El Pinto was always our go-to when we lived in New Mexico. When we come back to visit, it's a must on our to-do list. You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. My husband's favorite things are the green chile strips and stuffed sopapillas. We miss being close to such a great place. The service is amazing and the margaritas are perfect!

We came for a bachelorette with a party of 9 with a reservation. Service: Our server's name Kevin & he hooked it up with our chips. It comes with salsa but we ordered side & was attentive to our drinks/water. Ambiance: Beautiful gentle volume music Temperature controlled area, fountains galore & open fireplaces. Definitely a vibe! Food; Our group ordered a lot of food! And drinks a good experience and portions were hugeeee for

This place is a fancy restaurant with a beautiful decor. We took the chance to go during a weekend day on the balloon festival. The wait was long unless we went to the bar. We immediately found seating in the bar area next to a waterfall. Our waiter was awesome with the right blend of helpfully available and not overbearing. We enjoyed a leisurely and delicious lunch. The salsa was damn good and they sell it. Not only do they sell it but there is a sample cart to try the varieties. A fantastic tourist stop or place to take visiting relatives like I was!

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!

If you live in Florida, you are probably familiar with The Columbia... I got a very similar vibe from El Pinto... good food, served in a sprawling, gorgeous space, with lots of different rooms and ambiance. Our family wanted to take us here because of the gorgeous views, and we were all about it. Since it was during the balloon fiesta, we couldn't get a seat outside, but we were placed in a huge room with a water feature and skylight, so plenty of natural light. I didn't mind at all. We started with margaritas, and they were fabulous. Our cousin wanted us to try the fried hatch chiles, and I wasn't entirely sure how they would be, but yum! They were not at all greasy, and came with a lovely spicy ranch dipping sauce. I could have made a meal of them. Again, we had lots of options for lunch, and I went with stacked enchiladas with hot green chile (sadly, it wasn't really hot at all, but they tried). I went with just cheese (no protein), and they were soooo good. Loved the rice and beans with them as well. Most everyone cleared their plates, and so the meals were a huge success. Service was great, if a little leisurely, but we weren't in a huge rush. And this time, I DID try the sopapillas and honey, and they were divine! Absolutely delightful. This is a great place to bring visitors, or to go when you're out with big groups. Solid food, great experience, all the way around!

Thought getting a meal during Balloon Fiesta would be rough But dinner was a breeze and delicious thanks to the fine folks at ElPinto! We did have a reservation, super important this time of year They even had shopping opportunities out front Another great meal and i watched a guest of mine tackle the famous Red Chile Ribs! He finished but paid the price!

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!

When taking a friend out to lunch this sure is a place to take them to impress and have consistently good food. The taco salad was huge and packed with goodness. I even love devouring the taco shell bowl. My friend loved the chili rellenos and the mini beef taco shell bowl and rice. We both were winners with the complimentary sopapillas with honey. Yum! I gave her a tour of all the rooms and gardens. The amethyst geode waterfalls always are a show stopper. We ate outside in the garden. The giant cottonwood trees and flowers galore are so beautiful and impressive. I will be back soon with another friend. She said she would now bring her husband here, as he would be excited to check it out too.