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    El Pinto

    3.4 (1.9k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    El Pinto Photos

    EL PINTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Pinto

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    Reviews With Photos

    Patio
    Nicole D.

    We came with a group of about 25 with our soccer team for dinner Saturday night and it was very impressive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The property seems massive and it's really beautiful with all the cottonwood trees.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]When you get into the restaurant, there are just tons of combinations of these cozy little nooks, long dining tables, separated rooms, patio seating, and event spaces.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There is something to see everywhere you look; fountains, fireplaces, and plants, hanging chiles, and more.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They even raise cattle and chickens on property and source from their own greenhouse for their menu items. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambience was just really cool and even though the winds were blowing like crazy, we were totally comfortable out in the patio section with the screens up.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food is authentic New Mexican cuisine. They brought out delicious tortilla chips for us to snack on while we decided on what to order. It really felt like there was no wrong choice to make. They were very accommodating for food allergies and restrictions. There was great flavor in everything our group tried. I split the half order of chicken nachos and it was a hefty half order! I was so stuffed, but then, hot sopapillas appeared and I couldn't say no to those! Especially not since the tables had their own sourced honey. There is also a full tequila bar, but since we were traveling with kids, didn't get to take too much advantage of that as an option. I wish we would've had more to explore the property but if I end up back in the Albuquerque area, I'll stop by again.

    Bean and cheese burrito.
    Laura B.

    There did a hen house tour and Easter Egg Hunt for the kids today before lunch. We throughly enjoyed learning about the different varieties of chickens and the different color eggs they produce and how much they will produce. After we had a lunch back in a quiet room with waitress Angelina. She was very professional and proficient. We enjoyed our shared cheese quesadilla. Then the kids each had bean and cheese and chicken burritos. Another had a combo plate with tacos and more. I had the 3 mini taco shell cups filled with meat and beans topped with guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes. We all enjoyed the sapodillas with honey for dessert. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place surprisingly was not filled with people celebrating the holiday, but more will come.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They had Fonzy the llama out front to entertain you too. What a cute little guy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It was a very nice way to spend Easter with my family.

    Alpaca
    Roicia B.

    I will be dreaming about this green chili heaven for a years to come! What an experience! The green chili strips fried to perfection with the best amount of flavor and heat! Why didn't I think of this? The combo plate allowed me to taste almost everything I wanted to by doing one chicken and one beef taco, tamale, green chili enchilada and rice and beans. Incredibly flavorful and the flavors are so authentic, made me feel like I was home! [[HIGHLIGHT]]This place is huge! Lots of patio space, the vibes are great, the drinks are flowing and the customer service was unmatched.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thank you!

    Roxanne D.

    I am all for ambiance and nostalgia. And that is something that El Pinto offers. This was my first time ever at El Pintos. I lived in Rio Rancho for awhile. But never went. Shame on me for sure. So glad on my visit back to NM and being invited out for dinner with my Manager. Who I was meeting in person for the first time. Perfect setting. Our server never brought us any Chips and Salsa. A little numbed. But oh well. Gives me an excuse to return I guess. I had the Rice Bowl which is on the healthy conscious menu. It comes with rice, your choice of chile flavor, pinto beans, your choice of meat, and a flour tortilla. I chose green chile and shredded pork. The portion is a really good size. And it was really good. Something I would recommend and I would have it again. I will return and bring my husband next time. One thing I noticed is they accommodate large parties with such ease. I liked seeing that.

    Menu
    Suzy R H.

    Our last stop before leaving Albuquerque and Santa Fe. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We stopped in for lunch, party of 9, they sat us in the back area patio type setting, lots of plants and clear roof top for all the natural lighting. Very cool.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waitperson was prompt and attentive, chips & salsa ready to go and water glasses always filled. A really extensive menu but for me I had the red pozole soup. It was very good with big pork chunks. Someone else had a rice bowl and they said it was perfect portion size. They even have a gluten-free menu! Outstanding. Some in our group bought the jarred salsa they have for sale. T-shirts and Bloody Mary/Margarita mixes for sale as well. Definitely a return visit is a must.

    Pretty entrance
    Rachel M.

    Fun place to take out-of-towners, especially folks visiting ABQ on business. The salsa is always super fresh (not spicy), which inevitably results in eating too many chips before you order...but if you're a real glutton for punishment, the fried green chili strips are a fun, tasty app (though wholly unnecessary given the huge portions). Unpopular opinion: El Pinto's is best for Sunday brunch. Blue corn pancakes with blueberries and pecans FTW, though the eggs benedict is a close second! Entrees are overpriced, but the coffee is good, and I love the outdoor seating area on a nice day. (Ask for the Garden Room, if you want to sit inside.) By comparison, the lunch and dinner menus aren't as good. The carne adovada is a safe albeit spicy choice. I find most of the other dishes (beef brisket, enchiladas) to be overly salted. Ribeye was not good, and I wish they'd serve real honey with the sopaipillas instead of the fake karo syrup stuff... Reservations recommended. Beautiful ristra-laden entrance. Bathrooms are always clean, and there's plenty of parking in the dirt lot.

    Fresh Guacamole.
    Steven O.

    A must stop when we hit Albuquerque. The ambiance is second to none! Huge restaurant with a multitude of outdoor patio seating and so many great artifacts that are theme appropriate. Service is always great here! Food is also pretty good. The Sopapillas Rock! Ask for some Honey to drown them in! Guac is super fresh but a bit bland. Queso is good but the Blue Chips were underdone and soggy. My entree Pork Stuffed Sopapillas was awesome, big, delicious and filling. Try the spicy sauce it was great and not dangerously spicy, I like the Red sauce best. You can also buy a couple jars to take with you!

