For decades, Albuquerque locals have been going to the Indian Pueblo Kitchen for Indigenous cuisine. Starting this week, visitors can get a taste of the Southwest without even leaving the city’s airport.
First opening its doors in 1976, the restaurant was reimagined in 2020.
Chef Josh Aragon is from the Laguna Pueblo and heads the kitchen housed at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on tribal land in the heart of Albuquerque. The tribally owned business helps generate revenue for the 19 pueblo communities scattered across New Mexico.
“Every Pueblo has a different style of what they cook, what they make,” said Aragon. “It’s just a combination of all the Pueblos put together — all 19 — as a matter of fact, and what comes out of the food is the smiles, the thoughts, the full bellies.”
“We keep it Indigenous to the 19 Pueblos. We adapt the culture into all of our food that we sell,” added Eric Wilson, restaurant general manager. “We don’t try and deviate from that as much as possible. We just try to stick as local as we can.”
Menu items range from frybread and enchiladas to blue corn-based plates and daily hand-baked goods, like Pueblo pies, tortillas and lots of loaves of bread.
Rita Toledo is the head baker. She’s from the Jemez Pueblo and now has to prepare even more fresh dishes to feed hungry customers passing through Albuquerque International Sunport at its new satellite location starting Tuesday.
“Yesterday, I did three batches, so about 104 [loaves] plus 240 dough balls. I have two other bakers,” Toledo shared, “but they’re right now working at the other commissary for the airport. The bread we make, somebody’s gonna take somewhere out of state, that’s exciting.”
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