The Range – Albuquerque, New Mexico

It’s not very often (actually never) I consult Google’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine, much less copy and use AI-generated blather verbatim. When at a loss for words as to how to describe a “real foodie,” I liked Google’s definition so much I’m sharing it: “A real foodie is someone with a deep passion and appreciation for food, beyond just eating to survive. They actively seek out new and diverse culinary experiences, enjoy exploring different cuisines, and are knowledgeable about food preparation, ingredients, and even the cultural context of food.”  One of the key characteristics of a real foodie (according to AI) is “Social: They enjoy sharing their culinary discoveries with others, whether through social media, blogs, or in-person gatherings.”

That last characteristic may best describe our new friends Cliff and Mariton whose culinary adventures on Instagram have both delighted and intrigued me for years.  What distinguishes Cliff and Mariton from other foodies who share their findings online is that their restaurant posts are always about the foods.  Theirs is not a self-aggrandizing platform in which food plays a secondary role.  Their photographs are crisp and clear, centered around their restaurant meals.  You can read their passion in the well-written descriptions of their meals, especially when they’ve really enjoyed or uncovered a new find.   All too often–especially on Instagram–food is secondary to showing off an “influencer’s” physical assets.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  I like to look, too.

Real foodies know how to find one another–and when we connect, it’s as if finding our people.  You can imagine what a thrill it was for me to receive a text from Cliff asking if we were available to join them for dinner.   It was akin to being invited to dine with a long-lost best friend.  I just knew we would hit it off.  Cliff, it turns out, admires my work as much as I do his.  The second we walked into The Range on Rio Grande Blvd., I recognized the photogenic, bedimpled Mariton from photos Cliff has posted.  For the next two hours we shared food intelligence, of course, but mostly we shared laughs.  It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a meal that much.

Cliff and Mariton are not only passionate foodies, they’re extremely well-traveled, taking advantage of Southwest Airline’s companion pass to fly somewhere two or three weekends a month.  They’re frequent travelers to New Mexico, home to Cliff’s favorite restaurant in the entire country, Mary & Tito’s.  On the day they joined us at The Range, they had driven from Socorro to Pie Town where they indulged in Pie-O-Neer’s Pies, a New Mexico institution.  Cliff’s Instagram profile describes him as an “amateur pie enthusiastic.”  He’s more than ready to turn pro as we were to find out.

Though my Kim and I are frequent visitors to the original Range in Bernalillo, Cliff’s only visit was fifteen years ago.  Much has changed in that decade and a half.  Today there are six locations of The Range–the original in Bernalillo, four in Albuquerque and one in Los Lunas.  Every one of them offers a whimsical ambiance (such as the anthropomorphic bovines which grace the space) with something to see and enjoy everywhere you turn.  While whimsy is one of the cafe’s defining characteristics, savvy diners know they can take the menu seriously.  Offering a melange of American and New Mexican diner favorites and some of the best baked goods in New Mexico, you’re bound to find something to love.

Invariably, we were enjoying ourselves so much that our server had to make several return trips to our table to see if we were ready to place our orders.   It took five visits before we were all ready.  One of the hallmarks of each Range is the outstanding service.   Our server never made us feel rushed and seemed to enjoy our playful banter with her.  Another noteable quality about The Range is its customer-centric flexibility.  It’s truly a “have it your way” spirit that diners will like.  For example, I wanted a chimichanga sans red or green chile but with mole.  Had The Range not run out of mole, it’s exactly what our server would have ferried to our table.

One of the ironies about dining in contemporary America is how portion size has decreased while costs continue to escalate disproportionally.  One example is the Big Mac, a misnomer if there ever was one.  Seeing green chile cheeseburger sliders (Bueno green chile, American cheese, green chile Cheddar bun) on the starters section of the menu, we expected two-bites per burger.  Instead, each burger was generous in size with four-inch buns (the size of many full-sized burgers in town).  The burger was prepared “smash burger” style (thin, crispy patties).  It had all the fixings (lettuce, tomato, onion) of a full-sized burger.  The green chile Cheddar bun was soft and chewy with a pleasant piquancy.

Hitting The Range up on a Sunday night, my Kim was out-of-luck; her first three salad choices being unavailable.  Fortunately the Mediterranean Salad (mixed greens, artichoke hearts, roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onions, chickpeas, cucumber, pepperoncini, feta croutons, lemon basil vinaigrette) was far more than a consolation prize.  This salad proved more than a sum of its wonderful parts.  Every ingredient on the plate worked harmoniously to create an amalgam of flavor.  Several elements were noteable–the feta croutons especially.  Those croutons were somewhat reminiscent of mozzarella sticks albeit with a delectable feta.  My Kim also praised the artichoke hearts and kalamata olives.

My druthers were to have a chimichanga (filled with arroz verde, pinto beans, Monterey Jack, topped with sour cream, guacamole and pico with choice of chile) topped with mole, but that mole must have been superb as The Range had run out. Instead, my chimichanga was stuffed with carne adovada with the aforementioned pinto beans and arroz verde.  In the past few years, I’ve become quite a chimichanga connossieur after figuring out New Mexican restaurants reign far supreme over Arizona eateries in preparing and serving these deep-fried burrito treasures.  The Range’s chimichanga is quite good, albeit not especially piquant.  The deep-fried tortilla is a crispy shell that holds its integrity despite the moistness of the carne adovada and chile.

Our new friend Cliff should probably run for mayor of Pie Town.  His platform would undoubtedly include a pie in every tin.  Cliff didn’t hesitate to order The Range’s green chile apple pie.  Even sans ice cream, the pie was wonderful with sweet and tart, juicy and crisp apples providing an interesting and delicious contrast to a green chile that was more piquant (by far) than the green chile enchiladas Cliff had as his entree or the steak enchiladas Mariton enjoyed.  There was no chile on my dessert choice, a Mexican latte cake (layers of dark chocolate cake, vanilla bean cheesecake, coffee flan and brandy tres leches topped with chocolate cream cheese whipped cream).  It’s as good as promised with so many wonderful contrasting flavors coalescing into a mountainous mound of chocolate deliciousness.

One of the less often touted aspects of dining is the experiential perspective. A meal can be even more wonderful when you enjoy it with friends.  The Range made our visit with Cliff and Mariton a great one.

The Range
1050 Rio Grande Blvd.,  N.W.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 508-2640
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT:  13 July 2025
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Green Chile Cheeseburger Sliders, Mexican Latte Cake, Green Chile Apple Pie, Carne Adovada Chimichanga, Mediterranean Salad
REVIEW #1478