Cecilia's Cafe

The best green chile soup--the fact that the chicken was shredded instead of in chunks really let the flavor infuse the meat. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was not my cup of tea (or bowl of soup). There was a bit too much of a church vibe to the place and the man ranting about politics in the next table didn't help things.

The food is great. But they often just aren’t open, without warning or explanation. And they don’t bother to have a voicemail message so that you can know when they’re closed, and they sure as hell don’t have a website presence that would tell you when they’re closed. As a result, I’ve been there four times in the past six months where I showed up and tried the door knob and it was locked, without any explanation. Pretty frustrating. I get it. It’s a mom and pop joint. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have the most basic amount of professionalism.

The red chili is amazing. I hear the fireman burrito is a local favorite but I don't eat eggs. The hash browns pretty good and the coffee is ok. I order the ground beef burrito comes with beans and rice. Prices are about average with other restaurants. Nachos are a good appetizer size for about 3 people, but they put a good amount of meat!

The food was amazing, and the owner was fun and friendly. I told my husband we needed to move here so I could eat at her restaurant every day. We are absolutely going to go back for more on our way home.

We saw this on Diners Drive Ins and Dives and have been wanting to try it but everything we try it's always closed. This morning we finally tried it and OMG it was real home cooked breakfast and Cecilia was so nice and it felt as if she was our Tia. She was telling other customers how to make tortillas and it felt like home. Thank you for a wonderful experience. Can't wait to try your Tamales.

Amazing food! We went here for breakfast and they did not disappoint. We enjoyed the chicken fried steak (highly recommend), breakfast burrito, and carne adovada breakfast. All were delicious! We will definitely return to try the lunch menu. Hours are different due to covid-19. They are open Monday through Friday from 7 to 1. We highly recommend this establishment.

The food was delicious and this is one of the few places that still has hot chili! The service was great and the staff took great care of us. The atmosphere is wonderful and we look forward to returning.

Went for breakfast. Food wasn’t bad, but also wasn’t great. Owner Cecilia waited on us and she said her chile is always spicy and had them tame it down for us. Was pretty empty on a Thursday morning. Not far from the zoo though!

First, sorry few pics, I ate this delicious food up too quick! Second, Cecelia herself is the most real New Mexican I have had the pleasure of meeting in ages, reminded me of all the padrinos y tias I grew up with. Her staff is just as friendly & the service is excellent. The ambiance is very homy. Now. We're here for the food, so: it came quickly, we had the carne adovada & chorizo breakfast burritos, both smothered/Christmas. The chile is middle-Rio Grande style, delicious & HOT! Cecilia roasts & makes her own chile & is very particular about where she gets her meats so it was super fresh. The beef enchiladas (rolled!) w/a side of Spanish rice & refried beans was outstanding. And, because I m a real NM girl, I HAD to try the frito pie (so I got one to go! ) which was outstanding & a classic. We didn't know until after we were seated that she was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, so I'm going to look that one up!

Thos restaurant is closed! Empty! Nothing there! Building is empty! Yelp needs to update this restaurant location.

Called in a breakfast burrito to go, they said come right away and it'll be ready. Even with the time for me to walk over, pick up my breakfast, and walk back to my office, the well wrapped burrito stayed warm! I ordered it with red chile, which was good and earthy-roasty, but not spicy at all. Other reviews mention spice, but I wonder if you have to get something smothered in order to have it really be hot. Between the tortilla, egg, and potatoes, it wasn't spicy and was a tad dry, but still pretty yummy. I also appreciated that it wasn't a massive portion - that's not what I'm looking for in a handheld to-go burrito! I would go back again if I needed breakfast by my office easily, but next time I'd try it with green chile, and I might ask if they will add cheese. Service to pay was quick and efficient; they only take cards (no cash). The place was empty, which seemed a bit sad, as it's something of a downtown institution. Hopefully they hang in there.

Here's a treat, fellow New Mexicans. We were able to find Cecilia's Cafe open and enjoyed a tasty lunch with great service in a central Albuquerque location with an interesting interior. Cecilia's has sporadic hours due to several complications over the past few years, but we were thrilled to eat there recently. Join Tom Neiman, Dan Wetmore, Mark Fleisher, and Mike Hibner as they tell you about their memorable experiences. Make sure you call first before venturing downtown or have an alternate plan in case they are not open. Highly recommended. As an added bonus, once again watch Brendon Clark, visiting from Sweden, tell us why he likes winged armadillos. Just click on this YouTube video link to watch our report. https://youtu.be/8ZlJsIsiMtA?si=tyv7UhRDpPKXshBk

Just had lunch at Cecelia's. One of our favorite restaurants. We live in Colorado and cannot find N Mexican cooking like this up there. We always try to stop and see Cecelia when passing through NM. We also like the Shed and Pasquale's in Santa Fe. Unfortunately, a favorite breakfast spot in SF called Tecolote closed due to Covid. Cecelia persevered through despite being virtually closed for 3 years during that crisis. Thank God. Her food is as good as always and everyone there is so nice. Like family.

