Nestled just north of Lomas in Albuquerque, Slate Street Cafe emerged in 2005 and quickly became a culinary sensation. This bistro, located on a formerly quiet street, brought a wave of sophisticated dining to the area. With its effortlessly cool, almost Soho-like ambiance, Slate Street Cafe attracts a stylish crowd to its sleek, modern dining space. The high ceilings, prominent wine bar, and spacious patio offer a refreshing and vibrant atmosphere, contributing to the revitalization of Albuquerque’s burgeoning downtown district.
Exterior view of Slate Street Cafe, showcasing its location north of Lomas.
A Pedigree of Taste and Innovation
The success of Slate Street Cafe is rooted in the expertise of its founders. Chef Albert Bilotti, known for Al’s NYPD and Kanome, and owner Myra Ghattas, from the family behind Duran’s Central Pharmacy, combined their talents to create this dining gem. Ghattas herself is a certified sommelier, adding another layer of sophistication to the cafe’s offerings. The menu at Slate Street Cafe is best described as eclectic and contemporary, playfully reimagining American comfort food classics. From buttermilk fried chicken to gourmet mac and cheese, and even inventive desserts like homemade cupcakes, the cafe offers a diverse range of dishes. Breakfast is equally enticing, with options like their unique green eggs and ham omelet, a nod to local flavors with green chile from Duran’s.
Interior of Slate Street Cafe dining room with modern decor and comfortable seating.
Ambiance and the Wine Loft Experience
Spanning 7,400 square feet, Slate Street Cafe is designed with a distinctly contemporary feel, energized by a bright and inviting color palette. The upstairs loft serves as an elegant wine bar, reflecting Ghattas’s sommelier expertise. This space hosts regular wine tasting events and offers a fantastic view overlooking the bustling dining room below, creating a lively yet refined experience.
Another perspective of Slate Street Cafe's dining area, highlighting its bright colors and spacious layout.
A Menu to Excite Every Palate
Slate Street Cafe has earned its reputation as a popular spot for both lunch and weekend brunch, often drawing long lines during peak hours. The menu is designed to be exhilarating, presenting a delightful challenge to diners wanting to sample multiple starters, entrees, and desserts. While the menu has evolved over time, certain dishes have become iconic.
Display showcasing awards and accolades received by Slate Street Cafe over the years.
Signature Dishes to Savor
The Slate Burger, made with black Angus beef and served on a ciabatta bun, is a standout. Remarkably flavorful, it stands on its own merits, even for green chile enthusiasts. The high-quality, locally sourced beef from The Western Way in Moriarty is perfectly seasoned and cooked to order. Customize it with fresh toppings like cheese, bacon, or even green chile if you desire, but it’s truly excellent as is.
Close-up shot of the Slate Burger, featuring black angus beef on a ciabatta bun.
For brunch, the sausage sliders are a must-try. Featuring house-made green chile Cheddar biscuits filled with flavorful green chile turkey sausage, they offer a delightful kick to start your day. The chipotle gravy adds another layer of rich, smoky flavor. These sliders are a step above typical brunch fare, with biscuits that are sturdy enough to hold the moist sausage.
Image of Sausage Sliders, showcasing green chile Cheddar biscuits and turkey sausage.
The fried egg sandwich elevates the breakfast sandwich experience. Combining a perfectly fried egg, white Cheddar, and applewood smoked bacon on toasted ciabatta, it’s a far cry from ordinary breakfast sandwiches. The applewood smoked bacon is exceptional, with a sweet-savory flavor from a brown sugar and maple glaze, rivaling even the renowned bacon at Gold Street Caffe. However, the restaurant’s BLT with fried green tomato is perhaps even more celebrated, recognized as one of Albuquerque’s top sandwiches by Albuquerque The Magazine.
For a taste of New Mexican tradition with a twist, the huevos rancheros are exceptional. Served with white Cheddar, hash browns, and your choice of red or green chile (“Christmas style”), atop white corn tortillas from Sabroso, an Albuquerque tortilleria, the dish is elevated by the quality of its ingredients. The tortillas have a distinct corn flavor, and the chile, especially the green, from Duran’s, is known for its fiery heat and fruity notes.
Huevos Rancheros dish, highlighting white Cheddar, hash browns, and Christmas style chile.
