XO Waffles opens at The BLOCK, brings Belgium Liège waffles to Rio Rancho

The BLOCK added a new test case for Rio Rancho’s dining market when XO Waffles opened there May 21, bringing a breakfast-and-dessert concept that developers want to use to pull families, casual diners and repeat traffic into the Enchanted Hills retail hub.

The opening matters because The BLOCK was built to be more than another strip-center stop. The shipping-container development sits on 1.3 acres at the northwest corner of the Plaza at Enchanted Hills shopping center and was designed to mix retail, specialty restaurants, a central courtyard, live music, outdoor movies and gathering space. XO Waffles now joins that tenant mix as The BLOCK tries to prove it can function as a destination, not just an add-on to the surrounding shopping center.

For Rio Rancho diners, the appeal is specific. XO Waffles specializes in authentic Belgium Liège waffles, made with brioche dough and imported Belgian pearl sugar, and it also serves savory items, including croissant breakfast sandwiches on the Rio Rancho menu. The concept is already familiar to visitors who have stopped at Sawmill Market in Albuquerque, where XO Waffles has built a following around signature items such as The 505 Waffle, When Chicken Met Waffle and Waffles and Gravy.

Manager John Cipriani said Rio Rancho fit because the city is growing quickly and because there was room on this side of town for a gourmet waffle-and-crepe shop. He said the brand is built around quality food, quick service and friendly customer care, with the expectation that customers should not have to wait 20 or 30 minutes for a meal that is supposed to feel like a treat.

That pitch also helps explain why the opening is more than a menu addition. The BLOCK’s website already lists XO Waffles & Crepes among its tenants, and the shop gives local residents a concept they previously would have had to drive to Albuquerque to try. In a corridor where retail growth around Enchanted Hills has continued to expand, the new restaurant is another sign that Rio Rancho’s dining scene is broadening beyond chain-driven options and into smaller, more specialized formats that can build a loyal base.