Great can mean a lot of things ... great to me, when is comes to independent restaurants, is about the food, the service, the prices, and the at home feel. You get all of that at Cecilia's Cafe. I called the day before to let the owner know that I was coming with about 8-9 friends. We arrived and got cozy at three tables - which were very close together. It seemed that they had a lot of to-go orders, but we had the cafe otherwise to ourselves for 1.5 hours. Cecilia herself took our orders and chatted. The plates came out hot. Just enough food - which I think is perfect - not a bloated price but right-priced and right-sized portions. The location is downtown and there meters for parking and I was pleasantly surprised that we were all able to park on the street. Beware - the chilies are hot for many people!

Came here because guy fieri was here. The door is closed and you have to turn the knob to the right if you want it to open! Waitress was nice and I think she might have been Cecilia bc I saw a picture of her on the wall with guy fieri. This might be a two dollar sign place with small ish portions. Come here if you want to try NM food Beef tacos - beef was kind of pungent. Shells were crispy but you need to add salsa for there to be any flavor Chicken enchilada - very small, like a taquito. Corn tortilla was a little dry. The red salsa was good though Relleno - flavorful and crispy. Beans and rice were hearty and warm

We were looking around Albuquerque for a place to have breakfast and we came across Cecilia's. We are happy we did. It's a very small place but we were able to get a seat. Everyone was very nice and explained the menu to us because we had some questions. They even let us know that the chili they serve there was a bit hot. My wife ordered the enchiladas rancheras, and I ordered the huevos rancheros. They came with homemade tortillas. Both dishes were amazing. The food was absolutely delicious. I could not have asked for a better breakfast. We also had the sopapillas which I heard were a staple in New Mexico. We were not disappointed. They were very good. Cecelia was there. She came out and talk to us. She is a very nice lady, along with the rest of her staff. If we're ever in Albuquerque again, we will definitely stop by.

finally made it to the cafe. Mid-morning visit, not busy, was seated in booth in the corner. Cozy with a full view of room. Service was quick, no small talk, friendly. Meal came out much faster than expected, portions were smaller than the usual Huevos, but was satisfactory. Loved the beans, could tell they were home-cooked, not canned. Chile had some heat - just right for my New Mexico taste buds! Definitely worth a visit if you are downtown or even if not.

We stopped here years ago before we saw the Guy Fieri show. The food feeds a deep hunger for heat and flavor and we are satisfied every time. This restaurant and Cecilia's food is an integral part of our whole families palette. Her chili is hot, she makes it all by hand and every visit is an experience.

Ms Cecilia is awesome! The best breakfast in town best match for quality and price. This amazing woman manages to feed your belly and your soul in meal. While in a conference we stumbled to this cute little breakfast.... and magic! Huevos Ranceros, breakfast burritos and the best in all south west chiles rejenos!!!! I would give a 6th star if I could.

Yet another amazing gem of a home style NM food at its best! I already have a favorite NM breakfast place, but this comes close which is saying something! Absolutely enjoy the owner's attitude! She may come off a little nonchalant at first but this honestly feels like going home for the holidays and having your mom/grandma feed you big portions of your favorite food! I'm a sucker for sopapillas and love the stuffed ones here. Also coffee hits the right spot. The tortillas are crazy fresh. The husband raves about the chicharrones, so that's recommended as well! I wish the place was open during the weekends as well but of course that is the owner's prerogative! We try to come in for some breakfast here when the husband and I get some time off from our work week schedule and each time it has been worth it!

Nice family restaurant. Pretty good solid breakfast burritos to go and only $5. Not the most amazing breakfast burrito, but definitely one of the better ones. Can't beat the price. If in the neighborhood and need a quick bite for the road. Stop on by.

Visiting a friend in NM, our first breakfast burrito experience to get the "Christmas" sauce burrito! It's a small, family owned and operated place with cool kitsch on the walls and as you enter into the building. My hubby got a burrito with bacon, extra potatoes, cheese, onion & no egg, Christmas style with both green and red chile sauce. There is nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING, quite like getting chile sauce in NM. It's so fresh, spicy and delicious. I opted for the chorizo burrito. We really could have split one as we were both unable to finish. Nor could we part with it so we took our leftovers back to our friend's fridge with hopes that someone in need would find and eat it. All very fresh, delicious and tasty. So stop in, you won't be disappointed!

