The building that housed the once-popular Quarters BBQ joint in Albuquerque is reopening under new management while paying homage to the former owners.
La Sirenita ABQ is expanding its food truck business into a brick-and-mortar restaurant at the same location where Quarters once did big business before closing more than a year ago.
“It was kind of scary, to be honest,” La Sirenita ABQ co-owner Marco Sirena told KRQE News. “Quarters is the oldest BBQ restaurant in Albuquerque."
La Sirenita will offer its unique brand of tasty Mexican cuisine. In addition, it’s also offering a selection of BBQ items directly from Quarters' old recipes.
“When he gave us the blessing to use his recipes, that wasn’t something we were anticipating,” Renee Rodriguez, La Sirenita’s other owner told KRQE News.
Quarters owner Connie Nellos bought the building located off Yale and Avenida Cesar Chavez in 1970 and is happy it will be utilized again, especially with a few of his BBQ recipes being featured.
“I tasted (La Sirenita's) BBQ and it’s wonderful,” Nellos told KRQE News. “People need to come down and taste it, along with their Mexican food. It’s a big-time winner. They came to me with a good concept, I liked it and I am 100% on their team.”
Quarters closed in February 2022 after 52 years in business. Nellos was 82 at the time and said dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and labor shortages had taken its toll.
“COVID has hurt us tremendously," he said in February of 2022, according to KRQE News. "The labor market has hurt us tremendously. And the politicians have hurt us. Nobody’s even come in and applied for a job. Nobody, not one person. It’s all economics, in my opinion, and the economics don’t work for this business.”
The Sirenita ABQ food truck -- which serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas, meat by the pound, as well as salsa and other sides -- will continue operating in the meantime.
