Pacific Rim Food Park reborn with new name, new family-friendly focus

The closing of the Pacific Rim Food Park in the Northeast Heights left foodies with a hole in their menus but a new concept opened last year aims to fill it.

With the weather warming up, we dropped by the the newly-named Albuquerque Food Park to check the vibe.

Food trucks have captured the public imagination over the last two decades, but food truck parks are a unique institution in their own right. While individual trucks often migrate or dissolve faster than brick-and-mortar restaurants, a successful park can serve as a stable hub where multiple vendors share space and draw a regular crowd.

Tucked just off San Antonio Drive and Louisiana Boulevard, near the North Domingo Baca neighborhood, the Albuquerque Food Park functions as one of those hubs. According to operations manager Alex Chavez, the park sits on land owned by nearby Grace Church, where Chavez runs the space and donates to the congregation. The layout is simple: a ring of food trucks surrounding a central patch of picnic tables under canopy tents, creating a self-contained courtyard for diners. Despite its proximity to major roads, the space feels somewhat insulated from the surrounding traffic once you step inside. The Paper sat down with Chavez and fellow manager Xavier Quintero to talk about the park, which they say has been operating for about five years primarily to a local and family-oriented clientele.

Music played throughout the park covers most of the road noise from Louisiana Boulevard. (Photo courtesy of Albuquerque Food Park)

Events are a major part of the park’s draw. Quintero said themed weekends regularly attract families looking for free activities. The recent Duck City Day featured rubber-duck scavenger hunts, games, bounce houses and a small petting zoo. Previous events have ranged from a Low Rider showcase last November to a Power Wheels racecourse in January. “[Events are] pretty popular,” Quintero said. “A lot of people gravitate toward them and come to enjoy the festivities.” 

Chavez added that many visitors come from nearby neighborhoods or drive over from the Westside, and the park often plans activities aimed at younger visitors, including summer themed nights where teenagers can gather, play games and spend time outdoors. 

An inflatable dartboard on Duck City Day. (Photo courtesy of Albuquerque Food Park) 

The park’s busiest stretch runs from spring through fall, when Albuquerque’s weather makes outdoor dining easier. Activity slows in winter, though the park still hosts seasonal events such as holiday gatherings with s’mores, cocoa and visits from Santa. Some of the small businesses operating at the park have already begun expanding; Quintero noted that The Brain Freezer ice cream truck is preparing to open a brick-and-mortar shop in Corrales. 

For diners elsewhere in the city wondering whether the drive is worth it, Chavez puts it simply: “Free, family-fun events with Albuquerque’s best food trucks.”

The park hosts craft tents on weekends. (Photo courtesy of Albuquerque Food Park)