During the prehistoric and dark ages when I went to school, we were taught a song called “The Bear Went Over The Mountain.” When that wandering ursus got to the other side of the mountain, all he could see was the other side of the mountain. Ostensibly, this song recalls a bear’s fruitless journey to see what lies beyond. It symbolizes the endless nature of life’s constant undertakings, the continuous, sometimes futile, effort in life to find something beyond the current experience. Now, that’s the allegorical meaning of the song. In literal terms, a bear (or anyone of us) going over the Sandia Mountains won’t see the same sights or have the same experiences we have in the Albuquerque side of the mountain.
I joked with Joe, the extraordinary baker at Trail Rider, that most of the people who live on the morning side of the mountain (eastern slope) are old hippies. “Except for us,” he clarified, noting my recent Opie Taylor haircut and his own closely shorn coiffure. Having grown up within easy walking distance of “The Hog Farm,” a hippie commune in Llano, New Mexico, I know a lot of old hippies. It’s always amused me how many of the anti-establishment sect in their youth have become staunch conservatives in their senior citizenry. Not all of them, mind you. Residents of the other side of the mountain may not reject mainstream societal values like the hippies of old. You get the feeling that they just want a slower paced lifestyle without the commotion and uproar of the big city. You’ll find many of them hanging out at Trail Rider, a Cedar Crest staple.
Trail Rider has become as much a part of the Cedar Crest landscape as the Sandias which backdrop the restaurant. When Ashlea Allen launched Trail Rider Pizza in 2006, she may not have envisioned her humble food trailer would eventually become a community hub of deliciousness and discourse. In the information age, it was inevitable that word of the Lilliputian trailer proffering prolific pizza quickly spread. In 2018, Trail Rider relocated to a brick-and-mortar space immediately next door to the Greenside Cafe, a long-time Cedar Crest favorite. With the 2025 closure of the Greenside Cafe, Trail Rider is poised to move into the space vacated by the largest restaurant in the village. The move will just about triple Trail Rider’s seating capacity, not including outdoor patio seating.
While Greenside Cafe will be missed, Trail Rider is more than a suitable replacement. For one thing, Ashlea Allen has not scrimped on kitchen talent. In addition to Baker Joe, she brought on Chef Chris White to helm the kitchen. Chris and his bride Katie Calico once owned and operated the TFK Smokehouse & Art Bar in Albuquerque. Their smoker is used to imbue meats for Trail Rider with that telltale smokiness barbecue aficionados love. That smoke permeates the pastrami. Chef White’s talents aren’t limited to smoked meats. Perusing the menu is your first indication that this is no ordinary restaurant.
Trail Rider is open seven days a week starting at 8:30AM when breakfast fare is showcased. Breakfast is served only until 11:00. Only two items–breakfast tacos and breakfast burritos–are on the breakfast menu, but there’s infinite variety in the construction of those two items. That includes you choice of red or green chile as well as proteins and ingredients. The remainder of the menu is segmented: Appetizers and Sides, Specials, Pizza, Pasta, Subs and Burgers, Tacos and Salads. You’ll find it challenging to decide what it is you want. Portions are very generous and reasonably priced.
We had every intention of ordering one of the pizzas for which Trail Rider is famous in these parts. I was especially intrigued by the cheeseburger pickle pizza (pickles on everything has become suddenly vogue). Alas, capturing my fancy on the menu was a house-smoked reuben (house-smoked pastrami, grilled onions, sauerkraut, house 1000 Island dressing and Swiss cheese on toasted rye). More than any reuben I’ve ever had (a number eclipsed only by our national debt), this reuben was smoked…not overly so, but more discernible than on any other reuben. The pastrami is sliced into thin shards. While the pastrami’s smokiness was prevalent, it was complemented by every other ingredient. The housemade 1000 Island dressing is creamy and rich with sweet and sour notes. It’s among the best we’ve had. Then there’s the toasted rye, two well toasted thick slices of rye so good it might make you cry for joy.
