El Pinto

For wonderful patio atmosphere (you can even sit by an outdoor fire or heat lamps if the weather is still «crisp»), gorgeous landscaping including fountains and flowers or fall colors in season, or cozy indoor seating (even the bar is fun with the rock wall fountain), El Pinto is unique and fun and worth the drive for out of town family and friends! The house margaritas with extra lime juice are a favorite and and we’ve enjoyed the lunch buffets for years. It’s such a nice atmosphere to linger with friends.

I almost stayed in town to eat! El Pinto was a local’s recommendation, and I was GLAD I took it! Not only was the food good, but the atmosphere was great too! Make the trip north of Albuquerque. I will definitely be back!

The food was just ok and the prices were very high. The red chile ribs were probably the best thing on the menu.

Our waiter David was the best. Wishing this kind of authentic Mexican food in New York City. I enjoyed the ribs and food network was right!

Brought my girlfriend here for a nice dinner away from our families and it was very beautiful. But the wait was way to long almost an hour wait so if you wanna come I suggest you book a reservation. The food is great but not amazing and I feel the price you pay for the food is more twirls the décor. A really beautiful place and good food just long wait and over priced a bit

The service was slow at first, but they made up for it in quality and friendliness! This was a recommendation from someone local, and I am SO HAPPY I went. I will forever be dreaming about that hatch chile queso!

And guess what?! If you criticize them in any way on their Facebook page, they’ll block you. They have no clue what customer service and loyalty means. I spent thousands on a reception there and this is how I’m treated. Unbelievable.

First, the positive:
El Pinto is in a very nice location of town, and has a great atmosphere. From the welcoming dining rooms to the beautifully landscaped entrance it feels like your going in to an old hacienda. If you’re looking for a place to impress guests this would be on your short list.
Now, the negative:
El Pinto caters to tourists. It is over priced. If you want authentic New Mexican food this is not the place to go. The food isn’t bad, but it lacks the authenticity of true New Mexican fare. If you’re looking for authentic New Mexican food try El Modelo.

El Pinto remains one of Albuquerque’s most difficult to define restaurants. Yes, it’s a Mexican restaurant. Yes, it’s very famous, as we roll celebrities and Presidents through here every other week. And sometimes, the food and service really do come together and you know why. But…
It’s much more common to come here, and stand around the lobby. When you do get seated, you’ll wait some more. Oh, the chips and salsa kids rush out, but a waiter? Who knows? Drinks are apparently at the far side of the restaurant no matter where you sit. 25 – 30 minute waits for your food are par for the course.
The food itself is good, sometimes excellent. Our latest visit brought us for brunch and we sampled the brunch menu. My Carne Asada Skillet was only so-​so. It came out cool with a small bunch of potatoes and peppers under two eggs. And no cheese? The NM Eggs Benedict were very good as was the Blue Corn Omelet. However, the chile rellenos could only be described as odd. The breading didn’t work and the rellenos appeared baked. We’re not sure about the cheese, but it was disappointing. Surely it wasn’t Velveeta?
The star of the meal was the Blue Corn Blueberry Pecan pancakes. They were amazing.
Service was polite and professional, but slow. The restaurant itself is beautiful and clean. You can bring out-​of-​towners here and they’ll enjoy the food, especially the mild chile.
We’ve been eating here since the ’70’s and we’ve watched El Pinto grow from a small place to the megatropolis it is now. When it all comes together, you can have a fabulous meal. Roll the dice.

What a wonderful old restaurant in Los Ranchos Albuquerque. Apparently once in an old home that seated maybe 20, this establishment has expanded over the decades and can now accommodate 1100 folks!
We came on a wintry December evening. El Pinto had an open piñón fire going– and the second I got out of the car I was transported to some happy New Mexico memory. We dined in the garden room and had spectacular margaritas, delicious Queso, and wonderful New Mexican fare.
You will be pleased!

