Frontier remains one of the most reliable dining experiences in the city

Last year, news that Albuquerque’s iconic Frontier Restaurant was replacing the printed menu boards that hung above the front counter with digital screens created a stir.

Adding a high-tech accoutrement to a spot loved for its old-time charm was nothing less than blasphemy, many on social media claimed — akin to putting aluminum siding on the KiMo Theatre.

Fast-forward to a recent Saturday night, and none of the customers lining up at the counter appeared bothered by the change. Fact is, the colorful, easy-to-read digital screens are an improvement over the old menu boards. More importantly, none of the things that make Frontier great — the tasty interpretations of New Mexican cuisine, the brisk service, the cinnamon rolls — have changed.

That consistency is part of what’s kept Frontier near and dear to the hearts of locals in the almost 55 years since married couple Larry and Dorothy Rainosek moved their budding family from Texas to Albuquerque to open the restaurant.

Though daughter Shannon has taken the reins as CEO, Larry and Dorothy are still a visible presence at the restaurant — even when they’re not around. A statue of them greets diners entering the place.

Frontier was once open 24 hours a day, but the unruly late-night crowd forced it to scale back its hours slightly. Today it opens at 5 in the morning and closes at midnight seven days a week. The menu comprises a range of dishes suitable for any hour.

The building, a brick-sided barn with a shingled roof painted bright yellow, sits conspicuously on the corner of Cornell Drive and Central Avenue across from the University of New Mexico.

Metered parking along Cornell is free after 6 p.m. Parking is also available in a small lot on the south side of the restaurant. The post office lot on Cornell is also a good option on weekends, but not weekdays.

An atmosphere of controlled chaos prevails just inside the front door. The line of customers waiting to order snakes all the way back to the door much of the time. A cluster of self-serve soda machines and condiment stations occupy the middle of the room. Somehow, it works. The line moves quickly, helped along by green lights above the registers that flash when a station opens up. After ordering, you’re given a number. Electronic boards placed around the restaurant alert you when your food is ready.

Several dining rooms stretch east from the lobby, offering a combination of booths and tables and the most impressive display of artwork of any restaurant in the city. Almost every inch of wall space is covered with western art. While we were there, two armed security guards kept watch over the diverse crowd of students, families with babies and small children, and the occasional pair of old-timers. It’s a big enough space that it can accommodate solo diners looking for a quiet corner to hunker down in, or larger groups gathering for a meeting or study session.

Prices for the all-day breakfast options run from $6.25 for the Breakfast Burrito to $13.40 for a three-egg Western Omelette.

The menu has two versions of Huevos Rancheros: the regular with two eggs ($9.65) and the Huevos Lite ($8.10) with one — a thoughtful option that more places should offer. We tried the lite version with red chile and an over-easy egg. Refried beans filled one side of the round plate, red chile the other, with a greasy corn tortilla underneath. The serving size was generous, the egg cooked right and the beans silky and savory. The chile, faintly smoky and earthy, tied it all together. A very solid version of a classic comfort food.

Another successful interpretation of comfort food was the regular-sized Posole ($4.50) served in a broad, shallow bowl. It’s one of the New Mexican Favorites that dominate the menu. The posole had a good balance of salty, savory broth, cubes of pork and chunks of hominy. It’s served with a flour tortilla.

Tortillas don’t always move me to write about them, but the flour ones here are worthy of praise. Cranked out of a Rube Goldbergian contraption that feeds balls of dough into a spinning oven and then onto a conveyor rack, they are pillowy marvels that will spoil you for the flat, dense discs you get at so many places.

Among the more substantial dishes in the New Mexican food category are tacos, burritos and enchiladas, with prices running from a mere $2.60 for a Bean & Cheese Burrito to $11.60 for the Mexican Combo of an enchilada and taco with rice and beans. The Chicken Enchiladas ($11.40) arrived as two cheese-covered corn tortillas wrapped around finely shredded white meat chicken that was very moist and well-seasoned. The rice was fluffy and peppery. The green chile, served on the side by request, was flecked with burnt edges and carried a moderate heat level and good flavor.

Though it’s best known for the New Mexican dishes, Frontier turns out a solid roster of burgers. The six available choices are offered as burgers only or as a meal with fries and a soft drink. Frontier’s version of a green chile cheeseburger is called the Fiesta Burger ($6). It was served on a sesame seed bun in a paper envelope. All the ingredients were fresh. The hefty, well-done patty carried marks and smokiness from the grill. A good, filling burger that would have benefited from more of the excellent green chile.

Chicken Strips are sold in orders of three or five. The version with the three ($5.95) was plenty filling. Underneath a crisp, golden-brown breading, the white meat chicken was moist and charged with spice and salt. It was served on a plate with battered, medium cut fries that were crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle.

This dish contained the only glitch with my order. I requested ranch dressing and got packets of honey mustard instead.

Another section of the menu is devoted to sandwiches like a BLT, a Fish Fillet and a Grilled Cheese that cost from $3.85 to $7.20. Like the burgers, they can be had as a meal with fries and a regular soft drink. The Platters & Salads section contains the most expensive item on the menu: a Top Chop Steak with Texas toast that goes for $13.75. A few salads rep the lighter choices on the menu.

The drinks menu includes coffee, tea and homemade lemonade. A 10-ounce serving of the famous Orange Juice ($4.74) came in a glass mug. It was exceptional, bursting with sunshine and sweetness.

The famous Sweet Rolls lead off the dessert menu. Shakes are available, and a machine near the front churns out Frozen Coffee and Frozen Horchata. We tried the 20-ounce serving of Frozen Horchata ($6.55). It was decent, with lots of cinnamon flavor, and I liked it more as it started to melt.

Gluten-free options are available but not labeled on the menu. The enchiladas with corn tortillas, for instance, are a reliable option. The cashier was well-informed on the gluten-free choices.

Don’t let the occasional technological update fool you: the Rainoseks are not about to mess with the formula that has made Frontier thrive for six decades. With good food at reasonable prices, it remains one of the most reliable dining experiences in the city.

Frontier remains one of the most reliable dining experiences in the city