Earl's Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Gallup

If I had the option to give no star I would! I only have these pics but after eating here and talking with the owner I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. My family has been coming here for decades and I have never been treated with this kind of service in my life. My family and I walked out unsatisfied with the way the hamburger steak came out and the foil in my chicken fried steak plus the burnt pizza crust my son got. The service we got from there on from the waiter saying it hand nothing to do with him to the plate that got sent back only to get that same plate back to get another burnt piece of hamburger worst then the first one they brought out and to my son's hard crust, half burnt pizza to the foil I found in my chicken fried steak. That's not even the end of it! When asked to speak with someone in charge they told us to write a note on our receipt or call the manager. Trying to be nice and not wanting to walk out on our ticket, I questioned who the acting manager was while the one was at an appointment. We had to wait for the owner to show only to have him give us an excuse after another about how his company was suffering from the pandemic and telling us that his distribution was not the same. However, that was not the issue at hand, the food was not prepared right and overall, we gave up and said the HELL WITH THIS PLACE! WE PAID OUR TICKET AND LEFT UNSATISFIED! So here I am writing a review... I give this place a BIG ZERO!!! NEVER GOING BACK! THANKS FOR READING...

We were craving a Navajo Taco, so naturally went to Earl's. The price increased dramatically (what hasn't?). But the menu said it was large enough for 2 people. So, we ordered with red sauce because were told it is less spicy than the green. It was served on 2 plates for an extra $1. And it was just enough for us. Perfect. The sauce wasn't evenly distributed over the 2 halves, but there was enough sauce on the lesser half. They use seasoned ground beef and a certain bean - not a pinto but similar in size and shape - which are both very tasty and there was a very good balance between the beef & bean topping and the fried bread. The fried bread was fresh, not greasy, and nice and fluffy where it didn't absorb the sauce. The red sauce was mildly spicy and well-balanced in flavor, perfect to me. A sprinkle of cheese and diced tomatoes garnished the top. We requested 'no lettuce' due to food allergy. The locals sell their handmade wares both outside and inside. They were not pushy nor aggressive. A simple 'no thank you' and a smile and they kept moving along while we dined. The place was busy when we arrived just after noon and it took a little while to place and receive our order. It also gave more time for the locals to show their wares to us. The place was hopping. A good indication that it's a locals favorite because of a good combination of quality,...

Food was good, basic diner food along with some good native American options. I had the huevos rancheros with both red and green sauce. I liked the red better, it was spicier and had a few nice chunks of meat in it. The green sauce was thick and mainly chunks of green chili's, I probably would have enjoyed it more if it was more blended. My husband's burro was more of a tortilla just folded in half instead of an actual burro, but he said he enjoyed it. The beans and rice were standard, nothing special or to write home about. But over all a good meal.

My reason for downgrading on the atmosphere, I understand it's on the reservation or close to it, and I don't mind the vendors outside the restaurant as you walk in. However, they also approach your table to solicit you to buy their wares as you're in the middle of eating, which is uncomfortable and felt awkward at times. We were there probably 30-40 min and we're approached at least 5 or 6 times by different vendors trying to sell us things. That reason alone, I'd probably try someplace else if we were ever back thru, just because I don't want to be hassled or pressured to purchase something when I'm trying to eat and I'm basically blocked in because I'm at a seated...