El Patio de Albuquerque

El Patio de Albuquerque Restaurant Review:

Countless generations of Lobos (aka UNM students) have gotten a bang for their buck at University Heights fixture El Patio (which, though small, does indeed boast limited seating al fresco, sometimes enhanced by live music). The food is hearty, spicy and consistently good, especially the green-chile chicken, blue corn enchiladas and the meatless, spinach-filled equivalent---one of a number of vegetarian options, which also include the crispy bean-stuffed sopaipilla; in fact, vegans, a minority in this town, can even go cheeseless. Equally good is the carne adovada, cubes of pork marinated in red chile and spices and slowly baked until tender. And among the coterie of local joints that eschews rice for potatoes, El Patio just might do ’em best. Speaking of potatoes, small ones are what you’ll owe in return---just make sure they’re green, because El Patio’s cash only. Not even a round or two of beer will pad the check substantially; there’s wine too, as well as wine margaritas (though we can’t say we’d recommend them).