Seemo’s Slices Pizzeria & Market – Albuquerque, New Mexico

College students are known for their poor and unhealthy eating habits. Without mom to ensure they get some semblance of a balanced and nutritious diet, students indulge in copious amounts of cheap foods such as burgers, ramen and pizza. A recent study found that 13 percent of Americans consume pizza on any given day. Right now college students are at the top of that list. About 20% to 22% of children and teens eat pizza on any given day, according to studies published in the medical journal Pediatrics. That doesn’t mean every single student eats a slice every 24 hours. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that on a typical day, roughly one-fifth of the school-age population has pizza.

Consumption is highest among teenage males and boys aged 6 to 19, with roughly 25% eating pizza on a given day. On the days kids and teens eat pizza, it accounts for roughly 20% to 25% of their total daily calories.  Having toiled at the University of New Mexico (UNM), I can attest to how surprisingly good La Posada (UNM’s award-winning dining hall) is.   Most university dining hall try to offer a variety of food choices that normally appeal to a younger person’s appetite. Even with so many choices it seems that pizza is the number one choice among college students.  Who can blame them?

The primary reason given by students for their consumption of pizza are cost (Students often watch every dollar. A single pizza is cheap, filling, and easy to split among roommates.), convenience (A dense area of young people living in tight neighborhoods makes delivery fast and cheap for the shop) and mostly deliciousness. Most students don’t care much about nuutritious aspects of their collegiate dining experiences, hence the freshman fifteen (or is that fifty?). When students want to feel better about their eating habits, they gravitate toward veggie pizza or opt for a whole-grain crust which means they’re not getting as much of the dough, carbs and empty calories.

Pizzerias thrive near college campuses because pizza fits the exact budget, schedule, and lifestyle of college students. The legendary Saggio’s (formerly Nunzio’s) has been serving Italian comfort food and pizza in Albuquerque since 1977, making it a staple near the University of New Mexico for nearly 50 years.  Other purveyors of pizza have come and gone since Nunzio’s reigned supreme among the Duke City’s pizzerias.   Many of them have been replaced.  One–Dion’s Pizza— at UNM’s Student Union Building (SUB) is situated within a campus hub of activity.  It’s a paragon of convenience and deliciousness.  Within walking distance from the campus are such student favorites as Tony’s Pizzeria and just a bit further Farina Pizzeria and Il Vicino.  Chain pizza parlors abound in the area, too.

In mid-January, 2026 Seemo’s Slices held its soft opening in the Brick Light District near UNM. It’s only fitting that Seemo’s is situated in a space previously occupied by Brickyard Dive, a pizzeria which closed its doors in 2017.   Note:  Most online and social media sources place Seemo’s at 2300 Central Avenue, but you won’t find a Central Avenue storefront sporting signage saying “Seemo’s Slices.”  We had to call to find out Seemo’s is actually located on Harvard.  Ironically the back of the restaurant faces Saggio’s.  Across the street (Harvard) is Flock of Moons Brewing Company.

The appellation Seemo’s Slices is a bit of a misnomer in that Seemo’s doesn’t actually offer slices.  Instead the menu is replete with personal pizzas, each twelve-inches (or the equivalent of about two battleship-sized slices at Saggio’s).  Once you get over the fact that you can’t get a slice, you’ll find much to love about Seemo’s whose pies are Halal (any action, object, or food that is allowed for Muslims to use or consume).  This will make Muslim students very happy.  In fact, the entire general student population has been rejoicing, not only because of the menu but because Seemo’s is open until 10PM every day but Sunday.  Marathon study sessions are made better with pizza, every college student’s favorite “brain food.”

The restaurant’s signage reads “Seemo’s Slices Pizzeria & Market.”  The “market” portion of the space consists of shelves near the rear entrance in which you can purchase such commestibles as dry pasta, marinara sauce and bottles of infused olive oil.  The latter are souced from Albuquerque’s Old Town Olive Oil, which was founded in January of 2015 in the heart of Old Town Albuquerque by Nael, a New Mexico resident of over 30 years and now owner of Seemo’s.  Seemo’s is named for one of his sons.   If you’re so inclined, you can drizzle one of those olive oils onto your pie.  Among the flavors with which the olive oils are infused are green chile (of course), blood orange, chipotle and garlic.

