Dh and I are coming to ALB to pick up my new car tomorrow night. Where should we eat? We don't want to have to go too far off the highway. We are getting my car at Car Max so we have to go all the way through town. And it is only going to be the two of us - both boys are having sleep overs! Yay! That has never happened!

I recommend El Pinto - the food is good and the atmosphere is awesome...not to mention the great margaritas! If you head west on Alameda (the street that CarMax is on), turn right on 4th - it's about 1/4 to 1/2 mile up the road on the right side of the road. If you're not in the mood for Mexican, there's a BBQ place a little farther west off of Alameda, but I think El Pinto would be better, especially since you're sans kids tonight.

Yum! I will have to mention that to dh. We have tried several places: Pappdeaux's (awesome), Landry's, Olive Garden, High Finance..but no mexican yet.

Oh, El Pinto is MUCH better! Not a chain and REAL New Mexican food. High Finance is cool because it's at the top of the tram (which is closed for a month for maintenance), but the food is kinda meh. I vote for El Pinto.

We only had appetizers and drinks at High Finance. We were there last Thursday when the snow came in. It was pretty watching it snow and not so much that it was too much trouble.

Yum El Pinto.. I was also going to suggest Landry's but you already tried that. LOL If you're up for a small drive, then El Pinto is the way to go.

Where do you live?

I live in yucky Clovis

Now the trip will probably be next Friday and with the kids. My car didn't come in. We were going to try to make it on Tuesday when dh gets back into town but Brantley will have his first tball game of the season on Tuesday. We are out of school on Friday for Easter so we might stay the night now. So now a drive to El Pinto will be no big deal at all.

I honestly don't think I've ever been to Clovis. It's near Artesia, right?

No it is way north of Artesia. It is close to Texas (literally 5 min) There is nothing here but a bunch of smelly dairies and the Air Force Base (which is why we are here) It is 3 hours to everywhere - ALB, Santa Fe, Carlsbad. It is only an hour to Lubbock and Amarillo.