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Badlands Grill
Categories: Restaurants Steakhouses Restaurants Seafood Restaurants American (Traditional) Steakhouses, Seafood, American (Traditional) [Edit]
2201 W Historic Hwy 66Gallup, NM 87301
(505) 722-5157
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 4:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
20 reviews for Badlands Grill
20 reviews in English
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Review from Elishia T.
12/22/2011
We were just driving through town and didn't have high hopes for stopping in Gallup for dinner. This place was outstanding! I had the "tokyo ribeye" and it's one of the best ribeye's I've ever had. I used to live in Tokyo and it doesn't actually have a Japanese flavor at all but it's excellent. My husband had one of their stuffed burgers which sounded kind of strange to me but he loved it, ate every bite.
I was asking the waitor about red wines and he immediately suggested their flight, which I hadn't noticed and so for $12 I got 2oz each of 4 different wines, some I chose and some he suggested. Three out of the four wines were a knockout and they offered to switch the one I wasn't so keen on.
They also went way out of their way to be super kid friendly to our four year old. They made her a special meat sauce for her pasta (she just ate the rest for breakfast).
It's a family restaurant and it's obvious that they care a lot about the food and the people who come in for a meal.
We're already looking forward having a dinner here on our way back through. -
Review from Judi D.
Gallup, NM
Unfortunately, it's hit-or-miss.
Last month, went there twice in 10 days.
I'd been before and luvd Daryl, our waiter, and the food was good but not outstanding
tho the service was great. That was last year.
This year, had heard a lot of great things.
First off: service still excellent, attentive, polite.
The first visit in 14 months was very good. Surprisingly busy, mid-week, lots of folks from out of town. We needed the reservation thankfully placed. The nachos were flavorful, our steaks done just right to our specifications. Really, really a fantastic if pricey dining experience - and I thought WoooHooo: huge improvement and maybe a new local fave.
8 days later, came crashing down off that high. Nachos were somewhat soggy and the flavor off, somehow. The steaks, mediocre. I can't even remember what else we ordered but there are no pics because nothing seemed worthy to post.
I wish I had an idea to increase the likelihood of the former experience, but I don't.
It's been 5 weeks and none from our group has thought to return. -
Review from mark g.
Albuquerque, NM
12/10/2011
My two buddies and I are were town doing some elk hunting in the surrounding mountains. We hadn'tt seen anything except elk shit and lots of tracks. Maybe tomorrow will be more productive. Anyhoo...
We were looking for steaks in Gallup. We read the reviews for Badlands paying special attention to Rick S's comments. At first, we thought he was being a little high-and-mighty. Sort of unfair, even.
But, in a lot of ways, he's right. The food was pretty mediocre. The atmosphere and service were fine.
The first loaf of bread the server brought us was sort of soggy. The second loaf (hey, we love bread... sue us,) was like a large, cylindrical crouton.
We ordered the BBQ nachos as a starter. The dish itself was pretty tasty, but the chips were mostly tiny. little crumbs. The salad... just exactly what Rick said. A plate of bagged lettuce with a grape sized, flavorless tomato.
The NY strips were well cooked, but not at all close to quality cuts of beef. The truffle mac and cheese was actually just greasy penne pasta. Delicious? Sort of, but not macaroni, not cheesy, and not truffley. The garlic mashed potatoes were sort of good.
22 bucks for a steak dinner on the road... not a bad price, I suppose.
In any event, I have to go to bed so we can get up and 3 am and not bag any elk tomorrow. I'm a little pessimistic. -
Review from Neighbor C.
Upland, CA
5/23/2012
We started our 3 week cross country road trip today. Our goal was to make it from Southern California to New Mexico in the 1st day. As we approached the city of Gallup I went on Yelp to see what i could find as dinner options. There was a ton of ratings for Badlands Grill so we decided to go for it. When we walked in the door we could tell it was going to be good. It was clean, nice ambiance, and casual. Zach was our server and he was beyond helpful and on top of it. We shared a bottle of Chateau Ste. Jean Cabernet and split a sirloin the we got peppercorn crusted. They serve their bread with this delicious honey apple butter. The ceasar salad, green chili soup and steak we phenomenal. We had the best time and are glad we stopped in. We hope to come back again one day!
