a couple jars to take home. I only wish they were closer. However, when I do venture to Albuquerque, this will be my go-to place for dinner.

Covid is still going on so don't get to go out to eat often so glad to stop by here. Did not have a long wait but they do try to socially distance but I don't think the are doing it right. The food was great but took forever to get it. Not a lot of people so wonder why food took forever. Must say the food was great.

Erica greeted us warmly at the door, and took us to a table for four. She apologized for the soda machine being on the fritz, but we only wanted water and iced tea. She brought the drinks quickly, and we ordered. Chips and salsa were so good that we asked - and received - seconds. Before we knew it, we had our entrees: tamale plate, beef enchiladas, and beef tacos. Some of us filled up too much and could not finish our amazingly delicious entrees, which included lettuce, beans and rice. Some of us had room for the light and delicious sopapillas with honey. Yummy! Everything was so fantastic, including the service. The decor was comfortable and festive. The service was impeccable. The final bill was reasonable. We will be back again. Soooo good!

Always great food and service! I have read some of tbe reviews on here and sometimes people have to remember unless it's a chain resterant they are in need of help. (Cooks, server's, wait staff) Happy Sunday

Best food very clean and respectful team I love to come here and enjoy time with family

Went in on December 5th for a birthday and let theserverknow were here for a birthday , was told we don't do anything for a birthday been going here for 17 years. And now they don't do anything always did before. The waitress did refill drinks but never asked how was the food or is the food OK. And then asked if we're done with the plates yes . She brings us our bill I asked don't you serve sopapillas and she's like ya did you want some? "What" they used to come with the meals before now you've got to ask? .place has gone down hill they go through servers faster then underware changes. The food has gone down also youd think with the prices going up you could except the same if not better quality that they once had. Will definitely be finding somewhere else to go for now on very disappointing as was a favorite of ours, not any longer its all part of a celebration when its a birthday and el Brunos isnt the place to have a goodtime any longer, not for us I know loosing a few customers must not be a big thing but other restaurants do enjoy people's money.

Sad. Nothing like the original in Cuba NM. Poor service, carne asada plate was poorly filled tortilla. Beans were undercooked and hard, red chili was bitter.

We had the misfortune to eat at El Bruno's on October 14th. A friend recommended them and added they offered gluten free. As our server was taking our orders, his eyes glazed over when he heard gluten free. He went and got someone who talked with my wife about the gluten free items. Hopefully the problem had been solved. The seven meals arrived and were placed on an adjacent table. The individual dishes were called out and the person who ordered them had to say it was theirs. Apparently, the server made no effort to identify which patron ordered which dish. When my wife's meal was placed in front of her, there was a flour tortilla on the chicken. That had to be sent back. The server recommended the Fiesta Platter as I couldn't decide between the Carne Adovada and the Chili Rellenos. The relleno was rolled up in a corn tortilla which was rock hard. One half of the tamale was also fry and rock hard. The small amount carne was wrapped in a six inch tortilla. When the checks came out, nothing was right. We had requested separate checks to ease the process of who owed what. None of the checks had the right combination of dinners on them. Finally, a manager came out and straightened it out for us. We've been going to Albuquerque for Balloon Fiesta since 1984. Without a doubt, this was the worst Mexican food I've eaten in those thirty-nine years.

unaware of closing time my partner and I needed a last-minute Mother's Day margarita with chips and salsa so we stopped at El Bruno's which was on our way home. We try our best to do local and felt really bad we were there 10 minutes before closing time but our server Elijah convinced us to stay ! The service was great and we loved the margaritas ! Will definitely be back to try food!! Thank you Elijah we will definitely ask for you in the future, customer service like yours is what keeps people coming back.

Honestly the worst place ever to eat. My tequila lime chicken dish, nothing was seasoned, just plain no flavor. I was given in a little cup lime juice to dip the chicken and still it was nasty.The rib eye meat tasted like the meat was spoiled. The cheese enchiladas sauce was thick and seemed it was not finished cooked. When you do a sauce it has to go through a process and this was barely put in boiled water then blended and thrown in the plate. I do not recommend this place. It was all white people in the restaurant and that is a big sign there. White people don't know the taste of a good Mexican dis. Before I forget it took them almost an hour to bring our meals.

Oh NO...not El Bruno's! Once my favorite restaurant in NM, is now sadly part of my "No thank you" list. My family and I walked in and waited for quite some time to be seated. I finally had to ask the bartenders if I should just seat myself. After about 20 minutes of being seated a young girl brings us chips and salsa. It was obvious that she was not happy to be there. Drink orders were taken a while after we were seated and we didn't even get our food order taken until 50 minutes later!!! If it wasn't for our very apologetic and sweet waiter I would have given this 1 star. The soda was flat and we were told the Co2 tanks were down. When we finally got our food it was cold. The chile used to be the main reason I came here and it was disgusting! It was so dark it looked like mole and had zero flavor. The sopapillas were little and crispy!!! Not the sopapillas!!! I'm so sad. Please give me a moment to morn what was once my favorite restaurant.

Really enjoyed this restaurant for a long time; but the combo fajita I got was just sad, 4 thinly sliced beef and 5-6 very small chunk of chicken for $24? Service was slow, I see a table actually walks up to the bar and ordering their own drinks. Hope the management brings back the old el Bruno; your competitor is just right down the street.

Amber is the best server we have had in awhile here. I come here because the food is excellent. Tonight however we saw the commotion on how a bad manager treats a good server. Our ticket had someone's else food on it and the manager did not want to serve us our last drink. Due to the managers inconsistency made me feel like an unwelcome guest. Due to these circumstances I will be sure to inform family and friends to go else where for their New Mexican food.