Model Pharmacy

It was my first time popping into this pharmacy. They have the old school soda fountain. The woman who makes the soda is very friendly and helpful. She provides great suggestions/​combinations of soda and ice cream.
The place is very unique to albuquerque. After I had my soda, I walked around and see what else they offer. I notice many european items and some body care products that my (grand) parents use. I definitely will come back again.

Nice place but be forewarned if you buy anything from the adjoining gift shop, they take your merchandise behind counter and remove excess packaging without obtaining permission to do so. Then you take your merchandise home and discover it looks less like a gift and more like REGIF. Very annoying.

The old fashioned soda fountain is incredibly charming, and the service is fantastic! I had a chocolate egg cream, which was delicious. The cheddar and tomato sandwich is also really yummy, and the side of compote to dip it in is a nice touch that elevates the sandwich beyond a basic grilled cheese. The only reason this review is 4 star is that the French onion soup wasn’t my favorite. It needed salt, and the onions were so long and abundant that they were difficult to eat.

The last three times I’ve been in, the service on the retail side has been lacking to the point of upsetting. I was a big fan but I’ll be taking my business elsewhere. Who knows, your mileage mary vary.

This place is what neighborhoods were all about. Friendly staff. Clean surroundings. Great selections and wonderful food. Keep up the great work

Delish salad today for lunch. The food is always fresh! Great place to meet friends for a quick bite!

The location is a bit confusing to get to. When we walked in, we were greeted, but given no direction. We were not sure if we sat ourselves, waited to be seated, nada. Once we just picked a table and sat down, we were given menus. While the menu is small, there is a variety. I chose the turkey sandwich, my husband ordered the beef brisket sandwich. When we finally received our food, I asked for a side of mustard for my sandwich. When I pulled my sandwich open to add the mustard, I noticed there was hardly any turkey. I asked the server if this was the normal serving size and was promptly told yes. Compared to my husband’s sandwich, mine looked miniature! We ate our food and asked for the check. A gentleman (whom we later were informed was the owner) was checking in on tables, and asked us how everything was. We replied it was okay and he immediately became concerned. I explained the turkey situation and he said that it was NOT normal and took our check and said, «You are not paying for that sandwich. Please come back and try it again.» We went up front to pay and was questioned why something was crossed out and said the gentleman in the blue shirt crossed off my sandwich. All in all, it was a mediocre experience. Sadly, I was disappointed.

As I rolled over the stars selection for this review I read the description and yeah today for our UYE it was «Woohoo! As good as it gets!». The owner was present and our servers were excellent, polite and friendly. On this day I had the grilled cheddar and tomato sandwich (a grilled cheese with sliced tomato inside) it was great. The atmosphere here is spot on, I guess I’d call it a nostalgic view of the drug store down the street. I used to go to a soda shop like this as a kid it immediately brought back good memories. Aside from the café there is a drugstore /​gift shop area they carry many high quality personal hygiene items such as stainless steel straight razors and of course the obligatory fun sunglasses. If you’re in Albuquerque and wondering if you should stop here, well, do!

Disappointing. I remember the taste of their sandwiches from the past. They were flavorful and well-​made. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even try them today. there were two service persons in the restaurant area. One greeted me without looking at me and went straight to a table to take an order. There was a counter person who was totaling tickets and did not even acknowledge me. There were no clean tables and only 1 third of the tables were occupied. My patience is pretty high, but the lack of customer service led me to Il Vicino instead.

This is a local favorite for lunch, they have great sandwiches and a FULL old fashion soda fountain.
I recommend the tuna sandwich or the daily soup special.
Plan on spending sometime roaming the store before or after you eat.

I’ve been eating here for years (since I was a child) and the charm has still not worn off! I have never ever been unhappy with anything I have ordered. Some of my favorites include the chicken salad sandwich and the ham and brie sandwich. I always get a chocolate malt to share and it is always delicious! The cranberry applesauce that always comes with the meal has become a staple for me.
Whether you sit at a table by the window and enjoy the mobiles overhead or at the cool retro counter, the ambiance is very sweet and enjoyable!
On your way out, be sure to explore all the sweet little products in the pharmacy store — wonderful little gift options!

