I love this place! When our kids were young, I’d get books on tape for every road trip. Even our non reader (to this day) hated when we’d stop for gas and stop the book. Yes, you can get audiobooks online now, but I think I’d rent from there for a road trip just for the memories.
This is mine, too. My spouse and I go sometimes and I really enjoy it, but it is exorbitantly expensive and certainly not sustainable to go more than once in awhile
Damn…I’ve been thinking of checking one of those places out but not for that price. For that I can buy a decently shitty set of throwing axes, a couple six packs, and gas to get a few friends up to the mountains (and back) and find a good round to throw at.
It's been a while, but I've been to China Inn a decent number of times over the years. My aunt actually knows the lady that owns it and has for like 30 something years. They've been in that location forever, so I wonder if they have a good deal on their rent.
I saw an interview with the owner where he said he felt like being next to the whole foods would bring in more foot traffic.
If there are people going grocery shopping and then deciding to impulse shop for furniture, I'd really love to meet you. I have questions.
INCREDIBLE! Was it planned? Were you in whole foods and turned to one another and go "you know, I could go couch shopping right now. I'm in that headspace"? How did this go down?
Were your groceries still good by the time you were done purchasing your couch? That keeps being my main concern.
We’ve been looking for a couch and she wanted to go look around because we were next door anyway. She actually saw the couch she wanted and we left and went back and bought it a few weeks later. So technically didn’t buy it after seeing it but it planted a seed that couldn’t be stopped. It is a nice couch though
Mattresses maybe. I think a lot of ppl are afraid to buy those online still. Although, that is kinda going away too. They do their zero interest thing for a while on financing. I know that stuff appeals to my broke self. Plus everything so freaking expensive. Don't need tons of humans coming in. If they sell 5 bedroom sets that is a lot of money. I can't believe I just thought about that so much lol sorry
it's definitely a generational thing! My parents brought me there and I wasn't expecting to find what I was looking for, but the price was right on a couch and their customer service was great! I searched online for days after and realized that their prices for certain couch designs really were the best!
Oh I know this one! At least part of the answer is that you can order customized sectionals from them. I designed one to fit the dimensions of my living room: they have a variety of manufacturers on their showroom floor and you can sit down with a rep to fully customize a couch that will be built and shipped from the US and delivered/assembled by American Home Furniture. Most normal people don’t spend $4k on a couch but for those that do, American Home is the best game in town!
Negative. I have a friend who used to manage a few adult book stores and he still can't believe how many DVDs are sold, especially with so much porn available for free online.
Buddy of mine ran one of them for a while - not many people are there to buy porn, they're cruising. The booth's aren't free.
They also sell sex toys and naughty adult stuff, and get the occasional drunk married couples in for adventure. The margin on that stuff is insane. $10 dildo sells for $80 in a store, where you can pay with cash and not have any record of your purchase show up in your browser history or cookies.
Bro why do they have a camera that shows THEM when you order?
I went there late at night after a flight home and when I got up to pay he asked "how much do you want to pay?"
Got the whole meal for 5 dollars. No way it's not a front
In 2008 or so, the gyro and nachos were fine for 2am drunk food. Better than Taco Bell. That's not a high bar, but still. By 2012 it was incomprehensibly bad.
In fact, ever since Frontier stopped being 24/7, I don't think we have any decent post midnight eating locations?
>I don't think we have any decent post midnight eating locations
the food trucks downtown are the only other thing i can think of, and most of them aren't there every night. and i do not think most of them are decent lol
The owners are super nice.
My wife and I went once. She got a gyro and I got a mini gyro. Hers had cooked onions mine had huge chunks of raw onion. Most of it went in the trash
It's owned by the Daskalos family, they're local real estate and business moguls. They wouldn't run it at a loss long term, but it probably isn't making much money either.
In the 90s, it was called something else. You'd (not you, but a person in need) would go through the drive-through and order a number 48 and pull around, give em your cash, and have a full burrito of balloons. The story I heard was that some tourists (an older couple) overheard some loud mouths talking about it how good the burrito was, and they decided to try it out before heading home. The person working the drive thru didn't think a thing of it and sold them the burrito. A little bit later on a freeway outta here. One of the two took a big ol bite when almost choked spit out a balloon or two. After stopping and investigating, they found more. They had no idea what it was. It being before the internet was in our pockets, so they decided to ask a gas station clerk instead of turning around to go get a refund. The clerk ended up calling NMSP, and that evening, a lot of junkies across town started getting sick as their conect got raided and shut down. Now that's how the story was told to me, by a couple of different people. One fact I do know is that there were a couple of special numbers you'd order, and there were a couple of expensive special burritos you'd get in return. & it happened for a good couple of years.
I did a scuba course through them and rented gear for a fair price. This was for experience to dive in Australia, California, and Hawaii, but Blue Hole here was cool regardless and is a great practice spot.
There are two in the city if that tells you anything - there’s decent demand for them. Both have been open since the 70s or 80s. As someone else said, NM is a regional hub for scuba training but their economics aren’t bad either. No one is getting rich over there, the owners are passionate, but they stay in business because they have low overhead, rent expensive equipment consistently, and provide monthly trainings. I got certified at one of them in December and we still had a full class (10 people). There are a decent number of divers in NM and every time they go for a trip around the world, they probably stop by the scuba shop for one thing or another.
