Chili Hills is a great family restaurant. The portions are enough to fill you up, and the price is right. Very good location just off the interstate, so it's pretty easy to get to. The lunch menu is varied and so far has not disappointed.

If you're really hungry and can't make it 6 more miles (if you're westbound on I-40) to Moriarty, or maybe you didn't think to stop on your way east, then El Vaquero is okay to stop for. Typical truck stop fare, greasy eggs, kinda dingy interior, and lots of truckers to make your way around. I think the big draw is the topless bar next door.

A pretty good place to eat, if you're not in a big hurry. The service was rather slow when we stopped in, and the place was far from busy. Make sure you look at the lunch special board when you come in, because the wait staff doesn't always announce it. All in all, though, good food at a decent price.

Sadie's is worth getting off the Interstate for. The locals know how to get there, of course, but if you're traveling through Albuquerque, get off on 4th Street and head north. A long way north, past Montano, and look for Sadie's on the east side of the street. The food is fantastic, and the salsa is something you'll never forget!

Very good mexican food in a good location for out-of-towners. Close to Old Town, Little Anita's serves generous portions at a good price. The chili is mild for us natives, but if you have guest from elsewhere, you can't beat this place. Unfortunatly, the location on University and Menaul recently burned down. I prefered that location just because it was closer to where I worked. Viva Pequena Anita!

The New Chinatown is no more. It is now called "Mr. K" or something like that. No big loss, as the last time I ate there, it was overpriced and in a terrible location in Albuquerque. The original Chinese restaurant in town, it now exists only as a memory.

Trombino's holds a special fondness for me, as that's where my wife and I used to go when we were dating.....many, many years ago..and the place is still great today. Traditional Italian food and good prices and portions, but still classy enough to impress someone on that first date.

Located on the east end of Central Avenue, this restaurant is a good place for a quickie lunch or snack. The food is run of the mill, but the place is clean and the staff is friendly. Quiet enough in mid afternoon for a quick business get together, which is what I usually use it for. Iced tea and a sandwich keeps the old expense account in check.

Been here several times, and it continues to go downhill. Last visit was a business dinner. Service was slow, and the wait staff couldn't get the orders to the right people. Food was okay, but certainly not worth the wait or price. Noise from the bar was overwhelming. I won't be back.

I recently attended a business lunch at the Gold Street Caffe in downtown Albuquerque. This place is pretty typical of many restaurants moving into the area, as it caters to business professionals and the like. The lunch was very good. I had a turkey sandwich with the trimmings, and my companions had club sandwiches and salads. The wait staff was quite attentive and receptive to our meeting needs. The place is small, and gets packed quickly at lunchtime. We had the good fortune of being seated in the rear, in a private meeting room set somewhat apart from the main area. A neat feature pointed out by the waitress was the old garage door still in place that can be used to separate the meeting area from the rest of the place. Evidently, in a former life, the place was a garage or shop of some sort.

Shorty's is not the type of place that immediatly catches your eye. It's not a place that goes out of it's way to enhance the outward appearance of the restaurant. However, the food here is nothing short of great! The barbeque sauce has just the right amount of twang, not too bland, not too spicy. I had the ribs, and the portions were large and the ribs meaty. My companion had the BBQ sandwich, and unlike many place, the bread was not soggy with too much sauce, and the meat was tender. The sides are also good, my favorite being the potato salad. This is the place you want to hit if you're looking for take out. Get the ribs to go, and then find a nice place outdoors to have a great picnic.

If you happen to be near UNM and you're hungry, then the Frontier is the place. Not fancy, but certainly worthy of your patronage. The place is huge inside, with room after room of seating, but don't let that fool you. The diner fills up in a hurry during lunch, dinner, and special events across the street at the University. A walk-up counter with a menu board takes the place of wait staff. The menu features everything from New Mexican style breakfasts to vegetarian dishes. Oh yeah, and it's open 24/7! On our last visit, after a movie downtown on a Saturday night, I had breakfast, Huevos Rancheros, and they were great. You can have red or green chile on top, or my favorite, green chile stew. A word of warning, though. If your capacity for spicy foods is low, avoid the stew. It has a bite to it! My other companions had breakfast burritos, chicken enchiladas and sausage and eggs. Everything was great and the price is right. We topped off the evening with the Frontier's cinnamon rolls, hot and fresh and so sweet! <br> Since the restaurant is near the University, the usual assortment of characters is always present, like the entire party dressed in jester costumes. I found out that they were performers in a production across the street. The night life on Central Avenue outside never disappoints, running the gamut from hip kids to your run-of-the-mill people of the street.

