Pete’s Mexican Cantina Shows Promise, But The Jury’s Still Out
by John Weckerle
This evening, the NM-Central staff (minus Chief Staying Home For Dinner Correspondent Wilson) took the evening off and went out for our evening meal. Our first choice for the evening was going to be Sandia Crust Pizza, which serves a noteworthy eggplant rollatini, but after a neighbor asked us if Pete’s Mexican Restaurant and Cantina – Home of the Halfbreed – had opened yet, we decided to take a peek and see if they had started operations.
Boy, had they. Your editor dropped the rest of the party off at the door and ended up parking on the shoulder of North 14. We were seated immediately, despite the fact that the parking lot was completely full.
The prospect of once again being able to have a margarita (or, for that matter, any mixed drink) before or with dinner was apparently a draw; there were a lot of people in the place, and a lot of margarita glasses on the tables. Unfortunately, after waiting more than 10 minutes for our drink order, our waiter returned to tell us that they did not have the tequila we requested (the very popular Jose Cuervo 1800 Silver). Now, there are those who will say that it doesn’t matter what kind of tequila one puts in a margarita. Such people are not to be trusted, voted for or, for that matter, allowed to vote. Or reproduce. Under such circumstances, one expects the waiter to suggest another middle-shelf tequila. He didn’t. We got regular Cuervo Gold instead. Strike one.
Chips and salsa were on the table before the drinks. That is to say, some very tasty salsa and some whole chips on top of a bunch of smashed ones. This is the sort of thing that does not go over well in other states, but in New Mexico, it’s nigh unto treason. Strike two.
The menu at Pete’s contains a mix of regular favorites – New Mexican foods, steaks (Lucy says they need to add an 8-ounce steak; 12 ounces is too big for a lot of people), and so on – and other things we don’t see in some restaurants. Shrimp Veracruz is one of the selections, and shrimp fajitas are another. A green chile pasta dish was also featured, and that could be ordered with shrimp. Your editor was delighted to be able to get something with some protein that didn’t involve meat or poultry. With great enthusiasm, I ordered the pasta with shrimp – and at almost exactly 5:45 in the afternoon, the waiter replied, “We’re out of shrimp.”
Strike three.
Your editor ended up with a bean burrito which, like the rest of the food, arrived at the table some time after people started remarking about how long it was taking (25 minutes – a bit long for burritos, which is what everybody had; then again, they are newly opened, and it was a bit of a mob scene). It was a very good bean burrito, and if you’re in the mood for a bean burrito, then Pete’s bean burrito is recommended. The green chile is not only vegetarian, but very good. The beans are also quite tasty, as is the rice that comes with the burrito. The sopaipillas were likewise very good. And the price tag – under $31 for 3 people, including 2 margaritas and a glass of wine – was certainly very, very good. On that basis, Pete’s has a good shot at medium-term success.
However, we want to be clear: when we go to a restaurant at 5:45 in the afternoon, we expect everything on the menu to be available. Had your editor known he was faced with a choice between a bean burrito and the aforementioned eggplant dish, he’d have gone for the eggplant on this particular evening and gone to Pete’s when the urge for a burrito struck (not an uncommon occurrence here). The management needs to do a better job of provisioning the kitchen, stocking the bar, and putting serviceable chips on the table. Granted, they just opened this month, so we’re going to give our newest culinary destination a little bit of time to get its feet under it, try it again, and report back here. A word to the wise: your editor is not alone in not frequenting places at which he’s been disappointed multiple times. The fact that the location in question has been a bit of a revolving door over the last couple of decades is testimony to the fact that East West Mountain folks have little patience for unsatisfying dining experiences, and that eggplant rollatini is going to be walking distance from Pete’s front door before too much longer. Also, we’ll note that water was not offered until we decided not to order another margarita, and then was brought in very small glasses, two things that we hope will change. Based on the quality of the food tonight, we think Pete’s has a lot to offer, and if they offer all of it, they stand a good chance of doing well. We wish them the best of luck in doing so.
233 Responses “Pete’s Mexican Cantina Shows Promise, But The Jury’s Still Out”
Cuervo Gold? Ouch!
Okay, there’s nothing wrong with Cuervo Gold, I admit. But the 1800 is much better, and given the fact that I don’t order margaritas “out” much, I like to get a semi-premium tequila once in a while. It’s not like I was asking for Don Julio or Patron…
Very disappointed they are trying to get noticed by using another family’s name that is well know by long term residents. Pete’s was a very well respected restaurant which was truly family owned and they treated you like family. Unfortunately who ever the owners are feel that being deceptive with the name is the way to go….I was very excited when i thought it was one on the children reopening…..NOT A STRANGER WHO KNOW NOTHING OF THE ORIGINAL PETE”S!!!!!!!
I will not be interested in trying them now that I know the name is being used to gather customers and is not the original family. Be truthful would have made a better impression…..
Veronica, Just to clarify, the name Pete’s was used to honor the former founder of the restaraunt. As a matter of fact, because I know personally all of this, The current owners are very successful restaraunt owners who could easily use their own name and had the same or more people just on their reputation alone Ever heard of Millies? They also wanted to do a bio for Pete on the menu so people were very aware of the former owners traditions, etc. The reason this place is packed is because this owner knows what to do. I am sure the few problems are because it is trial and error. I for one, hope it is a success because we don’t have many choices out here. So I will support it as much as I can rather than try and tear it down. Do you really want another vacant restaraunt sitting there while we hope one of Pete’s children might open it again? They certainly don’t need another name to gather more customers. That is ridiculous. So rather that read and follow rhetoric, please gather facts first. Better yet why don’t you ask George Daskalos personally? He is there. It is very easy to get the truth.