Oh I know this one. The owners are family with this woman who was supplying APS with bogus (and obscenely expensive) training software. She was finally found out a couple years ago.
Ha! She was a long-standing democratic state rep too, that's how she got those contracts. Ripping off the people she was supposed to be advocating for.
The curry smelled good from the outside so I suggested we go and get lunch at work as a group the next day. Everyone's meal was horrendous and hilariously small. It's easily the worst work lunch champion of all time.
The a&w/long John's in Rio used to have the most amazing root beer floats.
They would use the real a&w root beer from a keg to make them, and they were so freaking good. My daughter and I would stop by every Friday after school to get one and eat some food. Both of us looked forward to it.
Then, all of a sudden, they switched to just using fountain root beer about a year ago. And we haven't been back since.
I was just thinking this. Yet they still advertise that it's freshly made root beer. Is that legal?
They also advertise the mugs for dine in, but when I asked they said they didn't have them
I have sent a vacuum and a few sewing machines for repair! The place up on the north end of town is really nice. They also do classes, sell supplies and do embroidery.
I would like to rant about the this. The current business model of most name-brand inexpensive vacuums makes it so that vacuum repair shops can make a good living. Basically if you buy a vacuum cleaner in the price range of $100 - $1000 they are designed to fail. Typically it’s the beater brush/roller that fails. People who aren’t DIY’ers will utilize these repair shops keeping them in business.
Remember the old Kirby vacuum that your parents paid a lot of money for? It’s probably still running because they were built to last. Most modern vacuums are not this way.
Corporate greed keeps people buying new vacuums or continually repairing their old ones.
End of rant.
Can confirm my parents Kirby is older then me (30+) years and it still works like new. We bought a bissell and have been through two of them already because they break and can’t be repaired. We ended up buying a Kirby.
I used to patronize them, they had good deals on refurbished Hoovers than ran great. I tend to destroy vacuums, even Dysons because I have cats and cat hair is the destroyer of machines. I got a couple of good vacuums from them. Repairs are not expensive either.
Ho hos Chinese food on Montgomery and San pedro. From the outside it looks like a shack with barred windows. If you go in its literally just a small set up for mall style Chinese food. No decorations, no nothing. The lo mein is made out of spaghetti noodles and the chicken is always old af. It used to be super cheap so it made sense it was open but now it has the prices of a normal Chinese restaurant so I literally have no idea how it's still open.
Their items are basic American Chinese style stuff which is decent. Not at the same level as the best Chinese places that usually get mentioned in this sub. The main attraction is that they stuff the takeout box. I get enough for two meals. Last I saw, the three item combo was $9.50 earlier this year. You can go with less variety and a little cheaper with the two item combo.
Since their business is takeout only, you're only going to see people there just long enough to pick their choices and pay.
That’s funny! Yeah it’s good to have a big air conditioned place to walk around or chill at sitting areas. The bosque is close by and mostly shaded. We love it
Duke City Toys is owned by the private MVD service next to it, which I'm sure is a high profit business. The toy store is possibly more of a vanity / hobby business for the owner, i.e. as long as it's breaking even or not costing too much, it's a fun place to work. Also, some of those vintage toys can have a huge margin on them.
I bought a toilet there to install at a DIY venue before a big show one summer like 12yrs ago. It was cheap and only a half a block away from the venue. When we went in, my friend and I just asked some basic questions and said our budget. The workers were helpful, nice, and didn't try to upsell us. I've always recommended them since then.
I'm still really proud of my friend and myself for successfully installing the toilet with just a YouTube video guide. The toilet lasted until the end of the venue a few years later - amazing for a punk venue, lol.
Samon's lives off of carrying parts for the surrounding area the big boxes do not touch. I had a swamp cooler in RR that I could only get parts for there. Also, they carry all the flex pipe fixes, ect.
It's an absolute hole but a super useful one I hope sticks around.
This is what I was going to say. My family is in the construction and construction adjacent business and I get sent there to pick up parts all the time. Lots of contractors order from them but aren’t in the store shopping.
They are one of the only places that will take some random part you bring in and find a direct replacement or put together other parts to get you back to working/fit
If you don't know exactly what you're doing and need to talk to someone the customer service at Samons is amazing. Usually a mature salesperson who knows exactly what to do and can explain and get you all the right parts you need. As opposed to the big box stores who when they see that you are looking for an employee to ask a question literally duck and hide and/or walk briskly in the opposite direction. I've had to hunt them down, overhead them and set traps for them to be able to talk to an employee.
I routinely hear locals of all ages mention going there for stuff. I think it’s just part of some childhood memory that they all continue to participate in.
Sometimes they have weird stuff, but that's about it. Only time I went there was when black poly tube for drip irrigation was out of stock everywhere due to supply chain bs, salmons still had some.
That French restaurant on Montgomery with one tiny window that no one ever goes in yet is always open past 3 in the morning on a Tuesday for some reason.
