My journey through Albuquerque’s increasingly vibrant coffee community had brought me today to Remedy Coffee. Located across from Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza (the vibrant heart of the city, dating to its founding in 1706), Remedy shares a parking lot with Duran’s Pharmacy, another landmark business on Central Avenue and Route 66. From their association with Duran’s Pharmacy comes their name, Remedy, and their tagline, “The cure for the common coffee.” Nestled in an old adobe building, Remedy focuses on classic third wave coffees, with some fun seasonal lattes and coffee drinks. For my birthday this year my thoughtful and amazing wife bought me gift cards to multiple local coffee shops, so I was excited to put my Remedy gift card to use.
A visit to Remedy begins with entering through their quiet walled courtyard. a few shady trees and tables greet you, providing a great place to enjoy a cup of coffee on a cool fall day. Once inside you are faced with the coffee bar. The barista was very friendly and helpful, suggesting different drinks based on mood. The menu consists of the coffee standards, including a few specialty drinks like the Dulce de Leche Latte or “The Remedy,” a mocha featuring red Chile from Duran’s Pharmacy (Duran’s also contains a classic New Mexican diner know for their red Chile and breakfasts). I was intrigued by the warm spice latte, which features cardamom, cinnamon, and turbinado sugar. As we are entering fall they are also featuring a number of pumpkin spice drinks as well.
As usual on my first visit to a new place I focused on the basics. Today I chose an iced americano, to get a feel for their espresso. Remedy features locally roasted espresso from Villa Myriam, they don’t roast in-house. I really enjoyed this espresso today. It was rich with deep flavor, and notes of chocolate, and fairly low acidity. This is the kind of very drinkable espresso I enjoy, so kudos to Remedy for their bean selections!
Once I got my drink I strolled into the back rooms of what was once an adobe house. Remedy consists of three rooms, one for the coffee bar itself, and two rooms dedicated to sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee. I settled into the first room by the fireplace. In the cooler months the fireplace is used to heat the building, and I will definitely need to return to enjoy a relaxing cup by the wood burning fire. The second room also includes a comfy couch and seating area (a feature disappearing from many coffee shops). The brick floors, subdued jazz music, and mix of modern lighting fixtures, bright windows, and classic New Mexican style really makes Remedy a cozy place to spend some time.
Overall I think Remedy has a winning formula developing here. The coffee is great, the location can pull in tourists from Old Town and locals from downtown, and the relaxing shop makes it a place you will want to come back to again and again. Highly recommended!
Remedy Coffee is located at 1816 Lomas Blvd. NW, Ste. A. They are open from 7AM-4PM. Check out their website (which includes online ordering) at http://remedycoffeeabq.com
The French Fried Geek 