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66 Diner
Categories: Restaurants Diners Restaurants Burgers Food Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Restaurants American (Traditional) Diners, Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, American (Traditional) [Edit]
1405 Central Ave NEAlbuquerque, NM 87106
(505) 243-5738
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
bella p. said: "I've been to this place a few times. It's a pretty cool, down to earth kinda place. Full Bar, plenty of Beers on Tap and friendly service. you have everything here, from business men, to bikers, to hipsters, to meat-heads, and their…" read more »
36 reviews for 66 Diner
Review Highlights
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"...french fries smothered in nacho cheese and green chile." In 2 reviews -
"Another great item is the Chicken Rancho." In 2 reviews
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"Great burgers & shakes & sandwiches." In 5 reviews
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36 reviews in English
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Review from Amy S.
Richmond, VA
4/7/2012
We stopped while passing through, mainly because of the decor. It's very cute and clean. Our waiter was very pleasant and our food was good. I had an open faced burger with green chile sauce and cheese. The sauce was great, you could tell it was homemade. The kids enjoyed their Frito pies and cream soda's as well. Overall it was pleasant and we'll stop for a refuel there next time we are passing through.
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Review from Rhonda S.
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
One of these days, while I'm in Albuque, I will be full enough, so that I don't have to order a sandwich, cause I really want some apple pie and ice cream from this place. the pie pieces are huge, and look so mouth watering.
I ordered the patty melt, and it was fresh, and the burger was handmade, and it tasted good. Nothing in particular stood out. The French fries were good, as well.
Now, if I had ordered the apple pie and ice cream, I would've given this more stars. I did have the dreamsicle shake, and it was very good. it was delicious. It had a hint of orange to it, and whipped cream on top.I ordered the small size, and couldn't eat all of it.
The decor is like most "fifties" diners. this one is teal and white, but there's 2 rows of Pez lining the ceiling. Also, there's a huge map of Route 66 on the wall. It was at this moment, i realized I've traveled all of it, but towards Flagstaff, and Cali. I'm sure the man sitting 2 bar stools away form me, wondered why I was staring at him...it certainly wasn't to bat my long eyelashes. I was looking at the map.
There's a large poster of Marily Monroe in different poses, and a few Route 66 signs New Mexico around the restaurant. The music plays songs from both the 50's and 60's. The male server sings to the songs. The females wear the cutest most perkiest dresses I've seen in a while.
I actually drove to this diner think it was the one I had visited previously, but didn't realize it was different until my Garmin gave me these directions. Good one, there's several diners on Central, and all of them are part of Route 66.Listed in: 200 in 2012, 27 Days in Albuquerque
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Review from Marc W.
Highland, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011
O.k., I know my last review I gave this place five stars but that was based on the hot fudge sundae I had a few days earlier. This review is based on my lunch consisting of philly cheesesteak, potatoe salad, and apple crisp.
I went there for lunch before heading back to Cali. I chose the philly cheeseteak w/ a side of potatoe salad. First off, the potatoe salad was not homemade. They don't say it is but they could try to improve the "out of the box" taste it had. It must have been scooped right out of some big carton or tub it came in...it was F'n awful/gross. I couldn't even eat more than a few bites. The cheesesteak was nothing special, I've had better at airports. It looked like they sauteed up some type of ground beef and put slices of american cheese on it...cheese wasn't really melted too good.
Now, here is why I can only give one star.... because Yelp made me. I wanted to give ZERO stars! The apple crisp was horrible, the worst I've ever had. I've been in the military and eaten at many, many chow halls that had WAYYYY better apple crisp. It was bland, pungent, not crispy, and just plain horrible....the worst ever!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/5/2011
It was my first time to Albuquerque and had dinner elsewhere but was craving dessert. I knew 66… Read more »
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Review from Rawk C.
Albuquerque, NM
5/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Classic diner food. Their chile isn't the best, but they got the whole "all American" thing down quite well. I tend to go here for the desserts (the brownie sundae is to die for), although the burgers are pretty bomb as well. Their portions are ginormous so make sure you bring your appetite!
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Review from Cassandra O.