    Green Chile Strips
    Emma M.

    Beautiful dinner at El Pinto to celebrate my best friends birthday! We sat in a gorgeous outdoor room that was covered and looked out to the garden. This restaurant is BEAUTIFUL! It's the perfect place for a celebration or for out of town visitors (or just a special occasion). Now the food-- I wasn't as hungry today so I wanted to try out some smaller appetizer things!! I got the fried green chile strips I HATED THEM. Lol they are just too thin, they had no structure and just crumpled right apart. I am used to different green chile strips, thicker like a fried pickle. Do not recommend. The guac was delicious and fresh. Everyone in our party loved their food! Our sweet server was amazing! She did a great job managing a huge table of crazy ladies!!! We will 100% be back for another celebration!!

    Patrick M.

    I've been to El Pinto restaurant four times now. It's a bit unbelievable how expensive the simple restaurant has become. We went out for dinner and it was $23.50 for a simple dinner plate of enchiladas with rice and beans. We had two dinners with iced tea and the total bill was gratuity was $72. Just seems excessive. Perhaps it's just the inflation of the times we live in, but I know the prices have gone up way too much.

    Chips and salsa
    Michele M.

    While in Albuquerque, you have to eat New Mexican food. We came for lunch and the sopapillas. This restaurant is big and so is the menu. I was having trouble deciding what to have but our server Colin helped me out. I wanted to try the green chile stew and the papitas so he said I could have those as my sides with the chicken adovada. Everything I had was delicious. The green chile stew was tasty but kind of on the spicy side. The chicken and the potatoes were very good. The sopapillas were fresh and absolutely delicious with the honey. Colin was so helpful and just a great server. The restaurant was clean and the parking lot is pretty big.

    Inside
    Lucy H.

    An Albuquerque must! Food is delicious, flavorful, and comes in HUGE portions! Servers (we had 2) were helpful and friendly. They attended to our every need. Three patios offer great seating in addition to the many inside rooms. Chips are crisp and thick and well salted. Salsa is a little warm but good! Cozy fireplaces everywhere.The patio music sound track playing was great! Parking lot is huge--but uneven so watch your step,

    Combination Plate #3

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    Hot Tamales

    Hot Tamales

    4.2
    (381 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    People have been recommending this place to us, but this was our first time visiting. So glad we…read morefinally were able to try them! The complimentary chips and salsa were crunchy and spicy with good flavor. The service was quick and syaff were helpful,accommodating, and nice. Ate so fast we forgot to take pics, but today we tried the green chile stew with beans and the guaco chicken tacos with beans and calabasitas as sides. Plates also come with sopapillas. Everything was delicious and came out fast. We will be back!

    Haven't been to Hot Tamales in a year. Found a new favorite place but came back to Hot Tamales…read morebecause it is close to my house. Glad I did. First off, my server Dionne was awesome. The complimentary chips and salsa were very good, especially the salsa. I ordered the stacked cheese enchiladas Christmas because I wanted to try both the red and the green. Both were really good. I chose the whole beans and fried potatoes for the sides. A lot of restaurants only offer refried beans which I don't care for but the whole beans were good. The fried potatoes were cooked perfectly brown and were tasty. The meal came with a wonderful sopapilla which I saved for last with some honey. This is now my go to meal. Last time I had the green chile enchilada casserole which was good but didn't have enough green chile. I've also had the rellenos before which could have been better but now have found the order that I'm going to stick with. I am glad that I came back because Dionne is an excellent waitress and the owner came by to check to see if I was satisfied with my meal. I live only 8 minutes away so the distance, the service, and the food is the perfect trifecta. I can be critical when it comes to New Mexican restaurants but today I was completely impressed and will be back soon.

    Photos
    Inside the restaurant
    Inside the restaurant
    So, so good! Comfort food HOT TAMALES! Rio Rancho. March 23, 2023.
    So, so good! Comfort food HOT TAMALES! Rio Rancho. March 23, 2023.
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    Fuego 505

    Fuego 505

    3.9
    (192 reviews)
    4.8 mi
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    Finally got the chance to try the Birria Tacos from Fuego 505- and they did not disappoint…read more Personally I've always thought nothing can top Los Pookies, but I feel these are in a different lane. Wildly different while still being so freaking amazing. There's a certain spice or something that they use in the Birria that hits just right. That's the only true way I can explain it. I can't tell if the 'consume' is chili or what from here? At Los Pookies it seems to be like a broth, but here is a thicker & spicier sauce which compliments the tacos so well. (please let me know!). It gets quite busy in here especially with it being setup as more of a sports bar, with the TV's and such. They have a shaded patio which I believe also may have a TV* (don't quote me on this part) . All the servers I have had have shown great hospitality. I will continue to return. -- Follow up before I post.. Last time I was here and it was really busy (like 30 min wait busy cuz of whatever game), I was feeling dizzy and they gave me water and a chair & made sure I was okay.. I feel especially this day and age is not something you see ever or expect. So thank you.

    Tried again to go have a drink and some appetizers here…read more Quesadilla was ok, much better at other places. Was not crispy, cubed chicken inside was dry, was hoping for some guac but only came with some tomato tasting salsa. Here's the thing for the nachos. The ingredients individually were good, you can tell it's quality. However all together the flavors did not mesh well. Had queso, shredded cheese and Cojita. The asada was tender and good but the red sauce they make and put on top was not very good. Can't say I'll be rushing back anytime soon. Especially for the cost. But is a cool place to hang out at the bar for a drink.

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    French 75 and Holiday Menu
    French 75 and Holiday Menu
    Tacos
    Tacos
    Mimosa flight

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    Mimosa flight

    El Pinto - newmexican - Updated August 2026

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