This is a MUST TRY for anyone visiting Albuquerque. I try to visit every time I'm in town, they have LARGE portions, excellent flavors, a really cool location with lots of different areas to check out, and friendly staff. The quickest seating is in the bar area, but if nothing else you can walk the grounds and check out all the seating areas. I didn't realize just how HUGE this place was until I walked around one day while waiting. This is an experience you won't regret! :-D read more

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My late wife's favorite restaurant, we went there every time we were in Albuquerque. Great food and service.

Delicious food, excellent service and fun vibes in the outdoor dining area for groups big and small. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area! The red chili ribs are spicy but worth the slight pain if you're sensitive for spice. The chili con queso is so addictive, and the tortilla chips are great. The treat at the end with the honey and sopapilla bread is awesome! read more

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This restaurant is huge! There is ample parking and indoor/outdoor seating. While you wait there is lots of things to look at from photos of famous people visiting the restaurant to local art and premade products. To eat I shared the half rack of red Chile ribs that came with 2 sides and sopapillas. It was delicious and very filling. They also give you chips and salsa to start off and local honey for the sopapillas. read more

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Wow what great food, great service and great ambiance! The chips and sauza were dynamite! We had the Number 3 combo plate and loved it and they topped it off with warm sopapillias! Number one place for a steak or Mexican in The big A! read more

El Pinto - A great family visiting for lunch! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Totally failed to get pictures, but hey it looks like any other new Mexican food. Food taste always spot on. The service is always amazing!!! Beautiful place to eat as well, this place is huge!! read more

The last few times I have came to visit Albuquerque I've eaten here, only because whoever we visit wants to eat here. The food has been okay. Not bad but nothing spectacular. The first time we got margaritas they were amazing. I ordered a Paloma the second time and it was not what I expected, I'm used to it being made with grapefruit juice. The staff was very friendly. Unfortunately service was very slow. It took them 1 hour to finally get our food order in. I've noticed this has been a thing when coming out to New Mexico where food service is slow in general. I do love the setting of the restaurant. Such a neat place. It's very beautiful inside and out of the restaurant. read more

Their portions are big. My husband and I share. But their appetizer chicharrón is so delicious. By the time we leave I can't try a dessert from so much ch we ate. But we are never disappointed. read more

So this was my first time at El pinto. The immediate impression is oh my gosh there's so many cars in the parking lot and oh my gosh the parking lot is huge. The next impression upon walking in is that oh my gosh this place is enormous. When asked how many people they serve the answer was they can serve up to 1200. Like wow! So with that said let me expound on our experience. There were 10 of us. Our party was supposed to be 12. We usually all get individual checks. For reference we were told that they will give individual checks for party up to 10 but larger parties they will give only up to four checks per table. I hope that's helpful information to somebody. Additionally, for a large parties they add a 20% tip automatically to the bill. This is not an issue for us we don't mind when the tip is automatically added as long as we know they're doing it. Nothing like overtipping and then day and age when tipping is pretty overdone anyway. Okay, our service was really good. Very congenial and timely service. The food portions were big. They serve a lunch menu until 4:00 p.m. daily. So we got there around 3:00 got our drinks and then ordered by 4:15 we actually had our checks. The place was not slow but it also was not overly busy on a weekday at 3:00 p.m. . I'm definitely looking forward to coming back and trying more menu items. The only potential note about this location is, according to two members of my group who need handicap parking, is that there is not enough handicap parking. I hope that the owners will notice that comment and take that too hard to make it easier for those who walk with canes and walkers and other such devices. Also, the ambiance in the garden is just spectacular it's really inviting and wonderful place to just relax and breathe. read more

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Came to El Pinto for dinner last night with friends. Went to the bar for a drink while our table was getting ready. No more than a 10 minute wait. The margaritas are wonderful. They are made from scratch. Once seated we ordered chips, salsa and guacamole. For dinner we had chili carnitas enchiladas, hard chicken tacos and soft chicken tacos . Everything was delicious. The restaurant is so beautifully decorated you feel like you are at someone's home and patio. A great dining experience. read more

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

Chips and salsa were great. The guacamole app amazing. Sat in the bar, loved the ambiance that can only come from a restaurant started in 1962. Brianna our server very informative and always there when we needed something. Great smile and super friendly. Hope to come back. read more

