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February 3, 2024. Saturday. Dinner. This restaurant used to be the Banana Leaf. An asian fusion place. It is painted gray and the shades in the windows were all closed. Additionally, the parking lot requires a bit of navigation to get to. Overall, from the outside, it is unimpressive and unassuming. Inside, is a different story. The staff were all friendly and happy. Our waiter, Matthew, said he had been working there for about six months. Whiptail has been open for a little over two years now. Matthew works as a server and is learning to become a chef. He told us all the dishes are made from scratch and the menu was created by a four-star chef who now works in California. The bartenders create original cocktails here, and they have won awards from Albuquerque the magazine. They have some creative cocktails for sure. See attached drink menu. Matthew showed us the special, four course Valentine's Day menu. See attached photograph. He said they are still working on the drinks to pair with the meal. This Valentine's Day meal will require advance reservations. It will be $125 per person. A bit rich for my blood but I bet they will be packed. We ordered the Patatas Bravas appetizer for $9. This appetizer consisted of smashed peewee potatoes, brava sauce, chives and honey aioli. I thought the honey would make this appetizer overly cloying and sweet, but it did not. The sauces perfectly complemented the tender potatoes. My wife ordered the mac and cheese for $12. Cavatappi pasta with triple cheese blend of aged parmesan, fontina, and gruyere, covered with toasted parmesan crumble. This was a marvelous, rich, and filling mac and cheese. Gourmet for sure. I ordered the Frutti del Mar for $23. This dish had a pound of hand breaded shrimp and calamari. Sauces included garlic aioli and spicy marinara. The shrimp and calamari had a light, delicate coating, which I really liked. The sauces were off. I much preferred eating my fried food with the lemon juice from the two roasted lemon wedges they supplied. Matthew told us all the food was prepared fresh. I could tell this was true. My wife and I shared our dishes. This is encouraged on the menu. A very pleasurable experience with top shelf service and delicious food. We left full. We will be returning to try their original cocktails.
Whiptail has great ambiance, unique drinks, and great food! We went around 5pm on a Friday and were immediately seated. Really enjoyed our meal here. We tried the Whiptail martini, the smoked old fashioned, and the espresso martini. The smoked old fashioned was especially good! For food we tried the Brussels sprouts, elote dip, BBQ chicken salad, and the Philly steak. BBQ chicken salad was a stand out with perfectly cooked chicken on top. All the food was tasty and we enjoyed trying a variety of small plates.
We enjoyed our dinner here. The food was very good, and you could tell everything was made fresh. We started with the focaccia bread which came with some herb butter and olive oil as well. After that my son and I both had Philly cheese steaks (beef for me, chicken for him) which were both good. My husband had the Cuban sandwich which was also good. Everything comes separately (supposed to be tapas style) which is fine but ends up making it a bit more expensive for what you get. By the time we got some fries, potatoes, and asparagus so we could all have sides, we had added an extra $25+. They have an extensive cocktail menu and I tried the Rio Mojito as a mocktail and it was quite good. The servers were friendly and good. The restaurant itself is plain grey on the outside and fairly simple furniture and look inside, but clean and fine. Overall, it was a good break from traditional New Mexican food and nearby where we were staying.
Great service. We been here before and they always had a good vibe and cocktails. Food was excellent. Only downside is this place is tucked away in an awkward spot in the corner of the street, feels like going into a speakeasy. Dark parking lot, but if it's a holiday and all the usual spots are all booked up for a Saturday night, think about this place for your date night!
This place is great! The food, service, and ambience, make for a place that I would like to visit again. I got three appetizers. Ceviche: raw fish with the various topped on a bed of avocado, this was some really good ceviche. On top of that it comes with fried noodles and about sauce that also add tasty flavors to it. Chicharrones: this had to be my favorite dish. I got here. Chicharrones are usually fried to a crisp but I like when they're a little chewy and not so burnt. I absolutely loved this dish! Brussels sprouts topped with bao sauce: this was a little heavy on the sauce but still tasty! Again, I am so glad these were not fried to a crisp. I probably would not get this one again. Homemade bread: this was some good bread, made even better with the butter! The butter was super smooth. I even asked for some to go! I will definitely come here again! There are so many other foods to try!
We had not been here since it changed from being a Japanese Steak house to this cozy little bar with nibbles. We both ordered the wild mushroom omelette with bernaise sauce and a side of arugula salad with a gentle coating of a citrus vinaigrette for a Sunday brunch. The omelette was tasty, but really on the small side when you compare to ones at Weck's or The Range. We shared an order of smashed mini potatoes drizzled with a red pepper sauce and a white sauce. They were very good and the portion was good for 2. The ice tea was freshly made and our server refilled without asking. We will come back again to try the dinner menu.
