The ABQ Brew Pub was the perfect place to kick off my blogging career. Why? Because it is my perfect scene: local, simple, and good (Do you get the blog title?). But the food is also spicy, creative, and in large portions (one of the attributes I am always looking for!).

For visitors to New Mexico or Green Chile Cheeseburger (GCCB) aficionados, ABQ Brew Pub is the home of the Southwest Burger, winner of the NM State Fair GCCB competition. It is out of control good. The burger is gigantic and packed with flavor, but the flavor makes sense. Its not a giant gimmick burger. It’s just good. Aside from my wife and I, everyone at the table ordered this dish (and most split it).

We started with off with their Tortilla Chip Trio. The chips were great (not over-salted). The guacamole wasn’t anything special, but the Chili Con Queso was awesome. Great flavor and spice. I had to push the chips away to save room, and if you read my “To Go Box” posts, you will soon learn that this is normally a BIG no-no.

For dinner, my wife ordered the ABQ Chicken Breast and Pasta and I had the Fish Tacos. The pasta was tossed in a habanero cream sauce. Holy heat. For me, it was borderline too spicy, but still edible heat, and I enjoyed it. I had to wipe my lips to prevent burns, but I like the heat. For my wife, it was a little too much. She asked our server if she could order the fish tacos instead. She graciously accommodated us.

The fish tacos were excellent. The banana chip breading added flavor to fried cod, and the chipotle aioli and the corn salsa balanced each other out for a great mix of sweet and spicy. I could have eaten 5 of these, but I chose to save the money on the food and the stretchy pants I would have needed after.

The ABQ Brew Pub is a great spot. The atmosphere is quiet, there are TVs on every wall, local brews on tap, and the food is spicy and flavorful. We’ll be taking guests traveling through to this spot, and I recommend it you all as well. Happy eating!

Recap:

Atmosphere: Quiet, Sports Bar

Price: $10-15/person

Food: Great NM Flavor, Plenty of Spice, Large Portions

Whether you’re passing through or a local, this is a restaurant you’ll want to check out. Happy eating!