First time here - cute little restaurant downtown, closing at 2 pm daily. Had an fantastic order of chicken fried steak with two eggs in a green chili gravy. The best I've had. Will be back to try the more traditional fare.

Life is full of regrets and going to Cecilia's has added yet another one to my life. I fully regret not coming here earlier. It is a very old-school New Mexico vibe complete with the statues of saints. The huevos rancheros was absolutely amazing. I guess I would consider it kind of expensive for what it is but the freshness of the tortillas and when you ask for an over medium egg you're going to get exactly what you asked for.Doesn't sound like much but, getting an egg right is more rare than some would think. I cannot overstate the freshness of the red chili and tortillas and beans for that matter

The BEST breakfast burritos ever , Chile is so good and spicy, love the atmosphere, the services and employees are the best

We went here solely because of DDD. These guys were clearly having a bad day today. No Internet and they couldn't take cards. That's no excuse for the way they treated me though. I asked for directions to find an ATM and was ignored. I asked again, and they told me but gave no directions despite asking. Another guest helped. I went off and left a friend there. Got back. They would t bring me drink, despite asking for one thrice. The food was bland and they had NO mild salsa, just burn your mouth stuff. That's fine for some, but no everyone. Finally they short charged me. I always give tips, not this time. They need to get their shit together and live up to their DDD reputation.

Cecilia's is a nice local New Mexican restaurant that offers a homey atmosphere with friendly waiters. And you can occasionally see Cecilia there hanging out! I ordered the sopapilla burger which is basically a burger with a sopapilla bun. It was pretty good and met my expectations. The decoration feels a little grimy to me but that's just my personal preference. If you come in here with normal expectations, you will get what you pay for. Have fun!

This place sucks. nuff said... Owner yells too much, rude service. Table was very dirty when sat down.had to ask server 3 times to get it cleaned. Slow service for the size of the room.

NEVER disappoints! The food is AMAZING and definitely a MUST every time we are in town. Fresh food with excellent, consistent flavors! Super friendly and it's always a great experience.

We love dropping into Cecilia's. It feels like dropping into a 50s local diner. I really enjoyed the burrito I had, and the sopas were divine. I am sad to see that so many people have had bad experiences here. Every time we visit, which admittedly has only been a couple, maybe three times, we have been greeted warmly, felt welcome, and received delicious New Mexican cuisine with great hot chile.

This is my kind of restaurant, down to earth and funky with food so good you feel it in your soul. I ordered the chicken, chili, and rice soup and it was righteous. First two bites were super spicy but then my taste buds got warmed up and from then on it was nothing but homey deliciousness. My hubby got the blue corn enchiladas with Christmas (red and green) sauces, I took a bite, of course, and yesssss they were the very essence of what an enchilada should be. Then I sampled his beans and I knew right then I had to order my own or we were going to fight. They're charro style, smooth and soupy and transcendent. It's hard to believe what magic Cecilia can work with the lowly bean. Everyone inside was friendly and sassy and welcoming to two strangers from 1,400 miles away. We went back out into the cold, windy afternoon feeling warm and nourished and happy. Cecilia's Cafe is tiny, but our experience there holds an outsized place in my memory and my heart.

Great food & good amount of spice/flavor! Friendly service too. Blue corn pancakes & huevos rancheros were awesome!

The food was amazing! My boyfriend and I both got breakfast burritos and the flavor was on point!! The owner Cecilia took our order and let us know about the breakfast burritos for only 5 bucks. The restaurant gives off very much home vibes and the customer service is next level. Definitely will be back

Heard the breakfast burritos were delicious. I got Xmas bacon and it was the smallest breakfast burrito in NM I have ever gotten. It was $6 and had what it seemed like bacon bites which was little amount. Only thing that was good was the green chili. Phone number is not updated on internet and they open when they want.

I drove from Vegas to try this place, but they never opened even though I was there on Monday and Tuesday between 7:00AM - 1:30PM. I tried calling, but no one answered and the recording stated the line was busy. Grubhub indicated they were accepting orders. However, I was standing outside the building and no lights were on and the all the signs said closed. It was huge disappointment and a waste of time/money.

I ordered take out and it was the first time. Honestly I was not impressed. The Huevos rancheros were good. I also ordered fried chicken steak with the Chile on the side which was not done. My daughter doesn't eat spicy so I had to ditch the plate. I specifically asked for the sauce on side. I also ordered sopapillas not great and no honey was given. Maybe it was an off day will definitely try once again.

