First stop on our ABQ trip . This place came highly recommended by both our cab drivers and others in the area. It was a really long drive but everyone assured us that it was well worth it. We got there finally and were pleasantly surprised by how big the parking lot was . It was like one of the biggest premises I have seen for a restaurant. The restaurant itself was huge with multiple spots containing various indoor and outdoor sections as well as a bar area. The restaurant can actually seat over 1,200 guests at a time in the five patios, three indoor dining rooms, and a cantina. The walls are adorned with pictures of famous people like Katy perry who have dined here . The water fountains are also a beautiful sight in the otherwise New Mexico focussed decor .We finally sat down under the beautiful glass covered canopy across from the bar and were attended right away. We got Posole - My first time trying it and i thought the flavors were interesting. It had the right level of spice but the texture was just something I found very intriguing. Chicken Enchiladas Plate -Huge portion sizes and we got ours with both the red and green sauces . Nothing special in my opinion but definitely nothing bad with it either. Just that I expected more. Chips salsa & Guac Breaking bad margarita - The hubby says it was spot on and loved it . They also gave us complimentary sopapillas after the meal and the honey that it came with was super delicious. The service was fantastic and very efficient. There was also a cute cat in the restaurant that had somewhat of a celebrity status .Overall,I would say its a good restaurant for the ambiance but the food turned out to be just OK . I wouldn't say its a must try spot but if you are in the area ,sure check them out . read more

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As always, El Pinto is a restaurant that you can count on for great food at a moderate price. I used to reserve this place for visiting family & friends but I find myself going there more often when I want a peaceful setting with great service. I would recommend the red enchiladas with an over easy egg on top. The mixed drinks are especially good too. A nice getaway from the city busyness. read more

Outstanding chips and salsa to start, then a large selection on the menu. Went with the taco salad with grass fed shredded beef. Enchiladas and the vegetarian enchilada are also top-notch. Service and atmosphere spot on. A must stop if in the area!! read more

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Wonderful New Mexican food in the north valley. Large cottonwoods surround this graceful rambling adobe. We love to dine on the patio. Efficient service and an on-site opportunity to buy a couple jars of the twins' award-winning salsa make this a lovely experience for locals and out-of-towners alike. Head over to the quiet north valley for your next intimate dinner or get-together with friends read more

Food was amazing - ordered the red chile ribs. It was fall off the bone. Definitely a mix of dry and wet rib. Spice is a medium - enjoyable heat. The service was top notch - I had a reservation at 730 but was in the area earlier than anticipated. They were able to accommodate us. They are very dog friendly and seated us at a heated patio. Ambiance was cozy! The place is big so not too noisy even when they were pretty full. They had Santa come out and carolers sing. Very good experience overall. read more

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El Pinto has a great hacienda-style setting that really captures the feel of old New Mexico. During my first visit in the pandemic, the food was pretty bland, but the atmosphere carried the experience. On my most recent visit, though, everything came together perfectly. The food had a lot more flavor, and our server mentioned they use eggs from their own chickens. After eating, we wandered around looking for the chickens and ended up finding wild blackberries, which made for a nice, unexpected dessert. It's the kind of place where the surroundings add something extra to the meal. read more

The atmosphere, the food and the service today was perfect. I couldn't imagine a better brunch anywhere - ANYWHERE. I have been here many, many, MANY times before and as a local when talking to people about El Pinto, there are some mixed reviews and some people talk about Sadie's or other established New Mexican restaurants that we all know and are familiar with but I can say that I have been totally impressed the past few years about the quality of food and level of service beyond what I remember as just a special restaurant we went to as kids. You are guaranteed great scenery and atmosphere here. The drinks/cocktails made have always been fantastic but what is being delivered from the kitchen nowadays is outstanding! I completely recommend El Pinto and I appreciate the effort the of the chefs and staff. 5/5 stars! read more

El Pinto - Red chile eggs benedict done to perfection. Red and green!!! Amazing. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

