But while John on a recent weekday afternoon dug into a colorful plate of New Mexican food favorites — a chile relleno, red chile cheese enchilada, beans and some fresh-diced green chile — Jim started with something less obvious: a hearty salad he special-ordered. It consisted of mixed greens, tomato slices and a heaping scoop of guacamole. It was dressed, not with ranch or thousand island, but with dollops of fresh salsa and piles of roasted green chile.
Customers can expect to find the salad on El Pinto’s menu eventually, right alongside the customary dishes that have served as the foundation of the popular Albuquerque eatery since it opened on June 19, 1962.
As the restaurant recently commemorated its 50th anniversary, the Thomas brothers — aka “The Salsa Twins” — credit that blend of innovation and tradition for allowing it to thrive for so long.
“El Pinto has been here for 50 years not because it’s stayed the same, but because we’re progressing and changing and reinventing ourselves and coming up with new ideas and giving quality food that customers deserve,” John said. “That takes work. We just can’t keep everything the same.”
Twin brothers Jim, left, and John Thomas bought El Pinto from their parents in 1989 and have turned it into a 1,000-seat restaurant with an on-site salsa factory.
Finding the spot
Much has changed since Jack and Connie Thomas first opened El Pinto next to their home in the far North Valley. Utilizing Connie’s mother’s recipes and a $30,000 bank loan, the couple started with a 1,500-square-foot restaurant. They picked the out-of-the-way location on purpose, wanting it to become a “destination restaurant” with its own identity.
That’s why it’s called El Pinto, Jim said, relating the story of how his parents decided on the name one summer night while they were sipping drinks on their patio.
“My dad turns to my mom and said, ‘This is the spot. It’s a beautiful evening out here,’” Jim said. “My mom’s first language was Spanish and he said, ‘How would you say it in Spanish?’ My mom thought about it and said, ‘You could say that by saying el pinto — the spot or the place.’”
The spot has since grown into the state’s largest restaurant. It can seat up to 1,000 people in a sprawling facility situated among the cottonwoods on a shady 14-acre parcel. It’s become a destination for locals and visitors alike, including the legion of celebrities and political heavyweights whose photographs cloak the entryway.
There’s also now a full-fledged factory on site, churning out jars of salsas and chile sauces that ship around the country. El Pinto sells more than 2 million jars annually, and the salsa revenue now equals that of the restaurant.
Diners fill their plates during the lunch buffet at El Pinto restaurant.
Making changes
John and Jim Thomas — much like their four siblings — grew up at El Pinto, which is just feet away from their childhood home. Their first memories of the restaurant involve grabbing what they thought was forgotten money off the tables.
They didn’t realize it was the servers’ tips.
“The waitresses thought it was so cute until (it affected) their pocketbooks,” Jim said. “We learned.”
They were just 7 or 8 when their dad started enlisting their help around the restaurant. Tasks ran the gamut from washing dishes to pulling weeds. They can also cook and have been known to pull sopaipilla or bean duty on particularly busy nights.
Their father made them work hard and, for that reason, most of the Thomas siblings weren’t especially interested in working at the restaurant long-term. Jim and John even left after high school, heading to Alaska where they spent about five years building houses.
“My dad wasn’t happy. He thought we’d be there at his beck and call and (be) his little slaves,” Jim said. “We were the only boys who took an interest in the business, but we had to get away and see what was out there.”
But they returned in the early ’80s, eager to make El Pinto — already popular for its food — into something bigger and better. Using their savings and newfound construction skills, they started adding on to the restaurant. Among their first projects was the Garden Room, an indoor dining space that is still festooned with the greenery of fig, hibiscus and many other plants. They also began creating the restaurant’s famous patio, literally laying down the brick flooring themselves.
The twins also spearheaded a kitchen expansion, the restaurant’s computerization and the procurement of a liquor license that laid the foundation for El Pinto’s tequila bar.
In 1989, they officially purchased El Pinto from their parents.
The salsa factory behind El Pinto restaurant produces a variety of products that are sold nationwide.
All about the food
The twins have emphasized atmosphere as they’ve expanded the restaurant, from indoor waterfalls to the wood-burning fireplaces on the patio.
But, as Jim said, “you can’t eat the patio.”
“Food is first. When my folks had the place, they had no atmosphere whatsoever. When you drove up to the place it looked like a post office; no landscaping, just a few plants but not much,” he added. “The atmosphere was nil. The food was what people came out for.”
And making better food while staying true to their grandmother’s original recipes has been one of the Thomases’ biggest goals. They’ve tried to incorporate higher-quality ingredients, like Celtic sea salt on their tortilla chips and grass-fed, free-range pork during the restaurant’s regular matanzas.
But it’s the chile that demands the most attention. El Pinto serves only New Mexico chile, mostly from Hatch, and it’s grown without pesticides. In fact, it’s fertilized with a “tea” made in part from the excretions of worms that have been fed El Pinto’s kitchen scraps.
All the chile is then ultimately peeled by hand, a time-intensive process that the Thomases have committed to because it’s more natural and authentic.
“The nutritional value and taste and flavor comes from doing it like our grandma did,” John said.
Among the photos in the El Pinto entryway is this image of, from left, John Thomas, President Barack Obama, Paul Blanchard and Jim Thomas.
Big reputation
The Thomases credit the food for bringing locals, visitors and famous faces alike to El Pinto. Celebrities like Mick Jagger, Mel Gibson, Cameron Diaz and Ted Nugent have been through the restaurant, and El Pinto has fed everyone from President Barack Obama (catering one of his Albuquerque fundraisers) to rapper Lil Wayne (who indulged on his tour bus).
George W. Bush has visited on multiple occasions. The Thomases say they still have out-of-town patrons tell them they’re eating at El Pinto on the former president’s recommendation.
El Pinto’s reputation as an Albuquerque tradition is far-reaching, said Dale Lockett, president and CEO of the Albuquerque Convention Visitors Bureau.
“An El Pinto experience is a truly unique Albuquerque experience. Travel writers, visitors and convention attendees enjoy the authentic New Mexican cuisine combined with exceptional outdoor dining, distinct ambience and their history of providing quality service,” Lockett said.
So what’s next for El Pinto? The Thomases don’t have any children to pass the restaurant on to, but they’re not thinking that way anyway. They have no plans to retire or sell any time soon.
They are instead thinking of the company’s continued development. Rather than expand with more restaurants — there’s only been one El Pinto — they remain focused on the existing restaurant, which has actually thrived during the recession, and on the growing salsa business.
“We want it to continue,” John said of El Pinto. “We want it to be a 100-year company.”
A photograph of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin at El Pinto hangs inside the Albuquerque restaurant.
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