Rutilio's New Mexican Foods — Restaurant in Belen

If you're in Belen, eat at Pete's instead, by the Rail Road tracks.

Must be the turn of the times....but Rutilios use to be more than 2 stars and although the food has always been just ok, it was worth the price and the atmosphere was friendly and family oriented. Now, the waitresses always sigh and seem like we're bothering them when we place our order, or need ANYTHING like water, or a napkin or a straw. There's not even an "enjoy your meal" comment or anything as our plates are nearly tossed in front of us. These are not really young waitresses, either. I'm always wondering what I did to make them mad at me and I want to make it right somehow, but I'm realizing now, they simply just don't care about me as a customer or if I return.

If I wanted NO customer service I could stay home, and serve myself better food, and with less attitude. After my visit last time I was embarrassed and sick to my stomach that I had eaten here with my parents again, and wanted to immediately get rid of any of the ok food that had been "smothered" in bad energy like soupy green chile. Blech. 🤢

They have now also started to nickel-and-dime the customers for using any form except cash or for not ordering the special. The food is just run-of-the-mill New Mexican food but they must think it is now lined with gold. Lame. On my last visit I decided this place is not worth visiting anymore.

I won't be returning to this location or the one in Los Lunas. Rutilios is officially, off "the list ". An era over. I recommend not wasting your money here any longer. Pete's is at least gonna give you good service, a nice environment and way better food. Try Pete's or Montanos or Dos Gringas. Worth any wait to avoid this...

Absolutely! Here's a polished and friendly review based on your comments:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Must-Visit Gem in New Mexico – Rutilio's is Unforgettable!

We’re having an absolute blast during our trip, and one of the major highlights has been discovering Rutilio’s restaurant! The menu is stacked with delicious options—it was almost overwhelming in the best way—but every bite we tried was incredible.

I ordered the chicken fried steak breakfast, and it blew me away. It came with white gravy, perfectly scrambled eggs, and flavorful Mexican rice. The surprise standout? Their special fried dough—crispy, soft, and absolutely addictive. Don’t forget to ask for it!

My husband went the lunch route with the carne adovada plate. The meat was tender and seasoned just right, and it came with rice, a taco, and a rolled dough side with a hint of potato inside. The green chile on the side took the whole plate to another level. Truly a New Mexican classic.

Beyond the food, the hospitality here was amazing. The host, Mr. Rutilio himself, came by to greet us, shared stories, and made us feel so welcome. We also met his grandson, Orion, and our waitress Nikki was just fantastic—warm, attentive, and kind.

We’re already planning to come back for more meals while we’re in town. Rutilio’s isn’t just a restaurant—it’s an experience. Great food, great people, and a strong local spirit. Highly recommend, especially if you’re looking to introduce friends, family, or youth groups to authentic New Mexican flavor.

— Nesta...

05/22*23 I went to this Restaurant been one of my favorite in Belen for years..visit at least 2x a month. Order beef burrito, with refried beans with papas, sopas ( it was breakfast time)smother in green Chile.Cup of decaf coffee with lots of cream and need real sugar. Got this awful burrito with taco seasoning in it..then gave me French Fries..barley any Chile on it.. maybe 2 tablespoon.Had to ask for cream and sugar.. Then had to ask again for the sopas almost at end of our meal. Their food has changed so much, MIGHT as well go to Taco Bell. If you want real New Mexican food this is NOT THE PLACE ANY MORE !!! Service,I am sure would have been better if they where so busy, so I understood why I had to ask so many times for things.. But because of that I didn't complain and I am alway afraid they would do something to my food.. AS I have heard horror stories about this kind stuff.. I hope they read this and fix their cooking back to the right way.. So sad when places do this, amounts of food where smaller than normal too. To top this off at the time I was paying the girl say there is a sur charge for using a credit card or debit card..She said don't worry its only a few cents like 3 or 4 cents.. Bull it was .71 cents. This whole thing has really a bad experience... They need to have signs on Menus or/ and Door about Sur charges...