I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Cecilia's Cafe . It is the perfect little breakfast place if you are close to downtown. I like the old ambiance and red booths. The chili is great if you are a New Mexican who has acquired a taste for hot chili. Please support our smaller restaurants so we do not lose authentic food at a good price. Not open on weekends or evenings.

I know there are a lot of great reviews for this place but that just wasn't my experience here. The waitress was rude to me and several other customers. She was yelling at the cooks and was very impatient. The food was not bad but they had to remake my order twice because it came out wrong. My girlfriends plate was small and by the time my order was correct she had already finished hers. On the plus side the red chile was good. I wasn't impressed. But then again people have bad days from time to time and I have friends who brag on this place so maybe I just caught them at a bad time.

Grandma's cooking is an understatement for this place. I lost my Grammy a few years back and this is the ONLY place I can go that even hits remotely close to my Grammys home cooking. I always get the bean and chicharron burrito green on the side because it's never a miss and that Chile is pretty hot in my opinion. This place is the definition of authentic New Mexican food it's so fresh and it's homemade and delicious. The only thing I will warn you about is with authentic Mexican food comes an authentic abuela (grandma) behind it, I won't say she's rude but she definitely has her days where she's spicier than others. For instance, I've had visits where she's the sweetest woman and other days where I catch abuela on a bad day and she comes off as spicy and a bit rude. Now will that deter me from coming back? Did your grandma being a bit grumpy stop you from going back to grandmas? I didn't think so. I think it adds to the authenticity in my opinion gives the place more character if you will and I don't mind it because for me it reminds me a bit of home at Grammys. Plus it's not grandmas cooking without grandmas spice.

Straight forward food and straight forward owner. Loved the experience even during a pandemic. The spice of the adovada was amazing and shredded. Beans were cooked to perfection and the coffee piping hot. If I'm ever in ABQ again i will be back.

Back in ABQ for a short trip, I was craving red chile. I had the chicken enchiladas, and I did get my fix, but it was just alright, not outstanding. Enchiladas themselves were rather boring; the chile had a good kick to it but was a bit on the thin side. The service was not rude, but it was clear they were rushing to process my order and get me out of there fast. Fortunately I was in a hurry myself, but still did not appreciate the treatment. I understand the "eat and run" policy during busy times; the place is rather small. But it was not that busy; there were free tables available. Not sure what to make of the decor, between the Guy Fieri portraits and religious plaques and other trappings. I think they're going for "homey" diner, but unless you get a window seat, it could be a bit dark under the low ceilings.

Wow! I wasn't expecting a fine dining experience, but I wasn't counting on being cussed at for coming in. Googled restaurants that Guy Fieri had checked out on our cross country road trip, and thus started our adventure with Cecilia's Cafe. We walked in at 1:30 and asked if it was still okay to get lunch. The website said they closed at 2:30 and the waiter said no problem. Well-- it was obviously an issue as the kitchen staff, AND the waiter started going off about how they had other places to be. And how inconsiderate it was for us to be coming in at that time. Food was bland nothing I would even call remotely flavorful. I would have rather eaten at a gas station.

Awesome amazing was the best restaurant in Albuquerque. Just like you grandmother's cooking

Quaint little spot downtown. Hubby ordered cheese enchiladas, I ordered huevos. The red chile is so hot, I couldn't eat it. My husband barely got through his lunch and will tell you 'their chile is hot.' I ended up scrapping my chile off and eating what I could salvage. I can handle most restaurants medium red chile, but not here. No idea what the green is like, as we both ordered red. Be advised: this place has HOT chile!

Oh my goodness how delightful. Grandma was out today but the food was still top notch, the service excellent and the chile outstanding. It does have the look and feel of Albuquerque when I moved here 30 years ago (and I love that). Today was the first time I (accidentally) that I ate there. It's an incredibly tough time for restaurants (like this) that depend on the downtown worker crowd since there are no downtown workers right now. But I'll drive out of my way (15 minutes from my house in the NE Heights) for that quality of food.