We were looking for a place that served great milkshakes and old fashion sodas when we found The Model Pharmacy. Like the «Soda Fountain Pharmacies» your grandparents or parents grew up with, they have a little bit of everything. Pharmacy needs, shaving items, cologne, cards, gifts, hair items, sandwiches, sodas and so much more! Every employee, including the owner, was friendly. The old pharmacy stores are a precursor to coffee cafes. I think I was born in the wrong era ~ I love old fashion stores!
My husband ordered a black/​white chocolate shake ~ it was the perfect blend of chocolate. I sooooo wanted a lime soda with phosphate but, it wasn’t on the menu so I asked the «soda jerks» if they could make one. Without hesitation, the gal said they didn’t have lime syrup but they did have real lime juice and she would pull a soda together. It wasn’t green like a typical lime soda usually is but, the lime flavor came through. It was really good! Score! Sadly, we didn’t have an opportunity to try a savory bite because the grill was closed.
We would totally stop here again if ever in the area and highly recommend anyone to grab some friends, pull up a stool and order a soda with a shot of phosphate ~ your tastes buds will love you!

We all have grandmas, but I like to think of my grandma as the best grandma. My nana (or nanny as I like to call her). Now, as some of you may know I don’t always trust my nanny’s taste in food, although, we seem to be eerily similar people, our taste in food tends to vary (She likes Nick and Jimmy’s and I do not).
However, Model Pharmacy is one of the places she used to take me as a child. We would spend time looking at all the products and fancy smancy hair pieces and then tuck ourselves into a little table for lunch and a milk shake. I remember clearly staring up at the mobiles while we waited for our lunch. This place hasn’t changed much, and when I sit there I can’t help but think about my nanny.
The food is down to earth food, with sandwiches, and deli salads that make anyones tummy happy, but the real show stealer is the milkshakes and sodas. After all, it is a soda fountain. With rich and delicious flavors it is really something that is hard to beat.
This place is unique, it is quaint, and it brings back so many happy memories from my childhood and one of my favorite ladies in the whole wide world.

When I read in my guide book to Albuquerque that Model Pharmacy still had a lunch counter I knew we had to go there. They have a great menu with some old fashioned drinks like egg creams and malts along with grilled cheese sandwiches and veggie burgers. A nice surprise were the beautiful letter pressed cards in their extensive greeting card area. I had never seen some of these cards before and bought several for birthdays. They have wonderful cosmetics, lotions, old fashioned shaving stuff, and black skinny jeans too. We did not feel rushed so it was a step back in time. Glad we stopped in. :)

The Model Pharmacy is one of those places that’s anachronistic, and may not seem to make sense to a lot of people in this era. What the Model Pharmacy represents is a different time in America, the age of poodle skirts, Eisenhower, and old Route 66.
One side pharmacy, the other side soda fountain/​sandwich shop, Model Pharmacy offers something for your belly in both the culinary and medicinal areas. As for the former, the sandwiches are all very good. Should you fnacy a shake they can do that, too. And you can sit at the counter the whole while. Tell your grandpa about this place, and I bet he’ll light up and maybe share a story of when this type of operation was common and the place to be (pre «Happy Days”/American Graffiti).
The pharmacy side holds all manner of grooming and medical supplies. If that sandwich doesn’t sit so well you can grab yourself some Tums, or maybe you want to surprise your lady with some special scented bath items, you’ll find all that here.

I think Model Pharmacy has the best ham and brie sandwich I’ve ever had. It was absolutely mouthwatering. It was so tasty… and had a blackberry mustard on it. OMG… I will be going back in the near future for it.
It was so good that I went back to Model with my husband the next day. He had the turkey and swiss and enjoyed it. I had the salmon on a bagel with cream cheese and veggie toppings (bagel and lox). It was also good. But I did feel it was pretty expensive for the dish.
My hub had a delish strawberry banana milkshake and I had the chocolate egg cream (kind of reminded me of an italian cream soda). Delish!
The pharmacy has some really unique soaps and creams, hair decorations, an extensive selection of cards and mobiles, as well as perfumes.