First, they sat us at a child's table in this giant room. We were the only guests seated in this room. Next, we ordered our food without cheese. The food came with cheese. It was very difficult to get refills on our water. Our tamale tasted like a frozen tamale that you get from the supermarket. The menu stated tortillas were free. When we received the bill, they charged us for the tortillas. They gave us the wrong check. The check they gave us was almost double the amount of our bill. There's a service charge for using a credit card. This service charge was never stated on the menu and we were not aware of it. The overall service was so slow and not acceptable. Mediocre food, poor service, not very good ambience, I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

First thought: this place is huge! There are so many rooms with different styles to dine in. I got the pozole which was extremely spicy and full of hominy and a scattering of pork--definitely spicier than the pozole I've had at those hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants. I was downing water after every spoonful of soup. The corn tortillas were a bit dry and oily, but that wasn't a huge deal. The bold flavors of the pozole were the stars of the show. Totally worth the mouth-on-fire. My sister got the Chile rellenos which she said was nice and light and spicy with the sauce. My partner got the classic burger which looked decent, although I'm not an expert on burgers. read more

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We went to celebrate my Birthday and our anniversary which are a week apart. There was a little bit of a wait as the hubby forgot to call ahead. We walked around the grounds a little before we were seated. And the food was well worth the wait. The review on Yelp are not stellar but I found everything quiet delicious. We got chips, salsa and guacamole to start. All tasted great. I got the veggie burrito plate and it was really good. I enjoyed every bite, the green chilies gave a nice zip but not too much, the rice was also excellent. My husband enjoyed his burger and his ketchup with his fries. Lol he was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed all he ate. The Sopapillas were also very good and warm and delicious with honey. But the Flan was the best, I've never had such good flan before and recommend the Flan if you go!! Service was fast and friendly and I would recommend the experience. read more

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Friendly staff and managers. Tried this location based on recommendations. The complimentary chips and salsa was fire and fresh. You can taste the quality. Loved the Sopasillas or not sure how to spell it. Fried dough almost like Navajo bread and add some honey and it was amazing. Had the Red chili rubbed ribs. The portion was generous and flavors were good but could have used some salt. Lacking the savory taste on the pork ribs. Definitely red chili forward and tender as hell. Worth a try for sure if you are in New Mexico near Albuquerque. read more

Mexican food is of course vital to the Albuquerque dining experience since it is in the heart of New Mexico. In Albuquerque you will find anything from mom-and-pop taquerias to modern, upscale hot spots; and then there is El Pinto. If it's your first time to Albuquerque, this place has to be on your list. You can go anytime, but it's beauty really shines when the trees turn green and you can sit in one of their many beautiful patios and enjoy their freshly lemon squeezed margaritas. Signature dish and my ultimate favorite is the Red Chile ribs. The delicious marinade makes the meat perfectly fall of the bone. They do serve complimentary chips with their famous salsa that you can purchase by the jar and fresh sopapillas. I also love the Chile con queso which is a nice creamy cheese dip with green chile. I have had almost everything on their menu and have yet to be disappointed. One little tip is that you do have to have patience on the wait time, especially during the rush, but I must compliment their staff that once you get a table their service is friendly and attentive. read more

El Pinto - Famous Red Chile Ribs - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Beware they add a charge to your bill for using a credit card. They do this without giving you any notice up front.

What a charming place to have a meal "with the presidents". This seems to be the place to visit according to famous and me! The food is probably the closest to Tex-Mex in New Mexico as you will quickly learn all Mexican food is not the same. The Food Free chips and "chilli" aka salsa plus fresh sopapilla's come with every meal. My mom would highly recommend the pinto bean soup - they are super creamy and have a nice flavor - along with her enchilada meal. The salmon was a bit dry and expensive considering the turn out. Their salads are fresh and include tomatoes from their garden. The Place Family owned, the restaurant is full of small, medium, and large rooms plus a gift shop where you can pick up a jar of their "chilli". Their story in included on their menu. I really enjoyed the attentive staff and friendly service. read more

El Pinto - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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The hostess was super rude. We felt very discriminated against for are skin tone and are accents. The hostess kept on saying this very loud and slowly. It kind of smelt like cigarettes and tobacco. We did not get to order because all the waiters were serving all the other tables first we just got water and left . Half a star read more

El Pinto - Amazing water fall - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