My son and I were contemplating on where to eat a good hearty breakfast before going on a hike. We were both craving some chili and we both like it hot! He'd been here once before with friends and I remembered him telling me about his experience. He'd said that the chili was amazing and that it was an odd little hole in the wall restaurant, where the waitress yelled at him and his friends for all of them being on their phones, letting the door slam closed on their way out, and calling them 'mejo'. I was interested! While these things didn't happen when he and I went, maybe he knew better and stayed off the phone when he was with me and he didn't allow the door to slam on our way out. So of course, we both easily agreed on Cecilia's. Home of the famous firefighter burrito, a giant burrito made of like 40 tortillas stuffed with goodness. If you could eat it all, you get to ring the bell, get a special shirt recognizing your accomplishment, and get your picture taken and hung on the wall. I noticed at least a few folks who seemed to have gobbled up this giant beast of a burrito. I wonder if they keep a stretcher in the back to help folks get back out to their cars after eating that sucker. I also noticed that this was a Guy Fieri visited joint. It's an odd little place for sure. I guess it's a residential building turned into a business, and you can easily tell. When you walk in, it's like walking into the front door of someone's home. But I think this made it easy to make yourself at home. It just had that "homey" feeling to it. Prices were great and portions were even better! I ordered the sausage breakfast burrito with red and green chili. The green was good and flavorful, but the red.....the red had me sweating for at least twenty minutes after I left! Delicious! In fact, I'm craving more as I type this review. It is on the spicy side though, for those of you that don't like it too hot. Something else that should be noted about the menu, is that they offer a decent selection of breakfast items and lunch items. I am definitely going to try the Huevos Rancheros on my next visit...which will be very soon!

Excellent!! Homemade cooking. So refreshing after living in Tennessee. Must eat! Definitely order your item 'Christmas'

If you enjoy home cooking, I highly recommend Cecelia's café. The location is not an ordinary downtown building, it looks like it's a home. The dining room has around 8 tables that seat 4-6 people. The menu is short pretty simple. I enjoyed the fact that they had a huevos rancheros menu. I tried the carne adovada huevos. The meat is nice and tender. I liked the cheese enchiladas as well as the stuffed sopapilla. However, the sopapilla was quite cakey for my taste. Overall, I would definitely go back there.

They've changed their menu and I love it! Cecilia's is a great restaurant, but they really excel with their signature chicharrones. In the new menu (as of this writing is different from the online menu), they've actually expanded the variety of items to order as well as included chicharrones in most of the menu items, unlike before. I had their chicharrones breakfast burrito, which was good - also filled with potatoes and eggs, it was a great way to start the day. My only complaint with it was that it was mostly flour tortilla and not enough of the filling. I'd definitely come back here again, but probably order Huevos Rancheros with Chicharrones instead.

Cecilia's was a perfect lunch spot on this cold af day! I sat next to the wood burning stove and ordered a few things of the menu that were recommended by the server. The chile relleno chimichanga were great! I totally love the feel here, the ambience is fitting, the staff were friendly, and the variety of food is surprising.

We really enjoyed our breakfast at this little gem! We had no clue that Guy Fieri has been here, but I can see why he loved it! Our waitress (also the owner) was no-nonsense old school New Mexico and we loved her for it! The kids shared a breakfast burrito, and loved it so much, they ordered a second one. My Jalapeños and Huevos were outstanding and the wife's Huevos Rancheros did not disappoint. The red chile was near perfect! We will be back!

OMG! The sopaipillas were fluffy and fresh. The quesadilla brimming with cheese, and the carne adovada was spicy perfection!! Everything is obviously homemade!

Passed by this place every time I drove downtown. Finally stopped and got my grub on! Happily this lady has great New Mexican food! Tacos! Yum, Rellenos! Yum,Tamales Yum! Its real good!

Great breakfast at Cecilia's before heading out to our weekend in Santa Fe. Parking is a bit limited on a Friday-had to park on the street and feed the meter. The place is small and busy, but we were seated right away. Hubby and I both got breakfast burritos, and they were yummy and HUGE (seriously big). I got mine with bacon and Christmas chile sauce (red & green), and it was very good, but I could not finish it. Service was fast and friendly, and the prices good, I recommend.

So so so so so so delicious!! Fresh food! Great service!! Not that busy on a Sunday. We were there for the weekend and dined in Sunday around 10/11. The only thing I wish was different was real cream and not the powdered stuff but we enjoyed our food and visit. I will have to look for pictures to post. The red salsa was the bomb!! I love spicy so I really enjoyed this and want to go back to eat it.

Walk into this quaint little gem of a joint and think you are going to grandam's house (if your grandma was New Mexican) is warm and welcoming very homey and comfortable. Cecelia is there to great you and take your order. The enchilada egg dish I had was dynamite! With Carne Acevado it was the new mex dish that not only filled belly it warmed my heart. Another triple d joint for the FoodDude but a lasting experience on my business travel adventure. Don't tell my boss how much fun having.

Most people don't know about this Downtown House Restaurant and I am glad. Exceptional service, food is above par, and the red chili is how it is suppose to be. If you looking for a new experience that feels like home, give it a look. (I recommend the Firemen's Burrito)