{"id":321,"date":"2026-06-09T03:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T09:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=321"},"modified":"2026-06-10T09:37:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T15:37:42","slug":"los-cuates-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=321","title":{"rendered":"Los Cuates – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Los Cuates on Coors Blvd in Albuquerque’s Burgeoning West Side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of the five variations of twins that occur commonly throughout the world, the most common fraternal (non-identical) occurrence is male-female twins which transpire in about 40% of all twins born. Fraternal twins may share up to 50% of their genes and generally are no more similar or dissimilar than any other two siblings.\u00a0 Although technically not twins because they were “born” four years apart, the Duke City’s most famous twins are the Los Cuates restaurants (cuates being the Spanish word for twins), named for Antoinette and Marcus, the fraternal male-female twins of founder Frank R. Barela, an inspiration for all of us who started at the bottom and worked our way up.<\/p>\n

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The West Side Los Cuates is one of the City’s Most Cavernous Restaurants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Barela got his start in the restaurant business in 1971 as a busboy at Silvano’s<\/strong><\/a>, a legendary Duke City purveyor of New Mexican food.\u00a0 In 1985, he bought Silviano’s and renamed it Los Cuates after his newborn children.\u00a0 In 1989, he took over another Albuquerque landmark of the era, Cocina De Carlos Mexican Restaurant, across the street from his first eatery. Because of the two restaurant’s twin-like proximity, he also named it Los Cuates…not Los Cuates I and Los Cuates II, just Los Cuates.\u00a0 Note<\/strong>: While walking the La Luz Trail in July, 2002, Frank Barella collapsed and died of a heart attack at age 50. His restaurant was placed in a trust for several months until purchased by two well-established Duke City restaurateurs–Larry Gutierrez of Little Anita’s and George Daskalos of Milly’s Restaurant. The new ownership vowed “everything would stay the same–recipes and staff. Shortly after this changing of the guard, a few long-time Los Cuates staffers launched their own restaurant, Mis Amigos<\/a><\/strong> which has since closed.<\/p>\n

From the very beginning, Los Cuates has been one of the most popular New Mexican restaurants in the city.\u00a0 In its halcyon days, diners lined up before opening while late-comers waited for a table to come open. The restaurant’s logo of a little boy and girl twins astride a burro has been, for years, a very familiar landmark to Albuquerque diners who certify their love of the diner’s food on the Alibi’s annual “best of” poll. One category Los Cuates used to practically own since the inception of the poll is best chips and salsa<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Los Cuates Salsa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The salsa is indeed unique–wholly unlike the traditional New Mexican salsa of tomatoes, onions, garlic and either green chile or jalapenos. Los Cuates salsa is based on ancho chiles (known as chile pasilla in the Michoacan area and in California), an aromatic, brownish red chile that smells somewhat like prunes and has a mild, rich and almost sweet taste with just a hint of residual bitterness. It’s an “either you love it or you don’t” type of salsa with plenty of fans and detractors. Count me among those who love the uniqueness of this pre-prandial treat though I don’t quite love it as much in its bottled state–in part because the ingredient list reads like it belongs in a chemistry lab.<\/p>\n

A basket of chips and a small plastic bowl with the dark red salsa is placed on your table shortly after you’re seated. The complementary sweet and piquant salsa is satiny smooth, not at all chunky like most restaurants serve. It’s the type of salsa into which you dip your chips; you’re not likely to use my preferred scoop method. It’s also not the most piquant salsa in Albuquerque, but definitely leaves a pleasant, capsaicin-kissed impression on your tongue and taste buds. The chips are unfailingly crisp and faithfully replenished.<\/p>\n

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Fiesta Salsa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9 June 2026:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Panic filled my soul.\u00a0 I clutched my heart and parroting Fred Sanford I uttered “”This is the big one, Elizabeth! I’m comin’ to join ya, honey<\/em>!”\u00a0 \u00a0That was my immediate reaction when a bowl of salsa that looked like just about every other salsa at every restaurant in town was delivered to our table.\u00a0 How could Los Cuates do that to me?\u00a0 I immediately protested to our server who told me the ersatz salsa was Los Cuates’ “fiesta salsa<\/strong><\/em>.”\u00a0 Apparently some guests don’t like the “Los Cuates” salsa (that’s what it’s called) about which I raved above.\u00a0 To be fair, the fiesta salsa is quite good…better than most of the salsa in town, but it’s not the salsa that won the west.<\/p>\n