As many have noted, this is the tourist place, a place you take your out-of-town guests. The pros: excellent margaritas, love their nachos, big pretty patio space. The place is really lovely. The cons: food is on the high side of okay (remember I'm from southern NM so this "northern" stuff is never right to me.) The service is very hit or miss, lately it's been more miss. It's expensive. It's ALWAYS busy so make a reservation or get ready to stand around. For me, it's a great place to meet friends for drinks and apps outside. It's not my first choice for a meal, though I have suggested it for a date before just because the patio space is so pleasant, and it's still kind of covid-y indoors. read more

Nice roomy place. They have a lot of tables here, so even if busy one can usually get a table. The food was pretty good, not amazing but really good and lots of it. Good service and our orders came out fairly quickly. Everybody had a nice time. read more

El Pinto - Back room view. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This is one of my favorite places in New Mexico to have an amazing meal & enjoy fabulous ambience. Do yourself a favor & visit this restaurant. I order the enchiladas & the rellenos. Also the service is great. read more

This was a beautiful place but food was aight If you want good New Mexican food I wouldn't come here it's also very pricey. Staff was really friendly though. I personally wouldn't come here again but I'm glad we at least tried it. read more

Nacho very tasty. Enchalada also taste good. Not too salty. Chips and salsa good. Thank you. read more

El Pinto - Enchilada - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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There are few places that leave such a lasting impression as El Pinto. We were a big group (12 people) and the accommodated us without grumbling (My reservation was for 8 but the party grew as we arrived) When you arrive at El Pinto I was immediately struck with the entry area and parking lot. The make you feel even before you enter that you are going somewhere special... Back in time to a rancho along the trail West to California or an early hacienda in old Mexico. All I could relate it to in my experience is Knott's Berry Farm in the early days before it became a corporate amusement park. When you walk into the restaurant there is a pond with waterfall in the waiting area, again reminding me of a theme park, but this one is for your taste buds! There is a collection of tequila in a case in the entry way with names on them (Maybe past visitor's or local customers?) Overall, the experience before you sit at your table is absolutely worth the price of admission. As I mentioned we were 12 people and there was never a point where there weren't Chips and salsa on the table or full beverages and water for everyone... the wait staff was amazing. Most of us ordered combination plates and seemed to thoroughly enjoy there food. Once the food was delivered, we were graced with baskets full of fresh hot sopapillas. If you have read some of my other restaurant reviews from my visit you know sopapillas are the singularly unique part of the food pallet in New Mexico that makes me want to move there permanently! The atmosphere is a little loud, but my trip to New Mexico was about spending time with my wife's family and this place checked all of the boxes of a home cooked meal in my wife's family homes. Food that is uniquely New Mexican Cuisine... CHECK! Gracious hosts... CHECK! Family atmosphere... CHECK! Great place to gather and socialize... DOUBLE CHECK! We're already planning our trip for next year and I am planning on ordering those red pepper coated rips! read more

El Pinto - Come to find out one of my wife's cousin's is in the kitchen and sometimes entertains a President (POTUS G.W. Bush!) - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Guacamole was delicious, as was the green chile queso burger. Wait staff was attentive and made sure our table of nine was kept up with on fresh drinks & chips. read more

Jacob is a great server!!! He made our experience amazing. It's rare to find great and hard workers nowadays.

I love eating at this place when I'm in Albuquerque for work. Now that my daughter is going to UNM, I took her and the family here on a weekend we were visiting. The ambiance is just great, and the service is very good. The menu is big, but not overwhelming and everything I've ever had there was solid. If you're looking for good new mexican cuisine, and don't mind driving a bit out of the way from the city (but not much) this is a great place. read more