I read the great reviews about this place and thought I’d give it a try. I stopped by here last week for lunch and am looking forward to taking my family here sometime also. The food was fresh and very quality. I got the tuna sandwich on marble rye — it was delicious! Came with a pickle and I upgraded to seasonal fruit. Although, I loved the tuna sandwich, the seasonal fruit was just cantaloupe (yuckaroni). If I would have known «seasonal fruit» was just one type of fruit (and that type of fruit), I would have ordered something else.
As my beverage, I ordered a hot chia tea. It was mediocre and tasted watered down, barely could taste the chia flavor, which is why I downgraded this review to 4-​stars. Well, I will definitely go again sometime very soon!

An old timey soda fountain– where I can get concoctions that have almost died out– Wow! We had a soda, and you choose the flavor of ice cream and the flavor of soda. We opted for a blackberry soda with vanilla ice cream as per suggestion of the soda jerk. The ice cream Sundaes looked choice too. You can get Phospahates– which I guess are tart sodas– and Egg creams, I used to frequent places like this with my grandmother in New England so I love the frozen in time feel. the lunch menu seems expensive for what the options are. I think the sodas are quite reasonable. This is a great place to share a treat with your friend, mom, or partner. You could put on some bobby socks and hop on down for Valentines day, sit at the counter– with a delight and 2 straws–
=timeless.

I haven’t been to Model since I was in college (a really long time ago) and what is hilarious is that it hasn’t changed a BIT. Well, I think all the mobiles hanging from the ceiling are new, and the food is better than I remember. The kiddo had a turkey and swiss on a baguette, which she said was too dry, but they had a small serving of apple sauce on the plate that she creatively used to make the sandwich taste better. And the reuben was delicious. And of course the chocolate mint shake was awesome. But what makes this a solid 4 stars is the quintessential «Albuquerque-​ness» of the place. Where else can you get a soda fountain drink, lunch (a good lunch), a couple of chocolate truffles to go, pick up your prescription, and spend 30 mins smelling all the perfume and soaps and picking through the fabulous hair accessories? It’s quirky, just like my adorable little city.

Okay, full disclosure here: I worked in the café of Model Pharmacy for two years back in college, so I know the place fairly intimately. It’s a credit to the owner, Jack, and the establishment, that so many years later I continue to visit and look back on my employment with nostalgia. This is a truly unique soda fountain/​pharmacy in the very earliest of American tradition, and as an absolute testament to the power of great small businesses, there’s a Walgreen’s – a «modern» pharmacy – ACROSS THE STREET.
Jack hasn’t changed the corny slogan on the sign out front in about… 50 years? «Classic European fragrances: We have no common scents.» It (sort of) states a truth. This place has perfumes and scentsy stuff you can’t find anywhere, but then, when I worked there they also stocked J. Lo’s signature perfume which I would deem «common». I won’t knock the selection, people all over the city love this place. You can find your snooty lavender scented hand soaps, pine-​enhanced lotions and any variety of hair accoutrement in the gift shop, along with one of the best selections of greeting cards around.
Moving on to the food, one term nails it: home cooked. These people serve a turkey sandwich made from thick slices of turkey baked in-​house. Same with the ham and chicken. The tuna salad is an old recipe – the secret ingredient is dill – and I’ve never been able to recreate it at home. There’s a marinated vegetable sandwich that rivals any veggie entrée the I’ve found elsewhere, and the ham and brie on a baguette… need I say any more? Dip your chips in the ranch dressing. Awesome.
Finally, the sweets. Old school. Better malts than Route 66 in my opinion, and I have experience. Banana splits. Lime freaking Rickeys made in a glass of the very best ice – that’s right, I said the best ICE – you can find. Homemade brownies and rice crispy treats. Yes, cobbler, but as some have pointed out it’s not on the top of my list, either (but not worth a one star review!).
Do the model pharmacy some lazy afternoon. Say hi to Jack. Like the Frontier, you’re visiting an Albuquerque original.