Juanita's Comida Mexicana

Visit Date: 08/09/23 THE GOOD: Def super cute, and def had a very "welcome home" vibe.
A member of the ABQ Foodies page on facebook described it as “…if you don’t have a Mexican grandma, or she lives too far away, this is your spot.” And she wasn’t wrong, it definitely feels like grandmas kitchen. As far as the food, I really enjoyed the rice, great flavor and texture.
The beans had good flavor but were super runny/thin. The salsa that came with the chips and salsa for the table had great flavor! THE REST: I made the mistake of going during lunch.
We waited 15 min for a table and sat elbow to elbow, but I think this adds to the feeling of being in someone’s kitchen.
The problem is that lunch is so busy that once our order was taken, we waited on food for 45 minutes. So maybe go before or after the lunch rush. I ordered guisado de Bistek Ranchero.
The meat was cooked perfectly, tender and juicy.
The tomato/Chile Serrano in the bistek added some flavor, but there was no salt/seasoning outside of that.
My friend and I split the mole burrito so that we could try the mole sauce, and it definitely did not taste home made.
The consistency was off, it was very thin and it tasted very much like canned mole.
Again it lacked seasoning/flavor.
The most dissapoining part for me was the service.
Although the ladies that work here and run the place are very sweet, they only came to our table to take our order and then drop food.
That was it.
They never returned to check on our table.
I had really hoped to ask for corn tortillas to go with my dish, as the plate doesnt come with tortillas.
At my abuela's house, there was always corn tortillas.
This was not the case at Juanitas.
We did everything to get their attention, short of chasing them into the kitchen, and it just didn’t happen. Overall, I would go back.
It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't quite Mexican.
I'd say 60% of their food is New Mexican (see all of the Green Chile options and Carne Adovada).
And New Mexican food is fine when I'm in the mood for that.
But labeling this as Comida Mexicana from the motherland is a bit misleading.

Very good New Mexico Mexican food.
If you’re wondering what that means, it’s a fusion of traditional New Mexican food, and Classic Mexican food.
I enjoyed the old school atmosphere, and was impressed by how long they’ve been in business.
They’ve withstood the test of time, and survived the pandemic! Their food was good, definitely not disappointing.
I always ask myself, “would I be back?” And the answer is yes for this place.
If you’re gluten sensitive, note that their red chile is thickened with flour.
But, there are several menu items that don’t contain any wheat products.
The salsa and chips were very good, and the items my friend and I had were good.

Great authentic Mexican food, loved the burrito platter and the sopapilla.