This place is absolutely the WORST!! Definitely AVOID!! We booked our dinner reservation for 6:30pm tonight (reservation made over a month ago). We got a call from El Pinto's hostess around 5:30pm, who talked in a super noisy background trying to reschedule us to 7:30pm. We immediately refused and said over 10 times that we were on our way, and we did not want any changes to our reservation. The lady could not hear anything or chose to ignore what we said (over 10 times!!), and she insisted on changing our reservation. We were confused and asked for the manager or someone who could hear us properly, but she ignored again and again, and kept telling us about changing our reservation!! We ended up hanging up on the call. She called again, and again, and again, and we explained so many times. ALL IGNORED!! Then a male called us again and said we had changed our reservation by ourselves. That is ridiculous nonsense (our reservation on OpenTable said 6:30pm even after all the drama)!! We have never made or requested any changes to our reservation. At that point, I was so annoyed and lost patience, and this guy immediately started cursing us with a lot of dirty words. We hanged up, but he CALLED AGAIN AND AGAIN to harass me and my wife (see photos) with multiple numbers. Can't believe a well-known restaurant in the area is run by some people like this. Just ridiculous!! The harassment made me and my wife extremely stressed and uncomfortable, and we eventually gave up on going to the dinner, feeling the EXTREME HOSTILITY from this restaurant. PS: The manager emailed to say the calls were from scammers, but the callers were DEFINITELY STAFFs from the restaurant! The phone number (505) 898-1771 matches the phone number on the website. They even used a second line (505) 898-1772 to continue harassing us after we blocked the first line. SEE PHOTOS!!! Unacceptable and unbelievable!! read more

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Fresh, homemade chips? Fantastic! Fresh, homemade salsa made from local chiles? Impeccable! House, strawberry and watermelon margaritas? So dang tasty with a nice kick! Pozole (posole) with a fresh, warm flour tortilla on the side? Wonderful! Green chile stew with a fresh, warm flour tortilla? Magnificent! Chicken enchiladas? Delicious! Sopapillas? Best I've ever had! The wait wasn't too bad (~40 minutes yet the place was hoppin' busy), and the service was decent. Our server was very polite, but it was obvious she was really busy and slightly forgetful despite writing things down. They had live music playing; a mariachi band was walking around, singing and playing. An artist was set up near the patio area with artwork for sale. Both he (Luke) and his wife (Barbara) were very polite folks with GORGEOUS works on display. This restaurant also sells their sauces and salsas at the front along with other merchandise, and we learned their salsa is carried in Walmart nationwide! This was my first visit here and Husband was last here 23 years ago. It was a fantastic date for us to hear what he remembered from so long ago, and it was nice to share this place together as adults. It was so good and such a great time that we made reservations for tomorrow night with friends. I'm looking forward to trying the Chile Rellenos as my meal and having more pozole as an appetizer! read more

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Our to-go bag was packed carefully and ready upon our arrival. Also included were delicious fresh salsa, tortilla chips, and traditional sopapillas. My family was thrilled. Our order included their quality frijoles which they deserve to be proud of. I'm glad to have this restaurant in Albuquerque. When my guests come to town, I always offer lunch here. The decor is uniquely Southwestern. read more

PET FRIENDLY! Just driving through the state and found this gem! The food is delicious and authentic. Make sure to try the ribs. They fall off the bone and MELT in your mouth they're DELISH. The margaritas hit just right. We bought a bottle of the margarita mix to go. They also have sauces and salsa for sale. I liked the option of an indoor and spacious outdoor seating. But it looked like most guests enjoyed the outside. It's shaded and has a beautiful garden vibe. All the staff were so kind and helpful. They are also pet friendly! Multiple customers had brought their dogs. They have a little dog bowl with water in food near the back entrance. Loved this place! read more

Nice atmosphere. Decent food. I would come for the ambiance more than for the food. Three and a half stars on the food and four star on the ambiance. I tried their famous red chili rub ribs. Good but too dry. The sopaipa was very good. Fresh and hot right out of the oven. The flan was nothing special as the chips and salsa. read more

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Food, service and ambiance were so great. El Pinto is beautiful inside and you can buy their salsa and/or chili.

Got to take some long-time friends to dinner tonight at El Pinto. This is a must-visit restaurant in Albuquerque that has so many corners and rooms and spots. We wanted to impress our friends and we absolutely did. First of all, the service couldn't have been better. I believe our server's name was Cicero - literally this man could have been a text book example of how to be a great server. More water? On it. More chips? On it. Somewhat complicated order? No problem. Explain things and answer questions with knowledge and a positive attitude? Absolutely. Any restaurant would do very well to have Cicero on staff. He was outstanding. And, speaking of outstanding, so was the food as usual. It comes out fast and fresh and delicious. I had the stuffed sopapillas with one stuffed with chicken with mild green chile sauce on it and the second stuffed with pork with red sauce. My wife has been stuck on Carne Adobada and this was a first-rate example of that dish. Also we were encouraged to try one of El Pinto's salsas and got to take home the jar. They have a number of choices and this is a nice touch. Of course no New Mexican meal would be complete without sopapillas (yes, more of them!) but with locally-sourced honey to top them off. What a wonderful example of the best of New Mexico in atmosphere, service and food. I'm glad we chose El Pinto to show off our newish home state. read more