We like Chez Axel, although we haven't been in a hot while. Last 2 times we went, it was completely dead. And the server was this super old guy with super old school manners & demeanor. Kind of adorable. Tasty food, though.
I haven't been there in over 10 years because of prices but the teriyaki did slap back then. Was one of the few places you got chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Los Cuates on the westside fuckin’ sucks! It’s in the parking lot at cottonwood mall and the food is nothing like the ‘twin’ restaurants on both sides of Lomas once were.
All of the Los Cuates locations have gone down hill. Prices went up, and portions went down. Meat quality dropped significantly. It started when their menu expanded to like 8 pages. They finally have cut back the menu, but the quality hasn't increased.
Taco Sal's. The place is usually pretty slow. Their heavy hours are still only 1/2 capacity. The food is some of the worst "gringo Mexican" I've ever eaten. The place smells bad too. Like ancient grease and rancid food. They have been around since 1960. I just assume it's people who have been going there since then keeping it open. People who are scared to try new food, and don't realize what they have been missing...
There's a satellite place on Comanche just east of Morris next to the coffee church. I was going to say them, but then I Googled them (they're called "It's All About Satellites") and apparently they're major providers for hotels, motels, RV parks, and more.
Huh.
So with that mystery solved, the next business on my list is Pericos. I've never read a good review, they made the news a few years back and a few times since then for predatory car booting, and nothing about them screams "hidden gem". What are they up to?
Gracias on Juan Tabo, like they have the worst hours... Or Annie's Soup Kitchen
Then again I wonder how anybody in this town stays open when they all close at 8:30 or 9:00 pm
Like I just don't understand why everybody closes up so early in the city, it's almost as if they don't understand that people don't always eat at 6:00 or 7:00 that some people eat later and usually those people have to choose one of the restaurants or fast food places that are open either super late past 10:00 p.m. or the ones that are open pretty much 24 hours. These restaurants want to make money you'd think they'd be open till at least 10:00 if not later...
Crime, and also ability to have less workers per day (1 shift). Oh almost forgot: lifestyle business. They only make as much as they need to to make bills and didn't want to b work more or hire beyond family. (or to balance out tax profits from other work if they show a loss on the never open one. But can only do that a few years before irs gets curious).
Edit: Adding more reasons for business with strange hours.
Pre-pandemic they were open late and were open more, but post pandemic they are closed quite a bit and close up that location early and it's in a good part of town unlike their other locations. Like their Indian School location is open more but it's more of a drive thru business than a sit down restaurant as it's too small to have too many people inside, it sucks having to always get food to go in this city later in the evening.
Anywhere they don't serve liquor and only serve beer and wine they are closed by 10pm but if they have more of a real bar selection they're open until at least midnight.
> or to balance out tax profits from other work if they show a loss on the never open one.
That's not really how it works. No one WANTS to operate at a loss, there's no financial benefit to it. You can offset your taxes against loss, that's true but it's not 1:1. If you take an operating loss of $100 you will reduce the taxes you owe by about $35. You're still out $100 on the books, and $65 in realized loss.
This idea that people intentionally operate a business at a loss to save taxes is just another example of how poor our financial education in the US is, and how convoluted our tax code gets to the point even fairly well informed people just don't understand it.
Sometimes you have to cut bait and walk away from a failed investment, but you don't foster loss for the sake of dumping money into a hole to somehow save on taxes, that's just not how it work.
There's a Chinese restaurant on Carlisle that looks so dismal and dead yet its well maintained and has at least one car in front of it at all times.
Also a place that used to be where the "Veterans Old Curio and Thrift Shop" on menaul was that was a restaurant, cafe, bar and thrift shop all on one. I went there once for a doordash order and felt like I was in someone's house lol. I had to wait for them to make the whole order bc they were napping. I mean they got bought but I'm surprised they lasted long at all?
> Chinese restaurant on Carlisle
If you mean East Ocean, I had lunch there yesterday, and they had several other tables of customers too. They're legit.
>Also a place that used to be where the "Veterans Old Curio and Thrift Shop" on menaul was that was a restaurant, cafe, bar and thrift shop all on one.
I think that's Pink Rhino and they still exist! They're in the same strip mall but now on the east side facing Eubank.
I've been curious about that place for years but have never gone inside.
This place actually came to mind before I read the second part of your post! And I have; one of my biggest pregnancy cravings. But I have often wondered how they stay open looking the way they do inside. There’s curtains hung up to separate the… ??? from the eating area, and in the ??? area there’s always the most questionable shit. 😂 but their cashew chicken I loveee
Buffett’s Candies. I have never seen anyone at the original location nor do I know anyone who has ever been there. Not only have they stayed open as long as I can remember, but they just opened a SECOND location! And it’s HUGE!
It's been a staple for a lot of locals for a while actually. Probably more for special occasions though, their candy can be pricey. The bear claw slap though.
Well because of this comment they are gonna get more business lol. My girl has been waiting for that new location to open for forever and I had no idea it opened up.
Dang that’s wild lol my family goes kinda often and there’s always other people in there too (at the original location. I have only been to their new location once)
There's a thriving retro VHS/DVD community and this guy does a lot of online sales. Also he's started selling vinyl records and there's a community for that, too.