If they are so successful why not ride on that. Yes I have heard who they are. I also like to go to one of there restaurants on a regular basis….that will now change. Be original…do not ride in the glory of someone else’s hard work and fame. Not to mention they charge 5.00 dollars for the same plate in Albuquerque that they are charging 7.00 ++++++++ for up here!!!
Strike one: anyone who believes that a margarita is to be made with Jose Cuervo anything should not be writing restaurant reviews. Cuervo is best left for frat parties.
Strike two: eggplant should not be consumed by humans let alone a food critic. Causes dementia.
Strike three: I love pizza but the last handful of times going to Sandia Crust has been mediocre at best and talk about a LONG wait for food, good grief.
Well, we do like the 1800 in a margarita, but that may be in part because the idea of taking a top-shelf tequila and mixing it with something else is perhaps a bit hard to swallow (pun intended). Most people don’t realize that their are such things as “sipping” tequilas. We’d be interested in your recommendations for margaritas, though.
As for eggplant – well, it is a nightshade (so are tomatoes and potatoes, by the way), so perhaps I’m slowly killing myself. I like the stuff, whether it’s in ratatouille, rollatini, parmigiana, marinated/grilled, or whatever. I’ve had the devil’s own time trying to grow it since I moved out of Albuquerque, though.
Yes I have heard of Millie’s, a restaurant that has mediocre food and is very high priced. I am just not interested in a want to be Pete’s!!!! And many people have already been and feel the same! We have not had places to eat for 40 years +++ up here big deal!!! I would rather have one really good place to several mediocre places!
Yes I have heard of Millie’s, a restaurant that has mediocre food and is very high priced. I am just not interested in a want to be Pete’s!!!! And many people have already been and feel the same! We have not had places to eat for 40 years +++ up here big deal!!! I would rather have one really good place to several mediocre places!
Just an update.. went to Pete’s last week. My chips were intact and HOT… and they even brought seconds… the food was great and with 4 of us, including to margaritas,our bill was 40.00! This is a good place for the East Mountains and recommend it highly. I also want to mention it was PACKED, just like the other places. If this place was over priced or not good, it sure would not be packed.
Pete was my grandpa, i grew up in that restaurant as did the community around it
pete cared about food and people, as did his son pete, but food should be…..well, i guess i’ll talk to my cousins who actualy used to cook the food…
i was young, i just ate ice cream, played with the gourds and drank soda
Tell you what there, “Mike,” we pulled the spurious link to the Clinton/Bush debate you stuck in your comment because it has nothing to do with the subject at hand. We also did a little searching and can’t seem to find anything that links a “Mike Walden” with the Jojola family. We’ll leave your replies here for the time being, but in the meantime would appreciate a little more information, hopefully verifiable, that clarifies your relationship with the operation and the family that owned it. Thanks!
Mike, Thank you for commenting. I guess John needs to do his research. I guess they have no idea who our family is…they just want to make money off our name…follow the money. I asked Mr. Daskalos not to use your grandfathers name (my father) without consent of the family…they told me that they had already checked with copywright lawyers and that they had the right. We also have rights. I have a right to say how I feel about my late fathers’ Image being used (by people who never even met him)
Hi Pete – This is a simple restaurant review, and researching the family connections of past owners’ isn’t something we would normally do for such a review. Mike’s comment came with a link typical of spam, and Internet research showed no connection with your family. We do occasionally get some cranks on here – we had one claiming to be a disgruntled Relay for Life coordinator once – so you’ll have to excuse us for being suspicious.
When I moved to the East Mountains from Albuquerque in 1999, Pete’s had already closed. It reopened simply as “Home of the Halfbreed” at one point, and I have no idea who the owners were at that time – although I do know that the quality of the food was very inconsistent at that time. The margaritas were of consistently good quality, though.
The location has had some other enterprises – Kokopelli’s and Gordon’s Italian Restaurant, neither of which lasted. Kokopelli’s ended up going downhill eventually, and Gordon’s vanished rapidly.
It is good to see a restaurant open there. Frankly, I would have preferred to see them select another name, especially since your family requested it. I think there might be a few people who would rather not see the word “halfbreed” in the name of a restaurant in this day and age, as well.
I’ve made a bit of my living over the years doing management consulting, and I can’t think of a time when I’d have advised anybody to take second-hand advice from somebody else’s lawyer, especially the lawyer of somebody with whom they are disagreeing. I don’t personally know any copyright attorneys, and I’m not sure what your chances might be, but you might want to consider at least talking to the legal aid folks at UNM and see if you have a case.
As for “my case”, I have none. I just know in my heart of hearts that if George daskalos has the right to use my deceased father’s name to sell tacos, then I have the right, (after serving my country, as a Special Forces Combat medic for ten years of my life) to say ” I DON’T WANT YOU TO USE MY FATHERS NAME!’. Case closed. Oh, and by the way, Mike Walden, IS FAMILY! (make no mistake about that!) My late brother Don Jojola, was married to Nancy (Walden) Jojola. Mike is FAMILY! (you stand corrected).
More clarified than corrected. And again, it was at best insensitive of them to use the name after your family asked them not to. It’s since changed to Los Cuates, so I from that standpoint you’ve emerged victorious.