Nightlife
Route 66 really is the place you’re likely to get your kicks in Albuquerque, as many bars and nightlife venues are strung along Central Avenue. Many bars, pubs, and lounges also offer an eclectic mix of pleasures to while away the night, including live music from jazz to rock, DJs, dancing, pool tables, or other games and events. Duke City also has some terrific artisan breweries, with brewpubs attached, which are popular gathering places with the commuting crowd. Most bars feature happy hours, and in a city where food is taken seriously, nightspots also provide plenty of options to grab a better-than-average bite. Some of the eateries in our Restaurants chapter also have lively bars that are popular destinations for nondiners.
If you want to try your luck at the slots or the poker table, gaming is permitted on Indian lands, and there are several large casinos at the local pueblos of Sandia, Santa Ana, and Isleta. If you’re looking for theater, ballet, opera, or other performance arts and cultural nightlife, including classical, jazz, pop, and general music concerts, see the detailed listings in our Arts chapter.
There is no indoor smoking in Albuquerque, with the exception of the casinos and the cigar bar listed in this chapter. Many bars do, however, permit smoking on their patios. New Mexico state law prohibits anyone under 21 from purchasing or consuming alcohol, and minors are not permitted inside lounges. Always carry your picture ID as evidence of date of birth, as establishments are stringent on the age laws. Bars and lounges can close as late as 2 a.m. and at midnight on Sunday. There are no alcohol sales before noon on Sunday.
1. ATOMIC CANTINA
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 242-2200
Address: 315 Gold Avenue SW
Description: This popular Downtown haunt has a well-stocked jukebox, plus pool table, foosball, and pinball. You can hear live music at least three nights a week, including punk, rock, and indie from local and touring bands, and there’s a swing dance and rockabilly evening on Thursday. Crooners can join in the Tuesday night karaoke. The atmosphere is very low key and casual, and there’s no cover charge for music or events. Open seven nights.
2. BLACKBIRD BUVETTE
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 243-0878
Address: 509 Central Avenue NW
Description: Owned by partners from the Albuquerque rock band the Dirty Novels, the Blackbird Buvette is a European-style haunt where you can drop in for good coffee, drinks, or food from lunchtime through late night, with some kind of entertainment usually taking place six evenings a week. Expect live music in a range of styles on two or three nights, plus regular DJs and dance parties and events such as art openings, ongoing art exhibits, and a monthly Poetry and Beer poetry night. The high-quality food menu is diverse, and breakfast is served all day. The bar serves plenty of local beers on tap and interesting cocktails. There are two patios. Open seven days.
3. BURT’S TIKI LOUNGE
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 247-2878
Address: 313 Gold Avenue SW
Description: A colorful hangout with live music later on most nights, playing everything from bluegrass to punk, Burt’s Tiki Lounge is something of a Duke City legend. The intimate space is packed with kitschy tiki decor and an eclectic clientele. With a DJ dance party on Thursday, no cover charge for music and events, and plenty of specials on drinks, it’s where locals come to loosen up. Closed Sunday.
4. NOB HILL BAR & GRILL
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 266-4455
Address: 3128 Central Avenue SE
Description: You can tell yourself it’s purely historical research when you sip one of Nob Hill Bar & Grill’s classic “lost” cocktails, including the Sazerac, the Aviation, and the Sidecar. The bar specializes in handcrafted cocktails using fresh fruit, herbs, and house-made syrups, resulting in mojitos with moxie, the healthy-sounding Green Tea Lemon Drop, and the aptly named New Mexico Sunset Punch. On Friday nights only, try their acclaimed and (literally) smoking Berries & Bubbles, with different berries every week, a flavored vodka, champagne float, lime juice, and a house-made syrup, finished off with a dash of dry ice for dramatic effect. Open seven days.
5. ONE UP ELEVATED LOUNGE
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 242-1966
Address: 301 Central Avenue NW
Description: This sleek but comfortable new Downtown lounge is set on the second floor with floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony overlooking Central Avenue. There’s an extensive cocktail menu, and the food offering focuses on inventive tapas, many with an Asian or Southwestern spin, plus a selection of entrées, including the popular Buffalo Bacon Burger with spicy mango ketchup. Regular entertainment includes live music and DJs, and in addition to the comfortable bar and lounge areas, an equally smart billiard lounge has 11 tables. Closed Sunday.
6. Q-BAR
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 222-8718
Address: 800 Rio Grande Boulevard NW
Description: A stylish destination bar at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town, Q-Bar is all the rage for its plush decor, live jazz and piano music, DJ nights, and pack-a-punch cocktails. Q-Bar has a series of low-lit, warm-hued lounges with comfy couches, including a piano lounge, a wine room with curtained booths, a billiard lounge, a more minimalist gallery bar with sculptures, and a VIP room. The food menu offers small plates and appetizers with Asian, New Mexican, and French fusion cuisine. Live music plays Wednesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday.
7. Chama River Brewing Company
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 342-1800
Address: 4939 Pan American Freeway NE
Description: Serving award-winning ales and lagers from its large copper bar, Chama River is a favorite with brew buffs and also popular as a comfortable dining spot with its fine food menu. There are six house beers on tap, including the popular Rio Chama Amber Ale, plus various seasonal and specialty beers. Lunch and dinner menus offer a culinary edge over normal brewpub fare, ranging from signature steaks to upscale burgers and appetizers such as Truffled Bleu Cheese Fries, plus pasta and seafood, including Maple Brown Sugar Salmon. The Green Chile and Ale Fondue is popular as an appetizer. Open daily.
8. Kelly’s Brew Pub
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 262-2739
Address: 3222 Central Avenue SE
Description: In the renovated Jones Motor Company building and gas station on old Route 66, Kelly’s striking neon-light exterior retains a touch of retro glamour, while playing host to a very contemporary crowd. You’ll find over 20 Kelly brews to suit all palates, and these beers are only sold at the pub. Broad-ranging breakfast, lunch, and dinner pub-grub menus include build-your-own burgers and breakfast burritos. The large and dog-friendly patio is especially popular for watching the Nob Hill passersby, and inside there’s a sports bar with pool table and TVs. Open seven days.
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Address: 111 Marble Avenue NW
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Address: 11000 Broadway SE
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Address: 30 Rainbow Road NE
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Address: 54 Jemez Canyon Dam Road
14. IMBIBE
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 255-4200
Address: 3101 Central Avenue NE
Description: Imbibe’s rooftop patio overlooking Nob Hill is a big attraction on fine evenings, with fire pits set into the low tables to keep patrons warm once the sun goes down. Downstairs there’s a lounge with a full bar, a large humidor, and a wide array of fine cigars for sale, and smoking is permitted indoors. An adjoining sleek cave of a room is the venue for live music and other events. There are regular jazz and DJ nights here. Open seven days.
15. EXHALE NIGHTCLUB & GRILL
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (505) 342-0049
Description: Although open to all, Exhale is popular with lesbian lasses looking to dance in this spacious club over several floors. There’s a patio, lounges, food and bar specials, and live acts and shows, plus regular karaoke. Opening days vary.