{"id":62979,"date":"2025-06-08T00:01:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T06:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62979"},"modified":"2026-04-05T12:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T18:31:41","slug":"duke-city-bbq-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=62979","title":{"rendered":"Duke City BBQ – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Duke City BBQ on San Mateo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During a 2016 campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez warned that if the country did not adopt tighter immigration standards as proposed by Republican nominee Donald Trump, there would be “taco trucks on every corner.” \u00a0<\/em>For many of us, the only conceivable retort was along the lines of “what could possibly be wrong with that<\/em>?” \u00a0Tacos (Mexico) have become as American as pizza (Italy), apple pie (England), French fries (Belgium), hot dogs (Germany), peanut butter (Ancient Inca and Aztec civilizations) and barbecue (Caribbean). \u00a0These foods may not have been invented in the good ol’ USA, but we’ve adopted them. \u00a0They’re part of the fabric of what makes this country fat…er, great.<\/p>\n

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Place Your Order At This Counter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s likely that if you didn’t grow up hearing the adage “as American as apple pie<\/em>,” you may have heard a version in which barbecue takes the place of or is included with apple pie. \u00a0Barbecue, in fact, has supplanted apple pie as the proverbial All American gastronomical delight. \u00a0It’s practically a cult in some parts of the fruited plain. \u00a0At the very least, it represents a pop culture microcosm. \u00a0Americans make pilgrimages to famous pantheons of barbecue to partake of meat cooked low and slow over indirect flame. \u00a0We frequent local barbecue joints who haven’t acquired the fame fashioned by competition, television programs and books about our favorite American pastime (baseball be damned).<\/p>\n

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The Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a member of the instant gratification culture, I’ve never had the discipline and patience to smoke meats myself. \u00a0Not when it may take twelve hours to reap the rewards of my efforts. \u00a0Instead, like many Americans, I drag out my grill, put on my “Kiss the cook” apron, throw a slab of meat on it and heat it within an inch of its life. \u00a0What I won’t do…ever…is call it barbecue. \u00a0Long before becoming a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) barbecue judge, I’ve known the difference between barbecue and grilling. \u00a0There’s really no comparison. \u00a0Barbecue–true barbecue–is far superior!<\/p>\n

Because I’m too lazy to employ low and slow techniques to smoke meats and don’t really like the flavor of grilled meats (at least the way I incinerate them into coal-like slabs), my only recourse is to visit barbecue restaurants. \u00a0Not that there’s anything wrong with that. \u00a0With an ear to the ground (sounds kind of messy), we remain abreast of new brick and mortar restaurants and food trucks serving the Duke City. \u00a0Usually there’s quite a bit of fanfare, especially within the Yelper community. \u00a0Before long, other social media sources jump on the bandwagon, anointing the new barbecue joint with the type of adulation ascribed to shiny new things.<\/p>\n

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Cream Corn and Baked Beans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Duke City BBQ launched, it didn’t initially have much fanfare. \u00a0You might think a barbecue restaurant named “Duke City BBQ” would garner quite a bit more attention, especially since it’s smoking some good stuff. \u00a0Duke City BBQ is located at a very familiar location. \u00a0It’s housed at the former home of longtime Albuquerque mainstay Siam Cafe<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on San Mateo directly across the street from Cliff’s Amusement Park. \u00a0Sitting next to the windows might be the restaurant’s best seating if you like to watch riders screaming on the roller coaster.<\/p>\n

Duke City BBQ is owned by Yogesh Patel and Esteban Quezada. \u00a0Esteban was on hand during our inaugural visit. \u00a0He told us he’s from El Paso, but that the (pork) ribs are in the style of Kansas City. \u00a0Esteban graciously gave me a demo of the Southern Pride<\/strong><\/a> wood-burning smoker in which aromatic hickory heats up low and slow. \u00a0Brisket, he told me, takes about twelve hours. \u00a0Ribs a little bit longer. \u00a0Fragrant smoke enveloped us when he opened up the smoker to show me how meats are strategically positioned on rotating shelves. \u00a0Meats are slathered with a rub then wrapped tightly in aluminum foil before they go into the smoker.<\/p>\n