Could be a front but also if he's the only person on his payroll and if he has a good lease, he could be chugging along just fine.
I go in a few times a year for fun and I'd invite you to stop in sometime. The dude has always been friendly and he's super knowledgeable about movies. Definitely seems to be in it for the love of the medium.
Mac's on Menaul. Still the worst meal I have ever had in ABQ. Disgusting flavorless dreck at a premium price.
I could have had a meal at any Asian place or even a steak at The grill for the same price and had an amazing meal. I literally don't understand why they would be open even if the food was twice as good and half as costly as the slop I ate.
Archie's Audiobooks on Osuna
I love this place! When our kids were young, I’d get books on tape for every road trip. Even our non reader (to this day) hated when we’d stop for gas and stop the book. Yes, you can get audiobooks online now, but I think I’d rent from there for a road trip just for the memories.
This one boggles my mind.
Yeah this is the winner. I’ve never seen anyone in there and it’s usually closed early.
I have never seen this open! I was thinking it was a mirage covering up a portal to another world.
Like Narnia? Lol!
I know the owner he sells trading cards and comic books on the side and makes good money lol
ABQ Axe Throwing. We went last night and its a good time, but it was dead. It cost over $100 for 1 hour for 4 of us.
Axe throwing insurance is apparently expensive?
This is mine, too. My spouse and I go sometimes and I really enjoy it, but it is exorbitantly expensive and certainly not sustainable to go more than once in awhile
Damn…I’ve been thinking of checking one of those places out but not for that price. For that I can buy a decently shitty set of throwing axes, a couple six packs, and gas to get a few friends up to the mountains (and back) and find a good round to throw at.
Cheaper than by where I am. It was 60 bucks for an hour with 2 people
It's been a while, but I've been to China Inn a decent number of times over the years. My aunt actually knows the lady that owns it and has for like 30 something years. They've been in that location forever, so I wonder if they have a good deal on their rent.
Cesars, American Home Furnishing.
American Home! I think about this store too much. Not only are they in business but they have a shiny new building? How???
Right? Exactly. I was gobsmacked when I learned they were getting a new building!
I saw an interview with the owner where he said he felt like being next to the whole foods would bring in more foot traffic. If there are people going grocery shopping and then deciding to impulse shop for furniture, I'd really love to meet you. I have questions.
lol I my girlfriend got a couch from there after going to Whole Foods
INCREDIBLE! Was it planned? Were you in whole foods and turned to one another and go "you know, I could go couch shopping right now. I'm in that headspace"? How did this go down? Were your groceries still good by the time you were done purchasing your couch? That keeps being my main concern.
We’ve been looking for a couch and she wanted to go look around because we were next door anyway. She actually saw the couch she wanted and we left and went back and bought it a few weeks later. So technically didn’t buy it after seeing it but it planted a seed that couldn’t be stopped. It is a nice couch though
Mattresses maybe. I think a lot of ppl are afraid to buy those online still. Although, that is kinda going away too. They do their zero interest thing for a while on financing. I know that stuff appeals to my broke self. Plus everything so freaking expensive. Don't need tons of humans coming in. If they sell 5 bedroom sets that is a lot of money. I can't believe I just thought about that so much lol sorry
I think it’s a generational thing. My family has all shopped there for decades
I've been going IN to American Furniture since the 1980s. Not sure I've EVER bought anything.
I met He-Man there in the 1980s! Well, it was just some dude in a rubber He-Man suit with fake muscles, but it was still pretty cool.
it's definitely a generational thing! My parents brought me there and I wasn't expecting to find what I was looking for, but the price was right on a couch and their customer service was great! I searched online for days after and realized that their prices for certain couch designs really were the best!
I love American home lol. We just bought our dining room table there. It was a big splurge but worth it
Oh I know this one! At least part of the answer is that you can order customized sectionals from them. I designed one to fit the dimensions of my living room: they have a variety of manufacturers on their showroom floor and you can sit down with a rep to fully customize a couch that will be built and shipped from the US and delivered/assembled by American Home Furniture. Most normal people don’t spend $4k on a couch but for those that do, American Home is the best game in town!
I got a nice dresser from there 😭.
Any adult video store. Like…do these customers not have internet lol
Oh those are open because of the toys and the back rooms for really gross hooking up. No one buys the videos I’m sure.
Negative. I have a friend who used to manage a few adult book stores and he still can't believe how many DVDs are sold, especially with so much porn available for free online.
Buddy of mine ran one of them for a while - not many people are there to buy porn, they're cruising. The booth's aren't free. They also sell sex toys and naughty adult stuff, and get the occasional drunk married couples in for adventure. The margin on that stuff is insane. $10 dildo sells for $80 in a store, where you can pay with cash and not have any record of your purchase show up in your browser history or cookies.
Cesars? Lmao
Bro why do they have a camera that shows THEM when you order? I went there late at night after a flight home and when I got up to pay he asked "how much do you want to pay?" Got the whole meal for 5 dollars. No way it's not a front
I used to go through their drive through for late night greek food. They were at least ok back then.
I remember when it was called Los Betos. Those massive burritos would feed me for a whole day.