Really nice local joint Kick back bar area with mixed drink focus Good tap beer selection Chef driven menu....small plates selection which you can definitely share (Adding picture of onion rings..wow) Pork belly on a burger ! Yep. I ate it all Neighborhood atmosphere Get in here and try it! Parking....pull around past the Twisters restaurant....or from Target area there is a dirt path....lol
This was our first time visiting this bar / restaurant. I must say that the driving direction via Siri took us on a confusing road trip. We were able to thankfully get to the location. Parking lot isn't very large but we were able to get parking right up front. The signage for this place is pretty large that you can see if the 528. Also, they have the menu displayed outside for those who want to look at the menu before entering the restaurant. We had already looked at what they served online and everything looked delicious. We visited on a Thursday night. There were many patrons in there but thankfully it wasn't too crowded. We were able to get a table right away. Our server, Chassidy started us off with water since we told her this was our first time in there. We looked over the menu. She informed us that everything was made to order. And that all items in terms of food was made to share. Their drinks are also hand-crafted. Looks like they have a variety of different libations for those who want to explore their menu. I will say that while dining there plenty of the patrons had tried many of the drinks and they looked amazing We started off with the ceviche served with fried wontons cut into strips. This ceviche was flavorful and we enjoyed every bite of it. The wonton strips were a little hard and might've been stale. But it didn't take away from the flavor of this appetizer. We ordered the following for our dinner. Philly Cheesesteak, with Cheese Wiz, grilled onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. There's an option to do chicken and impossible meat, instead of steak. You can also pick other cheeses. Vegetable options included in the Philly cheesesteak is green chili. For those of you that love green chili. Alongside our order of Philly Cheesesteaks, we ordered the Shoestring fries and the onion rings. The shoestring fries were pretty good. Because it had herbs and sea salt. Onion rings, we're not that great. Although they were huge onion rings, it was too greasy to enjoy it. Overall, we had a good experience here. We plan to visit again and bring friends too! Thank you!
Wow. Picked for my birthday and even though I'm old the fresh menu and music was just my style. Waiter was excellent also. It's just great to find a spot with excellent home made everything. Reminds be of some great restaurants I have missed since we moved from Ca in 2020. Will be back.
When some friends wanted to go to a place known for tapas, or appetizers, I wasn't so sure. I like actual meals rather than samplers. But these friends know what they're talking about in the eats department so off we went. I am so glad I went. We went nuts on the tapas, or appetizers, menu. Mushrooms, bacon-wrapped dates, meatballs, cheeses. And, without exception, everything was served with flair and style and the dishes were absolutely off the hook. There wasn't one thing we had that wasn't absolutely fantastic. That goes to the drinks, too, including smoked cocktails which are almost as much fun to watch being poured as they are to enjoy. Lastly, the service. It's clear the owner treats her team well and respects them. To a person the whole staff was outstanding and enthusiastic. That's tough to do but they've done it. It's clear that the whole team is empowered to make decisions and offer suggestions. Overall this is absolutely one of the best places I've been in New Mexico and somewhere you absolutely should try. Seriously.
We were recommended to Whiplash by our hotel and it was great! Lots of small plates to share and choose from which I love since everyone gets to try a bunch of different things. Onion rings were some of the best I've had! The shrimp dish was a hit as were the fries and flash fried Brussels!! We enjoyed the Chicharrones but thought they were a little more on the dry side and some pieces lacked flavor. We also were not big fans of the bread which was pretty dense not easy to eat. They also have very creative and unique drinks that were excellent. Also as far as pricing goes, good value for the level and quality of food & cocktails they put out. I would have excepted to pay more for the quality of food we received. I will say there were times when it was hard to find a server, and it did take a while to get our food and drinks, but the service was still above average and very solid. It seemed like they probably needed a few more members of staff, but the staff that was there was very friendly, worked hard, and all helped every table. This was also on a Saturday night from around 5-6:30 On the whole, we enjoyed our food & experience and will return the next time in the area.
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals, I get my back into my living. I don't need to fight, To prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven.... Whiptail and our Server Alajandra were spot on. We shared the Quinoa Salad filled with delish arugula, apple sticks, fennel, quinoa sprinkles, et al and a Shrimp Po Boy on a fresh crunchy so good baguette, filled with large plump juicy crispy well seasoned shrimp with a nice slaw. This was so Cheffy good...all washed down with glasses of Absoluto Malbec. She takes my hand. We'll travel south cross land. Put out the fire. And don't look past my shoulder, The exodus is here... The happy ones are near... off their rail, Let's get together, before we get much older...and enjoy this very good new restaurant...Whiptail..:) Best, Avram Baba O'Riley Jr.