The Asian salad at Slate Street Cafe is a refreshing and flavorful option. While the term “Asian salad” can be debated, this version features a mix of romaine, spring mix, pea shoots, shredded carrots, Mandarin oranges, cashews, scallions, crispy rice noodles, and a citrus sesame vinaigrette. It’s a vibrant and fresh combination of ingredients, offering a lighter yet satisfying meal.
Asian Salad with romaine, spring mix, and citrus sesame vinaigrette.
No visit to Slate Street Cafe is complete without trying their gourmet cupcakes. Often credited with popularizing gourmet cupcakes in Albuquerque, Slate Street offers decadent flavors like chocolate with cream cheese frosting, coconut, blueberry lemon, and the classic Boston cream cupcake with chocolate ganache and vanilla custard. These cupcakes are so tempting, it’s easy to overlook the rest of the impressive dessert menu.
Top view of Chocolate Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Boston Cream Cupcake.
For a warm and comforting dessert, the apple delight is a perfect choice. Sliced apples and walnuts in a rich caramel sauce, baked in puff pastry and topped with vanilla ice cream, create a harmonious blend of textures and flavors. The apples retain a pleasant al dente texture, the walnuts offer a savory-sweet contrast, and the premium ice cream elevates this dessert to pure indulgence.
Apple Delight dessert featuring sliced apples, walnuts, caramel sauce, puff pastry and vanilla ice cream.
Archived Delights: Dishes We Miss
While Slate Street Cafe’s menu evolves, some beloved items are no longer available. Dishes like the pear and Stilton salad, with walnuts, Stilton blue cheese, field greens, and port vinaigrette, are fondly remembered for their sophisticated flavor combinations.
Pear & Stilton salad with walnuts, blue cheese, and port vinaigrette.
The bruschetta at Slate Street was known for its exceptional quality, offering a selection of toppings on perfectly toasted bread. Options like tomato, mozzarella and basil, or feta, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, showcased the cafe’s commitment to fresh, flavorful ingredients.
The fried olives stuffed with garlic & Boursin cheese were a unique and addictive starter, offering a salty and savory burst of flavors that tantalized the taste buds.
For seafood lovers, the brown bag fish and chips, featuring Guinness stout-battered salmon and house-made chips, was a memorable twist on a classic. The use of salmon instead of cod brought a richer flavor to the dish.
Fish tacos with tilapia, cabbage, and mango cream drizzle.
The fish tacos, served in deep-fried corn shells, were another creative seafood option. While a bit challenging to eat, the combination of flavors, including citrusy, briny, and acidic notes, was well-received.
Slate Street’s buttermilk fried chicken was praised for its juicy, flavorful, and slightly salty profile, with a thick, seasoned batter.
Green Chile Mac n’ Cheese with sharp Cheddar, Havarti and Gouda cheeses.
The green chile mac and cheese was a standout comfort food dish, blending three cheeses – sharp Cheddar, Havarti, and Gouda – with rotelli pasta and piquant green chile for a rich and flavorful adult version of mac and cheese.
For dessert, the bread pudding with warm rum sauce and the decadent banana split, featuring blueberry and a richer chocolate ice cream, along with caramelized bananas and a mix of peanuts and cashews, were indulgent treats that are missed by many.
Banana Split with blueberry and chocolate ice cream, caramelized bananas and nuts.
Albuquerque’s Culinary Gem
Slate Street Cafe remains a true gem in Albuquerque’s dining scene. Embracing the locavore movement, the cafe partners with local farmers and producers to source fresh, high-quality ingredients. From breakfast to dinner, and from organic eggs to heirloom tomatoes, the commitment to quality shines through. The second-story wine loft further enhances the experience, offering exquisite wine pairings to complement the innovative menu. For anyone looking to experience the best of Albuquerque’s downtown dining, Slate Street Cafe is an essential destination.
Slate Street Cafe
515 Slate, N.W.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 243-2210
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LATEST VISIT: 10 December 2023
# OF VISITS: 7
RATING: 23
COST: $$
BEST BETS: Fried Olives Stuffed With Garlic & Boursin Cheese; Bruschetta; Fried Chicken; Brown Bag Fish & Chips; Green Eggs & Ham; Sausage Sliders, Bread Pudding; Boston Cream Cupcake; Green Chile Mac & Cheese
