Two Cranes Bistro & Brew ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Mar 2025

The RJG's sure know how to pick the most popular times to be out and about looking for dinner. Some of you may recall that two years ago we were in downtown Kansas City - when it was opening Monday Night Football and the Chiefs were playing! That was a challenge.

And now we're in Albuquerque, and would you believe the University of New Mexico was in the March Madness tournament? And they were playing on this Friday night. What are the odds? I never thought of UNM as a major basketball school, but quick research tells me a different story. Regionally, they are a powerhouse. It was round 1, and they were playing one of the perennial institution basketball schools: Marquette. Well - that will probably eliminate them quickly*. But enthusiasm was high all over town. We saw it at The 377 Brewery first.

The setup was perfect. Our hotel was right next to a tavern. Two minute walking distance. Except... it was jam packed because of the contest and no place to sit for the foreseeable future. Well crud. We're going to have to drive somewhere else. I decided to pick a similar place and hope for the best.

Miraculously we got a table right away. But good luck in being served. We stayed patient, but they made a serious blunder by not offering us a beer right away. That would have resulted in at least one other round of beers. The help was obviously exhausted and they didn't hide it. They weren't rude, just beat. And a few patrons did lose their patience with them - and loudly at that. The atmosphere was not great. At the end, our waiter was apologetic. It's understandable, though I sure could have used that first beer!

In any case, by the time we did get served we went straight to dinner and ordered our beer then. I went with my staple Cubano and Mrs. RJG had a steak protein bowl. I substituted fries for the green chile stew (a wise move). If the waiters were struggling, the kitchen was not. They absolutely nailed the dishes. As for the "brew" part of their name, I would suggest that their beer list seemed a bit light for a place such as this.

I don't see us coming back here, not because we didn't enjoy it (we did), but can't think of a reason why we would. Presuming that tavern is available next time... 

* - UNM won the game handily, only to lose the next round to Maryland in a heartbreaking way.

3/21/25 (new entry)