El Pinto - Front Entrance. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

We were told there would be a 45 min wait to be seated on the patio, the main reason we came to this restaurant, but if we sat in the bar there would be no wait. Mind you they were not busy. The bar area was so hot we were all sweating even with a large ceiling mounted fan aimed directly at the back of my head (not a fun way to dine to say the least). Our orders took over an hour to come out and there were many error and missing items (that they ended up charging us for) but we didn't want to send anything back because it took so long to get. The quantity of food on our plates was minimal compared to any other Mexican food restaurant for the same items and the price was considerably more than the equivalent plate anywhere else. The whole experience was subpar to what we have had from there in the past. There are so many other fantastic reasonably price local mexican food restuarants around I would not waste time going here again. read more

Beautiful place to sit outside for a mellow, peaceful lunch. The staff is kind, the margaritas are good. Definitely not the best New Mexican food. However, it's a nice place to visit once in a while. read more

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The restaurant has really nice vibe, lots of patio seating with beautiful dried chilli decors under the roof. The servers were helpful and friendly. I love their fresh guacamole, it's chunky and so fresh! I ordered a verde soup as well, and it's super comforting, with potatoes, shredded chicken and chilli verde in it, served with a soft tortilla. We also tried the famous red chilli rib, it's pretty tender, and the seasoning was unique, the spices were covered all over the rib and it has some good smoky flavor. read more

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We keep coming back here because of family in town. I really need to start suggesting something else. The staff is super nice and nothing against them. Use to be the only good thing about this place was the ambience. Even that is starting to go. Ordered sangria and it was watery so asked for another and same, watery. Got the breakfast burrito for $19. It was dry and had hardly any cheese and bacon. This place is so overrated. I can't express that enough. But I'm sure I'll be back. Ugh read more

We visit Albuquerque a few times a year and this is one of our favourite places to eat. The service is always good and so is the food. Looking forward to our next visit read more

We really enjoyed our meal and recommend you give this place a try whenever you are in Albuquerque! I enjoyed a pork taco salad with green chillies and my hubby had the taco plate made with the beef. They even serve you dessert with honey collected locally, delicious. Service was spot on too! Enjoy. read more

El Pinto is always bomb dot com. Service is always great and the atmosphere! Can't get any more New Mexico than this. And red chile ribs OH MY LANTA so good! A tad pricey but worth it in my opinion. read more

The food is always delicious at El Pinto, some of the best red chile in town! The plates are pricey so I don't go here often but worth it for the vibe, especially if you have out of town guests. Our server was great and very nice! I will always be back for more red chile enchiladas! Yummy treat! read more

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

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Best to visit when patio is open. Super friendly staff and accommodating for my pooch. Felt like a guest in someone's home.

The place is amazing, very large place with really nice ambience. The food was excellent. I had tacos and the margaritas were a little weak what still tasted good? Also, the staff were very helpful and friendly. read more

First thing driving in the parking lot amazing esthetics. Have a reservation immediately was seating service was excellent quick even ordered drinks and was quick and delicious order house specials and they were amazing and delicious. So from walking in ordering and getting food took all of 10 minutes server was prompt and very attentive. Chips and salsa were great and super fresh. read more

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Food Had the red chile ribs very good with calabacitas and a side salad. Side salad was very good have avocado! Prices Very very high for new mexican food. You can get bigger portions for much cheaper elsewhere Ambiance so so we wanted to sit outside on patio but they could not accommodate a party of 9. Boo!! Parking. There is a lot!! read more

Patio: 8/10 (loved the rural setting but it wasn't as picturesque as in the website, and the mosquitoes were annoying) Chips: 10/10 Salsa: 8.5/10 Sopapillas: 10/10 (never had them before!) Margaritas: 5/10 (tasted good!! Cute glass. But very small serving) Food: 4/10 Service: 5/10 Chatgpt did me dirty recommending this place. It was so far out of town, which would have been ok, but the patio (what I was looking for) wasn't anything super amazing. What really ruined our experience was the service. We were seated and served chips, salsa, and water immediately. However, the server was MIA for about 25 minutes after that. We were visiting from out of town and would have loved to enjoy the chips and salsa with a margarita, but we weren't able to place our drink order until the chip basket was empty (They did refill the chips quickly, which was great). We usually like to take our time and have a drink before ordering our dinner, but based on our server's earlier negligence, I was worried we'd be there all night if we didn't order right away. I got the combo enchiladas. Very one-note and I didn't find much meat inside! Run down bathrooms. read more

