Tasty but pricey El Pinto worth a visit for the ambiance
Tasty but pricey El Pinto worth a visit for the ambiance
What started out 50 years ago as a humble little New Mexican eatery has grown, thanks mostly to the efforts of the owners, who happen to be twins and happen to make salsa, into a downright operation.
Their compound, an old hacienda down by the river on Fourth NW, ships out mass quantities of their proprietary salsa and includes special-event space, a greenhouse, and a full-service traditional Mexican restaurant with a large bar and outdoor seating under Japanese maples and English ivy.
But the food at El Pinto is a little too touristy and a little too pricey to make it a widely appealing spot for locals. The flavor is good — especially the salsa, which came in a generous cup with homemade tortilla chips in a giant basket. But the food isn’t particularly sophisticated, nor is it all necessarily made small batches.
The owner, descendants of the original owners from half a century ago, are proud of this salsa. It had better be good, and it is.
The chips were fantastic, too — thick and probably housemade. If the plate hadn’t arrived so quickly, I would have easily filled up on chips and salsa.
After looking at the manicured gardens and the celebrities on the wall and the multiple rooms, I was beginning to get a bit of sensory overload when a plate of food arrived hot and steaming.
I tried the first combination plate on the menu, after browsing endless appetizers and fancy tequilas, because it sounded good and it sounded like a fine way to experience El Pinto’s range of f lavors.
The plate ($18.99) was good and filling, though not outstanding or particularly creative. As with the salsa, any menu item that begins with “world-famous” had better be good, so the pinto beans practically had a lighted arrow pointing at them.
They were good but unexpected. They were somewhere between refried and ranch style, slightly bland but fresh as could be. I consider the beans to be among the most important parts of the Mexican plate, behind only the chile, and these were good.
They tasted like giant-batch beans, if that makes sense. They were still good, but not particularly memorable.
The tamale was good, the spiciest part of the combo, but it came unwrapped and therefore was probably 15 percent less enjoyable for me. It had a good flavor and thick corn shell, but it should have come in the cornhusk wrapper.
The chile con carne, unevenly shaped chunks of pork slow-cooked in red chile, had a great flavor.
I wished the combination plate had maybe three things on it, all fantastic, instead of five or six items made well in advance.
The rolled taco was good but was stuffed with ground beef, not shredded beef.
I didn’t try the nachos ($14.99 for a full order), but several plates went by, and nothing about their presentation or aroma seemed to indicate they were “the best nachos in America,” as declared a dozen years ago by The Wall Street Journal.
The chips were excellent, though, so the nachos have to be good.
A successful salsa brand available
widely in stores is part of the operation, as well as plenty of souvenir merchandise. The grounds, overgrown with old cottonwoods and maples and evergreens, would make an ideal spot for a wedding, with a reception steps away.
Catering is available for large groups and special events, and brunch is served from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays.
The food is good, but it’s a little overpriced. You go for the ambiance and the experience.
Honestly, this place is worth a visit if you want no-frills traditional New Mexican food in an awesome garden setting. The landscaping outside and around the dining rooms and the photos of famous visitors on the walls make El Pinto a fun place for a unique lunch or dinner, a quiet distraction away from Downtown and close to the river.
But the current owners are raising hens, building greenhouses, hanging out with celebrities, selling jars of salsa with their picture on it, maintaining the latest organic and sustainable farming practices, and mixing “handmade” margaritas — in other words, there’s a lot going on at El Pinto, so the focus is understandably not squarely on the food.
Still, it’s a unique place to take a friend and try some very good salsa and some freshly roasted green chile among hummingbird feeders and fragrant potted flowers.