This restaurant was by far the worst we have been to in years. Similar to some of the reviews below, we were told to wait 20 minutes and then repeatedly skipped over, although there were many empty tables. Bizarre seating policy to say the least. But in expectation of some authentic Mexican food we were willing to deal with it.
But the food was not only not great...it was gross.
We ordered the ground beef tacos with soft shell tortillas. What a mess that dish is! They drag the soft shell tortillas through oil so that they arrive dripping of (cold) oil! This can only be explained by a complete absence of culinary training of the cook or the fact that someone started to fry the tortillas and then changed their mind. UGH.
The ground beef tasted and smelled like fish food. Seriously, no joke. We were afraid to touch it.
The appetizer of chile con queso was okay, but mainly tasted like Velveeta. We left the tacos intact on our plate, drank our beers and got out in a hurry. A truly sad food experience. Why anyone would recommend this place is beyond or comprehension.

Oh no--not another business convention in a stuffy hotel ballroom! Save me from stale danish! Fortunately, my hotel was in walking distance of Old Town Albuquerque. I took an early morning stroll through the quaint streets to admire the gardens and have a stupendous breakfast at the Church Street Cafe. Enjoy the outdoor seating and the huevos rancheros Christmas style (with red and green chilis). You'll get a side of history for free; the restaurat is in the oldest residence in the city (early 1700s).

http://www.churchstreetcafe.com/
2111 Church St. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Phone - [--]

Church Street Cafe has gone downhill. This place used to be a bright spot in Old Town.

We arrived and were informed there was a 20 minute wait. 50 minutes later we asked again how much more of a wait. Turns out they had skipped our name even though we had been standing next to check in. Elderly woman said she couldn't pronounce my name, which is a common Hispanic name in New Mexico.

Finally we were seated and waitress took our drink order. No silverware or napkins given to us.

Waitress returned and spilled a full glass of soda on my shirt and pants. I didn't have any napkins with which to dry myself and waitress was too busy wiping table to give me a napkin. I asked her four times for a napkin.

We were then moved to another table in another section of the restaurant. Waiter took our order. Again, no silverware or napkins provided. Waiter brought food, noticed we didn't have silverware or napkins and said, “I’ll bring you some in a minute.” Instead he waited on two other tables and never did bring us silverware and napkins. I had to open their cupboard and get our own silverware and napkins to bring back to our table.

Food was under-cooked. Waiter said our bill was covered due to the coke-spilling incident but I insisted on paying.

This is a place to avoid. It's a shame as this was formerly a good place to eat.

As an Old Town merchant, I rarely get to go out to eat at our area restaurants, as most are not open early, and I don't stay around in the evening long enough for a late meal. However, this morning I felt the need for real food for breakfast, not my usual muffin. So, I thought I'd give the Church Street Cafe another chance. (I've found their service very slow the couple times I've been there in the past, and the food less than stellar as well.)

So, I figure, OK 45 minutes SHOULD be enough to get a burrito. Wrong. I had to get a take-out container and eat at my shop by the time the food finally arrived 45 minutes into my stay.

When I first entered, an employee was using an electric sweeper in the lobby. It was very annoying and seemed to go on and on and on. My thought was "this should be done in off hours."

They seated me alone in a room that appeared to be where the employees ate, as there was half-eaten food on one table that was never cleared the whole time, and portions of it would disappear as employees walked by. (I hate eating alone, as a lone woman always gets the worst table in the place. This was no exception.)

I noticed that the upholstered cushions (both seating and pillows) were in a sad state. They needed to be reupholstered very badly, as holes were present along the edges. The paint around the window was also very dirty and needed a new coat. Otherwise, it seemed fairly clean, but in need of some touch-ups as for the decor in general.

The waiter never stopped by to check on me the whole time. It would have been nice to have him at least apologize about how much time my food was taking or see if I wanted anything.

When I finally got to eat, back at my shop, the food was again less than stellar. The burrito was dry, as it had no cheese or sauce of any kind inside. There was only egg and ham inside, nothing else. (Most people put a little cheese or dab of sauce inside a burrito to make it moist.) The sauce outside was meager to say the least, but the cheese was at least melted on top. The potatos were very greasy. The 1/4 orange slice garnish was excellent. (I would have enjoyed at least a 1/2 slice of it.)

Many people tell me that they really enjoy this restaurant, but my personal experience has not been good there. I believe this is a business where employees are pretty much left to run the place on their own, and it shows. I fully understand the importance of keeping expenses down, but I think they have gone too far in that. Just looking at the worn upholstry and half eaten food on the table across from me was enough to turn my stomach, and that was even before I tasted the food.

I think next time I get the yearning for breakfast in Old Town, I'm going to Little Anita's.