Al’s Big Dipper

I had such high hopes for this place but it just wasn’t that memorable. I had the Roast Beef Caprese with mixed salad that came with homemade ranch and a cookie. It was a beautiful plate but the salad had too little dressing, the sandwich was lackluster and I didn’t even bother with the cookie.
I was disappointed through and through. I took the leftovers with me and eventually tossed them because I knew they weren’t going to be anything worth eating.
Hope you’re walking because parking is impossible.

I love Al’s. Too much maybe. I’m reserving the fifth star only because there are a handful of sandwiches on the menu that I think it’s best to skip. That is, I can’t say I’ve *never* been disappointed, just rarely.
Don’t be afraid to try the French toast sand which. I don’t favor sweet breakfasts but this is actually mostly savory and you’re in complete control of how sweet it is or isn’t. Im having one right now and it’s fantastic!

What a fantastic lunch spot. Consistently fresh, delicious salads, like the Greek with fantastic dressing and lots of yummy feta. I haven’t had a bad sandwich there either, there’s always seating, and you get a homemade cookie with every order. Not to mention the service is fast, friendly, and they treat regulars like, well, regulars.

This place was great!!! We were from out of town and looking for quality sandwich places and found Al’s. Loved it so much we came two days in a row for lunch. Try the New Mexico Roast Beef (hot) or the Turky Banhmi (cold). Both were EXCELLENT!!!

Al’s Big Dipper is super cute and well hidden (connected to the library downtown). They serve salads, sandwiches and breakfast. I really liked the atmosphere! The menu display is different and unique. Service was great– everyone was nice and quick to help despite the busyness of the lunch hour. I ordered the southwestern salad with chicken. It was really good! I actually liked my salad. The sandwiches from what I saw looked delicious as well. There isn’t much sitting room so be prepared if you go at a busy time.

Sandwiches are always good. The soups can be phenomenal. Prices are reasonable. Really friendly and generous staff and owner/​managers. Glad they are in the shop next to the library.

Thank goodness for Al’s Big Dipper, the best lunch spot downtown! For people who work downtown like me, Al’s is a godsend. It is the only downtown eatery I get excited about, and I frequently eat here more than once a week. Everything here is good, and the options never get old.
Al’s sandwiches are creative and delicious. One of my favorites is Christopher’s Crunch — roast beef, havarti cheese, avocado, fresh onion, and crunchy onion crisps on toast. I also love the Big Chef Salad and Beeker’s Beef sandwich. I’ve been impressed every time I’ve tried the daily special, too. Seriously, I’ve never had a bad meal here. I could go on and on.
The coffee is also fantastic — they have strong, delicious espresso drinks.
The environment is on-​point as well. Located in a glass sunroom in the library building, Al’s has tons of natural light and a bright, happy ambiance. There are plenty of tables to sit and enjoy your meal while looking out onto the street or into the library.
Finally, the staff are super-​friendly and kind. If you come here often, you will quickly become a regular and the owners will know you by name. I’ve been trying to bring my lunch to work more often to save money, but Al’s is my personal siren song, calling my name at the lunch hour. Their delicious offerings are hard to resist.

Did you know you can check out upto 50 items at the Albuquerque Library? Finally after my recent visit to the downtown branch to overload my poor canvas book bag… I lugged all my borrowed books over to Al’s Big Dipper… thankfully it was not far… a few steps really. just across the vestibule. I did actually leave behind some books for you to check out too.
I LOVE that Al’s moved into the Downtown Library adjacent café space. I never did find myself just a few blocks over to the old location. The meal I had here recently was super tasty, affordable and quick. I have been on a CUBANO kick lately and ABD (Al’s Big Dipper) did not disappoint. The little sunny café is very convenient to downtown dwellers and library goers. I expect much of the business is done carry-​out to downtown workers… but, I encourage you to take a few minutes to utilize the library and find a book… order lunch and read for a bit.
Back to my cubano… it arrived quickly and perfectly cooked. Warm layers of ham and roasted pork on a nice bread with pickles and mustard. Maybe next time I will order it with green chile. The side salad and homemade cookie rounded out a very nice lunch!
I intend to be a regular… just need to find all those books scattered around my house and finish reading them befor I start getting the auto-calls…“a patron at this number has upto 50 overdue items”…
TIP:
It appears that ABD posts over on FB menu items of the day…
TIP:
As for the book I was reading while scarfing down my ABD Cubano… Highly recommended! «A Garlic Testament» by Stanley Crawford

This is my favorite lunch place! The special is always good. The turkey banhmi is my favorite. The wild suze, the sandwiches and salads are all so good! I eat here at least once a week! Delivery is super quick too! If you haven’t tried Al’s yet, you must!!!

Great! Really happy to see them in a bigger place! With the amount of people they get they needed the extra space. They are still serving excellent sandwiches, and a few new ones it seems. I like the Salami mozz melt, and the daily specials are always awesome. One thing I did notice, maybe its just me, but it seems like the cookie got smaller… oh well.

Love Love Love — They have the best sandwiches — right next to the downtown public library. They are homemade and super yummy! The coleslaw is to die for and the cookies are grand! I love Randy’s Rant. You must go and support LOCAL! YUM!