LA RISTRA NEW MEXICAN KITCHEN

Reviews 6

SK

SK Koebel

I am a huge fan of Mexican food and this is one of the few places Ive ever eaten that I did not like. Their waitresses are friendly but the service is unbelievably slow. For some reason all of their sauces have a bitter aftertaste. As if someone has crushed aspirin in each Bowl. The chips were hot and fresh but the 3 Salsas offered were inedible to me because of the strong bitter taste. The same thing with the enchilada sauce. I was glad we ordered it on the side instead of having it all over the chimichanga. We got the red sauce and it was the worst enchilada sauce I ever tasted. I also ordered the three mahi-mahi tacos and I asked the waitress if it was a large portion and she assured me that it was. It was definitely not. The tacos were tiny Street Taco sized, smaller than my hand and filled with one tiny chunk of fish smaller than bite-sized. Everything on the menu is seasoned with Hatch Chiles but that seems to be the only flavor besides bitter. Everything is just overly hot but lacking in any garlic or onion or Citrus flavors. The chimichanga was large but very dry, and we would have preferred it with some queso sauce on top but they dont offer any. We ordered the squash side dish and it came with shredded cheese on top but it wasnt even warm enough for the cheese to be melted. I asked for it to be made without Hatch Chiles and the waitress said that was no problem, and the manager later came out complain to me and told me they couldnt make it that way for me again because they make the dish the night before and they dont have time to leave the Chiles out for people who dont want them. I felt that $15 for Superdry chimichanga with bitter sauce and Tiny spoonfuls of side dishes was a waste of money as well as $12 for 3 child size fish tacos with lukewarm sides. We will never be back.

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AH

Ahren S

I have come here every week since they opened (only a few weeks ago). I can honestly say it is worth spending your money on. Is it as hot as other places are out there....no.....but that makes sense if most of the patrons in the area are NOT fire eaters. The nice thing is if you want them to turn it up....they can very easily and will be happy to do so.....just ask! Now I can understand a part of the previous reviewer.......but they just opened the doors when he wrote his review. The staff was still in training.....and mistakes are going to be made.....but the food was definately good! I have had half the menu and all of the appetizers already.....there is pretty much something for most everyone. I am not going to bother going into alot of detail about the food because what tastes good to me might not to somebody else....and vice versa. Everything is very edible and they are even accomidating to children....which not everyone does nowadays. So go there and try it out. The menu is large enough it will take a group of people a few visits to sample it all. I will say my personal favorite is the pork shank.....but the adavada ribs are awesome and so are a few other things. To me the best part of this restaurant is the ownership. They like to get to know their patrons....and they will treat you very well. Btw....there is another half to the business that is dedicated to dining, which is getting very close to completion and will open soon. They also have a patio with umbrellas and misters for those who prefer outdoors.

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MI

Michael Hall

I waited to review this place after visiting about seven or eight times. We began frequenting here a few months ago, however we noticed the flaws after our second visit. We signed up for the tequila tasting tour-$20, you get an etched snifter, 10% off tequila, and after you buy all 100-or-so types of tequila, you get ONE bottle with your name on it. So the OWNER, John, was super nice, and super friendly when he was selling the tequila club. After we bit and dropped cash, John said all will be ready (the snifter) in one week. Two weeks goes by, we stop by, and they cant find anything on us. A week after, they find paperwork, no snifters. By one month, we get our snifters, the correct paper work, and finally realize that-the service is poor, the servers and bartenders dont even bother to fake it, the food is bland, and in order to get the snifters and our list to check off tequilas it takes 10 minutes of searching for paperwork and snifters from the ever-changing staff. I recommend try another place and dont bother with La Ristra-or just drive to Sadies in Albuquerque for REAL New Mexican food-La Ristra isnt it!

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JU

Justine Estell

My husband and I discovered La Ristra about a couple of months ago and I wont embarrass myself by letting you know how many times weve been since then. :-) We start out by having the cheese crisp with red sauce and the sauce is so flavorful and goes perfectly with the gooey cheese and wonderful crisp foundation!! Ive tried to try new things but so far Ive only (repeatedly) gotten the socorros grilled chicken and avocado w/ hatch chilies. This dish is perfection in terms of flavor, just the right amount of heat and generous avocado. Is your mouth supposed to water this much when just writing a review? :-) My memory gland is kicking into overdrive, especially since were heading here again today or tomorrow. My husband has tried a few things and has enjoyed everything. Carne asada, carne adovada ribs, and the blue corn enchiladas. I have no idea what they have for dessert because we clean our plates from the meals and dont leave enough room! See you today or tomorrow La Ristra!! :-)

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ST

Stuart Preston

Oh, man, this place was awful, all the way around. I am a fan of NM food. If Los Dos Molinos is a 5-star place and Aribas is a 3-star, Ive got to give this place a single star. First, the salsas for the chips looked like they reused them from a previous patron. The red salsa was all water and had dried spill on the rim of the bowl. The green salsa was like a paste. The food came on a hot plate, but the food itself was luke-warm. Thats the first time Ive ever experienced that. The carne adovada was dry, so I opened up my burrito to check it out and found a giant, snotty lump of fat in there. Yuck! Not to mention no adovada taste -- very bland and not spicy. Really? Dont you have to seriously marinade that? Beans had no flavor. Rice was near-cold and bland. Im sorry, but this place is just awful. When I pulled into the empty parking lot, but gut instinct was to turn around. After eating there, my gut was telling me, Told you so!

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DA

Darin Hughes

AMAZING FOOD and Good Décor....However...I will NEVER understand how OWNERS, GMs, Floor Managers do not prepare their servers and require their servers to perform the BASICS of GREAT service!! Simple Steps of Service!! How are you folks doing today?.....Great my name is BLANK.....HAVE YOU FOLKS been here before??? Yes? Welcome BACK! NO? Welcome for the first time!! EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR!!!!!! YOUR FAVORITES....ANY SPECIALS....SUGGEST ITEMS!!! Take and order....anticipate needs...drink refills etc. CHECK BACK....is everything cooked properly???? Is everyone SATISFIED and happy....Wonderful. THANK YOUR GUEST FOR THEIR BUSINESS....there are a ZILLION other places to eat especially in AZ!! Let them know of other days specials... GOOD GOD how does this not happen??? You know what this is??? Its called CUSTOMER SERVICE....and it separates the winners from the losers! Good Luck!!

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