Words by Ty Bannerman · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
Breakfast spread at Frontier Restaurant.
What food is more emblematic of New Mexico’s shared cultural heritages than the humble flour tortilla? The corn tortilla (called tlaxcalli in Nahuatl) is, of course, the product of ancient Mesoamerica, a staple seemingly as old as humanity itself. But, according to Paula Morton’s definitive book Tortillas: A Cultural History, the flour tortilla is a product of more recent blending, bearing the influence of Native American, European, and even Arab cultures.
Wheat itself originated in the Fertile Crescent, and the unleavened flatbreads of the Middle East are among the flour tortilla’s direct ancestors. The Spanish brought wheat with them when they arrived in the Americas, and as they established themselves in modern-day Mexico and the Southwestern United States, their own culture and cooking changed to suit their new environment. The wheat-based flatbreads the Spanish ate (themselves the product of Moorish influences) began to resemble the masa-based tortilla of the ancient Americas. As the Spanish colonized New Mexico, it was only natural that the flour tortilla joined its corn cousin beside the bean, chile, and squash dishes of colonial New Mexico.
Four hundred years later, and true connoisseurs know that not just any old tortilla will do—the fresher the better, preferably still warm from the stove top.
Albuquerque is something of a flour tortilla lover’s delight, and a Route 66 traveler would do well to stop at any of these three restaurants for some prime examples of the state’s favorite chile accessory.
Tortilla burger at La Mexicana Tortilla Co.
La Mexicana Tortilla Co.
304 Coal SW
At ninety-three years in operation, La Mexicana Tortilla Company easily snags the spot for oldest on this list. Although the business has moved several times during those years, it actually returned to its original location—just half a block from Fourth Street, where Route 66 once ran north-south through the city—in 2010. There are reasons for its longevity: namely, the tortillas, both corn and flour, which are made on-site and are integral to many of the café’s delicious old-school examples of New Mexico cuisine. The building itself is easy to miss—it’s set back behind a fence and a semitruck or two—but the journey is well worth the extra effort. Inside, it’s homey, if a little cramped, with racks of packaged tortillas, mini-empanadas, and corn chips packed and ready to go. If you eat in, the combination plate offers a tour of their strengths: a tamale with housemade masa, rolled enchilada, and hardshell taco, with a flour tortilla on the side. Want something handheld? Try the hearty and flavorful tortilla burger, on special every Wednesday.
Red chile with tortilla, and Juana Hernandez hand rolls fresh tortillas every day at Duran Central Pharmacy.
Duran Central Pharmacy
1815 Central NW
A delightful and eclectic shop right on Central Avenue, Duran’s began its life serving Albuquerque’s medication needs back in 1942. These days, you can still get a prescription filled—not to mention fill out your New Mexico history library, buy a copy of Settlers of Catan, and pick up some wooden toys—but most people are coming in for the wholesome, yet fiery, punch of a perfectly simmered bowl of red chile posole and a massive, thick, still-warm, dripping-with-butter tortilla to help the nixtamalized corn and pork stew get to your mouth. Want to save a few of these beauties for later? The staff is more than happy to wrap them up to go.
Dough being loaded into the tortilla machine at Frontier.
Frontier Restaurant
2400 Central SE
The Frontier has long served as Albuquerque’s epicenter of Route 66 restaurants. The rambling dining rooms take up a half block of Central Avenue, the John Wayne–heavy kitsch is plentiful, and the service is efficient. The spot is justly famous for its enormous cinnamon rolls, but by all rights it should be equally known for its homemade tortillas. In fact, a cup of green chile stew and a stack of warm tortillas freshly pressed from the Frontier’s mesmerizing tortilla machine—a hypnotic marvel of design that flattens the dough, then cooks the tortilla on a turntable, puffing out the dough like a balloon as it goes around and around before the cooked tortilla finally arrives on a conveyer belt—is as comforting a way as I can think of to spend a New Mexico lunchtime. Even better, the tortillas are readily available for pickup by the dozen from the Frontier itself or any Golden Pride location.
Ty Bannerman
Ty Bannerman’s work has appeared in the American Literary Review, New Mexico Magazine, Atlas Obscura, Eater, Narratively, and the Midway Journal. While working at the Weekly Alibi, Albuquerque’s former alternative newspaper, he served as food editor, features editor, and managing editor. He co-hosts a podcast, City on the Edge, which discusses Albuquerque and New Mexico history, as well as a YouTube channel, Meet Me In Dreamland, which documents American history as reflected in its amusement parks and attractions. His upcoming book, Nuclear Family: A Memoir of the Atomic West, will be published in 2026 by the University of New Mexico Press.
