Highest-rated cheap eats in Albuquerque by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Albuquerque area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Cafe 66

1 / 30

#30. Cafe 66

- Rating: 4.4/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9200 Central Ave. Southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican, Breakfast & Brunch, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

Lollie's New Mexican Food Truck

2 / 30

#29. Lollie's New Mexican Food Truck

- Rating: 4.4/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 424 Isleta Blvd. Southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: New Mexican Cuisine, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Richie B's Pizza

3 / 30

#28. Richie B's Pizza

- Rating: 4.4/5 (515 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7200 Montgomery Blvd. Northeast Ste A2 Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe Da Lat

4 / 30

#27. Cafe Da Lat

- Rating: 4.4/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5615 Central Ave. Northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

El Sabor De Juarez

5 / 30

#26. El Sabor De Juarez

- Rating: 4.4/5 (155 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3527 Gibson Blvd. Southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe Istanbul

6 / 30

#25. Cafe Istanbul

- Rating: 4.4/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1410 Wyoming Blvd. Ste F Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: International Grocery, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Satellite Coffee

7 / 30

#24. Satellite Coffee

- Rating: 4.4/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7600 Jefferson St. Northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Leona Banh Mi

8 / 30

#23. Leona Banh Mi

- Rating: 4.4/5 (178 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3250 Coors Blvd. Northwest Ste H Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Vietnamese, Bubble Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria El Dorado

9 / 30

#22. Taqueria El Dorado

- Rating: 4.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1402 Broadway Southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Pupuseria Y Restaurante Salvadoreno

10 / 30

#21. Pupuseria Y Restaurante Salvadoreno

- Rating: 4.5/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1701 Bridge Blvd. Southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp

El Paisa

11 / 30

#20. El Paisa

- Rating: 4.5/5 (454 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 820 Bridge Southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Huong Thao

12 / 30

#19. Huong Thao

- Rating: 4.5/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1016 Juan Tabo Blvd. Northeast Ste B Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

Nomad's BBQ

13 / 30

#18. Nomad's BBQ

- Rating: 4.5/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Food Trucks, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

TacoBus

14 / 30

#17. TacoBus

- Rating: 4.5/5 (74 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4801 Central Ave. Northwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Paleteria La Michoacana de Paquime

15 / 30

#16. Paleteria La Michoacana de Paquime

- Rating: 4.5/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6501 Central Ave. Northwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Desserts, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

A-1 Oriental Market

16 / 30

#15. A-1 Oriental Market

- Rating: 4.5/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6207 Montgomery Blvd. Northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Korean, International Grocery
- Read more on Yelp

Asian Pear

17 / 30

#14. Asian Pear

- Rating: 4.5/5 (443 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8101 San Pedro Drive Northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Duggan's Coffee

18 / 30

#13. Duggan's Coffee

- Rating: 4.6/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2227 Lead Ave. Southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Coda Bakery

19 / 30

#12. Coda Bakery

- Rating: 4.6/5 (624 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 201 San Pedro Drive Southeast Ste B1 Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Sandwiches, Vietnamese, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

Alicea's NY Bagels & Subs

20 / 30

#11. Alicea's NY Bagels & Subs

- Rating: 4.6/5 (193 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1009 Golf Course Road Southeast Ste 103 Rio Rancho, New Mexico
- Categories: Sandwiches, Bagels, Cuban
- Read more on Yelp

Pop Fizz

21 / 30

#10. Pop Fizz

- Rating: 4.6/5 (150 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1701 4th St. Southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Empire Board Game Library

22 / 30

#9. Empire Board Game Library

- Rating: 4.6/5 (112 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3503 Central Ave. Northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Cafes, Tabletop Games
- Read more on Yelp

Los Olivos Mexican Restaurant

23 / 30

#8. Los Olivos Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7900 Zuni Road Southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Red Rock Deli

24 / 30

#7. Red Rock Deli

- Rating: 4.7/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2414 San Mateo Place Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Delis, Polish
- Read more on Yelp

La Mexicana

25 / 30

#6. La Mexicana

- Rating: 4.7/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 304 Coal Ave. Southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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Horizon Bagels & Cafe

26 / 30

#5. Horizon Bagels & Cafe

- Rating: 4.8/5 (101 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4000 Louisiana Blvd. Northeast Ste D Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Flying Roadrunner Bakery

27 / 30

#4. Flying Roadrunner Bakery

- Rating: 4.8/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 303 Romero St. Northwest Ste 124 Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bakeries, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Barbacoa El Primo

28 / 30

#3. Barbacoa El Primo

- Rating: 4.8/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1300 San Mateo Blvd. Southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Papa Frank's

29 / 30

#2. Papa Frank's

- Rating: 4.9/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 218 Marble Ave. Northwest Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Metro Subs Soup & Salad

30 / 30

#1. Metro Subs Soup & Salad

- Rating: 5.0/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2300 Morris St. Northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Categories: Salad, Soup, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.

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