El Pinto - Carne Adobada with rice and beans - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Absolutely beautiful estate, amazingly romantic night vibe, awesome live music and service was really good. Gave it a 3 because the food didn't hit a high note for us. Drinks and ambiance were 5/5! read more

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We went on a slow Saturday about 3pm. We walked through 3 rooms, past at least 30 empty tables, down a hall and into a dark, cold room with only 2 tables filled with customers. We were sat in what felt like the basement if basements were actually on the main floor. The table wobbled and when the waitress tried to fix it, it leaned. The "free" chips tasted like they were days old. The shell for the taco salad was flavorless. The taco salad (something I have gotten for years) was barely filled. I could understand if it was the lunch version but I was charged $20. The sopapillas smelled moldy. The enchiladas "3" were apparently a child's size as well. Then the charge to use a credit card (which I know isnt just here) and the charge for split tickets is ridiculous. The prices they charge for food should cover this charge. Their prices go higher as their servings get smaller. I won't even start on the $$$ margaritas. I used to enjoy this place. The "twins" (owners) are cheap, rude and think their more important than they are. Years ago they would come into my restaurant and they were rude to the server, picky and thought a $2 and the remaining salsa in the jar of El Pinto salsa they used for their breakfast was a good tip. NO ONE WANTS USED SALSA! I suggest finding a nicer and more affordable restaurant. If you're wanting Spanish food worth your money I'd suggest Hot Tamales in RR. May be a drive but your plate has more food on it and you won't break the bank. read more

Best New Mexican Restaurant in Albuquerque ! Over 50 types of Tequila! Great Vibe! Being from Texas I'm hard to please when it comes to Mexican food and Margaritas!!! The Mezcal shots where great! Fire place almost every room!!! A must visit when you come to Albuquerque!!!! read more

El Pinto - Bar - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Beautiful place! I was recommended to see if I liked New Mexican food and to try it here. I went just after opening and the place was buzzing already. I opted to sit inside in the "loung" bar at the hi-top bar seats. I was greeted immediately by Jack and he had some recommendations as I hadn't been there before. I got a combination plate and it was alright. The tamale masa was a bit dry, which has me guessing they don't use lard. I got the red chili on my enchilada and it wasn't all that flavorful. Everything else was really good, on the other hand. They also have a TON of tequila. Had I not been on-call....I would have tried some. read more

El Pinto - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Great food, amazing ambiance! Highly recommend if in ABQ. It's kind of off the beaten path which is nicer plenty of parking too read more

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Beautiful decor, particularly the patios. The bar is looking a little shopworn these days but Tequila selection is excellent and bar staff are fairly knowledgeable. The bad news is that the food is generally mediocre at best and priced ridiculously high Chile Rellenos are especially disappointing. The Ribs and steaks are both excellent. The guacamole is good. And the Margaritas are excellent. We take our out of town guests elsewhere for food and take them to El Pinto for atmosphere. It's a worthwhile destination, if you keep your expectations under control.. read more

Stunning atmosphere, great service, fantastic ribs and an overall great experience however the prices are outrageous. I will come here only on a special occasion. I do recommend trying it at least once. Also the chips and salsa are amazing! read more

Just had the #3 best ribs in America according to Food Network... hatch chili rubbed. Not too spicy but just enough. You can still taste the pork but then you get the rub and it's the best flavor. So absolutely amazing. Also had the best margarita I've ever had - jalapeño margarita. Not too strong, not too spicy, just fresh and delicious. My GF flat" enchiladas. They were good. I would say I was not impressed with the rice but they were not "bad. Then to have the complementary sopapillas with honey for dessert! Such a gorgeous restaurant! read more

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Taco shells were stale Shredded meat was tender but no flavor. Beans & rice bland. Good on the rocks margarita. Service and atmosphere were very good. read more