Just opened. So this is a great new place to stop. Close to target and twisters. Waitress said they will have a full menu soon, but for now it is a soft menu. They do not have many bees or wines yet, they are working on that. Also since just opened do not have a lot of family drinks, aka soda pop, lemonade, etc. they are working on that too. I'm ordering the fries and whiptail burger I hope they are good. Inside is nice. Not much of anything on the walls, no tv's on the wall, I hope it stays that way as makes you talk to whomever you are eating with. Talking to waitress they do not plan to brew their own beer but they will offer local brews and local wineries, I think that is a big plus. Plenty of seating and I like how dark the decor is. Suggest make sweet tea or lemonade. Even strawberry lemonade. Food looks excellent even though it took a bit of time, but looks excellent! Fries are good but don't know if the lemon aioli. Burger was very good and the baby pickles made me laugh. Staff are very friendly and check on you to ensure you have an enjoyable experience. I want to say I liked the place it will be good to see the menu and beers grow. Lets support a local owner and a local place. Come visit.
3 years ago
1st visit to @whiptail_eatery, went for the Monte Cristo, but only available for Sunday Brunch, so settled for the meatball sliders & sea salt fries. The sliders were fancy, homemade buns, meatballs & sauce, but the fries were pretty average. Great service from Kyla. Looking forward to returning on a Sunday. read more
2 years ago
Great service and food. Super cool cocktails! Haven't had anything bad here. Fun to try all the drinks and share. read more
I want to be fair since this place has only been open two weeks. The customer service was top notch and they were very attentive. Having said that, the food took awhile to come out longer than I would have though for appetizers. It's fancier appetizers but nothing over the top. They were good not great. The menu was small and the alcohol menu was a short list as well. I'm assuming in time the menu will grow but as of now it's a limited menu which I have attached. I would recommend the prosecco if your looking for something semi-sweet. Overall, this was a decent plane to stop in, but it would not be my first choice because of its limitations on food items and beverages. I do wish them luck and hope they grow in time. read more
3 years ago
Great food, great service! Will definitely be coming back!! Had the salad, mac & cheese, meatballs, & poutine. Everything was great. read more
I was hearing mixed reviews about this place so I needed to come see for myself! Overall I had a great experience here! I wish I would've gotten our servers name because he was absolutely wonderful. He knew his stuff about the menu and answered all my questions and even gave me my drink suggestions - the pharmaceutical, and it did not disappoint! My friend ended up ordering one as well! It was sweet and refreshing. The meatballs were good and filling but no wow factor for me just a simple recipe. I LOVED the Bao Brussel Sprouts these had amazing flavor and something I'd come back for! Unfortunately it is on the pricier side for what you're getting. The ambiance of the restaurant was like a brewery, bar, or diner style is the best way to describe it. Very clean & well kept environment. If you're in the area whip over to this spot & give it a shot! read more
2 years ago
Had dinner last night at Whiptail in RR. The food was good and our waiter Deven was really great. I did not try the burger, but my son liked it very much. We all shared the mac and cheese and the onion rings. The mac and cheese was absolutely delicious. The onion rings were fun and novel because they are humongous. The portions are huge in general. We thought we'd be able to order another plate to share but we were stuffed. Next time maybe I'll order an actual vegetable . The dessert, a berry tart, was really yummy. The drinks were delicious and fun. I will say, for hard core drinkers, you will find the drinks weak. I didn't mind because I am a lightweight, and the prices are really reasonable. There is live music on Wednesday nights, which is fun too. It was a guitar player/singer named Jaeden who was really pleasant to listen to and not so loud that we couldn't talk. We will go again and try more dishes and drinks. read more
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Absolutely delicious! Every dish we ordered had so much flavor. Cannot wait to try their brunch! read more
4 years ago
Whiptail has delicious fresh food and great cocktails! Presentation is beautiful and it's so nice to have a high quality restaurant here in Rio Rancho. The staff is also very welcoming, shout out to Chastity, Chassidy, Jake, Justin, the other servers I can't remember and of course the chef and his crew! read more
3 years ago
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4 years ago
This was what Rio Rancho definitely needed. Whiptail is a small but cute & trendy restaurant. They have a good menu of small bites & shareables. I've heard good things about their cocktail menu which was the main reason I wanted to try here. I tried the rio mojito & it was absolutely delicious. They make all their own syrups. You know when you take a sip of a good drink & you just know it was made with quality ingredients? That's what Whiptail gives you. They even have a happy hour m-f. The inside of the restaurant is small but has many tables for the size. They have small patio as well. We opted for the patio because of the nice weather. I did ask if they could turn down the music outside on the patio. Normally I never make this request however we could barely hear each other talk over the 80's soft rock hits. I feel like the music & the volume of it did not match the nice relaxing atmosphere the rest of the restaurant exuded. Overall this was definitely two thumbs up. We'll be back again but I'm not sure if I would sit on the patio with the loud music again. read more
4 years ago
