Albuquerque, NM
For Southern in Albuquerque, the local food press points to Vick's Vittles, 66 Diner, and Mac's Steak in the Rough. Picks from Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog, updated July 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog. Updated July 2026.
Vick's Vittles · Southeast Albuquerque
A country-cooking mainstay on East Central where Gil's Thrilling Blog highlights the chicken-fried steak under green chile gravy. The menu also carries a broasted pork chop and the Cowboy Burrito, a winner at Albuquerque The Magazine's Hot Plate Awards. Order the chicken-fried steak with green chile gravy, or the Cowboy Burrito if you want the award plate, and take the biscuits alongside.
66 Diner · Nob Hill
A retro Route 66 diner on Central Avenue that Gil's Thrilling Blog has visited many times, calling out a chicken-fried steak served as one large slab. The griddle also turns out green chile cheeseburgers and milkshakes that regulars rank among the city's best. Order the chicken-fried steak and a malt, or a green chile cheeseburger if you want the diner's Route 66 classic.
Mac's Steak in the Rough · Albuquerque
An Albuquerque drive-in tradition for more than six decades, known for the chicken-fried-steak fingers it calls steak in the rough. Gil's Thrilling Blog covers it as a longtime local fixture, and it has turned up in national drive-in roundups. Order the steak-in-the-rough fingers with gravy for dipping, and add the onion rings for a full old-school plate.
What’s your #1 Southern in Albuquerque?
Rank your top five and be the first to set Albuquerque's local ranking.