Albuquerque, NM
5/11/2012
I went in for lunch yesterday, for a salad and ice tea. My $8 grilled chicken salad was as small as a side salad, white wilted lettuce (nothing looked green in my salad)...I must have gotten the last of the lettuce. The chicken was dry and falling apart. I sat at the counter, so everyone was making shakes in front in me, but the ALL failed to notice that my tea was empty. I never has my tea refilled. My server walked behind me and asked me if "it's all tasting good" ....by the time I turned around, she was still walking. I left 3/4 of my wilted ,over priced, lunch on the plate and no one asked if there was a problem. When I cashed out, I told the cashier, when she asked how everything was, that is was the worst salad that I have ever had.....she said "oh, can I see your I'D" (I was paying with a credit card). What a waste of money! If you want a good Lunch, go to IHOP or Village INN. I live in Albuquerque and I do not recommend this Diner. I thought that I was going to get a decent salad And Tea for $11. I'm sure that the shakes are good, If you drink shakes.
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Review from Charles K.
Tijeras, NM
2/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Not a bad place. The decor is diner kitsch, the soda fountain/ice cream/desserts are excellent, the burgers are very good, and the rest of the fare can range from excellent to mediocre. I have never experienced bad service. A good place for groups especially if they include children.
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Review from Jennifer T.
Irvine, CA
6/19/2011
This review is based on milkshakes only, which I ordered to go. The service was nice and the milkshakes were really good. I particularly enjoyed the Black Forest shake -- chocolate with a hint of cherry!
And of course the decor was extremely cute! -
Review from Harold L.
San Marino, CA
4/17/2011
I love this place!!
I am from Los Angeles and ate here on a visit, some time ago and had one of those cheeseburgers with green chile and it was delicious, so were the fries, but the sundae did me in!! The girls were cute & cool.
I had a girlfriend from here and she turned me on to this chile around 1990 and my life has not been the same since! The idiots in LA have no idea what chile is.
It seems like everywhere I went to eat there was green chile - I thought I was in HEAVEN!! I love the way everything is so casual in ABQ. After visiting and eating here I was seriously contemplating living here.
I'll always eat here again!!
My GOD, I wish LA had a place like this. -
Review from Topher H.
Van Nuys, CA
5/2/2011
Good burger, good corn bread, and good red cream soda....
The chicken and dumplings weren't very good at all.
The fried okra was ok... -
Review from Jessica A.
Minneapolis, MN
3/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Solid 3 stars for me.
Service was friendly, as Jim W says -- definitely 66 kitcshy. They clearly play that up alot, as to be expected
Party of 3 ordered cheeseburger, chili burger, and some fried zucchini. I had a red cream soda, which was pretty good -- of course, sweet.
And only one in the party (not me) thought they had room to try a shake. Special flavor for the month is grasshopper. My friend said it was excellent.
Speaking of the shakes, that may be their specialty here. They have probaly a dozen to 20 different shake combinations.
3 stars.... but kinda nostalgic, if you're visiting ABQ. (kinda....) -
Review from Stu T.
Snohomish, WA
3/15/2012
this is a real fun type of diner that expresses the true spirit of route 66.The atmosphere and service really makes it fun and the food is pretty good.
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Review from Jim W.
10/23/2010
Solid diner food, solid diner kitsch.
I had the green chili cheeseburger with fries and added a side of brown gravy. Once the weather turns cool I like a little gravy on my fries once in awhile. Maybe because fries are not bad enough for you by themselves.
I also had a chocolate milk shake. They asked if I wanted it with chocolate ice cream or vanilla. Um, it's a chocolate shake, right? Apparently if you get it with chocolate ice cream they still bombard the concoction with chocolate syrup so prepare to be overloaded with chocolate and sugar. I didn't finish it because I knew it would finish me if I did.
My total was about $15 pre-tip. -
Review from Bart S.
Chicago, IL
1/29/2011 6 photos
Great Shakes..fast service, GREAT staff. They say the pies and cobblers are homemade, and they ain't kidding, we loved it.
My wife the veggie, had some good choices, the fried okra, fresh and not greasy, would be rock star, if they added a little seasoning to the breading mix.
Go there, have fun. I am posting some pics.
By the way I am not from New Mexico, we were looking for a snack about 8:30 PM, and the place looked busy but not to crowded, the decor and the nice parking lot, just sort of lured us in. -
Review from Jim K.
Hayward, CA
11/7/2007 1 photo
We visited Abq and Santa Fe for 4 days last month and wanted a quick bite to eat as we were heading back to the airport to fly back to California. Cruising down Central, just before we hit the 25 freeway, we saw this 66 Diner and it looked inviting enough.
Yeah, it may have a kind of manufactured touristy look to it, but the prices were way local cheap and that's not touristy.
The hamburger and fries were decent and the BLT was stacked high with bacon and tasty potato salad on the side and was very good for only $5.50. Most places you can add a buck or two to that.
