The Daily Grind

5 stars for marked improvement! The new ownership is amazing! The food stayed the same which is great because they are the only breakfast place in town that doesn’t make red chile from powder.
The one thing I don’t like is the music. I miss the guitar music. The 60’s music is annoying.

Price is ridiculous. $ 11 for a sandwich, small sandwich? Nope. Never again. Lol while eating saw guy bring in bread from grocery store. Oh yeah, fries were water logged with grease.

Breakfast was great. Prompt service, good food, nice people. Menu was creative with an eclectic twist. Large portions and they didn’t charge for a side of salsa and chile. I wish they had more options for brunch, but we did get there at 10 and just missed lunch at 11.

Since when does a coffee shop give a cop a hard time about coming in with a gun? Horrible service. I’ll never go back.

I sure love it when mediocre reviewed restaurants exceed mediocre expectations. (There’s actually a theory of communication that goes into great detail about how one reacts when their expectations are ‘violated’)
But anywho, I was very impressed with the Daily Grind. We went for Sunday Brunch around 11 to find a very nice, modern restaurant.
I must confess upon entering through the patio, I was confused. Do I seat myself, order up front, how do I eat in this place? I pondered.
You do seat yourself. We chose a table on their nice, dog friendly patio. It took a couple of minutes before being acknowledged, but aside from that short lapse, we were well taken care of.
Breakfast is served until 2 on the weekends. 11 on the weekdays. And they don’t have TVs, so don’t plan on watching football.
I ordered a smothered bacon breakfast burrito. Red and green. My girlfriend tried their huevos green. We were both satisfied and very full.
Their prices are very reasonable. They have several dishes that start at $ 5, but if you want protein, chile, etc you’ll have a couple of up charges.
I noticed you can check in on Unilocal for a free appetizer. I’ll be going back soon to try out their dinner.
Nonetheless, The Daily Grind is a great addition to the ABQ food scene. I’ll add this to my list of restaurants to take guests.

Daily Grind solidly deserves a 3.5. Sadly, I can’t give it one, so we’ll have to go with the three. This is the sort of place where you are paying a premium for the atmosphere. Compared to your standard workplace lunch joint, Daily Grind is quite clean and well-​put together, with an atmosphere crossed between rustic and modern. Quite similar to Vinaigrette in this sense. Diners, however, pay a small premium for the atmosphere, and the prices are slightly higher than the «workplace lunch» norm.
Service was polite, but somewhat ineffective. My group was ready to order well in advance of the time our orders were in fact taken, and one party member’s question regarding the soup took an inordinately long time to answer.
As for the food, I found the contents of my sandwich tasty, but rather lacking in portion, particularly compared to the rather heaping portion of fries. With more sandwich and less fries, the meal would have been substantially improved. I found the iced tea to be average in the extreme.
Overall, not bad.

Came here for the first time for lunch and had a great experience. Delicious food, nice portion sizes, and extremely friendly staff. Definitely coming back.

This place is getting knocked down a star. I’m still super unimpressed by the ‘walk in and seat yourself’ thing. If it’s going to be a full service restaurant, which it is portrayed as, there shouldn’t be silence and possibly unwelcoming eyes when I walk in. If you want to have me order at the counter… then put up a sign or guide me in some way. It’s a mixture of two different styles of restaurants, and I don’t like it!
That being said, when I did get to my table, the server was nice enough. He did put down the check before asking me if I wanted dessert (which I’m pretty sure The Daily Grind is known for). I get it bud… I don’t look like I need it… but I’d still like to be asked. I saw him set down a check on another table while they were in the middle of eating. How rude!
The reason why this place doesn’t get 2 stars is because the food isn’t as uninspired as the atmosphere. The food is consistently good!
I guess you’ve gotta do some soul searching and figure out what’s important to you in a restaurant/​café/​whatever it is.

Delicious, local food in a fun atmosphere.
Pros: Food is excellent and fresh, with some unique takes on old favorites. Service is friendly. Atmosphere is casual and fun, with a nice patio option. Love the London Fogs, and the raspberry purée I had with my waffle was to die for :-)
Cons: A little on the expensive side. Also, expect the food to take a little longer than other restaurants (not a big deal for most, but may affect your decision if running short on time)

A humble space of rustic furniture and comfort foods done just right, clearly with precision, thought, and care. I’ve only ever been for breakfast but now it’s my go-​to spot to hang out with the gal pals other than The Grove. Now, I loves me some Grove but the Daily Grind is less of a drive for me, at a more affordable price point, offers very dedicated service, and is just as phenomenal. The breakfast steak and eggs with chimichurri sauce is fantastic and the bagel panini is a value at a mere $ 5. I also enjoy the steel cut oatmeal with mascarpone cheese and fixins and the espresso drinks I’ve ordered here have always been on point. Check it out, I think you might just become a regular too.

Best crab cakes and key lime pie in town!

