Cecilia's Cafe in Albuquerque

Lunch Stop in the City

Don and I were passing through Albuquerque in June of 2023. 

I searched the map for a restaurant not far from our route. Cecilia's promised to serve up authentic New Mexican cuisine. I called to make sure they were open and was told, "We're open, but we close at 1:00." Odd closing time!  

​Sweet Exterior

​We arrived at 12:30 and parked near the inviting cafe entrance. White stucco, red awnings and Madonna in the window. I hoped she would keep our car safe. 

Always a risk parking in unknown areas, when on a roadtrip with a car full of stuff.

More Madonna & Balloons

If the Madonna under the awning couldn't protect, maybe the one painted in the alcove could.

I had to stop and admire the window beneath the other awning. Oh how I've always wanted to attend Albuquerque's annual Balloon Festival!

City Corner

Before we stepped inside, I had to marvel that we'd found ourselves at a homey cafe, near downtown Albuquerque.

The white 2-story building on the corner of Silver and 6th, was dwarfed by the taller city buildings. Evidently this was built as a house, over 100 years ago. 

Cozy Cluttered

We climbed a couple of steps and opened the screen door. What a surprise! The little space was packed with decorative goodies and quite a few diners.

A young guy looked up when we entered. He nodded and gestured towards an available booth.

Holy Treasures

We sat across from a very decorated corner.  I spotted St. Frances and a few more Madonnas. 

Two cherubs and a Jesus figure in a clock, beside a ceramic Christmas tree. 

Guy

Another corner made me grin a bit.

Guy Fieri and his signature smile and sunglasses, looked down from a signed poster. Cecilia's was featured on his show in 2009.

Studying

The young man brought menus. I studied the walls more than I did the menu.

The wooden sign gave us a heads up about Great food & atmasphere. I noticed the red and green chilis, beside the words, "unpredictable chile fix".

Awards 

I noticed a lot of Christmas decor. A Christmas tree here, a wreath there...

... a manger display.  And lots of awards. "Best Downtown House Turned Restaurant" That's an interesting award. Made me wonder how many house turned restaurants there are in Albuquerque?

Our View

I liked our booth, with a view of the dining room. We could see the the exposed brick around a window. I tried to imagine the old brick house, beneath the white stucco.

I could see 3 in the kitchen rushing about. The woman in the red shirt appeared stressed. I guessed she was the one on the phone who wanted me to know they'd be closing that day at 1.

San Pascual Arrived 1999

There was a lot of wall decor near the opening to the kitchen. The most curious piece of art, was a crude little painting of a man in a monk's robe, holding a spoon.

The image was of San Pascual, the patron saint of cooks and kitchens.  I learned later, that the mysterious little painted board was found on the cafe's stoop, on the first day that Cecilia's opened, in 1999.

Fireman's 10 Pound Burrito!

Before deciding on our order, we took a moment to ponder the Fireman's Burrito option. Sadly, we did not hear the bell ring during our visit.

The busy woman in the red shirt came to take our order.  I didn't attempt to chuckle about the 10-pound burrito. Her focus seemed to be everywhere but our table, as she waited to hear our order. I asked which was hotter, red or green sauce? I got a quick answer. "Both."  

​Tamales

​Don attempted to order chicken tamales but was told they only had pork.

He was fine with pork tamales. Sadly he was not fine with the heat. He's become less tolerant of hot spicy foods over the years, but usually he can attempt more than 1 bite. He played it safe (traveling!) and just ate his beans and rice. He raved about the beans, though.

Stuffed Sopaipilla

I was pretty excited about my fry bread, stuffed with beans, beef, cheese, onions and lettuce. My meal was hot as well, but such flavors!

Don was able eat a little of mine. I offered up my beans and rice to him. We actually were both satisfied.

As we worked on our food, the last customers sat down. Just before the Closed sign went in the door. We overheard the woman in red telling them that it had been a rough day. A pipe broke and the bathroom was closed. Yikes.

Meeting Cecilia

I had not expected to have a chat with the woman in red. But after she took the last order, a weight seemed to lift. She came over and apologized for being so rushed. She seemed so pleased that we'd enjoyed her food. (I couldn't bring myself to tell her it was too hot for Don)

I asked if she was by any chance The Cecilia, of Cecilia's. She laughed that she was. We asked about her experience with Guy Fieri and she shook her head. "Whew! Our business was crazy after that! There were lines down the sidewalk." She talked about the struggles after the pandemic. "We can't get people to work,"  She looked at the now half empty dining room and said business was so much slower now.

A Good Visit

Even with spicy food and no bathroom options, we were glad we'd had a visit to the little cafe. It was a treat absorbing the atmosphere, with Cecilia's precious collections. 

I wish we could go back and enjoy another meal. Cecilia might be able to suggest a milder dish for Don. But sadly, I looked up Cecilia's today. It looks like the cafe closed its doors, October 2024. Too many struggles, trying to keep the business running, since the pandemic. Sad.

But, I read that Cecilia may have a food truck somewhere! Maybe there will be a next time!
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