You get a milkshake that can feed two with the tin on the side for only $3.99. (I disagree on another review here that the place is pricey. I'm from California so everything seems cheaper in NM I guess, but Arby's in Santa Fe was higher than in CA.).
The place was crowded and service was a tad slow. Waitresses had cute little uniforms and ours was just a sweetheart who aimed to please, always checking in on things when we finally got our meal.
It was a pleasnt last meal in NM. We helped them out and bought a nice bright 66 Diner T-Shirt for $10. Mel's Diner back in San Francisco wouldn't be that cheap. -
Review from Rachel C.
9/15/2007
This place is actually a new building and not the original 66 Diner. It burned a few years ago and was closed for awhile. But it was so popular and we all missed it so much that they got their act together and re-built. Thanks guys! It would have been a big empty space in my eating agenda, if you hadn't.
I give this place a FIVE. Five for atmosphere, five for food & five for service . . . . hey that makes them a 15!
I love going here! It is very casual, typical diner food that takes you back to the days when you asked for a cherry coke you got a real cherry coke. Not something out of a can with a metallic taste. Great burgers & shakes & sandwiches. If you are going to order a piece of the yummy pies, be sure you save room. They are decent size pieces of pie, not some little skinny sliver. Warm with ice cream . . mmmm . . Green chili stew / soup is Hot, but oh so tasty. Actually, I've never had anything but "5" food here. Worth a trip when you are really hungry. Or when you just need an afternoon pick-me-up.
My favorite thing is their itty-bitty ice cream sundae. It used to be served in a shot glass (until too many were stolen). Now it comes in a shot glass size plastic dish. My recommendation is that they put their logo on real shot glasses and buy them by the gross, bump the price up a few cents and let the customers take them home. Great advertising! This sundae has all the ingredients of a real hot fudge sundae - vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts & a cherry - all in a tiny serving . . . all for less than a couple of bucks. . . so if you've filled up on a green chili cheeseburger and fries, you will still have room for this itty-bitty dessert.
Can you please stop by and take me along . . . I'm getting hungry.Listed in: IF YOU WANT MORE THAN ROAD…
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Review from Janelle W.
Detroit, MI
12/30/2007
Call it nostalgic, kitschy, cute, whatever you wish. The 66 Diner is reminiscent of those days when life was simpler (i.e. the 1950s and 1960s). Of course, back in those days, there was no yelp, so how were we to know how good the food at the 66 Diner really is?
The food is very good, mostly your typical American diner fare. But be forewarned that it's a little pricey. Don't expect to pay less than $10/person. But it's worthwhile, just for the old-fashioned atmosphere, doo-wop music, and those oh-so-tasty chile fries. Malts and shakes are wonderful too.
Avoid peak hours because the parking lot is small and spaces are tight. Actually, it's probably better to park on the street and walk. The restaurant is kind of hard to find. Just go slow as you're about a block past UNM heading west on Central Ave. You'll see it on the right. -
Review from Chupacabra X.
Albuquerque, NM
3/10/2009 4 Check-ins Here
One of my eat out habit spots. Plenty of variety and pretty much anything you order will be delicious. For breakfast try the Pile-Up. Another great item is the Chicken Rancho. And their 66 Fries (french fries smothered in nacho cheese and green chile).
The bad: It's noisy. Terrible acoustics. Avoid if you want conversation. Parking is a bitch during peak hours. -
Review from Bob W.
Sierra Madre, CA
3/18/2008 1 photo
Trying to look like the set from "Happy Days" this appears to be living off it's decor. The food was OK but nothing to write home to mother. I had a Patty Melt and the onions were burnt. My son's burger was good and the fries OK.
Service was a little slow, this could be due to our table in the rear of the restaurant. -
Review from Michael R.
Brooklyn, NY
7/28/2008
I guess the high fat menu is a hard sell for me. Breakfast merits a 3.5 but dinner is another issue.
I ate there tonight actually... The Sunday special is the only real blue plate special.. all the other days of the week are pre-planned and printed in their menu. Having said that, they had Chicken Tetrazzini left over from last night. I guess I should have ordered a burger.. It was made with an oily cream sauce and had frozen veggies in it. Yuck. OK.. I heard you already .. I'll order the burger next time.. or at least get there early enough for breakfast.
PS I was tempted to try the cherry pie. It looked great in the cooler but arrived at the table after the microwave partially vaporized random fork fulls and left the adjacent parts a little too cold. Then the crust ended up getting soggy from the 30 second electrocution. But the yellow ice cream? Why on earth would you make a fresh pie and put fake vanilla ice cream on the same plate.