12 October 2019<\/strong>: The person who came up with the trite apothegm \u201cthree\u2019s a crowd<\/em>\u201d probably never had Los Cuates Trio<\/strong><\/em>: housemade guacamole, chile con queso and bean dip served with warm torn tostada chips. It could well be the best trio since Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin (go Cowboys!). While some restaurants seem to have forgotten that \u201ccon queso\u201d is prefaced by chile, Los Cuates uses a pleasantly piquant autumn roast blend of roasted red and green chile on both their queso and bean dip. It makes a difference. Though avocados are relatively bland and mild, the guacamole had a fresh, lively flavor courtesy of hints of diced tomatoes, chopped black olives, chile and a nice blend of seasonings.\u00a0 NOTE<\/strong>:\u00a0 During our June, 2026 visit we were planning to order the Trio only to find out the bean dip had been replaced by a spinach dip.\u00a0 Aargh!\u00a0 Who does that?<\/p>\n

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The Trio (Before the Bean Dip was Replaced by a Spinach Dip)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Albuquerque, a New Mexican restaurant won’t survive on its salsa alone, no matter how storied that salsa may be. Fortunately Los Cuates’ menu is replete with traditional favorites prepared from recipes passed on through generations. When your entree arrives at your table, it’s steaming hot with no evidence of pre-made, pre-heated dryness that’s become all too common in other restaurants. There’s a freshness to everything at Los Cuates.<\/p>\n

One of the entrees Los Cuates does exceptionally well is enchiladas<\/em><\/strong> (beef, chicken or cheese) crafted with blue corn tortillas. These aren’t your gloppy, boring enchiladas. Not only are the beef and chicken seasoned well and absolutely delicious on their own, the accompanying red or green chile lends a rich savoriness. The chile isn’t the sinus-clearing, eye-watering stuff I like, but at least the chile is discernible in its flavor profile and not corn-starchy.\u00a0 During a visit to the Los Cuates on Albuquerque’s Northwest side, I happened upon a special of the day that included a trio of enchiladas–carne adovada, chicken and ground beef.\u00a0 They were quite good.<\/p>\n

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Enchiladas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9 June 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 The photo above depicts rolled enchiladas constructed on blue corn tortillas, stuffed with chicken, covered in red and green chile and melted Cheddar shreds, topped with a fried egg over easy and served with two portions of refried beans (I’ve given up on “Spanish” rice).\u00a0 Anything with chicken is a good bet at Los Cuates. The shredded chicken is flavorful and moist chicken, reminiscent of stewed chicken.\u00a0 It’s not very often chicken is my preferred protein, but Los Cuates perfects its poultry.\u00a0 These enchiladas are outstanding and the portion size is enough to feed two.<\/p>\n

12 October 2019<\/strong>: Discerning my antipathy toward chimichangas, my friend Schuyler recently asked me \u201cWho are you? DEADPOOL<\/em>?\u201d Not being au courant with the latest passing fancy (an example in itself), I had absolutely no idea who or what a DEADPOOL is. It turns out DEADPOOL is Marvel Comics \u201cmost unconventional hero<\/em>,\u201d a roguish mercenary with a dark, twisted sense of humor and the eccentric tendency to use the term \u201cchimichangas\u201d all the time even though he doesn\u2019t like them. Apparently, fans of the popular comic from outside the fruited plain had to Google the term chimichanga\u2014even fans from Mexico where chimichangas are as rare as cumin in my spice rack. DEADPOOL does, however, love tacos and pancakes.<\/p>\n

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Chimichanga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I still don\u2019t get the DEADPOOL comparison. Chimichangas may not be my favorite dish, but I certainly don\u2019t hate them (unless they\u2019re deep-fried to the point that the tortilla resembles a crispy, crunchy, brown egg roll wrapper) and \u201cchimichangas\u201d is definitely not my catch phrase. What Schuyler\u2019s reference did manage to do is plant a power of suggestion seed in my mind\u2014that I had to have a chimichanga! Los Cuates offers chimichangas<\/em><\/strong> (a deep-fried burrito served with your choice of red or green chile and shredded cheese, topped with lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and diced potatoes) with options: your choice of chicken, shredded beef, ground beef or carne adovada. These chimis didn\u2019t inspire me to shout out DEADPOOL\u2019s favorite term, but proved very satisfying. Especially pleasing were the tender tendrils of pork slowly marinated in a delicate red chile and the green chile which appeared to be an autumn blend of roasted red and green chile. Green is definitely the far superior chile with which to top a chimi at Los Cuates.<\/p>\n

