Frontier Restaurant
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Coord|35.080|-106.619|display=title}}
{{Infobox Restaurant
| name = Frontier Restaurant
| image = Frontier Restaurant in ABQ.jpg
| image_width =
| image_caption = Frontier Restaurant at night (September 2009)
| slogan =
| logo =
| logo_width =
| established = 1971
| current-owner =
| head-chef =
| food-type =
| dress-code = Casual
| rating =
| street-address = 2400 Central Ave SE
| city = Albuquerque
| state = New Mexico
| zip = 87106
| country = United States
| reservations =
| other-locations =
| other-information =
| website = {{nowrap|{{URL|http://frontierrestaurant.com/}} }}
}}
Frontier Restaurant is a landmark New Mexican cuisine restaurant, located near the main campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico.{{cite book |first1=Becca |last1=Blond |first2=Josh |last2=Krist |first3=Jennifer |last3=Denniston |first4=Wendy |last4=Yanagihara |title=Lonely Planet Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips |year=2010 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-74220-393-5 |pages=247ff}}{{cite book |author=Fodor's |title=Fodor's In Focus Santa Fe: with Taos and Albuquerque |year=2014 |publisher=Fodor's Travel Publications |isbn=978-0-8041-4237-3 |pages=302ff}}{{cite book |first1=Carleen |last1=Lazell |first2=Melissa |last2=Payne |title=Historic Albuquerque: An Illustrated History |year=2007 |publisher=HPN Books |isbn=978-1-893619-75-3 |pages=62ff}} It is one of the city's most popular restaurants, serving about 4,000 customers per day in 2000,{{cite news |last1=Pentz |first1=Michelle |title=Villegas tames the Frontier |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31704449/albuquerque_journal/ |accessdate=May 21, 2019 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=October 9, 2000}} and is open daily from 5 am to 12 am. The restaurant has five dining rooms covering a total of {{convert|8000|ft2|m2}} and is decorated with over 100 Western-themed artworks, including several portraits of John Wayne, referencing the nickname that both he and the city of Albuquerque share, “The Duke” and “The Duke City”.{{cite news |last1=Steinberg |first1=David |title=Enjoy Frontier's artworks with that late-night burrito |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31536610/albuquerque_journal/ |accessdate=May 14, 2019 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=December 23, 2007 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |title=By the numbers: Frontier Restaurant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31537041/albuquerque_journal/ |accessdate=May 14, 2019 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=June 9, 2014 | via=Newspapers.com}}
History
File:Central Avenue at the Frontier Restaurant, Albuquerque NM.jpg
Frontier Restaurant was established in 1971 by Dorothy and Larry Rainosek, who had recently moved to Albuquerque from Austin, Texas. Hoping to attract college students, they leased a barn-shaped building on Central Avenue across from the University of New Mexico, which had previously housed a short-lived restaurant called the Country Barn. Earlier, the corner had also been the site of a famous soda fountain called Chisholm's.{{cite news |title=Chisholm's |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31681938/albuquerque_journal/ |accessdate=May 18, 2019 |work=Albuquerque Journal |agency=Advertisement |date=December 24, 1949 |via=Newspapers.com}} The Frontier opened on February 10 with just 15 menu items and five employees.{{cite journal |last1=Westman |first1=Steven J. |title=A Frontier All Its Own |journal=Local iQ |date=February–March 2013 |volume=8 |issue=5 |pages=12–15 |url=https://issuu.com/local-iq/docs/issue_177_feb_28-mar_13 |accessdate=May 17, 2019}}
Initially, the restaurant served breakfast, hamburgers, sandwiches, and some Tex-Mex foods like enchiladas. After customer requests, they began to incorporate New Mexican cuisine into the menu by the end of 1971.{{cite news |last1=Gray |first1=Autumn |title=One-on-One with Dorothy Rainosek |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31576701/albuquerque_journal/ |accessdate=May 18, 2019 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=October 26, 2009 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite book |first=Andrea |last=Feucht |title=Food Lovers' Guide to Santa Fe, Albuquerque & Taos: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings |year=2012 |publisher=Globe Pequot |isbn=978-0-7627-9053-1 |pages=138ff}} By 1989, the Frontier had expanded into the adjoining buildings on the block for a total of five dining rooms and {{convert|8000|ft2|m2}} of space. The restaurant was open 24 hours a day in the early 1990s but was forced to cut back its hours in 2006 after repeated problems with unruly patrons.{{cite news |last1=Stiger |first1=Susan |title=Frontier's Days Are Getting Shorter |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31543106/albuquerque_journal/ |accessdate=May 18, 2019 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=October 26, 2006}}
Menu
The Frontier serves primarily New Mexican cuisine along with American diner fare, like sandwiches, hamburgers, and breakfast plates. Some of the best-known menu items include sweet rolls, green chile cheeseburgers, green chile stew, carne adovada, and breakfast burritos.{{cite book |last=Nye |first=Valerie |last2=Barco |first2=Kathy |title=Breakfast New Mexico Style |publisher=Sunstone Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-86534-716-8 |pages=36–37}}{{cite web |title=Neil Patrick Harris Talks about Hosting the Oscars, Where His Zia Tattoo is, and Frontier Burritos |work=NewsCastic |date=October 16, 2014 |url=http://www.newscastic.com/news/neil-patrick-harris-talks-about-hosting-the-oscars-where-is-zia-tatttoo-is-and-frontier-burritos-2311268/ |accessdate=2015-04-24}}{{cite AV media |people=Host: Adam Richman |year=2011 |title=Travis on a Silver Platter |work=Man v. Food Nation |medium= Television}}{{cite web |first1=Gil |last1=Garduño |title=The Frontier Restaurant — Albuquerque, New Mexico |work=Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog |date=June 22, 2012 |url=http://www.nmgastronome.com/?p=277 |accessdate=2015-04-24}}{{cite web |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/travel/36-hours-in-albuquerque.html |title=36 Hours in Albuquerque |last= O’Neill |first=Zora |date=October 20, 2011 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=2015-04-24}} The restaurant also sells some bulk items including tortillas, chile, carne adovada, posole, green chile stew, and sweet rolls.{{cite web |url=http://www.frontierrestaurant.com/menu.pdf |title=Frontier Restaurant Menu |work=FrontierRestaurant.com |publisher=Frontier Restaurant |accessdate=2015-04-24}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.frontierrestaurant.com/}}
{{Restaurants in Albuquerque, New Mexico}}
Category:Restaurants established in 1971
Category:Restaurants in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Category:1971 establishments in New Mexico
{{US-restaurant-stub}}