{"id":14731,"date":"2025-01-23T02:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T08:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731"},"modified":"2026-04-05T12:39:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T18:39:39","slug":"nexus-brewery-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731","title":{"rendered":"Nexus Brewery – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Nexus Brewery in Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Set in Albuquerque, Breaking Bad<\/em>, AMC’s critically acclaimed television series may have left viewers with the impression that the Duke City is a haven for meth cookery and fried chicken joints.\u00a0 Had the fair city been more accurately typecast, it would have have been portrayed as a mecca for microbreweries.\u00a0 The Albuquerque Beer Scene<\/a><\/strong> blog says it best: “It’s like Portland, but with sun<\/em>,”\u00a0 a comparison which shows just how much the city’s microbrewery and brewpub scene has grown–and not just in terms of sheer numbers.\u00a0 Duke City breweries have accorded themselves so well at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup that the city may soon be re-christened “Albeerquerque.”<\/p>\n

\"\"
One of the Dining Rooms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the New Mexico Tourism Department launched the New Mexico True Ale Trail<\/strong><\/a>, the Duke City was its obvious epicenter both geographically and in terms of quantity.\u00a0 The Land of Enchantment now boasts of nearly three dozen independent microbreweries, brewpubs, brew houses and taprooms with the largest concentration in its most populous city.\u00a0 In fact, the Duke City is most certainly the hub of the Ale Trail with spokes traversing to just about ever corner of the state. High-quality craft beer can now be found throughout the Land of Enchantment.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Food Network Star Guy Fieri Visited Nexus in 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The success of New Mexico’s craft brewing industry mirrors a nation-wide trend.\u00a0 The number of operating craft breweries across the fruited plain continued to climb in 2022, reaching an all-time high of 9,552, including 2,035 microbreweries, 3,418 brewpubs, 3,838 taproom breweries, and 261 regional craft breweries.\u00a0 In 2022, small and independent brewers collectively produced 24.3 million barrels of beer \u00a0accounting for sales of $28.4 billion dollars.\u00a0 \u00a0 The growth of craft beers can probably be attributed to the local touch provided by brewers with ties to the community. Duke City residents, it seems, would rather quaff a pint or three of locally brewed beer than a six pack of the beer that made Milwaukee famous.<\/p>\n

Over the years the culinary bill of fare at many of our state’s breweries has upscaled from salty snacks designed to make patrons thirsty to a repertoire of substantial sandwiches and bounteous burgers.\u00a0 More recently, however, menus at several breweries and brew pubs have made significant inroads, some moving into the arena of the gastropub, a British term for a public house (pub) which specializes in high-quality, often high-end food. The term gastropub, a combination of pub and gastronomy, is intended to describe food which is a step above the more basic \u201cpub grub.”\u00a0 It may, in actuality, it can be several degrees of magnitude better.<\/p>\n

\"\"
New Mexico Nachos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While many brewpubs don’t call themselves gastropubs, it’s obvious food isn’t an after-thought or a Miss Congeniality and diners don’t have to be four sheets to the wind to enjoy it.\u00a0 These breweries and brewpubs understand something vinters have known for a long time–that pairing their product with the right foods can emphasize their inherently complex, interesting and delicious flavors.\u00a0 Some of the Duke City’s breweries and brewpubs have emerged as dining destinations in their own right.\u00a0 They remain at heart and first of all, purveyors of high-quality craft beers, but they don’t necessarily take a back seat to any restaurant when it comes to food.<\/p>\n

One such destination is the Nexus Brewery which opened in June, 2011 on Pan American Freeway East.\u00a0 It doesn’t have the brewpub-restaurant storefront look and feel of some Duke City breweries and is in fact, situated on a largely industrial complex off Interstate 25 just north of Montgomery.\u00a0 Don’t look for it on the “restaurant row” side of the freeway as we first did.\u00a0 It’s on the side of the freeway headed north toward Santa Fe.\u00a0 Keep your eyes open because the signage doesn’t shout out at you as signage at some brewpubs tends to do–and even when you drive up directly in front of it, the only telltale sign is a small logo that resembles a brand you’d normally see on cowhide.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Waffles With Honey-Pecan Syrup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Nexus Brewery is the brainchild of Ken Carson, a former banker who once served as the state’s banking commissioner.\u00a0\u00a0 A hobbyist home brewer, Carson decided to take it to the next level after fifteen years of perfecting his home beer brew.\u00a0 He chose the name Nexus because it reflects his desire to create a sense of community–and as a tribute to Star Trek The Next Generation<\/em> where in “the Nexus,” circumstances are whatever you want them to be.\u00a0 For Duke City diners lamenting the absence of non-chain Cajun food and something better than the Colonel’s fried chicken, the circumstances are exactly as we want them at Nexus where both are offered along with what Carson terms “New Mexican soul food.”<\/p>\n

