Shipman's Albuquerque breakfast favorites

Sunday brunch is a special problem in Albuquerque. For a really fine brunch experience, try Slate Street Cafe.

Here are my regular breakfast places.

• Sophia's Place/Ezra's Place, Albuquerque, NM: My top recommendation for high quality and great flavor. Includes Ezra's (see the link), which does not always have the best scallop omelets I've had anywhere, but they always have lots of amazing stuff.
• Gold Street Café, 218 Gold Ave. SW between Second and Third. Great flavors. Don't miss the red chile maple bacon. I am extremely picky about pancakes: they must be light and tender, and they have to come out of the kitchen hot enough to melt butter. Gold Street has the definitive version in Albuquerque for my standards. It took me a while to convince them that, yes, I want only one pancake; their short stack of two is about 3" thick and way more carbs than I need. Excellent espresso and related drinks. Eggs just right.
• Grove Cafe and Market, 600 Central SE. Quality breakfasts and lunches, great coffee and espresso drinks. See their official page.
• Java Joe's, 906 Park Avenue Southwest, 505-765-1514. A longtime standard just a short hop west of downtown. We usually take Lead/Coal to 10th, turn north, then turn east when you hit the park on Park. Big menu, serious coffee, funky vibe (but clean). Not to be missed: Wednesdays the special is the Mayan Chocolate Waffle.
• Hello Deli, three locations. This is a highly professional operation that feeds a lot of working people, and you can be pretty sure they'll get you in and out during your lunch hour. However, their virtues of cost-effectiveness, good flavor, and a large selection carry over to breakfast. The blue corn pancakes with cheese and pinons were a little unusual, but I might get them again. Check their Web for locations and menus.
• Murphy's Mule Barn, on Second just north of Alameda, east side. The idea here is good chow, and lots of it. The most cost-effective breakfast place on this list. I like all the breakfast fare: pancakes, eggs, bacon, and a pretty decent breakfast burrito. The rural decor here is not entirely out of place; there are a lot of horse people, and a few remnant farmers, in the area. The chicken fried steak is heroic, although I haven't had it.

Last updated: 2011/04/25 22:37:55
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/~shipman/food/abq-breakfast.html