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Review from zahid c.
New York, NY
3/20/2012
You can't go wrong with this place--they know how to do their steak, and the green chili "poppers" (stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and of course, fried) are addictive like things bad for you should be. We had Elk steak and it was perfectly cooked. The service was polite, attentive, and just right, thanks to our server Katrina. Definitely worth a stop.
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Review from Rick C.
Phoenix, AZ
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Badlands is a good steak house. It is not very large, and with few options in Gallup you might want to get there early. All of us had a good meal. As others have noted, the cuts of meat weren't really the level I would expect from a place like this, but they were generous and pretty good.
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Review from Rick S.
Gallup, NM
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
"Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay
We'll keep pushin' till it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good..."
--lyrics from "Badlands" by Bruce Springsteen
Billing itself as "Gallup's Steakhouse", Badlands Grill left me a bit broken-hearted, as my two visits here didn't live up to the hype.
It may seem obvious but when you operate a steakhouse, the primary ingredient--beef--has to take precedence. As a corn-fed Midwesterner, I think I have an accurate idea of what a good cut of meat should be: tender, with proper marbling and preferably wet-aged.
The quality of beef served at Badlands is simply not commensurate with the expectation set by the menu. When you're looking at entrees that hover in the $30-40 range, you expect USDA Prime or at least Choice graded steaks. The cuts our party ordered were either skinny or had a lot of grizzle and/or tough sections, more like a Select or Commercial grade. The slabs of beef are the heart of the dining experience and if you don't get that part right, little else will probably salvage the meal.
I've tried two different cuts: the "Black Dahlia" which is a pepper-crusted ribeye steak, and the prime rib. I forget the exact size advertised in the menu but the ribeye came out very thin and not at all like the ribeyes I'm used to consuming. As for the prime rib, it was tough and flavorless, except for the overwhelming coating of black pepper (Dave the Pepper Monkey from Top Chef would be proud).
Though some elements of the meal were better (the green chile soup was delicious, as was the bread) and the service was reasonably attentive, I was very much disappointed with this restaurant. Oh, and a note to the chef: shaking some wilted lettuce out of the Dole bag onto the plate and adding a grape tomato does not a salad make. Despite the limited fine dining options in town, there are a few other places with better choices for pleasing both your palette and your wallet. Badlands needs to start treating its patrons good or there's a price it will pay, and soon. -
Review from Glen K.
Thousand Palms, CA
5/27/2011
The online menu looked tempting, and even though others in my party wanted to go to the Cracker Barrel, I prefer to try locally-owned establishments when I can. The place is decorated in "upscale rustic" -- a hitching post hanging from the ceiling between the dining area and the bar, with three saddles on it, a six-gun in its holster hanging next to our booth, etc.
But the menu was totally different from what I expected. Fewer choices, and when the price isn't written as "$13.99" but simply "14" you get an idea that this isn't Burger King or even IHOP. They said they hadn't updated their website. That was an understatement.
I had their "stuffed burger" which was something like two 1/3-lb. hamburger patties pressed together with cheese in between. It was good, and their home-made potato chips were nice and crispy. I couldn't eat the whole thing, and left the equivalent of a Big Mac on the plate. I don't think it was really worth the $14.00 I paid for it, and it was one of the least expensive items on the menu. While the food was good, the limited menu choices made the value less than what we would have preferred.
We left thinking it was OK, but with no lower cost items on the menu we might have been better off at Cracker Barrel, after all. -
Review from Shane V.
