Inside the Government Center · right by Civic Plaza
Mon–Fri from 7:30am
(505) 659-2429
Downtown Albuquerque · Breakfast & Lunch
Green chile before nine. Philly by noon.
Made to order, every morning, right by Civic Plaza. A New Mexico-raised, French-trained, Romanian chef runs the kitchen, which is how a breakfast burrito and a green chile Philly cheesesteak end up on the same menu.
No stock photography. These came off the counter on a normal weekday.
The one people order
Philly Cheese Steak
Thinly sliced sirloin, sautéed mushrooms and onions, provolone on a toasted sub. Add green chile for a dollar.
Off the specials board
Blackened Shrimp Pesto Pasta
Linguine in creamy pesto, basil, roasted pine nuts, blackened shrimp on top.
The Menu
Everything, every day.
The standing menu, alongside whatever the specials board says. Green or red chile on almost anything.
Breakfast
Breakfast Burrito$8
Eggs, hashbrowns, cheese, your choice of bacon, sausage, ham or chorizo, red or green chile, in our 12″ tortilla.
Protein Bowl$8
Pinto beans, eggs, cheese, choice of meat, red or green chile.
Breakfast Bowl$8
Hashbrowns, eggs, cheese, choice of meat, red or green chile.
Breakfast Sandwich$8
Eggs, cheese and your choice of meat on sourdough.
Classic American Breakfast$8
Two eggs any style, hashbrowns, wheat or sourdough toast, bacon, sausage or ham.
Breakfast Tacos$7
Three flour tacos with bacon, eggs, cheese and chile. Corn tortillas optional.
Holly Special$6
Crispy bacon strips, cheese and red or green chile in a medium tortilla.
Western Hash Browns$6
Golden hashbrowns, cheese, red or green chile.
English Muffin, Egg & Canadian Bacon$5
One egg over hard with American cheese.
Avocado Toast$3.50
Add tomato for $1.
Veggie Breakfast
Veggie Breakfast Burrito$8
Onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, hashbrowns or beans, eggs, cheese and chile in a 12″ tortilla.
Veggie Breakfast Bowl$8
Onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, hashbrowns, two eggs any style, cheese and chile.
Veggie Protein Bowl$8
Onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, beans, two eggs any style, cheese and chile.
Veggie Breakfast Sandwich$8
Onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, scrambled eggs and cheese on toasted sourdough.
Veggie Classic American$6
Veggie Breakfast Tacos$6
Oatmeal$2
Breakfast sides & grab-and-go
Hash browns $3Eggs $3Breakfast meat $3.50Toast $2Beans $2.50Red or green chile $1.50Salsa 4oz $1Medium tortilla $1.50Large tortilla $2Fruit cup $3Chobani yogurt $2.50Cottage cheese $3Veggie cup $3.50
Sandwiches & subs
Philly Cheese Steak 6″$12
Thinly sliced sirloin, sautéed mushrooms and onions, provolone on a toasted sub, with chips. Add green chile $1.
The Spicy Beef 6″$12
Thinly sliced sirloin with sautéed onions, jalapeños and provolone on a toasted sub, with chips.
Turkey Wrap$9
Boar's Head turkey breast, lettuce, tomato and mayo in a 12″ tortilla, with chips.
BLT Sandwich$9
Crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on toasted wheat, with chips. Also as a wrap, $9.
Grilled Ham & Cheese$9
Boar's Head ham and melted cheddar jack on whole wheat, with chips.
Grilled Cheese$6
Melted cheddar jack on whole wheat, with chips.
Veggie Sub$7
Sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms and onions, tomato and mayo on a sub roll, with chips.
Peanut Butter & Jelly$5
The Bird
Chicken Philly$12
Thinly sliced chicken breast, sautéed mushrooms and jalapeños, provolone on a toasted sub, with chips.
The Albuquerque Turkey 6″$10.50
Boar's Head turkey, sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers, melted cheese and green chile on a toasted sub, with chips.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich$10.50
Grilled chicken breast on grilled sourdough with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo, with chips.
California Club$10.50
Turkey breast, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on sourdough, with chips.
Turkey Club$10
Turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on wheat, with chips.