New Mexican soul food is a combination of Southern and Cajun entrees honoring both the Carson family’s Southern roots and their adopted home’s New Mexican favorites.\u00a0 Nexus may have the only menu in which red chile nachos share space on the appetizer menu with fried pickles and fried okra.\u00a0 Signature dishes include both home-style open faced enchiladas and Southern fried chicken and waffles.\u00a0 Everything is made fresh in the brewery’s kitchen.\u00a0 The Southern fried chicken, in fact, takes 25 minutes to prepare because it’s made to order so it arrives at your table steaming hot.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Southern Fried Fish\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4 February 2012<\/strong>: You’ll have a selection of seven New Mexican and Southern inspired appetizers to whet your appetite as you wait for your entrees.\u00a0 If you order the fried chicken, you’ll want a starter that will last more than a few bites as you wait 25 minutes for your chicken to arrive.\u00a0 The New Mexico Nachos<\/strong><\/em> (red or green chile, ground beef or chicken, lettuce, beans, cheese, Pico de Gallo, sour cream) fit the bill.\u00a0 These nachos aren’t just a mountain of chips topped by a perfunctory amount of the good stuff.\u00a0 \u00a0Several layers of chips are buried in that good stuff.\u00a0 Both the red and green chile have decent heat as does the pico de gallo.<\/p>\n

18 August 2018<\/strong>:\u00a0 In its annual Food and Wine issue for 2013, Albuquerque The Magazine<\/a><\/strong>\u2018s staff sampled \u201cevery dish of nachos in the city<\/em>\u201d and selected Nexus Brewery\u2019s nachos as the fourth best in the city.\u00a0 The magazine raved that “the chefs here don’t hold back when topping your nachos” with “tons of meat (including seasoned ground beef)” and a “plethora of protein<\/em>.”\u00a0 Those nachos are a virtual mountain of Southern-style beans with smoked ham hock, lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream and your choice of red or green chile (“Christmas” is the only way to go here) with either ground beef, chicken or for a pittance more, BBQ pulled pork.\u00a0 It’s not only local publications which extol the virtues of these nachos.\u00a0 In August, 2018, Southwest, The Magazine named these nachos among the best 20 bites to devour<\/strong><\/a> from coast-to-coast that offer a taste of their region.<\/p>\n

\"\"
NM Hot Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 August 2018<\/strong>: Perhaps the most popular Southern-soul food combination across the fruited plain is the marriage of crispy, Southern-style fried chicken with waffles<\/em><\/strong> blanketed by maple syrup and butter.\u00a0 At Nexus, a single golden, orb-shaped waffle sliced into four pieces, has just a slight crunch that belies a silken texture.\u00a0 For an even more delicious and interesting treat, ask for the cornbread waffle. \u00a0 The combination of sweet, syrupy waffles and savory fried chicken makes for an excellent meal, better than many an entree and dessert pairing.\u00a0 In its annual Food & Wine issue for 2012, Albuquerque The Magazine<\/a><\/strong> awarded the Nexus Brewery a Hot Plate Award signifying the selection of its chicken and waffles as one of the \u201cmost interesting, special and tasty dishes around.\u201d\u00a0 Considering the thousands of potential selections, to be singled out is quite an honor.<\/p>\n

5 February 2024<\/strong>: If you’re thinking “there’s not much competition,” when it comes to good fried chicken in the Duke City, the truth is there are a number of restaurants (and not just the fried chicken joints showcased on Breaking Bad<\/em>) which serve good to very good fried chicken.\u00a0 There may be even more restaurants serving fried chicken with waffles. With a “have it your way” approach, Nexus lets you order two, three or four pieces of chicken<\/strong><\/em> and select from among breasts, thigh or legs in any combination you desire.\u00a0 In past years, the fried chicken was rather thickly breaded requiring scraping off the breading to get to the actual chicken.\u00a0 That wasn’t the case during our February, 2024 visit.\u00a0 Large pieces of lightly breaded chicken made it easy to get to the actual chicken.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Four Pieces of Fried Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 August 2018<\/strong>: Aficionados of televised travel and food shows are undoubtedly well acquainted with the Nashville chicken phenomenon.\u00a0 Nashville chicken is becoming Music City USA’s biggest culinary draw, enticing masochists who want to test their mettle against some of the potent poultry in the country, chicken so incendiary it validates that pain can be a flavor.\u00a0 The Nexus answer to Nashville chicken is NM Hot Chicken<\/strong><\/em>, described on the menu as “similar to Nashville Hot Chicken, which is with hot oil and typically cayenne pepper. However, Nexus has perfected this style for the NM palette with cayenne, red chile, and habanero spices.”\u00a0 <\/em>This is not chicken for the meek and mild.\u00a0 Unfortunately, unless you enjoy eating layers of thick breading, it will take some doing and several napkins to get to the actual chicken.\u00a0 Your lips will tingle, your tongue will singe.\u00a0 Your eyes and nose may even run and some have been known to perspire profusely while eating this chicken.\u00a0 It’s not for everyone, but it’s a good test for so-called fire-eaters.<\/p>\n