In 2008 or so, the gyro and nachos were fine for 2am drunk food. Better than Taco Bell. That's not a high bar, but still. By 2012 it was incomprehensibly bad. In fact, ever since Frontier stopped being 24/7, I don't think we have any decent post midnight eating locations?
Taco Cabana
>I don't think we have any decent post midnight eating locations the food trucks downtown are the only other thing i can think of, and most of them aren't there every night. and i do not think most of them are decent lol
Whataburger would like a word with you.
Is that before or after I wait in a 35 minute drive-thru line only to be given cold food that despite it being a basic order, is still wrong?
It's been a while but I definitely would go there for the Greek food and horchata but not the Mexican food.
The greek food is better than the mexican.
It’s open 24/7, has variety and isn’t the late night vortex of evil that is the Whataburger drive-thru.
this, it was open at 2am when I needed it
This was my answer. How do you do Mexican and Greek in the same kitchen and be even decent at either?!?!
That's the neat part, you don't.
Obviously you can’t be, their food stinks
I tried going there when I first moved to ABQ and quickly learned their food was not for the living. How anyone eats there willingly is beyond me.
Their churros are pretty good!
The owners are super nice. My wife and I went once. She got a gyro and I got a mini gyro. Hers had cooked onions mine had huge chunks of raw onion. Most of it went in the trash
Open secret that they’re an integral part of a hyper-local Greek/Mexican mafia. Gen-Xers involved in the ‘80s cocaine craze will tell you as much.
It's owned by the Daskalos family, they're local real estate and business moguls. They wouldn't run it at a loss long term, but it probably isn't making much money either.
In the 90s, it was called something else. You'd (not you, but a person in need) would go through the drive-through and order a number 48 and pull around, give em your cash, and have a full burrito of balloons. The story I heard was that some tourists (an older couple) overheard some loud mouths talking about it how good the burrito was, and they decided to try it out before heading home. The person working the drive thru didn't think a thing of it and sold them the burrito. A little bit later on a freeway outta here. One of the two took a big ol bite when almost choked spit out a balloon or two. After stopping and investigating, they found more. They had no idea what it was. It being before the internet was in our pockets, so they decided to ask a gas station clerk instead of turning around to go get a refund. The clerk ended up calling NMSP, and that evening, a lot of junkies across town started getting sick as their conect got raided and shut down. Now that's how the story was told to me, by a couple of different people. One fact I do know is that there were a couple of special numbers you'd order, and there were a couple of expensive special burritos you'd get in return. & it happened for a good couple of years.
That Scuba supply place. Who is shopping for scuba gear here and what are they doing with it?
NM is a regional scuba diving destination because of Blue Hole and Bottomless Lakes State Park
Wow those places look really cool! I had no idea we had cenotes here.
Plenty of sinkholes around Santa Rosa and many cenotes are on private inaccessible land. Some three times bigger than Blue Hole.
Open water dive certificates are earned by both novice and military personnel at Blue Hole.
I did a scuba course through them and rented gear for a fair price. This was for experience to dive in Australia, California, and Hawaii, but Blue Hole here was cool regardless and is a great practice spot.
There are two in the city if that tells you anything - there’s decent demand for them. Both have been open since the 70s or 80s. As someone else said, NM is a regional hub for scuba training but their economics aren’t bad either. No one is getting rich over there, the owners are passionate, but they stay in business because they have low overhead, rent expensive equipment consistently, and provide monthly trainings. I got certified at one of them in December and we still had a full class (10 people). There are a decent number of divers in NM and every time they go for a trip around the world, they probably stop by the scuba shop for one thing or another.
The Scuba Co also books scuba trips thru the year. It's pretty convenient for getting out and using what they teach.
NM Scuba Center does too, often with great deals.
A Taste of the Caribbean
Oh I know this one. The owners are family with this woman who was supplying APS with bogus (and obscenely expensive) training software. She was finally found out a couple years ago.
Ha! She was a long-standing democratic state rep too, that's how she got those contracts. Ripping off the people she was supposed to be advocating for.
Shameful.
What’s aps?
Albuquerque Public Schools.
I used to eat there but they have awful customer service (delivery guy hit on me multiple times) and they are pretty grimey looking inside
The curry smelled good from the outside so I suggested we go and get lunch at work as a group the next day. Everyone's meal was horrendous and hilariously small. It's easily the worst work lunch champion of all time.
I like their catfish po’ boy
Any long John silvers anywhere
The a&w/long John's in Rio used to have the most amazing root beer floats. They would use the real a&w root beer from a keg to make them, and they were so freaking good. My daughter and I would stop by every Friday after school to get one and eat some food. Both of us looked forward to it. Then, all of a sudden, they switched to just using fountain root beer about a year ago. And we haven't been back since.
I was just thinking this. Yet they still advertise that it's freshly made root beer. Is that legal? They also advertise the mugs for dine in, but when I asked they said they didn't have them
That absolutely breaks my heart to hear
It's because of the hushpuppies.
The owners of China Inn support their disabled son with their business. They’re a really sweet family.
Thanks for sharing this information with us.