Gallup, NM
3/16/2012
It's hard to rate this place, I have eaten here about five times, perhaps more. All of my meals with the exception of one dish has been four star. Perhaps what detracts stars is the price and one sign they have posted about unrully children. Badlands try, and I almost want to give them an extra star for that. Their green chili stew and stuffed burgers are items my friend's crave when they come to town. I never found the service lacking. The sign, I don't go in there with children to start with, but this isn't a singles orientated town, pretty much everyone has kids. In most places this is mitigated by distraction, or sticking the kids far from the singles. I really am unsure what the proper step would be. However the sign they have I feel is the opposite of a welcome sign. It's not a good face to wear in a community that is so family orientated. So I take away a star for this reason alone. Otherwise I would rate it four stars. The quality of beef, I am not an expert on, but other than the dish I didn't like, i've never felt like I was getting something substandard.
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Review from Ted A.
Ok. I'm going to repeat what some others have said. If you live in Gallup you are lucky. If you are traveling through, you need to eat here. I had a great steak and so did my wife. This place rivals the quality of steaks in any major city and it was a wonderful place to end the day after a 1000- miles of driving.
I had the bone in rib eye, my wife had a fillet [it was little over temperature, but very tender]. The wine selection was terrific and the service was GREAAATTTT! We came in late and they acted as though we were the first people they had seen all day - the place however was packed.
Prices were very reasonable and i am sure that this place alone has made my opinion of Gallup a very positive one. -
Review from Lando T.
Oakland, CA
11/10/2010
... I am a fan of Badlands Grill.
The service is superb. From returned phone calls to customer service. It's nice to receive this amount to attention to each customer.
The food is yummm-FUH-DAYZ!!.... I've order and enjoyed almost all items on the menu... even when there's a change to the menu.. I'm all about tryin' something new (umm-kay).
The drinks.. will.. I only order wine there.. and there's a decent selection of wine... there could be more but.. hey... it's great for the area.
Try... endulge.. libate and enjoy! -
Review from Karl L.
Carson City, NV
3/20/2011
This was a Yelp find! What a dining oasis in an area of fast food franchises. On a quick solo business trip to NM and enjoyed dinner at Badlands Grill. The Hampton Inn-West gave me a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert.
My sirloin steak was great. Cooked exactly as ordered. The steak was not tenderized, which usually makes meat soft rather than tender. The side dishes were very good. The dinner included soup and salad. The service was quite good. -
Review from Scott T.
Raleigh, NC
3/16/2010
Valentines day 2010 and it's about 8 pm in Gallup, NM We are moving east and have been looking for a place to eat all night and everything either looks horrid or is closed. We drive by this place and man what a gold mine was this.
Let me say, this was arguably one of the best steaks i've ever had. I've eaten at many high end steak places in Cali, Vegas, MO, TX, etc. This place is an absolute GEM. I got the Black Dahlia and my wife the Filet Mignon (lucky because I got the last BD they had and she one of the few filets' left). The steaks were perfectly aged, perfectly cooked, and perfectly seasoned. This place could do NO wrong. Even their homemade crackers still have me with a craving after a month!
This place was definitely top notch, I really hope they can make it in a struggling town. If you are EVER in Gallup, this is the PLACE to go! -
Review from leo t.
Woodburn, OR
7/12/2011
This place is nice and clean. The staff is very helpful and nice. I ordered a steak and it was cooked to perfection. There is also a gift shop when you first walk in. They sell souvenir items from the local area. The majority of it is Navajo stuff. Probably because there is big population of Navajo. The rest of the group I was with really enjoyed their meals as well.
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Review from Kendra S.
Marana, AZ
7/31/2011
So I read the yelp reviews on this place and was in the mood for a good slab of meat after a good roping (that got rained out...bummer!). My father and I decided to stop here for dinner.
First, I have to say it has good ambiance. It certainly radiates a "steakhouse" feel. The waiter was VERY attentive and the menu had good selections. All of those deserved 5 stars.
The bread was a bit surprising when it was brought out. It appeared to be a single thickly sliced piece of bread that was akin to something I could buy at the local grocery store, and cut into 4 pieces. It wasn't exceptionally fresh, but it tasted OK. Not spectacular. The butter was good. A little sweet and was enough to liven up the otherwise VERY average bread. 2 stars for this.