4 February 2012<\/strong>: For the first several months of our eight year residency in Mississippi, our weekly after church Sunday lunch was at at Aunt Jenny’s<\/a><\/strong>, a circa 1852 home on the bayou which specialized in all-you-can-eat pond-raised catfish, shrimp and chicken served family style. Since leaving the Deep South, we’ve lamented the dearth of good catfish in New Mexico.\u00a0 We saw it as almost heretical when we read the Nexus claim that its Swai, a fresh water farm raised fish, tastes better than catfish.\u00a0 Swai fillets, two of them, are featured fare on the Southern fried fish and beer battered fries<\/em> entree.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Gumbo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It may mean renouncing my honorary Southern Gentleman status, but I believe Nexus’ claim may have some veracity.\u00a0 These lightly battered fish are more moist than catfish, making them a more willing recipient of malt vinegar (a preferential hold-over from our years in England).\u00a0 So, not only is this fish dish better than just about any we had in New Mexico, it may also have given us the best “fish and chips” dish we’ve had since leaving the United Kingdom.\u00a0 The beer-battered fries are excellent, too.<\/p>\n

4 February 2012<\/strong>: Optional sides include collard greens<\/em><\/strong>, leafy cruciferous greens slow-simmered with smoked turkey.\u00a0 Renown for their cholesterol-lowering ability as well as their leaf-like texture and a flavor that makes spinach seem tame in comparison, greens are an acquired taste.\u00a0 We enjoyed them immensely during our years in the Deep South and were reminded of those with each bite of Nexus’ version.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Red Beans and Rice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 February 2024<\/strong>: Dining at Nexus is perhaps as close as you’ll find in Albuquerque’s to dining in the deep south.\u00a0 A surprisingly Southern menu includes New Orleans-style gumbo<\/em><\/strong> with andouille sausage and chicken.\u00a0 As John Lucas astutely points out in the comments below, proteins are parsimonious (paltry poultry and absent andouille), but flavor is not.\u00a0 Its thick, hearty roux has a smoky bouquet and a nice spice kick (moreso than the piquancy of some New Mexico green chile). The thick, dark roux is complemented with plenty of okra as well as the “holy trinity” of Cajun cooking: onions, celery and bell pepper.\u00a0 There’s plenty of fil\u00e9 (as in fil\u00e9 gumbo), a powder made of dried sassafras leaves to flavor and thicken the gumbo.<\/p>\n

5 February 2024:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>If you can’t make up your mind whether to order the gumbo or another New Orleans staple red beans and rice, why not order both.\u00a0 No, not two bowls, unless you’re a lineman for the UNM Lobos football team.\u00a0 Order a bowl of one and a cup of the other.\u00a0 Beware, however, even a cup is generous.\u00a0 The red beans and rice<\/strong><\/em> are well seasoned and nicely flavored, very reminiscent of what you’ll find at the Crescent City.\u00a0 They’re punctuated by a generous amount of andouille sausage and pork, both of which are wondrously smoky.\u00a0 Both the gumbo and the red beans and rice are perfect for a wintry day.<\/p>\n

\"\"
New Mexico Frito Pie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2 December 2012<\/strong>: Though the gumbo isn’t accompanied by French bread,\u00a0 you can do one better by ordering Nexus unique rendition of New Mexico inspired cracklin cornbread<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Cracklin cornbread is a Southern tradition, usually made with\u00a0all pieces of crispy rendered pork fat and skin.\u00a0 Paula Deen, the queen of butter, even has a version in which jalape\u00f1os are used.\u00a0 At Nexus, the cracklins are chicharrones and instead of jalape\u00f1os, green chile is used.\u00a0 The muffin-shaped cornbread is crumbly yet moist, perfect for for crumbling into the gumbo.\u00a0 A basket of four is the way to go here.<\/p>\n

