Ad
Over the years, I have been asked to go to Whiptail numerous times. A handful of submissions have asked me to check it out.
However, most of the hype has come from business people or politicians that I have talked to. Seriously, whenever I talk with a city councilor, people/members of the Chamber of Commerce or the shift lead at Forever 21, Whiptail always comes up as "the" spot.
“The fact that my neighbors, my community itself, respects and loves what we do here because we are all about hospitality,” owner Chastity Bustos said. “We are the modernized Cheers but without all the TVs.”
Finally, the stars aligned and I was able to check it out. And by stars aligning, I mean my Honda refused to turn on when I was buying dog treats at Target. Tomato, tomato.
As soon as I walked through the giant door, I was greeted with smiles and hellos and appreciated the ambiance of the joint.
I sat at the bar and ordered three things on the menu after consulting the wonderful bartender and owner. I settled on the Philly steak, the mac and cheese and the poutine.
I have heard nothing but rave for the mac and cheese, the owner recommended the poutine, and I will never pass up the opportunity to eat a Philly. Phillies are a top-five food, and up there with pizza and breakfast burritos. Also, Bustos is the owner of Philly Steaks in Albuquerque, so this place knows good cheesesteaks.
All items that I ordered were part of the “Sharable Small Bites” section of the menu. They also have a “Sharable Larger Plates” section that includes pasta bolognese, calamari, a 16-ounce grilled ribeye and more.
I also got to take a look at some of the new drinks on the menu that were created by their bartender, Ian Bahe. The one that he made in front of me was the “Smash That.”
“Right now, I am taking the lead on designing our new cocktail menu, so I have designed, like, six of the eight new drinks coming to the menu,” Bahe said. “The name is based off the song ‘Smack That;' it's a whiskey smash and the name is funny.”
Ad
I decided not to drink alcohol because it was early — too early for anyone to hear my horrible Bob Dylan impressions. So, I saved everyone the trouble and just took a couple pictures.
The food came out, and it came out in threes like a Steph Curry half-court shot. I was given an absolute feast, and each plate displayed some seriously delicious food that was presented beautifully.
I began with the mac and cheese and was very impressed with how cheesy, rich and creamy the cheese blend was. This delicious cheese blend was made up of aged parmesan, fontina and gruyere. What I found interesting was that the whole dish was sprinkled with toasted parmesan crumbles instead of being topped with some sort of bread. You want to know what I say? The more cheese, the better.
Next, I headed to the East Coast for the Philly. I ordered my Philly with steak, provolone, grilled onions, bell peppers, mushroom and green chile. This top-of-the-shelf cut of steak was juicy and tender. The kick of the green chile and freshness of the bread just added more awesomeness to the experience.
Finally, I got to try poutine for the first time. Their poutine dish had smashed peewee potatoes, cheese curds, brown gravy and was garnished with some micro greens on top. For me, this dish was rich, salty, homey and just comforting. It was almost like an upscale version of loaded fries made with the best and freshest ingredients. If I recall correctly, I believe the peewee potatoes were shipped from a farm in Wisconsin ... wherever they are from, bravo.
All right, you want the truth? I was unable to finish all these meals. Readers, please keep in mind, I just turned 27 and I cannot eat like Joey Chestnut anymore. But make no mistake, the food was magnificent!
With all this in mind, I decided to order dessert because, like a Philly, I will never pass up bread pudding, especially when it is topped with ice cream.
They had a seasonal bread pudding made with berries and other fruit. It was sweet, crispy on the outside and custardy on the inside. A scoop of warm bread pudding with vanilla ice cream can fix any day, especially days when the mechanic tells you that the car repairs on your car will cost more than the car's worth.
Whiptail was as advertised and is the perfect spot for hangouts, food, cocktails and even private parties. Give them a try!
Whiptail is located at 355 NM 528, Rio Rancho, and can be reached by calling 505-859-7410
They are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Sundays, they are open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a special brunch menu on Sundays. They are closed on Tuesdays.
Where should I go next? Email me zunigasauce@gmail.com