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5 years ago
Decided to try this restaurant with my sister and husband last night. We ordered the charcuterie, crispy shishito peppers, shoe string fries and a bottle of wine to share. The peppers were the best part (forgot to get a picture), shoestring fries were good but nothing special. We were very disappointed in the charcuterie. The slices of cheese were so thin you could barely taste the flavor. For $22 what was given on the charcuterie was minuscule. I think this place has potential but the price points on the menu are very high given the location, quantity and quality of the menu items. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Great small plates restaurant with craft cocktails and decent wine by the glass selection. Went on 4/27/22. Had live music which was great. Ordered the following things: 1. Smoked old fashioned - solid offering for this drink with a nice table side presentation pouring smoke out of the carafe into the glass. 2. Bread and butter - this was fantastic. Very well made focaccia bread with savory herb butter to go with it. Simple and phenomenally good 3. Pork belly - this was done chicharrones style. Pork belly was good quality but could've been cooked slightly crisper. The agave sauce they were served in complimented the pork. 4. Meatballs - these were good. Packed a bit more densely than I'd prefer but the flavor was spot on and they were served with a marinara sauce. 5. Cold smoked ribeye - my wife loved this. It was a quality cut of meat that had a good sear on both sides. The smoke flavor was very very pronounced and overpowered the natural beef flavor a bit. This was served with an au jus that was truly next level. With liberal use of the au jus the smoke flavor came into better balance. 6. Fries - these were delicious and served with a garlic aioli. Can't write too much about fries, if you like French fries you'll like these. On food alone this might be 4 or 4.5 stars. The great atmosphere and friendly staff bump this place up. Highly recommend checking this place out for dinner. read more
4 years ago
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5 years ago
Very nice place. If you go you need to try the Philly. It was amazing. We were also extremely impressed with the mountain of onions rings! They had a lot of fun drinks on the menu too! Definitely worth checking out! read more
5 years ago
A great new place in Rio Rancho! On 528 next to twisters. Stopped by when I saw THE "NOW OPEN" sign. Had to give it a try. Sat at the bar and had the pleasure of speaking with the owner (a local) What a great conversation. Sadly I couldn't have wine (reason for the 4 starrating) but not to worry, they received notification while I was there that their liquor license was approved. She was so excited!! They'll have a huge selection of wine that will be offered by the glass or bottle,a selection of beers and cocktails as well. I'm sure they'll have a great selection. They're menu is small right now but they'll be more awesome selections in the near future. The shrimp po'boy was awesome said the man sitting a few chairs over. Said the slaw and pickles were "on point" Definitely give them a try but be patient as they grow and add. Looking forward to trying a different menu item with friends. Want to try the Brussel sprouts next and definitely a dessert option. read more
4 years ago
Philly Steak Sandwich. Tasty Philly Steak Sandwich Apple Pie to die for!! Joselyn is the best bartender there. read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
We went and tried Whiptail tonight and it did not disappoint. We tried the small charcuterie board, chicharones, and the ceviche. Everything was delicious and fresh. For drinks we tried the Jennifer Rose which was a very fun pink drink with a smoke bubble on top, the Smoking old fashions, the Tequila old fashion and the espresso martini. The Tequila old fashion was very delicious and the espresso martini was an awesome dessert type drink. I cannot wait to go back and try more next time. We shared the appetizers and it was fun to try different things on the menu :) Justin the bartender and all the servers were informative and friendly. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
I came here for brunch on a Saturday with my parents and boyfriend. We were all impressed! First off, the waitress (Jocelyn was her name I'm pretty sure) was so sweet and you could tell she loves her job. She started out by telling us that it is a craft kitchen and they make mostly everything there and what they can't make they source from high quality vendors. While the drinks did take awhile to get to our table, it was totally worth it. The presentation was gorgeous and the drinks were tasty! I got a mimosa flight and I'm still dreaming about the gummy rose- it was so sweet and delicious. I got the pork belly BAO buns and I thought they were good but my mom's monte Cristo was out of this world amazing so I would get that next time. We were informed that the food is usually tapa style and were given menus to get an idea of all of their offerings. Everything looked bomb and they had a huge variety of drinks. Apparently they also do 1/2 price bottles of wine on Mondays! This is a super cute place with great service and food to please everyone. A gem in Rio for sure . read more
3 years ago
The food at Whiptail is absolutely amazing! It is only surpassed by the service! The drinks are delicious, the ambience is wonderfu, and the artwork (which is from local artists- I bought three works of art from there just today!) is fantastic! The owner is so friendly and really makes you feel like an old friend! This truly is the place to be!! read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Really good once aging hats off . When you go here don't look like much but the food the drinks are wonderful read more
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Is brunch only on weekends?
Yes unfortunately, as I would really like to try their Monte Cristo.
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