Seemo’s seating isn’t especially capacious though weather-permitting there’s a sizeable patio up front.  Similar to its neighbor Saggio’s, there’s a lot to see.  A very colorful mural depicting sights from Route 66 on and near UNM covers nearly an entire wall.  The mural includes the Railrobber, Albuquerque’s tramway, the UNM Lobo insignia, neon-spangled Route 66 signage, balloons in the sky and signage for the Brickyard district, CNM and Nob Hill.  Near the counter where you place your order, you’ll espy a fridge brimming with RC Cola, RC Cherry Cola, Sicilian Soda and other soft drinks.  We appreciate the fact that Seemo’s isn’t in the clutches of Coke or Pepsi.  A glass case atop the counter showcases the pizzeria’s desserts: mini cannoli, pistachio baklava and tiramisu.

If soft drinks and adult beverages aren’t what you want to wash down all that pizza with, Seemo’s offers complimentary shrub.  Behind the Bar describes shrubs as “an acidulated concoction of fruit, berries, aromatics, sugar, and vinegar. The word shrub is derived from the Arabic word sharab, which means “to drink.”   If you’ve had shrubs at Vinaigrette or M’Tucci’s, you’ve paid a pretty penny for them.  We liked complimentary shrub more than paying for them.  What does Seemo’s get out of the deal?  One of the shrub’s chief ingredients is Balsamic vinegar which you can buy on the premises.  After drinking the shrub, you probably will.

We’ve established that Seemo’s Slices is a bit of a misnomer because you can’t actually order slices.  The only slices you’ll find are when an entire pie is sliced for you.  Unlike many pizzerias, all pies are personal sized.  That’s twelve inches per pie.  Ten pizzas are featured on the menu–everything from cheese (Mozzarella, red sauce, oregano) to Seemo’s Laymoon (Mozzarella, Ricotta, lemon, thyme).  Many of your favorite proteins- are available: pepperoni (beef), chicken and Italian beef.  You won’t find sausage or any pork-based proteins on the menu because all meats are Halal.  Several vegetarian-friendly pizzas adorn the menu.  So do six salads.

Throughout the fruited plain, hot honey has become de rigueur on pizza.  According to Datassential data, hot honey is featured on roughly 7.7% of U.S. restaurant menus—a figure projected to more than double.  It all started in 2010 when Mike’s Hot Honey was first drizzled on a pie at Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn.  It has since grown into a massive national sensation. It’s been my experience that “hot” honey is neither hot nor does it taste like honey. More often than not, it’s akin to the honey-flavored syrup used on sopaipillas at New Mexican restaurants who should know better.

12 September 2026: Still, the hot honey pep (Mozzarella, red sauce, oregano seasoning, beef pepperoni) reeled me in.  First, I was very curious about beef pepperoni which experts believe tastes a lot like regular pork pepperoni. Because spices and curing process are very similar, they share that classic savory, slightly spicy pizza-topping flavor.  Second, I’m still looking for hot honey that bites back AND tastes like real honey.  Seemo’s version of hot honey does.  It’s a hot honey I’d gladly introduce into my sopaipillas.  Insofar as the beef pepperoni, I’m not quite sold.  It seems to me, pork-based pepperoni has a fatty quality not quite duplicated on beef pepperoni.  Despite that one shortcoming, this was an excellent pizza!