I keep trying and i want to give the place a flowing review. but its got some issues, one thing, its consistently slow. 15−20min wait for food has been the norm during 4 visits, both late lunch and early evening hours. perhaps they are faster in the morning?
And while i enjoy the food i get, i always kinda feel like its on the small side for the price. (i understand they do alot of careful sourcing and therefore price goes up, but really i spent 2x the price of a ½ sized sandwich than i could have goten at any of the other Bahn Mi places in town. And felt the same way on the Cubano, and even the burger, (although i think it was the closest in value to food ratio.
The waiter was pleasant, but all in all i was almost 10 minutes back from lunch, and i work less than ½ mile away and really didn’t dillydally while eating. it just took so long, to make a small sandwich and fries.

Liked a lot — had lunch there a couple weeks ago with a friend who lives close by this area. She swears by the food and ambiance, prices, etc.
We had the greek salad with chicken. I was genuinly surprised they used chicken thigh strips, but appreciate this execution because the chicken was moist and tender, not try and chewy.
A couple items were missing, like red onion, but overall I was very happy with the dish and the waiter was attentive without being overbearing.
I’m definitely interested in going back, my friend says they serve breakfast and Brunch on Sundays, so I will check that out.

If you think I was effusive before, you have not seen anything yet. I took my Consort for Valentines Day dinner last night. Unbelievable! Food, service by Ruth, and ambiance, flowers on the table and beautiful runners on tables, candles on the counter.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mike, Nancy’s husband since my last review. They are the owners and a very nice couple. Staff as always, were friendly and engaging. I have taken the time to engage Nancy and wait staff. To me, that is part of the dining experience. Last night’s meal was wonderful. My Consort had the double thick stuffed pork chop with whipped sweet potatoes and brazed Kale with a vinegrett. It was moist and delightful. I bogarted the appetizer, 4 large shrimp, beautifully displayed on a bed of sprouts hiding a surprise chutney relish or salsa, if you please of Mango, celery and onion. Finely chopped onions and celery for the crunch and they did not overpower the Mango. I had Beef Wellington that even Chef Ramsey of Hell’s Kitchen could have found no fault with. It was still red but cooked perfectly. Garlic mashed potatoes and Julianned vegetables rounded out my dish.
Desert was a hot chocolate soufflé to die for. Coffee for both of us and we were ready to take a nap. The courses were more than ample, nicely spaced for digestion.
My intention is try a regular dinner ocassionally. I told Nancy jokingly that I would be reluctant to dine in the future as she had raised the bar so high I feared being disappointed in the future.
The is The Daily Grind’s third location in 20 years of business. As to the alleged range noise referenced by another diner, unless you have hearing like a dog, it will not be an issue. I am one of those shooters. Where else, can you shoot, buy supplies, visit an anglers shop, purchase a weapon safe and have a stellar meal all in one complex?
Go to The Daily Grind, but do not take my table or parking space. Eat, enjoy wait staff, hug Nancy. :-)

The Daily Grind has been around since I first got to Albuquerque. Their new digs are much nicer and it seems it’s allowed them to expand their menu. All of this is a good thing.
When they were on Central in EDO, The Grind was a good brunch place with a friendly staff and a little exploration to find a seat. The new location is a new building that’s decorated in a sort of «modern» and «home. A big garage door allows them to have an «indoors outdoors» thing going during warmer months. It shares a parking lot with Caliber’s Shooting Range, which makes for an odd marriage as I don’t see The Grind’s staff being big «shooter» types. I digress…
I’ve only been to their new location once, but was happy to see a homemade veggie burger with more than one serving option. I got a veggie hoagie with the veggie patty added. It was a good sized meal that was quite flavorful. The coffee was decent.

Tucked in behind Washington St and Cutler Ave, The Daily Grind is a great café for getting a coffee, cake, sandwich and drinks.
This is one of a handful of places in Abq that consistently makes a decent espresso. They have a nice selection of sandwiches of which ive tried several including a Reuben and Cubano, both of which were very tasty. Size is not huge but well constructed and very well presented.
They have reglar weekly specials including taco Tuesdays and Wing Wednesdays. Tried the wings, optons of hot, teriyaki and cocnut curry, all good.
They have a selection of different cakes and sweets, all made in house. The key lime pie is a standout.
The café is tastefully decorated and has a relaxed, airy feel inside. There is also a patio with umbrellas for shade. Ample parking in attached lot.
Highly recommended all around.