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Coleslaw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Duke City BBQ has all of the trappings of many barbecue restaurants even though Esteban might be slightly more comfortable speaking Spanish than English. \u00a0We couldn’t identify a single vestige of Siam Cafe. \u00a0Country music is piped over the restaurant’s sound system and televisions on the brick walls are muted. \u00a0As you walk in you’ll espy a counter made of rust-colored corrugated metal. \u00a0The menu is positioned directly above that counter. \u00a0Esteban told us new items–including turkey breast and loaded baked potatoes–will continue to be added to an already formidable menu.<\/p>\n

As with most barbecue restaurants, sides play a very important role in the enjoyment of your meal. \u00a0On the “Pick A Side” section of the menu, you’ll find a lot of the standards: coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, cream corn, mac n’ cheese, chips and fries. \u00a0We were to learn sides are just a little different…maybe a little better. \u00a0There are four sandwiches on the menu: brisket, spicy BBQ chop, pulled pork and sausage. \u00a0If you’re hungry, you can order one, two or five meat combos or you can order meats by the half-pound. \u00a0Hot and regular sausage are also available. \u00a0Desserts include banana pudding, tres leches pudding and Rice Krispies treats.<\/p>\n

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Half Pound of Brisket<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

17 February 2023<\/strong>: For readers who believe we actually devour everything on our plates during our dining excursions, let me assure you there’s no way we can polish off everything we order. \u00a0Ordering a lot of food makes for great leftovers and for not having to cook the next day. \u00a0In the spirit of full disclosure, I did wipe out the entire pint of baked beans<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0Studded with brisket, these baked beans are terrific, not nearly as molasses sweet as some baked beans tend to be. \u00a0Because the brisket inherits some of the qualities of the rub which is deeply massaged into the brisket, it’s got a lot of flavor and personality.<\/p>\n

17 February 2023<\/strong>: It took a bit of self-control not to cram down a pint of the cream corn<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0What made this cream corn so er, creamy is cream cheese, not the\u00a0scraping out of the milky pulp of the corn cob kernels. \u00a0Cream cheese makes this rendition of cream corn much thicker and richer. \u00a0It’s a calorie-laden indulgence. \u00a0We didn’t order the coleslaw<\/strong><\/em>, but Esteban wanted it to try it anyway. \u00a0No ordinary coleslaw is this. \u00a0This unique coleslaw is dotted with mango, pineapple and cranberries. \u00a0Those three ingredients meld well with the cabbage, shredded carrots and a light salad cream.<\/p>\n

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Half Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

17 February 2023<\/strong>: Claudia Roden, a prominent food writer wrote: \u201cThe <\/i>smell of roasting meat together with that of burning fruit wood and dried herbs, as voluptuous as incense in a church, is enough to turn anyone into a budding gastronome.\u201d \u00a0<\/i>If you ever step into a barbecue restaurant and aren’t immediately surrounded by the intoxicating aroma of smoked meats, you may as well walk back out. \u00a0Those aromas are the coming attraction, the preamble, the preview of what’s to come. \u00a0It’s an essential part of the barbecue experience.<\/p>\n

When you think of brisket, you think of Texas. \u00a0More specifically, you think of Central Texas (with Austin as its epicenter) and the Hill Country (New Braunfels comes to mind). \u00a0You don’t think El Paso, but that’s where Esteban developed his serious smoke skills. \u00a0He never worked in a barbecue restaurant, but he’s studied his tail off learning the art of low and slow. \u00a0My half-pound of brisket<\/strong><\/em> won me over quickly. \u00a0It’s somewhat fatty, but you can slice that off and still enjoy the smokiness and moistness of a very good brisket. \u00a0My favorite part was the bark, that tasty, chewy crust that forms on meat after hours of low n slow smoking.<\/p>\n

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Baked Potato with Brisket<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

17 February 2023<\/strong>: My Kim’s favorite smoked meat is chicken<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0As with other meats, the chicken is rubbed with salt, pepper and various other spices and aromatics. \u00a0Pepper is especially prominent. \u00a0There’s a lot of white meat among the dark. \u00a0Sauce is definitely not needed though Duke City BBQ offers two excellent sauces, both made on the premises. \u00a0There’s a spicy sauce (with personality) and a regular sauce. \u00a0Esteban will proudly tell you the sauces are made from scratch, not from some “doctored” starter sauce. \u00a0Sauces and condiments such as pickles, onions and jalape\u00f1os are available in an area just before the bay of windows.<\/p>\n

