Horse & Angel Tavern

I usually wont bother writing a review for a place unless its real lousy or if it is outstanding. This establishment falls into the first category. Im in my late 30s, came in Sat Aug 29 with my wife at about 6:30 pm to grab some dinner and drinks. The place was dead, but to be fair, it was very early. Unbeknownst to us, UFC 102 was being aired that night, and they were charging $5 at the door. Fair enough, but the even wasnt starting for a few hours, and clearly we werent there for the fight. Rather than serving us dinner and drinks which would have made them at least $40 + tips, they turned us away because we werent interested in paying for a fight we didnt want to see (which was, again, hours away). What business owner would turn away good business because they want to collect 10 bucks on two individuals obviously uninterested in cage fighting? The owner probably wouldnt, but the rules-are-rules bouncers stuck with their orders from management and turned us away. We ended up having a nice dinner at Flying Star just down the road instead.

Posted 09/01/09 | Report Abuse

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Hey H&A Crew! Its Eliza and I dont know if any of you read this crap but wanted to say whats up and hope you are all doing well. Lets be honest, not many people who go to this bar go for great service, they go to hang out with hot, funny chicks that work there. I know this becuase I worked there. All of these people who write rude things in this review need to get a grip. East Coast is pretty chill, lots of rain though. Tell you all about it when I visit in September. Take care. -Eliza

Posted 07/24/09 | Report Abuse

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I will never understand when you work for tips why you would not wait on your customers!! My god, we sat on the patio FOREVER trying to get one of the servers to wait on us. The place was DEAD and they still could not be bothered. We finally just left. Sad very sad! Do not go to this place, ever!

Posted 06/26/09 | Report Abuse

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For the last year we've compromised our standards for service in order to enjoy the atmosphere of the Horse and Angel. Heck, we patiently sat on the patio one afternoon and watched our waitress drive away...and come back like 1/2 hour later, as we waited for our check...and we STILL came back. But tonight, we were completely neglected. Waited like 15 minutes after being seated to have the waitress take our order...then, an hour later we started asking where our food was. Probably 20 minutes after that, we got our food. When it arrived, we asked for the check...which came 15 minutes later...and when we paid...yup, you guessed it, another 20 minutes down the drain. Now, I will acknowledge that it was a busy night, and they only had 2 waitresses waiting the whole freaking place...but, alas, this is not so unexpected. Waitresses here routinely stand around and leisurely chat with the bouncers while you sit there and give them puppy eyes, hoping that maybe someday you'll be able to order your second...maybe even your first beer. Such a shame.

Posted 03/17/09 | Report Abuse

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This bar is a really nice bar. Even though the service can sometimes take a little longer than some places I still really enjoy the atmosphere and the different selections on all the beers. I think that the customers need to understand that this is not a 5 star restaurant and that it is going to take longer to get service. I have seen that the cocktail waitresses have to go to an individual bar designated for them with only one bartender. It is a lot of stress on them and the bartender (who has to make drinks for all the tables) so be patient, it's a virtue! Go easy on these girls it is a hard job.. Always having to deal with customers who are either happy or grumpy... Always having to put a smile on their face when they quite often get harassed or treated inappropriately. Take into consideration that this is a bar and these girls are just trying to make money like everyone else, the only difference is, is that they have to deal with a variety of people and a variety of soberness/ personalities!

Posted 11/15/08 | Report Abuse

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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Why is it that only the very few individuals who have a bad experience, feel obligated to complain? I started goint to Horse and Angel a year and a half ago. Yes, there are times the service is horrible, but it is usually due to those "few" that complain. I was in there the other night enjoying a perfect pint of Guinness and some GREAT food. There was a small group of people who thought they were the only ones in the place, and thought the server should be waiting on only them. The poor girl couldn't take two steps without them needing something else, so her other customers suffered. Not the servers fault. For anyone who has ever worked in a bar, you know what I mean. If you haven't, you might not ever understand.

All I can say is Horse and Angel is a great place to go for a great selection of beers and the food is absolutely wonderful. The atmosphere is very comfortable. I like the fact that I can go in there and not worry about BS from anybody. The management doesn't seem to put up with it. (i.e.they don't allow hats to be worn backwards, which takes care of the "little thugs".) I go in there every chance I get. To those who complain, you make it a bad experience not only for you, but for the rest of us as well. Horse and Angel may not be "perfect", but compared to most of the bars in this town, it's actually not bad.

Posted 11/15/08 | Report Abuse

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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This place does not know how to treat customers. They are unfriendly and rude. I am new in town and went there because it is my neighborhood and wanted to meet some people. I will never go there again. This establishment does not appreciate their customers.