12 October 2019<\/strong>: Never mind roses. Sometimes you\u2019ve just got to stop and smell the fajitas. It\u2019s not something that can\u2019t be helped sometimes, such as when they\u2019re being ferried to a neighboring table and the sizzling of meats on a hot skillet launches smoke signals that waft toward you and trigger involuntary mouth-watering. Sometimes you\u2019ve just got to order some fajitas<\/em><\/strong> for yourself. That\u2019s what my Kim did. Those aromas that inspired her dining choice proved to be very effective truth in advertising. These fajitas tasted every bit as good as they smelled. Both the chicken and steak were tender, well-seasoned paragons of deliciousness. A side plate bearing pico de gallo, guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream provided fajita fixings that only improved a very good fajita plate.<\/p>\n

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Fajitas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many entrees include complementary sopaipillas<\/strong><\/em> which arrive at your table steamy warm. Intrepid diners risk burning their fingers and the roof of their mouths so they can attack these puffy pillows of goodness with honey (or at least the honey-flavored syrup Los Cuates serves).\u00a0 There’s no need for dessert when you’ve got these gems.\u00a0 Another menu change we didn’t especially appreciate is removing natillas from the dessert menu.\u00a0 A fried ice cream sundae is no fitting replacement.<\/p>\n

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Sopaipillas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In January, 2012, Los Cuates expaned to Albuquerque’s sprawling far Northwest side within one mile of Corrales and two miles of Rio Rancho. Situated in the nearly 8,000 square-foot edifice which previously housed Copeland’s<\/strong><\/a> on the West side’s “restaurant row,” it is the most ostentatious of all the Los Cuates restaurants. Whether the twins, now quintuplets, will continue to expand remains to be seen. The restaurant’s popularity shows no sign of decline in its popularity and remains a formidable and favorite presence for New Mexican food.<\/p>\n

Los Cuates<\/strong>
\n10051 Coors Blvd., N.W.
\nAlbuquerque, NM<\/strong>
\n505 897-7441
\nWeb Site<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

LATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 9 June 2026
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 10
\nRATING<\/strong>: Good<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 good food, decent service, and a clean environment; provides a satisfactory, dependable, and standard experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Salsa & Chips, Sopaipillas, Stuffed Sopaipillas (chicken), Blue Corn Enchiladas (chicken), Carnitas, Chimichanga, The Trio, Los Cuates Salsa, Fiesta Salsa, Fajitas<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Of the five variations of twins that occur commonly throughout the world, the most common fraternal (non-identical) occurrence is male-female twins which transpire in about 40% of all twins born. Fraternal twins may share up to 50% of their genes and generally are no more similar or dissimilar than any other two siblings.\u00a0 Although technically not twins because they were “born” four years apart, the Duke City’s most famous twins are the Los Cuates restaurants (cuates being the Spanish word for twins), named for Antoinette and Marcus, the fraternal male-female twins of founder Frank R. Barela, an inspiration for all of us who started at the bottom and worked our way up. Barela got his start in the restaurant business in 1971 as a busboy at Silvano’s, a legendary Duke City purveyor of New Mexican food.\u00a0 In 1985, he bought Silviano’s and renamed it Los Cuates after his newborn children.\u00a0 In 1989, he took over another Albuquerque landmark of the era, Cocina De Carlos Mexican Restaurant, across the street from his first eatery. Because of the two restaurant’s twin-like proximity, he also named it Los Cuates…not Los Cuates I and Los Cuates II, just Los Cuates.\u00a0 Note: While walking the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,112,5632],"tags":[5766,1383,5065,5771,1980,5769,5770,5768,2506,994,5765,5767],"class_list":["post-321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-new-mexican","category-good","tag-blue-corn-enchiladas-chicken","tag-carnitas","tag-chimichanga","tag-copelands","tag-fajitas","tag-fiesta-salsa","tag-frank-barela","tag-los-cuates-salsa","tag-salsa-chips","tag-sopaipillas","tag-stuffed-sopaipillas-chicken","tag-the-trio"],"yoast_head":"\nLos Cuates - 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=321\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Los Cuates - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Of the five variations of twins that occur commonly throughout the world, the most common fraternal (non-identical) occurrence is male-female twins which transpire in about 40% of all twins born. Fraternal twins may share up to 50% of their genes and generally are no more similar or dissimilar than any other two siblings.\u00a0 Although technically not twins because they were “born” four years apart, the Duke City’s most famous twins are the Los Cuates restaurants (cuates being the Spanish word for twins), named for Antoinette and Marcus, the fraternal male-female twins of founder Frank R. Barela, an inspiration for all of us who started at the bottom and worked our way up. Barela got his start in the restaurant business in 1971 as a busboy at Silvano’s, a legendary Duke City purveyor of New Mexican food.\u00a0 In 1985, he bought Silviano’s and renamed it Los Cuates after his newborn children.\u00a0 In 1989, he took over another Albuquerque landmark of the era, Cocina De Carlos Mexican Restaurant, across the street from his first eatery. 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