Central Grill and Coffee House — Restaurant in Albuquerque

On 2 January 2025, I went through the drive thru to purchase some soup. A young man by the name of Jared, opened the back door, to tell me that the restaurant was closed for a, closed family activity. I guess I looked disappointed. He asked me what was I looking for? I said that I was looking for some soup. I mentioned that I was from out of town, and was helping move in my son to his apartment, and that I was in a hotel. I told him that I was a heart patient trying to stay on a plant base diet. Jared asked me if I was able to heat food up back at the hotel. I said no, there is no micro-wave in the room. Without hesitation, this respectful and kind young man said, "Wait right here. we may have some left over soup". I said I could pay with my card, but at the moment did not have any cash on hand. He said, "not to worry". I looked feverishly for any cash, but only found one dollar on me. Jared did not have to do that for me. But he did it. He brought out some amazing, delicious cream soup with potatoes, chicken, chile and crackers. It was fantastic. My wife was in another state helping one of my sons who suffers from a mental illness. Out of negligence, incompetence, poor leadership, my son was practically booted out to the street from the nursing home he was in (26 years old), because of some inept person who assessed that he did not meet the criteria to remain in that nursing home in the state of Utah. I was helping my other son here in Albuquerque, who also suffers from severe health issues, move him into his new apartment. I say this because I had just got off the phone with my wife discussing the severe stresses of dealing with both our sons. We were beyond exhaustion, and continue to help our sons even though we see no end to our current life, which we have done for years. I say this because Jared had no idea of our family situation, nor was that the time to tell him. All the while, Jared demonstrated respect, kindness and a care for some unknown, like me. Jared was an angel for me tonight, without even knowing it. If Jared is a representation of the caliber of who works and runs this restaurant, then this place must be worth visiting. Folks that soup was awesome. Incredibly delicious. I give this place and Jared, 10 out of 10. I will go back when it is open. You should...

Short Version: DO NOT EAT HERE YOU WILL GET SICK!

Long Version: After reading all the stellar reviews for this place, my wife and I decided to check it out. You order at the counter and pay/leave tip before service. The place was packed so I figured it must be good. Server said it would take 20 minutes. Seemed like a long time for pancakes and a breakfast sandwich, but whatever. After waiting 10 minutes for a dirty table to be bussed I asked for a refill (they don't bring them to you) and for the table to be bussed so we could sit down. The gal behind the counter rolled her eyes and snippily said "We'll be with you shortly." 10 minutes later, someone finally bussed the table, but only wiped off half of it with a rag that had clearly been well used. After being entertained for a total of 40 minutes by the multiple flies buzzing around and my seat bouncing up and down every time the ADHD kid next to me moved, I had to inquire again where our food was as it was already twice as long as they claimed. Three minutes later the food came out, and it was so underwhelming. As you can see in the picture, there is only the smallest dot of a sausage patty, and the eggs/cheese were completely overwhelmed by the biscuit. My "world famous" pancakes were cold and flavorless. My wife's croque madame was equally poorly made and tasteless, but the biggest issue was the hash browns. She had me try them to confirm, but they were made with RANCID OLD OIL. For the first time in my life, I spit out the food at a restaurant because it was inedible. I would have asked for a refund, but given the speed of service, I didn't want to wait, I just wanted to leave. As we were leaving, I had to dodge a server dumping water over the patio barrier, because apparently that's how they do things. How this place hasn't been closed down by the health department is beyond me, much less how it's one of the top rated restaurants in Albuquerque. The Range, Flying Star, hell, even McDonalds all offer faster service, better food and a cleaner environment. Avoid this dump...

Regarding diner food, this place is okay. I ordered the chicken-fried steak with my choice of egg (which I got scrambled), hash browns or papitas (which I chose papitas), and a buttermilk biscuit. The chicken-fried steak had a crisp exterior, but the meat was flat and dry. The gravy it was topped with was generic and bland; it contained only pepper. The eggs were okay. The papitas were dry and unseasoned. The buttermilk biscuit was the worst (well, the worst when it comes to buttermilk biscuits). First off, it felt more like a bread roll than a biscuit, leading to a tough texture, as if they worked (kneaded) the dough instead of mixing until everything was combined, folding it a few times, and then cutting out the biscuit (assuming they made the biscuit in-house). It also had a stale taste, like it had been sitting out. Overall, the chicken-fried steak rates a 4-5 out of 10. The breakfast burrito (the Jr. burrito is pictured) was decent. They were generous with the bacon and not overpowered by cheese. The red chili was decent. I rate the breakfast burrito a 6-7 out of 10. Would I go here again? Probably not, but I would be inclined to try their banana waffle or blueberry...