12 September 2026:  A pizzeria could offer pies laden with diamonds, rubies and gold flake and my Kim would still order a cheese pizza (Mozzarella, red sauce, oregano seasoning).  Her request was for minimal sauce and extra cheese.  Request heeded.  Instead of a boring one-note pie, Seemo’s cheese pizza was sensational.  The crust, in particular reminded us very much of oven-baked bread.  Seemo’s boasts of “naturally fermented dough.”  Seemo’s ferments its dough for three days, resulting in a deep flavor, a complex tang, and an airy, crispy crumb. The pizzeria uses only Caputo Americana Pizza Flour 00.  It’s the very best flour you can buy and the Market area of Seemo’s offers a 55-pound bag for $89.  I asked Nael why his pizza is so relatively inexpensive.  “I want everyone to enjoy it,” he told me.  He realizes many of his customers are from the student demographic and don’t have a lot of disposable income so he makes it inexpensive for them to enjoy one of America’s essential food groups.  Nael’s family is Palestinian, descendents of a culture that has been baking bread for over 14,000 years. The cornicione (the Italian word for the outer, raised, and puffy edge of a pizza crust) is thick and so good you won’t discard any of it. We really should have bought some olive oil or vinegar to dip the bread into.

12 September 2026: There are three desserts on the menu: mini cannoli (two per order), pistachio baklava and tiramisu.  The mini cannoli are bursting with a sweet, creamy cheese mixture (mostly ricotta).  The cannoli shells are thick yet brittle.  Chances are heavy that the insides of the cannoli will come crumbling down onto your plate.  Not that that’s a bad thing.  The mini cannoli are dotted with chocolate nibs and sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.  They’re very sweet; too sweet for me, but just right for my sweet Kim.

12 September 2026: My favorite of all Middle Eastern and Mediterranean desserts is baklava, but only when it’s made with crumbled pistachios. Pistachio baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of many thin layers of phyllo dough, chopped pistachios, rich butter, and sweet syrup.  Rich and sweet are apt adjectives.  You need a lot of salty and savory pistachios to offset some of those qualities.  Seemo’s pistachio baklava is thicker than most and larger, too.  Just look at that triangular mass of deliciousness below.

13 October 2026:  In a posting of each state’s favorite pizza topping Barstool Sports insisted New Mexico’s favorite topping is carrots, but that post only brought criticism and ridicule.  Can you imagine the green chile cheeseburger being supplanted by a carrot cheeseburger or green chile stew being replaced by carrot stew?  I’d move to Colorado. Perhaps the spellchecker at Barstool Sports mistook carrots for “chile.”  In any event, New Mexico’s favorite pizza topping has got to be green chile.  No self-respecting pizzeria in the Land of Enchantment would dare offer a pizza sans green chile.  Seemo’s verstion is called “The Local” (mozzarella, red sauce, beef pepperoni, mushrooms, green chile) and it’s outstanding.  Not only is the green chile plentiful, it’s got a bite native New Mexican fire-eaters can respect and enjoy.  As with the Hot Honey Pep I had during our inaugural visit, what really stands out about pizza at Seemo’s is the crust.  It’s like eating bread just out of the oven only with more flavor and seasoning.

The menu posted overhead behind the counter where you place your order indicates “pasta coming soon.”  That’s something to look forward to.  If pasta dishes are nearly as good as the pizza, Seemo’s will take even more of the Saggio’s market share.  Nael explained that his initial goal was to open a pizzeria that serves pasta dishes AND a gelateria at the same time.  While that didn’t pan out, he’s got a construction crew working on building the gelateria next door.  He plans on housemade gelateria, “none of that premixed stuff” he says.   He’s also got a specialized oven coming in so that Italian pasta dishes and breads can be made available.  That is a lot to look forward to!

Seemo’s Slices Pizzeria is so good, you might want to matriculate at UNM and move into the dormitories just to be close.

Seemo’s Slices Pizzeria & Market
2300 Central Avenue,  S.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 835-5439
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 13 October 2026
1st VISIT: 12 September 2026
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING:  Outstanding: A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality
COST: $$ – $$$
BEST BET: Shrub, RC Cherry Cola, Pistachio Baklava, Mini Cannoli, Cheese Pizza, Hot Honey Pep, The Local
REVIEW #1548