El Pinto - Mexican, Albuquerque, New Mexico

10500 4th St NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 898-1771
http://www.elpinto.com
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: Summer 2005

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $ to $$


Established in 1962, El Pinto's is the place to go to try out New Mexican flavor, especially if you are new to the Anaheim chile.  It's like going to Chevy's with a more New Mexican twist, so if you're comfortable with large restaurants, you'll feel comfortable here.   And the best part of it all was being able to bring home some El Pinto's salsa - you can enjoy mild, medium, or hot.

The restaurant is a little dated in its setup with the Christmas lights hanging in the area during summer.  While one could say it brings a romantic feel, I think that it might not be as modern as it could be.  Nevertheless, the food is solid and probably would be a great backup for when you don't want to cook.

- Taco Salad - Seasoned meat (choice of pork, chicken, or beef) topped with lettuce, sour cream, pinto beans, rice, guacamole, tomato, and your choice of chile.  It's what you would expect of a good taco salad and is definitely filling.

- Taco Plate - Two tacos with your choice of beef, chicken, or cheese and machaca. We chose one with chicken and one with beef.  Served with rice, beans, and a basket of sopapillas (which is common with lots of restaurants in this area), you're very likely to be full.  They also have a number of plates with three tacos.  Good. 

While this was a dinner visit, it's good to know that lunch specials are very reasonable - you'll find a number of them for around $10.   The staff is abundant and they're efficient, and the food portions are large.  You definitely get good value when you come here.  I would be happy to come back or order some more of their salsa.

Upper Crust Pizza - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Best: Combo Pizza with green chiles

329 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 982-0000
Parking: street parking
http://www.uppercrustpizza.com/

Next to the San Miguel Mission Church, the oldest church in the United States, and very close to the Santa Fe Plaza, you won't be able to miss Upper Crust Pizza. The elevated outdoor seating area is frequently busy in nice weather, and although we only ate there once, it was a memorable experience.

Upper Crust has won a few awards for best pizza in Santa Fe and top 100 independent pizzeria in the U.S. I hadn't heard about Upper Crust before going to Santa Fe, but many people were stopping in whenever we were near the area, so we decided to go in for lunch and that was one of our best tasting and most affordable meals.

All pizzas come in small or large. Since we had started to build up a little bit of a tolerance, we decided to try a pizza with green chiles on it. With four of us, we selected a large combo.

- Combo pizza - Pepperoni, black olives, green chiles, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions top the pizza. The crust is slightly crispy on the edges and soft on the inside of the thick crust. The toppings are a perfect combination and the green chiles add a bit of a kick without making the pizza difficult to eat. I would order this again in a heartbeat. Excellent! $20.25 (price shown is for 2011)

The place is very casual. We ordered at the counter, got our number, and then enjoyed a delicious pie. I would definitely make a return trip if I am ever in the area. Yum! That's all there is to say.

Places to Go - New Mexico

Last Updated: September 6, 2009

Maria's New Mexican Kitchen, 555 West Cordova Road, Santa Fe NM 87505, (505) 983-7929
Tomasita's Restaurant, 500 South Guadalupe, Santa Fe NM 87501, (505) 983-5721