I know I know.. I won't do it again I promise. -
Review from Bill C.
San Ramon, CA
2/17/2009
A friend of mine travels all over the US as part of his job and also as a hobby. When I told him I go to Albuquerque every month or so, he insisted I stop at the 66 Diner.
Usually, I arrive in town around 9 PM. And for some reason, most places are closed by 10 - What's up with that? So, anyway I decide to try out the 66 diner. Congratulations to them, they are open to 11 PM. Thank you!
The food was ok. There is nothing special about their food, but they make a great malt. Good show! There is plenty of 1950's style nostalgia pieces. It's not really my thing, but it's mildly entertaining.
Will I be back? The next time I am in ABQ and looking for a bite to eat late at night, sure, I'll be back. -
Review from Eleanor B.
Albuquerque, NM
7/13/2011
Decent food and I'm a sucker for the decor cheesy as it may be. Excellent malt and buttermilk pie. Come here for the desert.
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Review from Morgan M.
Everett, WA
1/14/2007
66 Diner aims to preserve the spirit of the 50s roadside diner. I'm not sure if it really succeeds. The atmosphere is great, although it's a little touristy. There are James Dean and Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, a jukebox, and cute girls in waitress uniforms. However, it all kind of feels like it's just there for show.
The food isn't bad, but it's not great, either. The milkshakes are pretty good, though.
My major beef with 66 is their prices. 66 Diner is on the expensive side. There are many other places you can go nearby with better food and fewer tourists that have much better prices. -
Review from Melanie R.
Buda, TX
We were on our way home from vacation and had a long day driving when I checked my yelp and found this place. What a gem. The wait staff is great as well as entertaining. I felt like I was back in the 50's. The food was fantastic and the prices were reasonable. I had the Sunday night special, macaroni and cheese, my favorite. It was the best mac n cheese updated for an adult with garlic toast. Of course I had to have a chocolate shake too. My husband had his favorite liver and onions. It was a great refreshing break from the road. I would recommend it to everyone. Kid friendly.
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Review from Kai C.
Albuquerque, NM
7/16/2010
I love their meatloaf sandwich.
My boyfriend loves their HUGE banana split.
Overall awesome. -
Review from Aashish J.
Chicago, IL
1/1/2011 6 photos
It was a great place to grab diner food. The ambiance was classic. I loved the turquoise leather seats. The waiters and waitresses were dressed in matching turquoise dresses. The place was full of classic automobile parts. We tried their chilli, 1/2 pile up and a full pile up. All of them were really good. The staff was friendly.
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Review from Tracey J.
Albuquerque, NM
3/10/2011
We've been here 4 or 5 times.....I'll average it to 3 stars. I like their fried zucchini. My husband thinks the burgers are good. I've had the chicken fried steak dinner once and didn't like it very much. I really enjoyed the turkey sandwich w/bacon and guacamole....soooo good! Our most recent visit, I had the taco special which was served with beans and fried potatoes. The tacos were GREAT....beans, not so much. The potatoes could've used seasoning....any seasoning would've helped. Also on our latest visit, we had apple cobbler for dessert.......it was so flippin good! They have a large collection of PEZ dispensers which are fun to look at. The servers are usually good, but I think the girls' uniforms are sloppy looking.
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Review from RH S.
Hackensack, NJ
1/2/2011
I paid a visit here a couple of years ago after seeing it on either the Food Network or Travel Channel for their "homemade" pies. I ordered the blueberry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was good, the pie was not; it was frozen, out of the box , microwaved pie. This was confirmed when I asked my waitress. Sorry 66 Diner, maybe things have changed since my last visit.
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Review from Clint U.
Washington, DC
2/21/2008
Me: "I've never been here before, so tell me whats good to eat??"
Bobbysocks, Blonde Pigtailed, Short Sky Blue Skirt outfit (with black underwear..ooops I didn't see that) Waitress: "Everything is good here"
Me: (Well, I'm not that hungry to eat everything I muttered under my breath). "So if you could only eat one meal here, what would you pick?"
BSBPTSSBSO(WBUWOIDST) Waitress: "Well when I was small and came here alot, I used to order THAT alot..."
Me: Wow....she was so impressed with this place as a kid, she ended up working here.....I thought about that for a moment before I realized how small this town really is. Then following her wrist, then hand, then finger, then fingernail to a spot on the menu.... Chicken Rancho. "Good. I'll have that with fried okra and mixed vegetables and a Route 66 Beer to go please." I added the root beer at the last moment as I spotted a tasting award plaque for the root beer.