Stopped by this place since we heard that the ribs and salsa were pretty good here. We booked a reservation ahead of time and the first thing that definitely stands out is that entrance. I loved the green chile decorations on the outside and inside has this waterfall/rock decor which is beautiful. When we got seated, our server gave us their chips and salsa first. The salsa was pretty good and I liked that there was enough chips and dip for everyone. We ordered a lot, but for our side we ordered the Posole, Hatch Chile and Chicharrones, Fresh Guacamole, The famous red chile ribs, and the Sopapillas which I believe were in-house. My favorites out of everything of the night were the ribs, and the sopapillas. The sopapillas were so warm and fluffy, and with the honey that they have for to drizzle on top, it was so comforting. The Red Chile ribs is what they are notorious for. The ribs were very tender and it was seasoned well too. And it had a good level of spice to it that didn't feel too overwhelming. I haven't had posole in forever either so getting to try it was another treat. Wasn't particularly my favorite, but it had a good level of spice and dipping it in the tortilla was good. The fresh guacamole of course was good, but man, paying $13 for guac and having literally two pieces of chips on top of it wasn't cutting it for me. At least give us a bowl of chips instead of aesthetically throwing two pieces on top. The other dishes that our table ordered was a burger and other mexican plate dishes. The hatch chile and chicharrones was good and spicy. But I do feel like it was a little too dry for my taste. At least they had the butter to give it that creaminess though. I do feel like some of the food is up charged a little too much. Some things I understand, but other things like the chips and guac seems a little weird with it being $13. It's a nice place to sit and eat with people, but if you wanna come here, I think just ordering the ribs and the sopapillas is definitely worth it. read more

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I really enjoyed my visit to El Pinto. The ambience was exceptional. The food delicious and the service was on point. I would definitely return here. read more

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So sad. I grew up going to this place. We went last night and it was less than average. We were with a large party and every single person said they barely had any chile and their dishes were dry. That is not the NM way. We were given only one small basket of sopapillas with one container of honey for the whole table. We ordered pitchers of margaritas which are now $99! And yet had very little tequila. Our guacamole had no seasoning. This place is not the same. It's bigger but it's gone down hill. read more

Now, if I could, I would leave a "zero". This establishment does not deserve four stars. The food is bland and flavorless. It's almost comparable to frozen Mexican food. The service was terrible. The servers lack engagement & menu knowledge. The ambiance lacks authenticity. To display an Indigenous Warrior such as Geronimo in a Mexican restaurant is distasteful. If you're ever in the mood for good Mexican food & consistent service, then check out Sadie's. They don't promote cultural misappropriation. I live in California & I used to live in ABQ. So I know what good/decent restaurants to frequent in Albuquerque. I'll definitely spread the word to all my friends inquire about the food in Albuquerque. read more

First time to Albuquerque and right off the plane I'm whisked to lunch at El Pinto for lunch. A large group of a mix of residents and visitors, we sampled the queso, guacamole, and ribs. The ribs were fall off the bone tender. I order the taco salad with shredded beef and christmas style pepper sauce. It was very good! The space is massive with winding patios that were currently winterized but will come down as the weather gets warmer. It truly is an experience and recommend going to! read more

El Pinto - Fiesta Appetizer Platter - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I went a year ago and just remembered to leave a review. I had been there previously and enjoyed it. I came in and invited my mom who had flown from California. We were sat and waited for the waiter. While seating behind some plants we see a black cat. He goes ahead and pees in the bush right behind me where the table is. The server comes and we tell him. He says that it's the cat of the restaurant meaning they know about this cat who is around food and probably the kitchen! The table near us was astounded since they also saw the cat piss and the response from the waiter. Eating after that was not pleasant and my mom and everyone in the table was disgusted. We are not cat haters but there is a place for everything and is definitely not inside the restaurant right next to people eating. I didn't come back ever since. read more

Very touristy spot here in Albuquerque. The building is really cool. Outside there must be horses because the smell was awful from their stool. Service wasn't very good. Half my party never got their order even after I received my food. Turns out the server never placed their order, this is has happened twice for us. Food is pretty decent, but I believe Sadie's is better. read more

I have been going to El Pinto since it opened in the 70's. It is by far my best choice for Mexican food in Albuquerque. I moved to Denver 13 years ago, and every time I come here, I always go to eat at my favorite Mexican restaurant. It has gotten more and more expensive over the years. But I don't care. I bring my friends and family here from in and out of town!! This time, I've had it!! I'll put up with anything but beans in the chili con carne!!!. How could you do such a thing to a dish I have been eating for 50 years!! Are you that broke that you have to make it taste like Ranch Style Beans that you can buy in a can??? What are you thinking??? The sopapillas were cold as well, and so were the Tamalies. Whoever is the manager needs to pay attention to the quality of food that the original family cared about. Shame on you, El Pinto, for serving Ranch Style Beans as Chili Con Carne!! I'm very disappointed and doubt if I'll ever go there again. read more