The salad was good. 3 stars. The green Chile soup was AWESOME! I would recommend that any day.
On to the entree. I had the prime rib (it was on special). It was good. It was supposed to be crusted, but there wasn't even a good char on it, but the meat was prepared to my liking. The baked potato was good (I think they called it smothered), but I like to think a smothered baked potato would come with some sour cream...apparently they don't think so...kinda weird to me. Anyhow, Prime rib gets 3 stars and the potato gets 2.
My father had the ribs. He said they were over cooked (my father is somewhat of a rip connoisseur) and the honey BBQ sauce seemed a little bitter and the fries he had with it were soggy. So, 2 stars on the entire rib entree.
One other bonus is that they carry a decent selection of beers (Shiner is one of my favorites and I had that with dinner). 4 stars on that.
All in all, its a decent steak house. I wouldn't go out of my way to hurry back, especially with average food at nice steak house prices, but I would say the meal was satisfactory. -
Review from K B.
Rancho Mirage, CA
3/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here on the recommendation of the front desk clerk at the Hampton Inn, on a cross country trip. Now you have to understand this is Gallup, New Mexico, not known for its gourmet dining establishments, so I am making this review based on this caveat, it is Gallup, New Mexico, you know, I went there with my exwife, who i still live with and is my best friend; anyway we both had steaks and wine, I had the filet and she had the ribeye, both steaks were good, the small wine list is good for Gallup, wines listed run the price gamit from very reasonable to expensive, $22.00 per bottle to $120.00. They also have a by the glass selection. If ever in Gallup again for the evening we will be back for another steak and wine.
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Review from Michael N.
Gallup, NM
5/12/2011
Had my birthday dinner with family and ordered the special, filet mignon and crab legs. The steak wad excellent! The service was personable and topnotch.
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Review from Brad V.
Crow Wing, MN
3/26/2010
What a great restaurant!!! Got a coupon from the Hampton Inn for a free appetizer. We had nachos & they were the best ever!! The soup had homemade noodles and garlic crackers! We had wonderful whole grain bread. We had porkchops that were great!! This restaurant just opened in August - we would highly recommend eating here. My husband will be traveling next month with a buddy and plans on driving 100 miles out of the way to eat here again! It always feels good to bring a friend to a great restaurant.
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Review from Laurence D.
Princeton, NJ
7/9/2010
We came in late at around 10 pm and they still welcomed us for dinner. Great food (we had the sirloin) and friendly service in a relaxing atmosphere made a very pleasant evening.
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Review from michael k.
Deerfield, IL
1/28/2011
My dad and I were on our way from southern california to chicago. We are foodies and a little critical of food. I am a professional chef and my dad is a retired French teacher and a fantastic cook as well. We wanted to eat somewhere nice, and we were worried about what we would find in a small town in New Mexico...We have had some bad food experiences in states like Utah during cross country adventures and we were not in the mood for another one. Anyways we read reviews about this restaurant and we knew that we were going to be in good hands, but we did not know that we were going to enjoy it so much that we might plan trips around coming back!!! Our server Katrina was wonderful and she was very knowledgable about her menu, ingredients, etc...She was honest and gave us fantastic service. We had potatoe skins to start, they were not your typical greasy bar skins. They appeared to be yukon golds cooked perfectly, and topped with cheese, green onion, loaded up with bacon :), and had a wonderful spicy green chile sauce. They made are mouths hot but the heat went away quickly and left are mouths watering for the rest of the meal. We had some nicely portioned salads, the raspberry vineagrette was to notch. The homemade chicken noodle soup and green chile soup were both delicious. The soup was served with toasted garlic and herb saltine crackers which were a great touch. We both had the Dahlia Steak which was essentially a black pepper crusted ribeye with great marbeling and of course cooked to perfection. These steaks were served with a brandy cream sauce, fried onions, and garlic mashed potatoes. To sum it up great food great service and I will make an effort to make it back to this restaurant even though its about 1400 miles from my home in Chicago Illinois!!!