23 January 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 It seems the only time (in recent memory) Frito pie has garnered any mention is during an ignominious Parts Unknown airing in which host Anthony Bourdain compared Frito pie to “feeling like you’re holding a warm crap in a bag.<\/em>”\u00a0 Then, as if to add salt to a wound, he claimed (incorrectly) that the Frito pie from Five & Dime General Store<\/strong><\/a> in Santa Fe”was made with “canned Hormel chili, and dayglo orange cheese-like substance<\/em>.”\u00a0 \u00a0Aargh!\u00a0 Those are fighting words.\u00a0 Though Bourdain eventually recanted his statements, his declaration wounded locals.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Bread Pudding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite its versatility–appetizer or entree, green or red–Frito pie doesn’t receive nearly the acclaim as other New Mexican eats.\u00a0 In fact, several years ago, a magazine published a “best of the city” feature in which none of the judges could even think of a New Mexican restaurant that served Frito pie.\u00a0 They should have asked me!\u00a0 Nexus has a terrific version of Frito pie.\u00a0 Fittingly, it’s called “New Mexican Frito Pie<\/strong><\/em>” and it’s served with “your choice of tender chicken\u00a0 or beef, smothered in red or green chile, layered with pinto beans, melty cheese and crunchy Fritos<\/em>.\u00a0 It’s “garnished with fresh pico de gallo for that perfect Southwestern kick in every bite<\/em>!”\u00a0 You can modify it even further by adding an egg or substituting pulled pork.\u00a0 No matter how you choose to have it your way, it’s a meal-sized marvel of deliciousness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

2 December 2012<\/strong>: For dessert, the staff favorite is Nexus biscuit bread pudding a la mode<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Howard Paige, author of “Aspects of African-American Foodways<\/em>” explains that biscuit bread pudding originated when African Americans could only afford homemade biscuits instead of the white bread the more affluent enjoyed.\u00a0 When the biscuits went stale, inventive cooks turned them into a wonderful bread pudding dessert.\u00a0 Nexus doesn’t use stale biscuits, but it does use a biscuit mix to create dense, but moist bread pudding which is topped with a Scottish dark ale glaze.\u00a0 It’s served warm and is best with vanilla ice cream.<\/p>\n

My dearly departed friend Larry McGoldrick, the professor with the perspicacious palate, was as fond of Nexus’s libations as he is the cuisine.\u00a0 Whether you visit for the craft brews or the terrific New Mexico Soul Food, you’ll find something to like at this very welcome member of the fraternity of award-winning breweries.<\/p>\n

