Restaurant Week dishes out the best of Albuquerque
Tucanos Brazilian Grill
$66 for two 3-course dinner
Course one: Unlimited Salad Festival for two. Patrons can enjoy a build-your-own salad, pastas, hot sides, lobster bisque and assorted breads.
Course two: Unlimited Grilled Meats for two. Guests will have unlimited selections from grilled beef, chicken, pork, turkey, seafood and vegetables that are served table side.
Course three: Special Dessert for two. Guests will have two slices of Tucanos cheesecake topped with açai, guava, chocolate or raspberry.
MORE INFO: tucanos.com
DWTNR Cocktail Bar & Lounge
Brunch menu is $33 per person
Drink: Date Shake, coffee, specialty drinks, or hot or iced tea.
Appetizer: Choose between Grilled Shishitos, or chips and green chile queso.
Main: Avo Toast, Green Chile Smash Burger or Hash Brown Chilaquiles.
Dinner menu is $33 per person
Appetizer: Choose between a Wedge Salad or Coconut Shrimp Toast.
Main: Green Chile Smash Burger or Chinese Fried Chicken Salad.
Dessert: Churro French Toast.
MORE INFO: dwtnrbar.com
Urban Hotdog Company
$33 tasting menu
Appetizer: Choose from a selection of fries including the Plain and Simple, Rosemary and Garlic, Truffle Oil Blue Cheese and Green Onion, or Elote fries.
Dinner: Build a mini hotdog flight and choose four mini versions of bestsellers. Choose from: Crafty, Chile the Kid, NYC, Bahn Mi, Elote, Crunchy Onion or the Chicago.
Dessert: Choose one mini shake. Options include: Zia, Cookies and Cream, or Chocolate.
MORE INFO: urbanhotdogcompany.com
Laguna Burger
$33 dinner for two
STARTER: Choose between a Side Salad or Green Chile Stew.
MAIN: Choose between the Laguna Burger or Fish & Chips.
ENDING: Choose from a float or a shake. Float flavors include root beer, cola, Dr Pepper or Orange Dream. Shake flavors include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Oreo or Reese's.
MORE INFO: thelagunaburger.com
Tomasita's
$33 tier per person
Starter: Tortilla Soup or a Small Southwest Chicken Salad
Main Course: Enchiladas, Combination Plate or the Grilled Vegetable Stuffed Sopaipilla.
Dessert: Choose between Natillas or Flan.
$44 tier per person
Starter: Bowl of Menudo or Tortilla Soup
Main Course: Atrisco Plate, Trio Enchiladas or Chile Rellenos
Dessert: Piñon Cheesecake or Flan
MORE INFO: tomasitas.com
Burger 21
$33 for two people
SIDES: Shareable fries.
BURGERS: Choose two burgers, options include: Bacon Cheesy, Shroom, Black Bean, Patty Melt and more.
DRINKS: Choose two fountain beverages or shakes. Featured flavors include Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla Bean or Cookies and Cream.
MORE INFO: burger21.com
Melting Pot
Course one: Cheese fondue options — Hatch Green Chile Cheddar, a Herb Quartet or Wisconsin Cheddar.
Course two: Entree options — Lemon-Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin and shrimp accompanied by a chicken breast, salmon and pasta; or for an additional $5.95 a Meat Lover’s option that features Shrimp Teriyaki Sirloin, Garlic Pepper Sirloin and Memphis-Rubbed Pork.
Course three: Chocolate Fondue selections — Flaming Turtle which features milk chocolate, caramel and candied pecans; or the Flaming Strawberry White Chocolate.
Add a $15 Gruet Wine Flight for three 5-ounce pours: Chardonnay with cheese fondue; pinot noir with entree; sparkling demi-sec with chocolate fondue.
MORE INFO: meltingpot.com/albuquerque-nm
El Pinto
$55 dinner for two special
Appetizer: Chile con Queso or a half order of Green Chile Strips.
Entree: Choose two entrees, options include a Combination #3 plate or an order of Con Carne Enchiladas.
Dessert to share: Levante.
MORE INFO: elpinto.com
Church Street Cafe
Appetizer: Chips and Salsa.
Entree: Carne Adovada al Horno.
Dessert: Fried ice cream.
MORE INFO: churchstreetcafe.com
Level 5
$66 per person
First course: Sugar Snap Pea Caesar Salad
Second course: Confit Pheasant Pasta
Third course: Choose one option from the dessert menu including: Apple Dumpling, Pistachio Tres Leches, Sorbet Trio or more.
MORE INFO: hotelchaco.com/eat-drink/level-5
Albuuqerque Restaurant Week
For more participating restaurants and menus visit, abqrestaurantweek.org
Albuquerque Restaurant Week is returning for the first time since the pandemic from Friday, April 4, through Sunday, April 13, bringing with it a flurry of special menus and deals.
"I think restaurants are finally getting to a place where they have enough employees and can use some extra marketing for their businesses," said Carol Wight, CEO of the New Mexico Restaurant Association, who organized the event.
Over a dozen restaurants will bring their most popular dishes to the table, providing special deals to tempt customers into trying restaurants they may otherwise not think of.
Restaurant Week isn't just a way for New Mexicans to try some of their local favorites or discover a new favorite dish. The week also provides participating restaurants with marketing and exposure during a time that is typically slower in the industry.
"After polling many restaurants in Albuquerque, we found April is one of the slowest months," Wight said. "The benefit is that you get new and different folks than you would usually get in your restaurant, and if you present yourself well with this three-course meal that's at a value, then people will come back. We really want to make sure that our community is well-supported, and I feel like this is also a way to show that support."
For restaurants participating, the week is also a reminder of not just the food they serve, but the ways restaurants enrich the community and provide people a space to relax and catch up with loved ones while enjoying a warm meal.
"Restaurants provide so many important services to the community," said George Grundy, owner of Tomasita's. "It's a complicated business, and we're doing something good for the community and we just want to remind people of that."