Stop #2 of 12 of New Mexico Food Trip Extravaganza 2015
To get here you drive out of the city limits and through a reservation. When you turn into a darkened driveway you think, «Did GPS make a mistake?» But once you see the huge parking lot you know you’re in the right place. (Our day it was super muddy from rainstorms.) The restaurant itself is GIGANTIC, with room and rooms and more passageways and more rooms and a bar area that’s larger than most restaurants, not to mention a patio area that’s so big I don’t think I saw all of it.
We arrived here on a Sunday night right after the Balloon Fiesta. We had a 20 minute wait to get a table so we ate at the bar. We liked the ambiance there more anyway, next to the geode waterfall. Possibly because we were seated at the bar we were slightly ignored by the waitstaff. They were nice though.
It was our first day in New Mexico so we went nuts and ordered chicken and cheese enchiladas with green and red sauce for the second time that day. The green was CLEARLY better. The enchiladas came with refried beans and rice. We also had a stuffed sopaipilla with chicken and that was truly the star of our meal. It consisted of chicken, shredded cheese, green chiles, beans, lettuce, and tomato, and miraculously the sopaipilla stayed crunchy and delicious under all those ingredients. Unlike other New Mexican dishes it was not aggressively spicy and had a nice green chile flavor. Of the stuffed sopaipillas of our trip (all two) these were easily the best.
We also shared an order of the fried green chile strips appetizer, which sadly arrived after the meal. I liked the first two strips but a whole order was just too much. This is a dish to share with 15 people but definitely not one for two people to share. The green chile shone through though and the red chile ranch dressing with a little kick was a great accompaniment.
Sopaipillas came with our meals and they were served warm, not hot. They came with packets of honey since they were out of honey in bottles.
On our way back to our car we watched fireworks from the Balloon Fiesta from the parking lot. My husband’s co-​worker and former Albuquerquean did us right by this restaurant suggestion.
Kathy’s New Mexico Food Trip Extravaganza 2015 Rankings
5 Stars
1) The Love Apple, Taos*
2) Taberna La Boca, Santa Fe
3) Plaza Café, Santa Fe*
4 Stars
4) La Fina, Santa Fe*
5) Rooftop Pizza*
6) El Patio, Albuquerque*
7) EL PINTO, ALBUQUERQUE*
8) The Shed, Santa Fe*
3 Stars
9) Cowgirl BBQ, Santa Fe
10) Pueblo Harvest Café, Albuquerque*
2 Stars
11) Tia Sophia, Santa Fe*
12) Taos Pizza OutBack, Taos*
* meal included green chiles

We were passing through Albuquerque and stopped here because of a friend’s recommendation. Our dining experience was TRULY one of the best I have ever had!
Our server, NATHAN, was so genuine, kind, attentive, and helpful.
The lighting was a bit dark, but everything else was perfect! Chips + salsa included, delicious salads, and entrées.
Apparently it is the biggest restaurant in New Mexico, cool! It’s a bit pricey but so worth it!
Definitely recommend: D

This place is massive and truly must be a favorite to people of New Mexico. Multiple dining rooms… Mariachi band… Good service. Festive.
We had to eat something that was New Mexican and my friend suggested this spot.
Margaritas are the most amazing I have ever had. We went with the margarita with a pitcher of patron. Honest. It doesn’t have simple syrup but it has this orange liquor that is amazing. Seriously get this… And the pitcher was plenty for three people.
Ordered several things…
— guacamole is really good… Expected though.
— green chile chicken soup… Different than I expected. More of a soup than a stew. Still good.
— full rack of red chile ribs… This is what I got after reviews. I was stuffed at this time but I had two. I don’t think I like the seasoning. It’s like a sort of wet and dry rub. Unfortunately it made me sick and it didn’t really taste that good to me which is why I rate this place three stars. The zucchini that came with it was okay. Tasted really unseasoned.
— they serve for dessert this fried bread you eat with honey… Tastes yummy. Probably not good for you.
I would stop by just for the margaritas… I’m still dreaming about them.

Established and ornate, this restaurant is out of the ordinary. It’s an authentic New Mexican restaurant so revered that a film crew was haunting the dining area while we ate. As for the experience, the food was solid fare, the ambiance superior, and the staff polite. The venue is both upscale and comfortable. I will return.

Salsa is off the hook !!! New Mexico’s best
Real New Mexico chili green & red authentic .
Secret buffet menu just ask for chili rellenos and there always available at no extra cost.

This place was impressive. Driving in the neighborhood, we were wondering if Google maps was off track. The area surrounding the venue looks a bit run down. But then you turn into the gates of El Pinto and it’s like you’ve been transported into an oasis. Huge parking lot, grand building, beautifully decorated and live music in the back ground for dinner.
We sat in the garden, next to a fountain, under an awning. The cool, comfortable evening made this experience all the better.
I started with a margarita that was prepared very well. Not too sweet and a good pour of tequila. We had chips, salsa and queso while we waited for our main meals. The chips tasted very fresh, salsa was delicious and tasted like it was made in-​house, minutes before it was brought out. Queso was fantastic too. I followed this up with a Carne Adobada Burrito with a side of guacamole. Everything was fantastic.
My only regret is that I came here only once during my visit. I will have to make another trip to the city, and end up here.
Yes, this place is pricey but absolutely worth it.