Ready your Unilocal app: this place offers a free appetizer during happy hour, everyday 4 – 6 pm. Check-​in and you’re golden.
My experience here, dining during breakfast and dinner, varies between 3 and 4 star. The wait staff was generally very good. I know the ritual, as a former waiter, of popping by my table to make sure everything is All Good while the kitchen prepares the meals. At the Daily Grind this is stated on the menu, something along the lines of «We don’t pre-​pare your meal, we cook it when you order it». Here, the plates can take a long while to arrive. So plan on a lengthy stay.
Ultimately, the food satisfies. We’ve chowed on the huevos, the breakfast burritos, and for dinner the red ruby trout (very good) alongside some seriously scrumptious but generally boring plates of fries, cheese and chile. It’s hard to rate this sucker, honestly. The appetizers came out immediately and the entrees were so slow, it’s definitely a place you need to plan to relax and spend time waiting for. I don’t want to dog it for authenticity, I appreciate the idea of true home-​cooked meals, but man, the place needs to pick up the pace.
If I have an hour to spare, I’m there. The Grind is a great find in this strip mall haven.

I anticipated terrible service, so I set myself up with low expectations and came away very pleased. I’m reluctant to give five stars (and rarely do for a first visit) because others clearly have had such bad experiences, including some friends of mine (outside of Unilocal), but I was so pleasantly surprised that I can’t help it. Everything about my experience was great.
I brought my daughter here for an early dinner before she had a long rehearsal. I hadn’t been overly anxious to try this place for two reasons: negative reviews and because it’s next to a shooting range. I still don’t care for the latter. I digress. The atmosphere was upscale casual. We were seated right away and overall, service was very attentive and pleasant. We were served a plate of homemade croutons with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. For my meal, I ordered the portobello ragout with polenta and wilted spinach. My daughter had a green chile cheese burger with fries. She thought her dish was really good and I loved mine. The portobello was grilled and sliced. The ragout was tasty. The polenta was creamy, but not milky. The spinach was perfectly wilted and ample. I wish I could have had a glass of wine, but I had to drive my daughter around town, so not tonight.
They have a nice selection of tasty– looking desserts: tiramisu, carrot cake, key lime pie, cheese cake, and a few others. I let my daughter choose and she opted for the tiramisu. It was quite good – heavy on the espresso (I’m not a coffee drinker, so this isn’t my favorite dessert). I was hoping she’d choose the carrot cake or key lime pie. Next time.
We live in walking distance, so I’d like to take a weekend stroll and try The Daily Grind for breakfast, although it seems like the majority of negative reviews are for the morning. We’ll try anyway and I hope I can update my review with another five stars.

I wouldn’t say I am a regular at the Daily Grind, in fact, I’ve only been there twice. I love that it’s located right around the corner from Sports and Wellness, so after the gym I can grab a light bite, some coffee, and hang out for a bit. However, this location is a little strange for anything but after the gym eating. It’s off the beaten trail a bit as far as food goes, but I can deal with it.
The food is pretty darn great. I got the «lunch fit for a business suit» or whatever it’s called, but I couldn’t fit into any of my business suites if I tried right now, so I kind of feel like I’m lying. I got the soup of the day which was cream of potato and the grilled cheese. The soup was ‘ight. It was chunky, it was starchy, it was your basic potato anything. The grilled cheese on the other hand blew my face away. So freaking delicious. Melty cheese, tomato, and that yummy local tasting green chile. Yum. Yum. Yum.
The second time I came for breakfast. I got the yogurt parfait which was filled with yummy yogurt, granola, crisp apples, strawberries, some wrinkled dry fruit, and it was yum! It wasn’t my favorite yogurt dish I have ever had, and I don’t think it was worth what I paid, but it was still pretty delicious none the less! The coffee is delicious, and it doesn’t have that burned taste that some chains have.
The only downside to this place is the location, like I mentioned above, and the service. The first time I went we obviously had a new server. She tried, but she was pretty stinkin’ awkward about all of her interactions with us. I’m not gonna judge, she’s new and will probably get better. However, one of her coworkers decided it would be a good time to sweep the floor, whatever, we’ve all been servers it happens. What doesn’t happen though, is someone shoving a broom under your table, feet, and knocking it around while you are eating. That’s just uncomfortable. The second time I went the girl threw down some menus and then without giving us a moment to look at anything says, «what can I get you?» commence panic order on the drinks. Then I watched as she called two elderly women «girls». Gah, so much awkward I wanted to die.
The food here is pretty tasty, the coffee is amazeballs, and the service is lacking in a lot of decent server education, but I’m willing to overlook that.

We stopped in with friends this afternoon and had a really nice and delicious lunch. I found the wait staff to be very friendly and they kept my drink full (thank you :) My wife and I split up the Grilled Cheese and Grilledgarden, I’ll say the Grilledgarden exceeded my expectations! I really love the home made chips, they’re a great substitute for fries. My friend and his wife had the Salad of the day (A grilled chicken salad with an Asian sauce) I had a bite of it and man I almost wished I’d have chosen it instead of my sandwich. We’ll come here again it’s right on the way to Midtown Sports & Wellness so that’s a plus! I didn’t try any of the very interesting beverages on the menu today, I’ll save that for a review update. If you’re in midtown and you’re hungry or thirsty you might give them a go.