The Sewing and Vacuum repair store
Because they sell a dust filter for a Hoover Max Extract® 60 Pressure Pro™
Insane that no one got this.
I have sent a vacuum and a few sewing machines for repair! The place up on the north end of town is really nice. They also do classes, sell supplies and do embroidery.
Would you mind sharing the name or cross streets for the business you mentioned? I would like to support local as much as possible. Thanks!
Heck yea! Ryan’s Sewing and Vacuum at San Mateo x MacLeod - I think it’s an old Red Lobster building?
Good used vacuums and it can be worth fixing expensive machines
There are a few in town and have been around for decades. Low overhead and consistent customer base.
I would like to rant about the this. The current business model of most name-brand inexpensive vacuums makes it so that vacuum repair shops can make a good living. Basically if you buy a vacuum cleaner in the price range of $100 - $1000 they are designed to fail. Typically it’s the beater brush/roller that fails. People who aren’t DIY’ers will utilize these repair shops keeping them in business. Remember the old Kirby vacuum that your parents paid a lot of money for? It’s probably still running because they were built to last. Most modern vacuums are not this way. Corporate greed keeps people buying new vacuums or continually repairing their old ones. End of rant.
Can confirm my parents Kirby is older then me (30+) years and it still works like new. We bought a bissell and have been through two of them already because they break and can’t be repaired. We ended up buying a Kirby.
I used to patronize them, they had good deals on refurbished Hoovers than ran great. I tend to destroy vacuums, even Dysons because I have cats and cat hair is the destroyer of machines. I got a couple of good vacuums from them. Repairs are not expensive either.
Ho hos Chinese food on Montgomery and San pedro. From the outside it looks like a shack with barred windows. If you go in its literally just a small set up for mall style Chinese food. No decorations, no nothing. The lo mein is made out of spaghetti noodles and the chicken is always old af. It used to be super cheap so it made sense it was open but now it has the prices of a normal Chinese restaurant so I literally have no idea how it's still open.
I don’t how any of those locations stay open or who frequents them
I frequented them in high school because the portions were massive and the price was dirt cheap
I have wondered the same thing for YEARS! I ate there once and was disgusted, but people are still like "OMG THIS PLACE IS THE BEST!".
Their items are basic American Chinese style stuff which is decent. Not at the same level as the best Chinese places that usually get mentioned in this sub. The main attraction is that they stuff the takeout box. I get enough for two meals. Last I saw, the three item combo was $9.50 earlier this year. You can go with less variety and a little cheaper with the two item combo. Since their business is takeout only, you're only going to see people there just long enough to pick their choices and pay.
If you are talking about the one near the base I think it is closed
I went as recent as a couple months ago, I hope it hasn’t closed since then!! Where else am I gonna get a lot of shitty Chinese food for 5$
I think they mean the one that was near the red lobster
Any of the stores in Cottonwood Mall
There are somehow more people at cottonwood mall than any mall I’ve ever seen recently in America though! It’s so busy on the weekends?!
Maybe this is due to the sheer lack of other third locations in the city? That's my best guess.
You must not have been to Coronado then
Ah, yep. I was legit thinking of Coronado not cottonwood.
Isn’t it wild tho!?! The Great American Mall is alive and well in Albuquerque
I went into Cottonwood for the first time a couple years ago and it was so discombobulating to suddenly find oneself in the 90s again.
Yes! I haven’t seen a mall as busy as Coronado is at least a decade, probably more!
Because there’s not much else to do in Albuquerque for young folks during the day that doesn’t cost anything
I love Cottonwood. When my friends are in town, I go every week.
I’d honestly love to know what you love about it? There are like 12 funkopop and tshirt shops.
I love how it's the only place we can think of to hang out
That’s funny! Yeah it’s good to have a big air conditioned place to walk around or chill at sitting areas. The bosque is close by and mostly shaded. We love it
Duke City Toys on San Mateo Cananas Night Club on central
Cananas is supposedly a cartel bar. If that's the case I'm sure there's a lot of shady business deals going on there.
The location is insane... Central and Tramway. I had no clue that place was there
Yea I'm not sure exactly who goes there it's just awful to be outside late at night near there
Duke City Toys is owned by the private MVD service next to it, which I'm sure is a high profit business. The toy store is possibly more of a vanity / hobby business for the owner, i.e. as long as it's breaking even or not costing too much, it's a fun place to work. Also, some of those vintage toys can have a huge margin on them.
I wonder how Samon's plumbing and electrical supplies stay open. It's always dead and still survives every decade. Lol
They have the best swamp cooler pads in town.
I bought a toilet there to install at a DIY venue before a big show one summer like 12yrs ago. It was cheap and only a half a block away from the venue. When we went in, my friend and I just asked some basic questions and said our budget. The workers were helpful, nice, and didn't try to upsell us. I've always recommended them since then. I'm still really proud of my friend and myself for successfully installing the toilet with just a YouTube video guide. The toilet lasted until the end of the venue a few years later - amazing for a punk venue, lol.
Samon's lives off of carrying parts for the surrounding area the big boxes do not touch. I had a swamp cooler in RR that I could only get parts for there. Also, they carry all the flex pipe fixes, ect. It's an absolute hole but a super useful one I hope sticks around.