14 May 2023:\u00a0 <\/strong>Unless you’re a vegan or vegetarian, it seems most XY-chromosome blessed heterogametic males have carnivorous cravings. Men seem predisposed to consume beef. That’s not just my observation. A study conducted by UCLA in 2021 polled 706 US adults between the ages of 18\u201388 about both their meat consumption levels and openness to becoming vegan or vegetarian, as well as their sense of gender identify and conformity to traditional gender roles. The study concluded that “Men like to eat more meat than women because they feel it helps to ‘to enact and affirm their masculine identity<\/em>‘.” Aaargh! There goes my man card again.<\/p>\n

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Turkey Sandwich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My Kim would probably describe my reaction at seeing baked potatoes on Duke City BBQ’s menu as “giddy.” My Chicago born-and-bred bride loves meat, especially steak. Me, I’d rather have a baked potato than steak or just about any other meat. That’s especially true if the baked potato is prepared by a Mexican chef or cook. Duke City BBQ’s baked potato<\/strong><\/em> can best be described as “fully loaded.” It’s got lots of butter, sour cream, cheese and corn. It’s also topped with your choice of protein. Esteban piled brisket so high on a football-sized potato that we couldn’t see the other toppings. The brisket was terrific with lots of bark, those caramelized pieces that really do taste like meat candy. We mixed everything up so as to enjoy each topping in every bite. Predictably my Kim attacked the brisket while I enjoyed the softer ingredients (and yes, I do have all my teeth).<\/p>\n

14 May 2023<\/strong>: A vintage television commercial for Ivory Snow <\/a><\/strong>laundry detergent describes it as 99 and 44\/100 percent pure. While that level of purity may be good for laundry detergent, it wouldn’t make for great barbecue.\u00a0 Great barbecue has to have bark and fatty bits.\u00a0 Otherwise it’s bland and boring.\u00a0 Maybe the closest to purity is smoked turkey.\u00a0 A turkey sandwich<\/strong><\/em>at Duke City BBQ is just about the most pure barbecue you’ll find.\u00a0 Sans fatty bits and bark, it’s got just a bit of the characteristic smoke ring that signifies that the meat underwent a chemical reaction due to the low-and-slow smoking style in which it was prepared.\u00a0 The chemical stuff isn’t as important as how good smoked turkey can be.\u00a0 Even without sauce and other accoutrements (coleslaw would have been nice), Duke City BBQ’s turkey sandwich is magically delicious.<\/p>\n

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Pork Belly (Burnt Ends)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 February 2024<\/strong>: Perhaps because of its less-than-appetizing name, burnt ends are among the more underrated barbecue cuts.\u00a0 Essentially small, cubed barbecue nuggets, burnt ends are known for\u00a0 both their flavor and the crispy texture the smoking process bestows on them.\u00a0 \u00a0There are two kinds of burnt ends. brisket burnt ends and pork belly burnt ends.\u00a0 Pork is white meat, while beef is red meat, and the two taste virtually nothing alike.\u00a0 \u00a0As explained by The Daily Meal:\u00a0 \u00a0They are very similar in that they’re both nuggets made as part of the smoking process, creating a thick bark and giving them a crispy exterior (but a fatty, buttery interior), then covered in BBQ sauce. Neither is actually “burnt” per se \u2014 that bark is actually a desirable thing in smoking and doesn’t taste like bitter carbonized meat \u2014 but their appearance looks like it.”<\/em><\/p>\n

It seems every time we visit Duke City BBQ, something new has been added to the menu.\u00a0 During our February, 2024 visit that new item was pork belly<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Abbreviated name aside, it’s pork belly burnt ends.\u00a0 They’re available by the half-pound or full pound.\u00a0 \u00a0Pork belly is essentially just really thick cut bacon in all its smoky glory.\u00a0 It’s a rich, unctuous and absolutely addictive cut courtesy of the the layer of fat that breaks down and enrobes the meat.\u00a0 Then comes the barbecue sauce (Duke City BBQ’s spicy version works very nicely) which lends complementary flavor enhancements.\u00a0 Pork belly burnt ends are the type of meat candy with which you an quickly fall in love.\u00a0 They’re one of the reasons we’ve always detoured through Kansas City (especially Arthur Bryant’s<\/strong><\/a>) on our way to Chicago.<\/p>\n

