Best Chips and Salsa

2006 Readers' Restaurant Picks
by Eric D. Howerton and Charles Vane
From Crosswinds Weekly (reprinted by permission)

Albuquerque: Salsa is to New Mexico what oil is to Texas. For that reason, it's only fitting that two inveterate distributors of salsa split this award. As Albuquerque's premier salsa company, El Pinto Restaurant (10500 4th St. NW, 898-1771) began as a family operation in 1962. Currently spearheading the operation are brothers Jim and John Thomas, and though the siblings have expanded the company's reach, they know better than to deviate from the traditional recipe of their grandmother Josephina Chavez-Griggs. Whether red or green, hot or mild, El Pinto continues to strike it rich with salsa, impressing salsa-ficionados and those who want "flavor without fire" alike.

Tying with El Pinto is Gardunos Restaurant and Cantina (8806 4th St. NW, 8980-2772; 5400 Academy NE, 821-3030; 10551 Montgomery NE, 298-5000 and 10031 Coors NW, 890-7000). The corporation started out as a small, family-run restaurant right here in the heart of Albuquerque. Even with eight locations in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and two in Nevada - including one in the Palms Casino Resort - Gardunos still insists on using New Mexican Hatch chile in their dishes. And even though they've adopted the commercial embarrassment of those flashing "your table is ready" electronic bricks, the food and margaritas maintain a native flavor, and the chips and salsa bite back.

Sadie's missed making it a three-way tie by one slim vote.

Santa Fe: It was a three-way tie in Santa Fe between old favorites Tomasita's Santa Fe Station (500 S. Guadalupe, 983-5721) and Guadalupe Cafe, and newer favorite Bumble Bee's Baja Grill (301 Jefferson St., 820-2862 and 3701 Cerrillos, 988-3278), which now has a location in Albuquerque. All three have very fresh chips and spicy homemade salsas, which is really all we want in this category.