The Standard Diner

320 Central Avenue SE, Albuquerque, NM - (505) 243-1440

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Posted By Crystal Jacks on May 1, 2010 11:20 PM

My friend and I were passing through Albuquerque. The Standard Diner seems to come highly recommended, so we checked it out.

I ordered a bowl of green chile chicken chowder that was excellent. The bread and butter brought to our table was very good too. My friend and I each ordered burgers--she got one with caramelized onions and I ordered the green chile cheddar burger. Neither of us were overwhelmed by the burgers, but they certainly weren't bad.

The desserts seemed unique and cleverly presented, but the two we ordered were nothing special: I had "donuts and coffee," which consisted of three (very dry and bland) tiny assorted zeppole and a cup of hot chocolate espresso (that was decent). I had also heard good things about their homemade ice cream, but the single scoop of vanilla we ordered was delivered to the table half-melted. It, too, was nothing special.

The service was pleasant but very slow for such an empty dining room. Overall, I'd probably come back for the soup and try ordering something else.

Overall Rating

Green Chile Chicken Chowder

Diner Burger

Homemade Ice Cream

Coffee and Donuts

Vanilla Ice Cream - Single Scoop

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Posted By Anne Ritchings on July 26, 2009 11:38 PM

We were searching for a fun place to have lunch on this day and remembered that several friends had recommended The Standard Diner. We decided to try it and we were so glad we did. The best part of this adventure is that this place is in our own hometown. We can come here whenever we want.

We started off by sharing an appetizer of country-fried tuna. The tuna is wrapped in a thin layer of phyllo pastry and then flash-fried to rare perfection. The ginger tartar sauce and the wasabi guacamole were so good that I could have eaten them alone.

Kay ordered the tempura-fried fish and chips. The Chimayo red chile dipping sauce offered just a bit of heat, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the fish or the chips were overwhelmed. The fish was cooked just right, with not a hint of grease.

I had the chicken-fried steak. We have eaten this dish all over Texas and the South. Neither of us has ever had a better one. The meat was supremely tender, the crust was light and beautifully seasoned, and the peppercorn gravy was ethereal. This should be on your list of 500 things to eat before you die. Really! No kidding!

Our waiter was charming. When he discovered that this was our first visit, he gave us a bowl of the just-made guava ice cream. It was so good that we kept on eating even though we kept saying that we just couldn't eat another bite. We loved this place--the ambience, the service, the food. This was our first visit, but it certainly won't be our last.

Overall Rating

Country-Fried Tuna

Chicken-Fried Steak

Homemade Ice Cream

Fish and Chips

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