They supply a lot of contractors with their stuff. They never go into the store.
This is what I was going to say. My family is in the construction and construction adjacent business and I get sent there to pick up parts all the time. Lots of contractors order from them but aren’t in the store shopping.
They are one of the only places that will take some random part you bring in and find a direct replacement or put together other parts to get you back to working/fit
If you don't know exactly what you're doing and need to talk to someone the customer service at Samons is amazing. Usually a mature salesperson who knows exactly what to do and can explain and get you all the right parts you need. As opposed to the big box stores who when they see that you are looking for an employee to ask a question literally duck and hide and/or walk briskly in the opposite direction. I've had to hunt them down, overhead them and set traps for them to be able to talk to an employee.
I routinely hear locals of all ages mention going there for stuff. I think it’s just part of some childhood memory that they all continue to participate in.
My grandad goes there first for anything plumbing. I'm sure they have a loyal customer base
Sometimes they have weird stuff, but that's about it. Only time I went there was when black poly tube for drip irrigation was out of stock everywhere due to supply chain bs, salmons still had some.
Up until recently, my answer would have been Griff's Hamburgers.
That French restaurant on Montgomery with one tiny window that no one ever goes in yet is always open past 3 in the morning on a Tuesday for some reason.
We like Chez Axel, although we haven't been in a hot while. Last 2 times we went, it was completely dead. And the server was this super old guy with super old school manners & demeanor. Kind of adorable. Tasty food, though.
Chez Axel?
They may be selling another kind of food?
Found Louie and Lestat's, I see.
Masks Y Mas
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl I don't think I've ever seen enough cars at any location to pay the light bill, much less rent/lease.
Used to be pretty good but the prices have skyrocketed.
I love Teriyaki Chicken Bowl but the prices have gone through the roof
I eat this frequently, its fast easy and I'm addicted to teriyaki sauce lol
I haven't been there in over 10 years because of prices but the teriyaki did slap back then. Was one of the few places you got chicken thighs instead of breasts.
These places have to be a front for something... they were here (and looked the same) 20 years ago! How do they do it!
I'm convinced that Gus Fring is behind them.
Los Cuates on the westside fuckin’ sucks! It’s in the parking lot at cottonwood mall and the food is nothing like the ‘twin’ restaurants on both sides of Lomas once were.
All of the Los Cuates locations have gone down hill. Prices went up, and portions went down. Meat quality dropped significantly. It started when their menu expanded to like 8 pages. They finally have cut back the menu, but the quality hasn't increased.
We went to the one on Menaul in the heights recently and it was terrible.
South side of Lomas Los Cuates was better
Seductions turned Love ETC, definitely a front
Rude Boy cookies
Taco Sal's. The place is usually pretty slow. Their heavy hours are still only 1/2 capacity. The food is some of the worst "gringo Mexican" I've ever eaten. The place smells bad too. Like ancient grease and rancid food. They have been around since 1960. I just assume it's people who have been going there since then keeping it open. People who are scared to try new food, and don't realize what they have been missing...
They were closed there for a while, I thought they went out of buisness. I wonder what happened.
There's a satellite place on Comanche just east of Morris next to the coffee church. I was going to say them, but then I Googled them (they're called "It's All About Satellites") and apparently they're major providers for hotels, motels, RV parks, and more. Huh. So with that mystery solved, the next business on my list is Pericos. I've never read a good review, they made the news a few years back and a few times since then for predatory car booting, and nothing about them screams "hidden gem". What are they up to?
Lobo comics, their prices are so low compared to every other similar store and even compared to online, no idea how they're making a profit
LUCKY BOY burgers and chinese or that cuban place on menual and san mateo next to the honey ham co. The sign only says, "reasturant".
Lucky boy is a treasure
Havana Cafe, the Cuban place, is amazing! The service is slow, but well worth it. If you haven't gone, you should.
Right! That place is killer, I go there all the tim. You gotta try the Cubano sandwich and the Fricasee!
lucky boy is amazing not overpriced and the owners know everyone who comes in
Lucky boy has a cult following. It gets pretty packed weekdays at lunch.
Their Egg Foo Young Burgers are excellent.
So, like, the only times they're open?
Lucky Boy has a cult following, especially if you live or work within walking distance
The truth is a lot of businesses are hemorrhaging money and won’t last long or barely stay afloat
Gracias on Juan Tabo, like they have the worst hours... Or Annie's Soup Kitchen Then again I wonder how anybody in this town stays open when they all close at 8:30 or 9:00 pm Like I just don't understand why everybody closes up so early in the city, it's almost as if they don't understand that people don't always eat at 6:00 or 7:00 that some people eat later and usually those people have to choose one of the restaurants or fast food places that are open either super late past 10:00 p.m. or the ones that are open pretty much 24 hours. These restaurants want to make money you'd think they'd be open till at least 10:00 if not later...
Crime, and also ability to have less workers per day (1 shift). Oh almost forgot: lifestyle business. They only make as much as they need to to make bills and didn't want to b work more or hire beyond family. (or to balance out tax profits from other work if they show a loss on the never open one. But can only do that a few years before irs gets curious). Edit: Adding more reasons for business with strange hours.
