We’ve Got Some ‘Round The Back
by John Weckerle
Last Friday, we decided to give the Backside Alehouse in Sandia Park a try. Located in the A-frame structure at the intersection of NM 14, Frost Road, and the road to Sandia Peak, the restaurant and pub represents the latest enterprise to occupy a space that has held a variety of restaurants and other businesses.
We entered the establishment and were promptly seated. The decor was eclectic, with relatively warm colors, and seats were comfortable. One of our party thought the music was just a bit loud, but two of us did not; with the predominance of hard surfaces, it seems likely that the sounds of conversation would fill the space if the music were not there, and the music was enjoyable enough not to get in the way of discourse at the table. Your editor ordered the carrot-ginger soup (attempting to order a cup but, alas, it comes only in bowls) and shared it with the rest of the party because, quite frankly, that is one darned big bowl of soup. It is also one darned good bowl of soup, and that may be understating the case substantially; the Backside’s carrot ginger soup is one of the best we’ve had. Your editor ordered the cedar plank salmon, and the other diners ordered fish and chips, chicken tenders, and fries.
Let’s start with the cedar plank salmon. It is not clear why the dish is so named – if somebody said “I’m making cedar plank salmon,” I wouldn’t expect what I got at the Backside. While it may have been cedar-plank grilled, there was much more to it than that. The salmon is prepared with a delightful glaze and served atop a bed of creamy polenta with a side of vegetables, in this case green beans that were perfectly done and nicely seasoned. The name “cedar plank salmon,” and to some extent the description in the menu, just don’t do justice to the dish.
Those of us who have been eating fish and chips for a very long time have a certain understanding of what fish and chips are supposed to be. In this day and age, many establishments wrap their fish in a superfluity of batter, obscuring the taste (and perhaps the size) of the fillets. Not the Backside Alehouse. The batter was traditional and very tasty – thick enough to be an integral part of the dish but thin enough not to overwhelm the fish. Neither was the batter greasy.
Your editor is not usually given to commenting on French fries, but these were worth mentioning: just the right blend of crispy outside, soft-but-not-mushy inside, and again, not greasy. I did not partake of the chicken tenders, but they were very well received by those who did.
About the only suggestion we have to offer the Backside is this: offer the soup in a cup. You might have actually sold us a dessert if the soup had been smaller.
152 Responses “We’ve Got Some ‘Round The Back”
We had dinner there on St. Patrick’s Day so my husband ordered the Corned Beef & Cabbage that was a one day special. He also tried the French Onion soup. I ordered the only beef burger, a $9.25 Wagu Beef Burger. It came with fries. I also ordered a $4 pint of Rio Bravo Green Chile Ale. Our review: Corned Beef was tough, hadn’t cooked long enough (perhaps a late addition to the menu for the day and without adequate preparation for 5PM early dining?) French Onion soup was so-so, had croutons instead of French Bread and because it was a bowl (instead of a cup), the cheese melt was not so successful. I eagerly looked forward to the local Wagu beef burger (from Wagyu cattle raised on the Lone Mountain Ranch in Santa Fe County on the Turquoise Highway). I do like the idea of local raised food and was ok with the price for a promised treat. The burger was very good, but the bun fell apart completely -cheap,thin bun it seemed. The batter-fried fries, although just the right crunchy texture, were over-salted and I mentioned that to the waitress along with the bun mishap. She apologised and told the kitchen of my comments. They had run out of Green Chile Ale when I ordered a second and seemed to be out of several other ales on their hand-written menu that day. (It was St. Patrick’s Day – probably need make sure you have a couple of kegs for each brew). I thought the price of $9.25 was rather high for the Wagu Burger and wished they offered a little cheaper beef as an alternative burger, or maybe even some sliders in the $6-7 range. But even their veggie burger and turkey burgers are $8 and $8.50. I’m glad the owner has changed her menu to an alehouse with cheaper pub food as opposed to the pricey North Inspired’s fine dining fare, but I don’t think we’ll return after our most recent experience.
John,
Thank you for your restaurant reviews!
I enjoy all of them.
Bob