When I got back to the hotel, I dove into the Chicken Rancho. And this is how it went.....
1. Chicken Rancho. This was clearly the best part of the meal. It was a flat piece of chicken filet breaded then deep fried and smothered with green chili sauce and orange cheese. The chicken was done just perfectly.....very moist but the breading was crispy
2. Mixed veggies: Like most diners, they were way over done. Any more cooking and they would have been too soft for infants
3. Fried okra: Corn meal breadding and done well but not spectacular.
4. Route Beer. This tasted watery and lacking in carbonation to give it that bite. Flavors were not intense and just tasted sweet.
After I finished my meal, I was still thinking about the incredible story it told when she uttered the words "I came here as a small kid..." while wearing the 50's motif diner uniform. I realized we were in the middle of nowhere being in Albuquerque. Then suddenly the image of The Truman Show came to mind....... -
Review from Christy O.
Grapevine, TX
8/7/2010
Cute, kitschy diner where the girls wear poodle skirts and you walk over a hopscotch board to get to your table. I was so glad we came here on our last night in town. There is something nostalgic about eating on the famous Route 66. I had to have a chocolate milkshake as the experience warranted it. I loved it and ate/drank every last drop. I had the meatloaf sandwich and the hubs tried the cheeseburger. Our waiter was a forgetful college aged kid, but the food was good and the whole experience was fun.
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Review from Desire C.
Ridgecrest, CA
11/12/2010
Nice 50's style atmosphere and jukebox tunes!
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Review from Corvi Z.
Olympia, WA
1/20/2009
I thought the route 66 diner was awkwardly, painfully touristy; that's saying a lot- given that I actually am an out of state tourist! It's a little weird to be paying high prices for mostly-standard greasy diner food, but the highway and generic 50s memorabilia cluttering every available surface make it clear that you're paying for the Experience. Service is cheerful but the food is incredibly slow and often arrives cold, and you're supposed to buy souvenirs.
66 Diner does have redeeming features. The malts are good, and the green chilies on hamburgers, in soups and stews, even grilled cheese sandwiches are definitely not something I can get at my local Denny's. (Thought for all I know you actually could get them in an Albuquerque Denny's.) Unfortunately, the 66 staff go on some sort of epic quests to find and cook with only the mildest green chilies in the universe, and a great deal of imagination is required to taste them in your food at all.
You should go to 66 diner once. Get a malt and something with green chilies in it. After that, go to Frontier. The food is just as greasy, the service is nonexistant, and the decor might actually be worse, if you can believe that- but Frontier's food is like licking the face of God. -
Review from Susan L.
4/10/2009
We ate dessert there in 11/07 and were very pleased. Our apple crumb pie was delicious and our server warmed it up for us. All three wait persons (one female & two males) appeared to be in their late teens and they were exceptionally friendly & pleasant. We chatted with the owner afterwards and he was a *super-nice* guy.
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Review from Adam T.
Carmichael, CA
4/24/2008
Nothing special. They have fried okra, which, if you're from California is something new. The malts are good. Meatloaf sandwich was mediocre.
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Review from Jetgirl ..
Tempe, AZ
5/6/2007
The Pile Up is by far the best dish (I recommend the 1/2 pile up unless you want lots of left overs). 66 Diner has great atmosphere, superb service and really good burgers as well. Parking can be a little difficult during the dinner hour, but it's worth it.
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Review from Chrissy K.
Santa Fe, NM
9/22/2009
I've eaten here several times, I mainly go for the variety of food they have, not for the quality. It is mediocre and I can make all this stuff at home but therein lies my laziness.
Most, if not all, the servers are college kids and the service isn't really that great. I've had a couple of times where I had to get up and ask for refills, or waited in the crowded foyer (while being sandwiched by two backpacks) for ten minutes to be seated(or noticed at all) and when I finally took it into my own hands I was scolded at when I sat myself.
I'll probably go there again, with friends, only because we need variety, they have everything from meatloaf and potato salad to green chile queso fries! I would not brag about this place, it has that fake tourist feel to it and the employees seem like they have something more important to do than to refill your drinks. -
Review from Jackie V.
Millbrook, NY
12/29/2009
Maybe I am a total dork but I loved it here! I went with a group of fellow students and we were excited for the shakes. I had the Philly Cheese Steak which was pretty greasy but, hey! I was on vacation so I really didn't care. If you're passing through Albuquerque be sure to stop!