When Trail Rider got its start in the parking lot of Molly‘s Bar, its full name was Trail Rider Pizza. The restaurant earned its reputation for some of the best pizza in the metropolitan area. You can design your own pizza from a phalanx of ingredients or you can order from about ten different specialty pies including one bearing the curious appellation “DWI” (pepperoni, sausage, black olives, mushrooms, onions, and fresh tomatoes). If you don’t order a pizza, do yourself a favor and at least order a slice. It’s an excellent pie. Toppings for my initial slice were onions and cheese. Not surprisingly, the crust is magnificent. It doesn’t flop around like a floppy fish. Nor is it as stiff as a board. It’s somewhere in between with a crispy crust that chews nicely. The tomato sauce is terrific, too.
My Kim’s sandwich choice is called the Mary Lou (house-smoked turkey breast, ham, mushrooms, onions, and green chile sautéed and toasted with mozzarella). Naturally she asked for the green chile to be omitted. Unlike the well-smoked pastrami, the turkey breast has a very light smoke. That’s apropos for a more delicate and sweeter protein. To no surprise, the housemade hoagie roll was excellent. A molten blanket of mozzarella hides much of the sandwich contents. Sandwiches and burgers are served with a side of house-cut fries or you can substitute a side salad or seasonal soup for a pittance more. You can also substitute a gluten-free bun. The fries are thin-cut with a good amount of salt.
Trail Rider’s dessert menu is the purview of Joe, the energetic baker with a deft touch. He wouldn’t commit to recommending any one pastry, essentially declaring them all to be delicious. And what an array of deliciousness you’ll ogle under pastry case glass. You’ll see such superb sweet treats as brownies, chocolate mousse cake, carrot cake, tiramisu and so much more. Tiramisu, as you may know, does not have to be coffee-flavored. Coincidentally not long after we enjoyed Trail Rider’s tiramisu made with lemon curds, scintillating four-time James Beard award-winning author Cheryl Alters Jamison was enjoying tiramisu in Italy. Her tiramisu was made from lemon and fresh mint, enhanced with a shot of limoncello. Trail Rider’s tiramisu was fantastic with lemon curd folding into delicate Italian lady fingers.
My Kim’s dessert choice was a chocolate mousse cake. This masterpiece is moist with a light and creamy mousse filling and a smooth chocolate ganache on top. It’s a rich and decadent dessert defined by its moist chocolate cake; airy, whipped chocolate mousse and a generous ganache topping. The contrasting textures of dense cake and light, silky mousse create a luxurious eating experience. This is among the best chocolate mousse cakes we’ve enjoyed in New Mexico.
We were seated across the aisle from baker Joe, almost close enough to sneak a bite of the three-layer carrot cake to which he was putting the finishing touches. With the precision of Michelangelo sculpting a slab of priceless Carrara marble, Bob lovingly decorated each layer, creating a masterpiece sure to be enjoyed by diners. Joe has an impressive pedigree. He’s an veteran of the Gulf War where he kept his brothers-and-sisters-in-arms well-fed. After a twelve-year service career, he worked as a baker at Flying Star back when it was still known as Double Rainbow. After his stint at the Central Avenue eatery, he became the baker at the Greenside Cafe. From the Greenside Cafe, it’s an easy hop, skip and jump to Trail Rider.
You might find it challenging to move past the pastry case which greets you as you enter the restaurant. Some of the most pulchritudinous pastries in the state beckon. They’re all baked on the premises by the talented Joe. Breads on which the restaurant’s sandwiches and burgers are constructed are also house-made. That includes the canvas on which each pizza is constructed. Trail Rider may have acquired its reputation for the best pizza on the morning side of the mountain, but their pastries and breads aren’t anybody’s Miss Congeniality.
Should you trek to the other side of the mountain, one of your stops should be at Trail Rider where a talented kitchen staff will feed you well. You might not want to return to the twilight side of the hill.
Trail Rider
12165 New Mexico 14
Cedar Crest, New Mexico
(505) 281-6068
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LATEST VISIT: 6 October 2025
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: House-Smoked Reuben, The Mary Lou (Turkey Sandwich), Slice of Pizza, Tiramisu, Chocolate Mousse Cake
REVIEW #1490