A Guide to “Better Call Saul” Filming Locations in Albuquerque

In the final season of “Breaking Bad,” as Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) operation begins to unravel, Saul Goodman foreshadows his future life working for America’s favorite cinnamon roll chain. Fast-forward to the season one premiere of “Better Call Saul” where, at the top of the episode, a monochrome scene plays out showing a despondent Saul, now known as Gene Takavic, working as a manager in Omaha after being on the lam. The Cinnabon location is shown at the beginning of five out of six seasons, cementing it as an iconic piece of sugary lore in the “Better Call Saul” telematic (is that word?) universe. The Cinnabon scenes may have been set in Omaha, but in real life they were all actually filmed at a shuttered Cinnabon location in Albuquerque’s Cottonwood Mall, a shopping center that was also used in the Netflix series “Daybreak.” While the cinnamon roll inventory may have dried up, you can still stroll through the mall and take in the essence of Jimmy McGill aka Saul Goodman aka Gene Takavic while snacking on a cinnamon sugar pretzel from Auntie Anne’s.

Much of the TV show follows the strained relationship between Jimmy and his older brother Chuck McGill (Michael McKean), a cofounder of Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill and once-celebrated attorney in Albuquerque. While Chuck is technically still a partner at the firm, he suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity and lives a reclusive life at his house, which we visit often in seasons one through four of the series. Chuck is tightly wound, and his staunch dedication to leading an electricity-free lifestyle means that Jimmy is forced to “ground” himself by leaving his cellphone in the mailbox each time he visits his brother with provisions. Chuck’s house is centrally located near Plaza Vieja and sits just east of the Albuquerque Country Club, making it an easy place to swing by on your way to exploring sights like the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden. Pro tip: As tempting as it may be, don’t put your cellphone in the mailbox. 

The beloved courthouse toll booth where Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) first met Jimmy McGill isn’t the parking lot of a courthouse at all. Instead, you’ll find Mike’s old stomping grounds at the parking lot on the northern side of the Albuquerque Convention Center where Jimmy never seemed to have enough stickers and thus was forced by Mike to pay an extra fee. The bit between Jimmy and Mike eventually became Sisyphean in nature and culminated with Jimmy opening the gate for himself, stickers be damned. Stop by for an impromptu photo shoot before heading to Marble Brewery to sip on a Pink Lemonade Lager while looking at your pictures.

When Jimmy gets his start as a solo practitioner in the “Saul” TV series, he sets up his first law office — and, ahem, sleeping quarters — in a utility room in the back of a nail salon in Glenridge Park. The space is tiny and lackluster, but holds a special place in the hearts of fans who fondly remember Jimmy sneaking cups of cucumber water (it’s for customers only!) and indulging in the occasional foot soak after hours. Jimmy continued to rent the space through season five, until he was eventually kicked out in the final season of the show. Day Spa & Nail has since closed, though there was a brief time when customers could order the “Better Call Saul” pedicure off the menu and check out a photo of Bob Odenkirk with the owners. Even though the business shuttered, swing by and check out the infamous spot with a bottle of cucumber water in tow.

It’s nearly impossible to miss the Dog House’s neon signage and glowing yellow dachshund post-sunset. The small brick building looks as though it was pulled straight from the ’70s with its cafeteria-style booths and mustard-yellow menu full of drive-in staples like footlong chili cheese dogs, burgers, onion rings and milkshakes. The no-frills eatery was a favorite haunt of Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in “Breaking Bad” before showing up in “Better Call Saul” when Jimmy and Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) enjoyed a greasy dinner here while discussing her resignation from Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill. The landmark resto is just half a mile from Chuck McGill’s house, so swing by Dog House after you pay your respects and re-immerse yourself in those electromagnetic waves with some piping hot fries.

You’re here for the good light and the good light only. Some of our favorite scenes in “Better Call Saul” were shot in the lobby of Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM) thanks to its towering multi-level windows creating scene-enhancing shadows on the marble floor. The law firm, co-founded by Chuck McGill and George M. Hamlin, was heavily featured throughout the series and is where Jimmy got his start working in the mailroom and where he met Kim Wexler when she worked as an intern. Eventually, George’s son, Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian), attached his name to the business and began his long and frustrating relationship with Jimmy. Filming took place at the Pan American Building in northern Albuquerque for all exterior and lobby shots of HHM, while individual office and conference room scenes were shot in other locations.

Los Altos Skate Park is the type of concrete playground the cool kids at your high school would have hung out at, popping wheelies and dropping into the two giant bowls. The huge skatepark also has  five grind structures and plenty of shady areas for uncoordinated spectators to relax — because we can’t all excel on wheels. The park was featured just once in the first season of “Better Call Saul” when Jimmy visited Cal (Daniel Spenser Levine) and Lars Lindholm (Steven Levine), two brothers who attempted to scam him out of $500. Jimmy approached the brothers at the skate park and enlisted them to scam Betsy Kettleman so she’d hire Jimmy as her attorney. The rest, as they say, is history. Plan to visit Los Altos Skate Park after July 2023, as the park is currently closed for improvements.

The iconic USA Route 66 stretches from Illinois to California. In New Mexico, it’s also the home to Loyola’s Family Restaurant, a local institution worth a visit regardless of whether or not you’re a “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” fan. The restaurant was established over 30 years ago by late owner Loyola Baca and has a history in showbiz, appearing in films like “In Plain Sight” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” After popping up in seasons four and five of “Breaking Bad,” Loyola’s starred as Mike Ehrmantraut’s favorite haunt in the first four seasons of “Better Call Saul.” Come for the lore, but stay for the impressive menu of New Mexican fare like heaping bowls of warm posole or Tom’s Special Burrito topped with red and green chile.

After Mike Ehrmantraut was cemented as a fan favorite in “Breaking Bad,” viewers got to revisit his humble abode throughout the “Better Call Saul” series. Though often alone, Mike was seen in various stages at his home, sometimes playing Hungry Hungry Hippos with his granddaughter Kaylee and other times laying traps in fear of the drug cartel. Luckily for travelers, Mike’s house is centrally located, meaning it’s just a hop, skip and jump from Old Town and many of Albuquerque’s fascinating sights. Take a selfie (or seven) in front of Mike’s house and then visit the Albuquerque Museum before continuing your “Better Call Saul” tour.

Even if you haven’t seen “Better Call Saul” or “Breaking Bad,” you’ll likely recognize the emblematic Los Pollos Hermanos logo with two questionably dressed chickens standing back-to-back like Milli Vanilli. In fact, to this day, you can visit the Los Pollos Hermanos website and watch training videos of terrifying owner and proprietor Gus Fring. The restaurant appeared in “Breaking Bad” as well as seasons three through six of “Better Call Saul” and is a central fixture in both Walter White and Jimmy McGill’s story. You can — and should — still visit Los Pollos Hermanos today, though instead of eating at the fictional chain, you’ll be dining at Twisters Burgers & Burritos, where both interior and exterior shots were filmed. You may not be able to order fried chicken here, but we hear the Renegade double green chile cheeseburger is a mighty fine substitute.