El Pinto Restaurant and Cantina

Ribs that are marinated overnight in freshly roasted red chili sauce and practically fall off the bones ($21.99 for a full rack), guacamole with chunks of avocado and fresh vegetables ($7.29), and other scrumptious meals that are like grandma used to make are only part of the experience at El Pinto Restaurant and Cantina.

Jack and Connie Thomas opened the restaurant in 1962 using recipes from Connie's mother, Josephina Chavez-Griggs. Their twin sons, Jim and John Thomas, were raised helping in the restaurant and took over in the early nineties -- still using their grandmother's recipes. Then, the twins expanded the restaurant into the largest single restaurant in the state with chili and salsa products shipped all over the country and sold in grocery stores.

At El Pinto Restaurant and Cantina, quality is monitored from even before the chili seed is planted in the ground. The "Salsa Twins," Jim and John, contract with chili growers to purchase over 590 tons of chili in one year. Due to the contract, the twins are able to be involved in the process from farm to plate ensuring the highest quality of New Mexican food, according to Jim Garcia.

The brothers help with choosing the seeds, providing excrement from worms grown on the property to help enrich the soil, and analyzing growing conditions throughout the year. To the brothers, the business of growing chili is comparable to producing a fine wine.

But, again, food is only part of the experience. During the spring and summer, the patio is filled with thousands of blooming flowers, the waterfalls inside the restaurant gurgle peacefully and the fireplaces both inside and outside provide another relaxing backdrop to the meal.

The staff, inspired by the twins' love for the restaurant and dedication to intriguing all the senses, is trained to go the extra step in friendliness and  attentiveness required to turn a dining experience into a cherished memory.
 

- by Julie Medina, Albuquerque Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Julie Medina

Julie Medina has experience as a reporter at the Albuquerque Journal and has written freelance articles for the Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque the Magazine, New Mexico Magazine and New Mexico Kids Magazine. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in print journalism from the University of New Mexico in 2008. She has lived in Albuquerque since 1984 and believes it is best to remember to play like a tourist in your own hometown so you don't forget the vast culture around you.