Posted 11/14/08 | Report Abuse

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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didnt care for the bartender there. she was rude and uncopperative
she didnt know how to count change back, she got upset with myself and other friends who attended on sat nite. sat out in the patio- again poor service. other people around us were getting service but us, i will not be going back until they retrain there staff

Posted 10/20/08 | Report Abuse

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Recently, our group of 12 or more met up for a happy hour gathering. We actually ended up spending 5 or 6 hours there. The place was very pleasant to be in, and when we joined our group, the waitress came right over to take our order, as she did with the following people that arrived. That was the best of it. Oh, and the food was good. The bartender left out the main ingredient in the drink I ordered (the recipe is actually ON the bottle when you buy it!). Then soon after everyone arrived and got drinks, the waitress informed us that she would be going home and needed to cash us out. Everyone paid and we gave her the money. Well, she was there for another two or three hours, in which time we were promised another waitress and never got one. The one we did try to "ever so politely" ask for drinks literally kept staring forward and walked right by every time. I never saw her smile once that entire night. It was like we suddenly had the plague! We got NO service the rest of the night. We just took turns going to the overcrowded bar for our drinks. We were told that they were short on help, but the blond short haired waitress with the mean look on her face walked around the place like she had nothing better to do than walk around. No one seemed to hurried or pressured to do anything but ingore us. VERY unhappy with the service and I would not recommend going here at all.

Posted 10/16/08 | Report Abuse

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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the food is great, service is very fast, I just want to tell guys to stay away from a women named leila w. she will use you and as much as she can. she will give her body away so easy to get what she wants. I learned the hard way, please be very carefull.

Posted 05/08/08 | Report Abuse

0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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Ok, i understand that some of us may not be able to spell (hey, the balloon fiesta is very popular in Germany, and our State is well known for having a preponderance of non-English speaking residents,) but this place sucks...bad! The service is atrocious and the bouncers are nothing more than thugs paid $7.00 an hour (they are looking for a fight people, they're bored!) If you want service and you respect human decency, do not go here. The food is mediocre at best, yet priced at a level much higher than the "fine" level in the "Great City of Abq." Do yourself a favor, go to nearby restaurants such as Spectator's or Barley Room (trust me, i don't work for them...their service sucks too, it's just better than Horse and Angel's) or go home, cause you're better off, guaranteed!

Posted 11/21/07 | Report Abuse

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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I enjoy reading reviews for pubs and taverns but I've never encountered a review such as T.B's. T.B., if you're out there, if you write a harsh and scathing review, you should first learn how to spell. Although your review may be accurate, nobody will ever take your review seriously. You sound like an idiot. If you're going to resort to name-calling, fix your own problems first. Next time, use your spell-check or go buy a dictionary.

Posted 11/02/07 | Report Abuse

0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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I'm from California and I came to visit during the Balloon Fiesta, I happened to come with a friend to this place and as we come from the parking lot about nine bouncers were yelling violently at this gentlemen to get out. I wasn't please to see this, we were ID' and went immediately to a table.

At the beginning three bouncers take a distant position on our area and started to stare, the next thing I knew they asked us not to drop change on the table, it was against bar policy.

We were giving a tip to the waitress and at that time the guys, which seemed like neo nazi's came to escort us out, I told them to keep my quarter since I dropped it on the table. They abliged and said thanks, as we went to the car they tossed the quarter at my head as I walked to the car.
One employee ran inside and the other 5 guys stayed outside. I asked who did it and no one said a thing. I said I would be back to clear this up and they said, "Good, I hope you do".

After this incident I went to another place where I found out that this bar is in trouble and has to close at midnight due to some type of restriction because of negligence.

Oh, I can't wait to report this to the BBB....I will also be reporting this as a civil suite against those who through that object forcefully at my head. Good luck H&A, you will not be in business for that much longer.

Posted 10/18/07 | Report Abuse

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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I live within walking distance to this place which is my main reason for going there. I really like the food and the beer selection is really good. The biggest problem with the place is the service. On average, it takes a good ten minutes to even be greated once you sit down...getting your drinks and having them refilled usually takes longer. I've found that the majority female staff is a little more attentive when there are guys at the table. Overall, it's a decent place to go if you don't want to drive all the way downtown.

Posted 09/17/07 | Report Abuse

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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I found that me being in Albuquerque for just 2 months hindered me in the service I received. I was at the bar trying to have a beer and then needed a refill. The gentleman next to me identified himself as a regular. He was able to get refills without hesitation. I was only able to have 3 beverages and I was at the bar for over 2 hours. Granted this saved me money. The only reason I was able to get a 3rd beverage was because the bar back hear the bartender tell me they were out of what I ordered. He identified it as a beverage that was still in stock and served me. The patron next to me let me know that he was a regular. He showed me his bill, $9.25 and told me it should be closer to $50.00. He left a $30.00 tip. Who's making out on this deal? All I want is some reasonable service. The bartenders are inexperienced, lazy, and overtipped. I wouldn't work hard either if patrons throw money at me. If it were my business, I would readdress the employees. They don't care if the business makes money, only if their pockets are getting fat.

PROS: The only pro is the eye candy but they are young.
CONS: The owner's foolish. But, I haven't seen the financial books.

Posted 07/02/06 | Report Abuse

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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This is a very nice place, with good food and lots of TVs to watch sports. When you walk in your really get the feel of being in a tavern setting, not a "club" setting. They have pool tables located in the back room. I have always received good service. They usually have a deal going on for some alcohol drinks. They will ID if you go at night. For sure a very nice place to hang out with friends and have a good time!

Posted 11/10/05 | Report Abuse

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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