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Dino Beef Rib<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 June 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 Aaron Franklin, the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southwest award-winner in 2015, has probably done more for Austin’s barbecue scene than any other pitmaster.\u00a0 Wait times during the week at Franklin Barbecue<\/strong><\/a> are typically two to three hours and on weekends closer to four or five hours.\u00a0 While Franklin is most renowned for brisket, the legendary smokemaster himself names beef ribs as his favorite cut: “If I had to name my own personal favorite cut of barbecue, it would probably be beef ribs. They are the richest and the most\u00a0decadent, succulent, and flavorful cut of beef you can put on a smoker. That\u2019s\u00a0also why I don\u2019t eat them much\u2014too rich, too hedonistic<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

My friend Bruce “Sr. Plata” Silver and I are in the same camp as Franklin when it comes to beef ribs<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Much as we love them, however, they really are an extravagant indulgence.\u00a0 Maybe it’s a good thing they’re not commonly available in the Land of Enchantment.\u00a0 At Duke City BBQ, “dino ribs” are available only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.\u00a0 At $25 per pound with each rib averaging one to two pounds, they’re priced at just about the going rate of ribs in Austin.\u00a0 How do they compare?\u00a0 You’ll have to tear into hunks of meat and extricate a layer of unctuous fat from bones the size of the one that tipped over Fred Flintstone\u2019s car.\u00a0 My beef rib from Duke City BBQ (two pounds easily) could probably tip over some smart cars.\u00a0 It\u2019s akin to a full roast atop a bone.\u00a0 There are bone \u201chandles\u201d on both sides of the rib which means, of course, you can pick it up with your hands to eat.\u00a0 The meat practically falls off the bone.\u00a0 A peppery layer of sheer deliciousness lays atop a quarter-inch or so layer of unsightly fat.\u00a0 Below that you\u2019ll find meat so sinfully good you might need to go to confession afterwards.\u00a0 At the very least, you\u2019ll need a cold shower.\u00a0 It\u2019s reason enough to become a carnivore.<\/p>\n

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Banana Pudding and Tres Leches Pudding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

17 February 2023<\/strong>: Desserts include at least one surprise, one based on a dessert with which aficionados of Mexican food are familiar. \u00a0That would be tres leches pudding<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0It really is like eating tres leches cake, albeit a unique rendition. \u00a0The banana pudding<\/strong><\/em> is more traditional, everything you’d expect from banana pudding. \u00a0Both are very sweet and very rich. \u00a0You would be well advised to save some of your savory fare to eat with your dessert. \u00a0Otherwise all that sugar may have you pinging off the walls.<\/p>\n

Duke City BBQ may have had a slow start in Albuquerque, but it sure has picked up momentum. A second location opened near the city’s easternmost sector (12501 Candelaria Rd NE, Suite G-1 ).\u00a0 Esteban shared that a third location is in the works, this one in Rio Rancho.\u00a0 Future plans include a location in the UNM area and even one in Santa Fe.<\/p>\n

Duke City BBQ<\/strong>
\n5500 San Mateo Blvd., N.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 308-8138
\nFacebook Page
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 8 June 2025
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 17 February 2023
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 4
\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<\/strong> BET<\/strong>: Brisket, Half Chicken, Baked Beans, Creamed Corn, Coleslaw, Tres Leches Pudding, Banana Pudding, Baked Potato, Turkey Sandwich, Dino Rib
\nREVIEW #1320<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During a 2016 campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez warned that if the country did not adopt tighter immigration standards as proposed by Republican nominee Donald Trump, there would be “taco trucks on every corner.” \u00a0For many of us, the only conceivable retort was along the lines of “what could possibly be wrong with that?” \u00a0Tacos (Mexico) have become as American as pizza (Italy), apple pie (England), French fries (Belgium), hot dogs (Germany), peanut butter (Ancient Inca and Aztec civilizations) and barbecue (Caribbean). \u00a0These foods may not have been invented in the good ol’ USA, but we’ve adopted them. \u00a0They’re part of the fabric of what makes this country fat…er, great. 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