Bacon & Ranch Chicken Sub 6″$10.50
Grilled chicken, bacon crumble, melted cheese and ranch on a toasted sub, with chips.
Chicken & Mushroom Burrito$10.50
Grilled chicken, sautéed mushroom, melted cheese, green chile, lettuce and tomato, with chips.
Chicken Tender Wrap$10.50
Crispy fried chicken with your sauce, mayo, lettuce and tomato in a 12″ tortilla, with chips.
Chicken Strips$10.50
Fried chicken strips with French fries and your choice of dipping sauce, including green chile ranch.
Chicken Salad Sandwich$10
Homemade chicken salad, lettuce, tomato and mayo on sourdough, with chips. Also as a wrap, $9.
From the sea
Shrimp Basket$12
Golden fried shrimp with a basket of fries and tartar or cocktail sauce.
Tuna Salad Sandwich$9
Homemade tuna salad with dill relish, lettuce and tomato on whole wheat, with chips. Also as a wrap, $9.
Burritos
Bean & Cheese Burrito$7
Pinto beans, cheese and red or green chile in a 12″ tortilla, with chips.
Salads
Salad of the Week$13
It changes. One recent week: grilled chicken over romaine with peaches, blackberries, feta, candied pecans, red onion and a house honey-basil white balsamic.
Chicken Caesar$11
Grilled chicken on romaine with parmesan and croutons.
Cobb Salad$11
Turkey, avocado, bacon, tomato and bleu cheese.
Crispy Chicken Salad$11
Side Salad$5
Spring mix with cucumber, shredded carrot, tomato and cheese.
Finger food
Fried Mushrooms$8
Whole mushrooms, battered and golden fried, with green chile ranch.
Fried Zucchini$8
Battered zucchini sticks with green chile ranch.
Fried Pickles$8
Popcorn Shrimp$9
Chile Cheese Fries$6.50
Mozzarella Sticks$7
Cheese Fries$5
Nachos$4
Nacho chips, nacho cheese and jalapeños.
Lunch sides
French fries $4Side of avocado $3Scoop of tuna or chicken salad $3.50Chicken strips, no fries $8Green chile $1.50Red chile $1.50Green chile ranch $0.50Ranch $0.50Nacho cheese $2Sour cream $1Jalapeños $1BBQ $1Hot sauce $1
Coffee
Drip Coffee$1.50
Refills $1.
Espresso$2
Hot Latte, Cappuccino, Mocha, Macchiato or Americano, 12oz$3
Extra drizzle $1.
Iced Latte, Cappuccino, Mocha, Macchiato or Americano, 16oz$3
Extra drizzle $1.
Iced Coffee with Half & Half, 16oz$4
Hot Cocoa$2
Cold case
Fountain drink $3Refill $1.50Can soda $1.50Mexican Coke $3.50Fresh brewed iced tea $3Pure Leaf tea $2.50OJ $2.50V8 $2Gatorade $2.50Red Bull, small $3.50Red Bull 12oz $5Monster $3.50Celsius $3.50Coconut water $2.50Perrier $2.50San Pellegrino $2Smart Water $4Alkaline water $2.50Chocolate milk $2.50Bottled soda $2.50Arizona tea $2Agua mineral $2.50Protein chocolate milk $4
Prices from our online ordering menu. Gift cards and a loyalty program are available when you order online. Online orders close at 2:30pm Monday to Thursday and 1:30pm Friday, so the kitchen can finish before we close. We don't take orders by phone.
Office meetings, workday lunches, a small group in a conference room: tell us the date and the headcount, and the same kitchen that feeds downtown every weekday will take care of it.
There's a food truck, too. When your event wants the cooking done on site, Desert Sky on the Fly brings the kitchen to you.
Chef Ilie Spilca was born in Romania, raised in New Mexico, went through the New Mexico Military Institute, and trained in classical French cuisine. In his own words, he's living the American dream, out of a café counter downtown.
It explains the menu. Green chile is a default, not an add-on. And the sauce work under a $10 sandwich is the part you taste but can't quite name.
