Though I’m happily parked in the dusty corner of the United States that is Albuquerque, far from the cobblestones and cathedrals of Italy, Poland, and Germany, I sometimes long for the food of the Old World. Heavy on the sauces, hearty, and meat-forward, with a dash of crumbly holiday cookies, these cuisines, like New Mexican food, are rooted in seasonality, family, and tradition. But it’s not just the food I crave; it’s the comfort of humble spaces and casual kindness, of people making dishes that taste like home. 

As luck would have it, sprinkled around greater Albuquerque are a handful of excellent eat-in European delis, rich in history, specialty products, and time-honed dishes that can transport you to those faraway destinations—even if a flight to Europe isn’t in the budget this summer.

Tully’s Italian Deli & Meats

Perhaps the least hidden of the bunch is this Albuquerque Italian mainstay. At Tully’s Italian Deli & Meats, the sandwiches are as big as your head, the imported pantry items and cured meat selection plentiful, and dried pasta comes in shapes you’d be hard pressed to find at your local supermarket. Opened in 1970 by the Camuglia family, Tully’s brings the spirit of an East Coast Italian deli to a strip mall on San Mateo. Tully’s makes much of their lunch menu from scratch, including their beef meatballs and “NY style” Italian sausage—and some of the shelved stock, too, including marinara sauces and prepared frozen dinners, like their Chicken Marsala and Beef Lasagna. Try the classic (and enormous) Joe DiMaggio, a sandwich made with half a pound of pastrami, ham, genoa salami, and provolone, and showered with shrettuce, black olives, tomato, and Italian dressing. The eggplant parm sub is satisfyingly saucy, melty with mozzarella and dusted with parmesan. Subs come with a side of chips or potato salad—but trust me, you’ll hardly need them.

When I visited one recent Tuesday, the spectacularly mustachioed and mulleted co-owner Johnny Camuglia generously gifted me a jar of Tully’s homemade Sicilian-style marinara and an assortment of delicately flavored, brightly colored cookies from the dizzying display on the bakery side. He pointed to family photos adorning the walls that tell Tully’s history, and reflected on how far the market has come from its comparatively humble roots. In 2007, Tully’s expanded next door into what used to be a hair salon, opening Saratori’s Pastry Shop. These days, in addition to running the deli, they cater, make wedding cakes, and boast both a dessert and a cookie case. Camuglia even has the space nowadays, he told me, to host Tully’s holiday events, like their open-to-the-public Thanksgiving. For their annual Valentine’s day dinner, Camuglia said, he might even break out the violin. 

📍 1425 San Mateo Blvd NE, Albuquerque, 505-255-5370

Red Rock Deli

Tucked behind a drive-through emissions spot in a strip mall off San Mateo, just down from Victor’s Home Brew, Red Rock Deli has for years been a quiet favorite for Burqueños in need of a good pierogi. Formerly located in the far Northeast Heights, Red Rock is run by a family trio with Polish and Ukrainian roots: Mark and Alissa Toczek and son Maksym (Max) Horokovskyi, all three of whom came to the table and urged a friend and I (at least three times) to stay until closing time. At booths cheerily laid with folk-patterned embroidery, you can find exceptionally warm service and good company while gazing into shelves of canned and pickled European specialty foods. Neighboring patrons chatted with us about local fare and even gifted us the last two chocolate wafer cookies from their package.

We ordered the Polish German platter, which comes with Polish sausage (the standout), a beer brat, sauerkraut two ways (cold and stewed), potato salad, and plenty of grainy mustard. Naleśniki, or blintzes, are offered in two savory iterations and one sweet. I went with the dessert version, filled with sweet cheese, topped with just enough bright fruit syrup, and served with a side of sour cream that contrasts beautifully with the sweetness. Given the reputation of the place, we also had to try the Russian Roulette pierogi platter, served with the optional (but must-have) fried-bacon-and-onion topping. The pierogies are made in house and filled with cheese, sauerkraut, mushrooms, spinach, and other savory ingredients that may remain a mystery. When I asked the proprietress what varieties we had been served, I received a dose of the eastern European frankness my Slavic family has familiarized me with: “I have no idea.” She said, “It’s called Russian Roulette.”

📍 2414 San Mateo Pl NE, 505-332-9656

Dagmar’s Specialties

If German homeyness is what you’re looking for, finding this spot tucked away in the southeast corner of Rio Rancho is a jackpot. Dagmar’s Specialties is counter service, and along with hot meals, the small bakery/deli/ restaurant sports a modest but curated selection of German meats, snacks, and baked goods, including luxe-looking chocolate cakes, specialty breads, and at least five flavors of strudel. They sell out of their cinnamon rolls, I was told, early in the day. 

When my friend and I arrived on a scorching afternoon, we were greeted with a hearty portion of sass from the man behind the counter, who heckled us good-naturedly for splitting the bill and making changes to our order after we’d paid. He also took the time to patiently walk an older customer through Dagmar’s dessert offerings, helping her choose an affordable sweet for a graduation party later that day. With somewhat less deliberation, my friend and I opted for a raspberry strudel, with a flaky crust and a supersweet filling. 

Dagmar’s Authentic Jägerschnitzel, made with pork loin, is perfectly crispy and thin, and comes with bouncy strands of house-made, breadcrumb–sprinkled spaetzle. Topping both is what Dagmar’s calls Hunter’s Gravy: a dark, glossy brown pan sauce, rich and deeply flavored with slices of mushroom. The Reuben, too, is loaded with flavor: Their corned beef, also made in-house, is complemented perfectly by Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island on crispy marbled rye. A tasty few bites of herbed potato salad are served on the side. 

If you come for the food, stay for the offbeat decor. German ephemera lines shelves and walls in their attached dining room: antique beer steins, wooden clogs, an old fire brigade helmet, a small figurine of a portly friar. Play your cards right, and you might even catch a nature show—in German, of course—on the TV tucked in a corner of their dining room. 

📍 2704 Southern SE, Rio Rancho, 505-615-5651