We made a reservation for our 40th wedding anniversary (notified restaurant of occasion). I wasn't looking for some extravagant grand celebration, but a little token for my bride to feel that we were at a special place for our special occasion would have been nice...at least a congratulations would have been nice. Our server did a great job even though she seemed a novice, she tried hard and was attentive. The manager came to the table next to us over and over checking on them, giving free drinks, a special free desert, and just plain kissing their A%# due to some mistake that was made on their order. It was over the top with kissing up. You would think she would have noticed and at least greeted other nearby couples during her a%# kissing session. Food was good, very pricy but very good. Ambiance of place overall was eclectic and cool! read more

El Pinto - Green Chile Strips - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I made a reservation, but it seems like the walk-in customers got a table immediately as well which was nice to see considering how busy they were. The service was wonderful and the waitress did amazing, and was able to build a rapport regardless of how busy she was. The food was amazing. Genuinely the best ribs I've ever had. The history and sustainability of the restaurant is what was really impressive. 5/5 read more

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

I truly enjoyed my experience, once we finally were seated. Please join the Sufi as the cell service is spotty, and they text to let you know table is ready. You definitely need a reservation. We headed out to the large patio and ordered a nice pitcher of margaritas. They also had bottles of Gruet for a nice price. The server was nice but not overly attentive. The sampler was killer. Those ribs, queso -- great eating. The lunch menu had plenty of options but I thought the red Chile enchiladas were the best thing I ate. My friends are always in for the adovada! I'll definitely return. read more

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I was not wowed by this place at all. The food was okay, definitely not good considering the prices. It was just alright. The service was slow. They brought a picture for the alcohol at the table but not for water. As someone who doesn't drink, having to wait to have my glass refilled by servers that were inattentive. The chair cushion wasn't attached, so I also crushed my finger sitting down. I normally clean my image at mexican restaurants, and I barely touched the rice and beans they were so bland. I should note other people at the table thought the food was good. I just can see how they can charge 20-150 a plate and have such slow service and poor presentation. Don't even get me started on the queso read more

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

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I was very excited to dine at this place, but was a pretty disappointed with the food and service. - the Ambience is amazing, lots of photo booth places. - The food was ok, we ordered stuffed Sopapais with calabasitas. The Sopapia were actually not stuffed just cut in half, with a few pices of squash and rest with rice and beans mixed together. The flavor was good but considering I am in New Mexico where mexican food is their speciality, it was ok. I ordered 1 drink - twin falls which was really good and I wanted another one, but the service was so poor that the server instead of asking if we needed anything else gave us a check. I had called another server previously but she too dis not bother coming back. I am.not so sure if I am coming back. read more

Three of us went to El Pinto, and we had a wonderful, leisurely lunch. It was Consuelo's birthday, and she received a free flan. Janet is allergic to onions, and he was able to find a good meal - chicken, asparagus, and a baked potato. I had the stuffed sopaipilla, and it was huge and delicious. I had to take half of it home. We had a wonderful time and will return soon. read more

Loved everything. The food, the atmosphere and all the dinning experience options patios all over and rooms and rooms too. We shared some appetizers and it was just right for us after a long day. We loved the chile rubbed ribs! They were fall off the bone and prefect amount of spice. Definitely can see why El pinto is known for those. We also enjoyed the green chile strips which were lightly dusted with batter so it allowed the chile to shine and the dipping sauce was the prefect compliment. We also enjoyed the chicharons and green chile served with fresh tortillas and butter. All together this was a great combo of flavors. And my elderflower cucumber lemonade was so yummy, probably one of my favorite mocktails I have had in quite some time. The sophillas to end the meal served with honey sure hit the spot. Definitely would be back next time we are in town. read more

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For the past 3 years El Pinto has been our place for Nachos. In my opinion they were the best in town. Not so sure now. The past few times they have not been very good. The ones we got today had juice, from the beans maybe on the bottom so all the chips on the bottom were wet. The server said that always happens but as many times as I've had these nachos that's never been the case. Then to top it off, they raised the price of the nachos and the last two times the serving size is smaller. Makes me never want to go back. Time to try another spot. read more