Fans of Breaking Bad rejoiced when AMC announced that the series would be getting a spinoff surrounding the misdeeds of Bob Odenkirk’s shyster lawyer titled: Better Call Saul. Over the course of the show’s two seasons Vince Gilligan and the rest of the creative team driving the show have managed to imbue Better Call Saul with its own unique sense of storytelling and mythology that allows for cameos by important characters from Breaking Bad (Mike Ehrmantraut, played by Jonathan Banks, is one of the show leads!), as well as characters that fans have never seen before – like Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) – who all give great performances and teach us something more about who Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman really is at his core.
The show remains set in Albuquerque, New Mexico and shoots at many of the same iconic locations as Breaking Bad, but it has also expanded inside some buildings that we had previously only seen the outside of and brought in new locations all together. One of the cool things about shooting in New Mexico, aside from some of the breathtaking vistas that directors of photography can take advantage of, is that most of these locations are real places and accessible to fans.
So, if you are going to be heading to Albuquerque, here is our curated list of the Top 10 Better Call Saul Shooting Locations!
Ten ‘Better Call Saul’ Locations You Have to Visit in Albuquerque, NM
Top Photo: AMC
10 'Better Call Saul' Shooting Locations You Can Visit in Albuquerque
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10. Jimmy’s First Law Office (160 Juan Tabo Blvd, Albuquerque, NM)
a.k.a. "The Nail Salon." This location was prominently featured during the first season of Better Call Saul where audiences got a chance to see how Jimmy McGill first built not only his law practices, but his persona as a lawyer. While there is a more earnest sense of doing right by the law during the time the character spends here, glimmers of Saul Goodman can definitely be spotted.
Photo: AMC
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9. Saul Goodman’s Office (9800 Montgomery Blvd, Albuquerque, NM)
This particular location hasn’t appeared on Better Call Saul at the time this list is being curated, but it feels like an inevitability that Bob Odenkirk will be returning to it before the show has run its course. It is located in a strip mall and, since the time of Breaking Bad , has been turned into a restaurant. The owner has kept Saul’s window plate up, providing a cool photo op for anyone who might be passing by. If you’re going to take a picture, why not grab a snack?
Photo: AMC
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8. Chuck’s House (1607 San Cristobal Rd, Albuquerque, NM)
A prominent fixture throughout every season of Better Call Saul so far. Like Walter White’s house, Chuck’s house is occupied. If you plan to visit you don’t have to leave your electronics in the mailbox or anything, but try to be polite and respectful of the owners. That means no kicking down doors, ripping off space blankets or stealing of tapes. And, yes, the electricity is turned on!
Photo: AMC
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7. Hamlin, Hamlin, McGill Offices Lobby (1810 East University Avenue, Las Cruces, NM)
The law firm owned by Jimmy’s brother Chuck (Michael McKean), where Jimmy and Kim first meet and work together shoots in a couple different locations. The expansive lobby is actually in the Pan American Center, which is part of the University of New Mexico campus. It’s probably the furthest out of Albuquerque that you are going to have to drive to hit all the locations on this list. A very cool space, although it is a place of business with a lot of offices housing a lot of workers, so if you are going to stop by, try to be discreet.
Photo: AMC
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6. Hamlin, Hamlin, McGill Offices Boardrooms (101 Sun Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM)
If you want to get to the heart of what makes Hamlin, Hamlin, McGill tick then you’re going to want to stop by the Sun Healthcare Group building in Albuquerque. All of the boardroom and office scenes from Better Call Saul are shot inside this building. It will probably be difficult to get direct access to the interior of the building, although if you’re as charming as Jimmy you may well be able to make things happen.
Photo: AMC
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5. Mike’s House (204 Edith Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM)
Like a few of the different locations, Mike’s house has been featured in every season of Better Call Saul to date. It debuted on Breaking Bad and was brought back into the continuity of this spinoff. Recently audiences have seen Mike being tracked to his home and flipping the script in order to track his trackers in one of this season’s best episodes. It’s a humble home where a lot of important events have been planned out. Perfect for Mike in every way.
Photo: AMC
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4. Mike’s Restaurant Office (4500 Central Ave, Albuquerque, NM)
Loyola’s was established as a meeting place for Mike in Breaking Bad and carried over to serve the same purpose on Better Call Saul. Granted, Jimmy hasn’t planned anything as nefarious there as we have seen Mike do in the past, but give him time and he could do it. It’s a nice restaurant, so go in and patronize Loyola’s while doing some wheeling and dealing of your own. Just don’t get caught.
Photo: AMC
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3. Los Pollos Hermanos (4257 Isleta Blvd SW, Albuquerque, NM)
Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), has finally made his triumphant debut in Better Call Saul and his infamous business has come along with him! Los Pollos Hermanos interiors and exteriors were shot in and around the Albuquerque restaurant Twisters that, awesomely, have left up the iconography and signage inside their establishment for fans to grab a selfie with. It is a Mexican restaurant, but they do serve chicken nuggets if you want to have the most authentic Los Pollos Hermanos experience possible.
Photo: AMC
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2. Mike’s Tollbooth (1st & Marquette - North End of the Albuquerque Convention Center)
If you’re going to be in Albuquerque for a convention why not give Mike’s Tollbooth a visit? Not only will you receive fair treatment, but you might be able to hire someone with a very unique set of skills. It won’t take you to a courthouse, the way it does on the show, sadly. But the tollbooth is where Jimmy and Mike first begin their working relationship that lasts all the way until Breaking Bad.
Photo: Ursula Coyote/AMC
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1. Omaha Cinnabon (Cottonwood Mall, 10000 Coors Blvd Byp NW, Albuquerque, NM)
Saul predicted that he would wind up working in a Cinnabon in Nebraska and every season of Better Call Saul is bookended and peppered with black and white flash forwards to this low point in his life. Thankfully for fans they shoot these scenes in an actual Cinnabon location in an actual mall in Albuquerque. An easy capper to the Better Call Saul tour of Albuquerque would be eating a Cinnabon while sitting alone on a bench in the mall.
Photo: AMC
