The Range Cafe

The Range Cafe Restaurant Review:

At 20 years old and counting, The Range Café has become an institution, with two locations in Albuquerque to round out the original in Bernalillo. It remains beloved not just for its bodacious portions of hearty, Mexican-accented American food but for its quirky sense of humor, evident not least in the colorful décor (think painted fireplaces, mounted guitars and flying cow sculptures, made all the livelier by local musicians). The Range's cinnamon-raisin french toast stuffed with bananas and strawberries and served with apple-peach butter is a favorite for breakfast. Kick lunch or dinner off with fried green chile strips with jalapeño dipping sauce, followed by the signature green-chile cheeseburger on a tortilla (with both fries and black beans, no less) or nods to Americana like meatloaf and chicken-fried steak. On a menu as wide-ranging as this, vegetarians naturally have a number of options, from the portobello mushroom sandwich with grilled red onions to an omelet even carnivores will dig, featuring sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, white cheddar and cream cheese. Monthly specials like blue corn pancakes with pine nuts keep things interesting too. If you can, save room for desserts made from scratch, especially the aptly named Death by Lemon cake. Though there’s a full bar, best keep it simple and stick with coffee or beer --- this is essentially a diner, after all. Also located at 925 S. Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo, 505-867-1700; and 4401 Wyoming Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, 505-293-2633.