Born RomaniaRaised New MexicoNMMI AlumnusTrained Classical French
The breakfast burrito was absolutely spectacular!! I got it with chorizo and red sauce. The server was kind in suggesting the difference between the red and green sauce & helped my friend in deciding what coffee to get…
Lexi F. · Google review
This was maybe the best breakfast I’ve ever had. The breakfast burrito was massive. I’m a big dude and I couldn’t finish it. The hashbrowns with green chili though was maybe the most pleasant surprise of all…
Jay D. · Google review
This café is hands-down one of the best spots in downtown Albuquerque. The food is consistently delicious and the entire menu is outstanding! The space is warm, cozy, and inviting. This café is a local treasure.
Hannah T. · Google review
The breakfast burrito was absolutely spectacular!! I got it with chorizo and red sauce. The server was kind in suggesting the difference between the red and green sauce & helped my friend in deciding what coffee to get…
Lexi F. · Google review
This was maybe the best breakfast I’ve ever had. The breakfast burrito was massive. I’m a big dude and I couldn’t finish it. The hashbrowns with green chili though was maybe the most pleasant surprise of all…
Jay D. · Google review
This café is hands-down one of the best spots in downtown Albuquerque. The food is consistently delicious and the entire menu is outstanding! The space is warm, cozy, and inviting. This café is a local treasure.
Hannah T. · Google review
Breakfast bowl with hashbrowns, cheese, eggs over easy, red chilè, and chorizo. Is it the perfect breakfast? Yes it is. It's absolutely delicious, cooked to order, and pretty affordable.
Ryan W. · Google review
Nice little place tucked inside office buildings of Albuquerque. Prices are very reasonable. Good ambience considering it's a quick grab/bite place. People are very polite and friendly. Would visit again.
Sharat C. · Google review
Breakfast bowl with hashbrowns, cheese, eggs over easy, red chilè, and chorizo. Is it the perfect breakfast? Yes it is. It's absolutely delicious, cooked to order, and pretty affordable.
Ryan W. · Google review
Nice little place tucked inside office buildings of Albuquerque. Prices are very reasonable. Good ambience considering it's a quick grab/bite place. People are very polite and friendly. Would visit again.
Sharat C. · Google review
The Room
Light, plants and a lot of glass.
The dining roomThe ledgeSnacks and drinksThe window tables
Desert Sky on the Fly
The café has a food truck. It caters.
Same chef, same green chile, on wheels. Desert Sky on the Fly caters offices, weddings and events across Albuquerque, and brings the kitchen to you. Its menu and schedule live on its own site.
We're inside the Government Center downtown, open to everybody, not just the people who work upstairs. Walk in, order at the counter, and it's usually out in five or ten minutes.
1 Civic Plaza NWAlbuquerque, NM 87102 · Downtown
Monday – Thursday7:30am – 3:00pm
Friday7:30am – 2:00pm
Saturday & SundayClosed
Online orders close at 2:30pm Monday to Thursday and 1:30pm Friday.
Orders are placed online or at the counter, not over the phone. For anything else, call us.
Grab a drink and a snack on the way through, or order something made to order and take a seat. Gift cards and a loyalty program run through our online ordering.
Good to know
Questions people ask before they walk in.
The short answers. Anything else, call (505) 659-2429.
Where is Desert Sky Café?
Inside the Government Center at 1 Civic Plaza NW in downtown Albuquerque, right by Civic Plaza. It is open to everybody, not just the people who work upstairs.
What are the hours?
Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 3:00pm and Friday 7:30am to 2:00pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Online orders close at 2:30pm Monday to Thursday and 1:30pm on Friday.
How do I order?
Order online or at the counter. Orders are not taken over the phone. Most made-to-order dishes are out in five or ten minutes. For questions, call (505) 659-2429.
What kind of food is it?
Made-to-order breakfast and lunch: breakfast burritos with red or green chile, a green chile Philly cheesesteak, and a different special every day, cooked by a New Mexico-raised, French-trained, Romanian chef. Most of breakfast is $8 or less.
Do you cater?
Yes. Weekday catering for office meetings and workday lunches, no matter how small. Tell us the date and the headcount. When you want the cooking done on site, the Desert Sky on the Fly food truck brings the kitchen to you.
