Quality and quaintness can be found at this quintessential taqueria

My first dining experience at Don Choche Tacos Y Cerveza came on my 24th birthday. I’d lived in Albuquerque for just three months and was indecisive on where to go with coworkers who wanted to celebrate with a lunch.

After 15 minutes of putting off a selection, my colleague Matthew Reisen suggested a Mexican spot just down the road from Journal Center and said something along the lines of “trust me, bro, you’ll like it.”

I loved it.

The atmosphere is eclectic, a small dining room with a wraparound patio that, depending on where you sit, offers spots to bask in the sun or cool off in the shade, views of the dusty roads that run through the quaint village, or my favorite: minimally obstructed mountain views.

Don Choche not only stands out, but shines in its simplicity — and it must.

Its home, Los Ranchos, is a village of just 5,000 residents that boasts upscale dining such as Vernon’s Speakeasy and Campo at Los Poblanos — a 2025 James Beard Award finalist — to casual New American joints such as The Butcher, and Steel Bender Brewyard, which serves up popular pub food as flavor-packed as the pours they’ve gained prominence for.

Still, the little hole-in-the-wall taquería is the village’s premier dining destination.

Texture is the name of the game for Don Choche. The extra bit of crispiness on its dishes complements the robust flavor offered and solidifies its attention to detail.

On my first visit — and each since — I’ve ordered the four taco plate ($15), which allows you to mix two of the 10 meat options and comes topped with cilantro, onions and a light amount of shredded cheese.

I always get the asada tacos ($15) which feature chewy well-seasoned square chunks complemented with the crisp bites on the edges of a clearly hot off the flat top tortilla, providing a blend of flavor and texture in a manner so simplistic it’s truly unique.

The barbacoa, while not the best I’ve ever had, still features the essential greasiness that makes the meat and the technique a staple of Mexican cuisine and is once again complemented by the texture of the tortilla it’s in.

On my most recent visit, I ventured past my regular order, fearful that my infatuation with the restaurant was based solely on one dish.

It was not.

The enchilada plate ($15) also offered slightly crispy tortillas with soft, juicy chicken rolled into them and the occasional kick of spice from the green chile sprinkled in — red and Christmas are available too if that’s your preference.

While Don Choche wouldn’t be considered by locals to be New Mexican cuisine, it does offer my favorite staple of the state’s foods: sopaipillas (2 for $5). They’re well done, like everything else on the menu: airy, just a little doughy, filling and lightly fried.

There isn’t a tinge of taste to criticize Don Choche for, but its prices are steep — especially for a cuisine that has become synonymous with quality food that penny-pinching diners can afford.

That being said, its dishes, for some reason I can’t put my finger on, are more filling than most Mexican or New Mexican meals and I often find myself with leftovers that make the price point a little easier to stomach.

Famed U.S. chef, author and journalist the late Anthony Bourdain once said, “Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.”

If there is a restaurant that’s a better testament to that, I’ve yet to find it.

Quality and quaintness can be found at this quintessential taqueria