As we were preparing for our 2015 road trip, I queried friends as to what might be interesting culinary options along the way. One who was born and raised in that state highly recommended this establishment, commenting that she, her husband and her father partook in the restaurant at every opportunity, and then some.
So, of course as we drove east across the state of Arizona, we found ourselves shoo shooing whatever eating places we saw (and to be fair, eastern Arizona is quite literally a food desert, so that accomplishment isn’t really all that impressive). By the time we crossed into New Mexico we realized that we could in fact hold out the rest of the way (I’m sure we would’ve found something in Gallup if we didn’t have our mind set on dinner). And hold out we did, even forgoing our hotel’s ‘social’ so that our appetites would remain in check.
In spite of Albuquerque’s recent development, El Pinto remains on the fringes of civilization. At least, the site itself is. Once you arrive you are greeted by a parking lot seemingly designed for some millionaire’s ranch, with greenery abounding everywhere, along with the option of valet parking. We were worried for a hot second that we weren’t going to be able to find parking, but fortunately a spot opened up and my cat-​like reflexes allowed us to grab it.
Some people said you needed reservations, and given the looks of the parking lot, I was concerned that we might be shut out. And in fact if we had a certain table in mind, we may well have been. Fortunately, this place is unbelievably large, and we were told we could sit right away.*
*With a caveat — apart from this place, the average walking time from door to table is about 12.6 seconds. Here the journey was exciting in of itself — we were led through one room after another, witnessing at least three bars along the way before being presented with our destination. Hearst Castle has nothing on this place.
At last, it was time to carouse the menu and make our dinner selection. As I’d been obsessively checking the menus online prior to our trip, I had already decided upon the pound of ribs with chili rub, so that is what I got. Wife got the same thing along with a margarita.
My excitement about this place was well justified — those ribs just slid down my throat like a hyper kid at a water park. While the locally produced beer I ordered was forgettable, it was a case of so what I as I was in culinary heaven. My only complaint? One seriously needs napkins at this place, and our waitress, sweet and otherwise helpful as she was, kept forgetting to bring them. So I sat through the majority of the meal with greasy hands, ever so tempted to grab a napkin from an unpopulated nearby table.
Other than that, this is well worth the visit. Apparently presidents and other celebrities have also felt this way.

We’re still new to ABQ but any list of «must-​try» places seems to include El Pinto so we tried it out. It is such an establishment we were told!
We didn’t get off to the greatest start since it was raining and wet. That meant two things. (a) the unpaved driveway was full of puddles and was all muddy. And (b), the venerable patio seating was less… venerable.
We enjoyed a few drinks at the bar (small but sufficient local selection) while we waited for our seats. After getting the text message that our table was ready, we still waited another 10 minutes in the line to be seated. Not really sure why they did that but ok.
We joked about asking for a tour of the place since we had heard so much and we unintentionally got that. We were taken through a private reception into a dining room only to have our hostess gruffly told by a server that there were no tables where they were taking us. So we went back through the private party and sat on an enclosed patio.
Our server was very nice. Quite personable and helpful with the menu. She was friendly throughout. A bit slow maybe on the refill of chips but still really nice.
So here’s the thing about the food. It was pretty good. Not amazing but certainly good. I do not remember exactly what we got since it was a few weeks ago but I remember thinking it was pretty good. But (!!!) here’s the thing: It was NOT worth the price. I felt like I’ve had just-​as-​good New Mexican food at many of the other places around town for $ 5-​$ 8 less. It was simply just too expensive.
Also, they made a big deal on the menu about their natural and local honey but served Kraft on the patio. They say it is because of bees but why can’t they just bring the bottles in and out? I felt a bit cheated. But we did like the sopapillas.
So overall, I would say the service was good and, not counting price, I would give it a solid 4 stars. But, it was too expensive for the level of the food and atmosphere so I am only giving three.

Hungry for authentic Mexican we looked up what would be the best restaurant. EL Pinto was listen on the top 10 restaurants in the area. Beautiful restaurant from the entrance to the inside. We were seated in the enclosed patio area which is heated during the winter months.
Our waiter was so nice and the service was spot on. The menu has several items to choose from. I had a coupon from the Internet for a free appetizer so we chose the guacamole salad. So delicious! Chips and salsa are complementary.
When our meals came they looked delicious, sadly after the first bite we were so disappointed. I ordered three beef tacos with beans and rice. The tacos were stale. To the point of hard to chew. The rice was sort of tough.
Our waiter did not hesitate to take the dish away and have a manager come to our table. The manager was very nice and apologized for the tacos, and he had my dinner removed from the bill.

The food was alright. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas to share… we got probably 6 – 7 glasses out of the pitcher. They were good. The service in the bar was good. He made sure we had enough glasses, napkins and brought out chips and queso while we were waiting for our table. We were seated within the stated wait-​time. Our waiter was great for putting up with our group.
I think I posted a photo of my main meal, but I have already forgotten what I ate… something with chicken…
The highlight of my meal was the Levante dessert. The description reads like Mexican tiramisu. But it tastes like fried ice cream. It was ah-​mazing! You could forget everything else and just get the dessert and leave happy!