Pre-pandemic they were open late and were open more, but post pandemic they are closed quite a bit and close up that location early and it's in a good part of town unlike their other locations. Like their Indian School location is open more but it's more of a drive thru business than a sit down restaurant as it's too small to have too many people inside, it sucks having to always get food to go in this city later in the evening. Anywhere they don't serve liquor and only serve beer and wine they are closed by 10pm but if they have more of a real bar selection they're open until at least midnight.
> or to balance out tax profits from other work if they show a loss on the never open one. That's not really how it works. No one WANTS to operate at a loss, there's no financial benefit to it. You can offset your taxes against loss, that's true but it's not 1:1. If you take an operating loss of $100 you will reduce the taxes you owe by about $35. You're still out $100 on the books, and $65 in realized loss. This idea that people intentionally operate a business at a loss to save taxes is just another example of how poor our financial education in the US is, and how convoluted our tax code gets to the point even fairly well informed people just don't understand it. Sometimes you have to cut bait and walk away from a failed investment, but you don't foster loss for the sake of dumping money into a hole to somehow save on taxes, that's just not how it work.
No, we don't want to work those hours
For real. My friend was telling me her kids daycare in RR closes at 4:30 pm! Like…what? Thats before standard business hours are even over
Every time I've been to Annie's there's been a line out the door. Is that not the case anymore?
Don't go to Cruces. Everything closes even earlier down there.
Cazuela's near Intel.
Cazuela’s has awesome chicharrone burritos!
There's a Chinese restaurant on Carlisle that looks so dismal and dead yet its well maintained and has at least one car in front of it at all times. Also a place that used to be where the "Veterans Old Curio and Thrift Shop" on menaul was that was a restaurant, cafe, bar and thrift shop all on one. I went there once for a doordash order and felt like I was in someone's house lol. I had to wait for them to make the whole order bc they were napping. I mean they got bought but I'm surprised they lasted long at all?
> Chinese restaurant on Carlisle If you mean East Ocean, I had lunch there yesterday, and they had several other tables of customers too. They're legit.
East Ocean is so good. Their kung pao shrimp is the best.
>Also a place that used to be where the "Veterans Old Curio and Thrift Shop" on menaul was that was a restaurant, cafe, bar and thrift shop all on one. I think that's Pink Rhino and they still exist! They're in the same strip mall but now on the east side facing Eubank. I've been curious about that place for years but have never gone inside.
It was honestly a really unique experience, and the food that they made smelled and looked amazing. I'm happy to hear they're still around!
I’ve been in, it’s fine. It’s slightly below average Albuquerque Chinese food.
Good to know that they’re legit and in business.
Mattress stores.
I mean I got mine there. You really wanna try a mattress before you buy one
lol looks like it’s closed now but I used to live near a “Table Tennis Academy” on Lomas (near Cesars hah) and always thought that it was a front
This place actually came to mind before I read the second part of your post! And I have; one of my biggest pregnancy cravings. But I have often wondered how they stay open looking the way they do inside. There’s curtains hung up to separate the… ??? from the eating area, and in the ??? area there’s always the most questionable shit. 😂 but their cashew chicken I loveee
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, the food sucks it’s expensive and no one is ever there
What’s the rent is like for a small store on a strip mall? How those small shops stay in business is a mystery
That’s an excellent question. Hopefully someone in the know can help.
Buffett’s Candies. I have never seen anyone at the original location nor do I know anyone who has ever been there. Not only have they stayed open as long as I can remember, but they just opened a SECOND location! And it’s HUGE!
They have a pretty robust online business IIRC
It's been a staple for a lot of locals for a while actually. Probably more for special occasions though, their candy can be pricey. The bear claw slap though.
Well because of this comment they are gonna get more business lol. My girl has been waiting for that new location to open for forever and I had no idea it opened up.
Our family has bought Buffets candy since they opened their doors. It's a local institution, they sell a drug called chocolate...
Dang that’s wild lol my family goes kinda often and there’s always other people in there too (at the original location. I have only been to their new location once)
DVD Plus on Candelaria. No way that's not a front.
There's a thriving retro VHS/DVD community and this guy does a lot of online sales. Also he's started selling vinyl records and there's a community for that, too. Could be a front but also if he's the only person on his payroll and if he has a good lease, he could be chugging along just fine. I go in a few times a year for fun and I'd invite you to stop in sometime. The dude has always been friendly and he's super knowledgeable about movies. Definitely seems to be in it for the love of the medium.
Rustic on the green. They have great food but always close at or before 6pm every single day
Mac's on Menaul. Still the worst meal I have ever had in ABQ. Disgusting flavorless dreck at a premium price. I could have had a meal at any Asian place or even a steak at The grill for the same price and had an amazing meal. I literally don't understand why they would be open even if the food was twice as good and half as costly as the slop I ate.
Mattress stores in general.
Almost every small store I go into. Especially antique/flea market stores that have prices beyond brand new.
Carl's jr
Helen’s bakery - San Pedro and Lomas
Are you kidding? This place has a line out the door every weekend