Nexus Brewery<\/strong>
\n4730 Pan American Freeway East, N.E., Suite D
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n505 242-4100
\nWeb Site <\/a><\/strong>| Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>:\u00a0 23 January 2025
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>:\u00a0 4 February 2012
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 5
\nRATING<\/strong>: Very Good<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Good to very good food; generally solid; delivers consistent quality, strong technique, and a comfortable, enjoyable dining experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Fried Chicken and Waffles, Southern Fried Fish and Beer Battered Fries, Collared Greens, Pico de Gallo, Cracklin Cornbread, New Orleans Style Gumbo, Bread Pudding, Red Beans and Rice, New Mexico Frito Pie<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Set in Albuquerque, Breaking Bad, AMC’s critically acclaimed television series may have left viewers with the impression that the Duke City is a haven for meth cookery and fried chicken joints.\u00a0 Had the fair city been more accurately typecast, it would have have been portrayed as a mecca for microbreweries.\u00a0 The Albuquerque Beer Scene blog says it best: “It’s like Portland, but with sun,”\u00a0 a comparison which shows just how much the city’s microbrewery and brewpub scene has grown–and not just in terms of sheer numbers.\u00a0 Duke City breweries have accorded themselves so well at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup that the city may soon be re-christened “Albeerquerque.” When the New Mexico Tourism Department launched the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,521,38,1762,703,544,5631,567],"tags":[3235,2389,3668,3669,1701,3666,749,950,3672,3675,4673,3670,3674,1206,3233,3671,3673,3667],"class_list":["post-14731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-bar-grill","category-cajun","category-diners-drive-ins-and-dives","category-dog-friendly","category-food-network-eats-new-mexico","category-very-good","category-southern","tag-albuquerque-the-magazine","tag-bread-pudding","tag-collared-greens","tag-cracklin-cornbread","tag-diners-drive-ins-and-dives","tag-fried-chicken-and-waffles","tag-guy-fieri","tag-hot-plate-award","tag-ken-carson","tag-new-mexican-soul-food","tag-new-mexico-frito-pie","tag-new-orleans-style-gumbo","tag-nm-hot-chicken","tag-okra","tag-pico-de-gallo","tag-red-beans-and-rice","tag-southern-fried-chicken","tag-southern-fried-fish-and-beer-battered-fries"],"yoast_head":"\nNexus Brewery - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nexus Brewery - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Set in Albuquerque, Breaking Bad, AMC’s critically acclaimed television series may have left viewers with the impression that the Duke City is a haven for meth cookery and fried chicken joints.\u00a0 Had the fair city been more accurately typecast, it would have have been portrayed as a mecca for microbreweries.\u00a0 The Albuquerque Beer Scene blog says it best: “It’s like Portland, but with sun,”\u00a0 a comparison which shows just how much the city’s microbrewery and brewpub scene has grown–and not just in terms of sheer numbers.\u00a0 Duke City breweries have accorded themselves so well at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup that the city may soon be re-christened “Albeerquerque.” When the New Mexico Tourism Department launched the…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-23T08:47:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-05T18:39:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2290\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Nexus Brewery – Albuquerque, New Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-23T08:47:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-05T18:39:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731\"},\"wordCount\":2792,\"commentCount\":31,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Albuquerque The Magazine\",\"Bread Pudding\",\"Collared Greens\",\"Cracklin Cornbread\",\"Diners Drive-Ins and Dives\",\"Fried Chicken and Waffles\",\"Guy Fieri\",\"Hot Plate Award\",\"Ken Carson\",\"New Mexican Soul Food\",\"New Mexico Frito Pie\",\"New Orleans Style Gumbo\",\"NM Hot Chicken\",\"Okra\",\"Pico de Gallo\",\"Red Beans and Rice\",\"Southern Fried Chicken\",\"Southern Fried Fish and Beer Battered Fries\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Albuquerque\",\"Bar & Grill\",\"Cajun\",\"Diners Drive-Ins and Dives\",\"Dog Friendly\",\"Food Network Eats New Mexico\",\"Rating: Very Good\",\"Southern\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731\",\"name\":\"Nexus Brewery - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-23T08:47:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-05T18:39:39+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg\",\"width\":2290,\"height\":1920},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=14731#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Nexus Brewery – Albuquerque, New Mexico\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,520 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\",\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Gil Garduno\"},\"description\":\"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/%20\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Nexus Brewery - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Nexus Brewery - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"Set in Albuquerque, Breaking Bad, AMC’s critically acclaimed television series may have left viewers with the impression that the Duke City is a haven for meth cookery and fried chicken joints.\u00a0 Had the fair city been more accurately typecast, it would have have been portrayed as a mecca for microbreweries.\u00a0 The Albuquerque Beer Scene blog says it best: “It’s like Portland, but with sun,”\u00a0 a comparison which shows just how much the city’s microbrewery and brewpub scene has grown–and not just in terms of sheer numbers.\u00a0 Duke City breweries have accorded themselves so well at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup that the city may soon be re-christened “Albeerquerque.” When the New Mexico Tourism Department launched the…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2025-01-23T08:47:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-05T18:39:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2290,"height":1920,"url":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"15 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Nexus Brewery – Albuquerque, New Mexico","datePublished":"2025-01-23T08:47:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-05T18:39:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731"},"wordCount":2792,"commentCount":31,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg","keywords":["Albuquerque The Magazine","Bread Pudding","Collared Greens","Cracklin Cornbread","Diners Drive-Ins and Dives","Fried Chicken and Waffles","Guy Fieri","Hot Plate Award","Ken Carson","New Mexican Soul Food","New Mexico Frito Pie","New Orleans Style Gumbo","NM Hot Chicken","Okra","Pico de Gallo","Red Beans and Rice","Southern Fried Chicken","Southern Fried Fish and Beer Battered Fries"],"articleSection":["Albuquerque","Bar & Grill","Cajun","Diners Drive-Ins and Dives","Dog Friendly","Food Network Eats New Mexico","Rating: Very Good","Southern"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731","name":"Nexus Brewery - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-01-23T08:47:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-05T18:39:39+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nexus22-scaled-e1737740927461.jpeg","width":2290,"height":1920},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=14731#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Nexus Brewery – Albuquerque, New Mexico"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,520 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf","name":"Gil Garduno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","caption":"Gil Garduno"},"description":"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/%20","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nmgastronome\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14731"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78800,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14731\/revisions\/78800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/69364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}