Don't know if this is for the old Fiesta Lanes bowling alley, but if it is, then it no longer exists. The bowling establishment used to be on the NE corner of San Pedro and Menaul, but it was torn down several years ago to build, what else? A strip mall! So if you need a Staples, Hollywood Video, or other such store, then by all means, go! One unique thing, though, is that the developer left the old sign on the corner, as the place is now dubbed "Fiesta Plaza". I've often wondered how many out-of-towners and new comers have driven by and pondered why an office supply store has a giant bowling pin and ball sign.

Once again, this restaurant has changed it's name to "Nosey Bear Cafe". Food is so-so, service is slow, and the menu is uninspired. If you're hungry and in a hurry, go across the road to Subway.

I always enjoy Casa Benavidez, though I've yet to go for dinner. It's a great out of the way place for lunch, and the service is quick and friendly. The Mexican food is quite good, and the portions are generous. It's pretty busy around lunchtime, so a little early or later is recommended.

A great new building for an old favorite. Acres larger than the old place, the food is still fantastic. Killer breakfast burritos and the fried chicken put the fast food places to shame, not that this is a difficult task. The meals are filling, if not inspired, and I never leave disappointed.

El Comedor is Moriarty's equivlant to the old Brown Derby in Hollywood. It's the center of attention in town for people in the know. Almost any morning you can see former governors, present politicians or up and comers sipping coffee with the locals. At night, the newly renovated "Rotosphere", a genuine piece of Route 66 history lights up on the restaurant's exterior, a spinning multi-colored neon beacon visible for miles. One can almost imagine James Dean pulling into the parking lot in a vintage Corvette. Yep, El Comedor has just about everything......except decent food and service. I don't give out poor reviews unless I've visited an establishment several times. Anyone can have a bad day. That having been said, El Comedor food falls way short of even the most meager of expectations. On my last (and final) visit, I was with three adult friends and three children for breakfast. The place was by no means busy, yet from time of order to first glimpse of food was 54 minutes! And rather than bringing out all the orders at the same time, the delivery was piecemeal. First one order, then a few minutes later another would arrive. By the time the last person received their food, the first two were already finished. So drive by, take pictures of the place for your Route 66 scrapbook, and then hit one of the many fast food places within a mile either direction.

Now located on the main street of Moriarty, between McDonalds and Day's Inn, this diner is passable at best. The food is run-of-the-mill. My experience has shown that breakfast, lunch or dinner is average and the service is usually slow, regardless of how many diners are present. I was especially disappointed in the bisquits and gravy breakfast. One medium size bisquit smothered in a quasi-gelatinous goo resembling drywall compound. Take your chances next door with an Egg McMuffin or Big Mac.

THE place to go for barbecue in the East Mountains. If you're having lunch, the prime rib sandwich is great. Dinner offers a full line of traditional barbecue entrees and the sauce is killer! The hot wings are the best appetizer, and they are hot. The place is a microbrewry as well, featuring "Tractor Ale" (slogan: Get Plowed with Tractor). I believe they're closed on Mondays, and usually pretty busy during lunch and dinner hours. They've expanded into a small area next door to add a small (very small) bar separate from the dining area.

We tried this restaurant twice before giving up. On the first occasion, a co-worker and I went for an early lunch. Only two other tables were occupied, yet it still took almost 10 minutes to place our order. Then another 45 minutes passed before the food arrived. It was passable, but nothing to write home about and certainly not worth the wait. On the second visit, my spouse and I went for breakfast. A few more diners this time, but still less than half full. Although our order was taken within a reasonable time, another 45 minute wait for the food. This time our order was mixed up with another parties food, and a confused waitress had a time trying to get the items to the right table.