New Mexico’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail

Manny's Buckhorn Tavern Burger in San Antonio, NM

I always miss New Mexico the most in the fall. The days are crisp and crystal clear, the mountains start to shimmer in gold, and the chile harvest is present in every whiff of air. By this time of year, most freezers in New Mexico are chock-a-block full of  red and green chile. Mine, being in Los Angeles, is not, and it’s a crime. I think I’ll be breaking down and ordering some online this year.

When I was coming up with the 100 list of things to represent New Mexico for the New Mexico: A Guide for the Eyes book, chile was written down before I even had to think about it. So many of the state’s culinary traditions include chile that I felt as if I was including a reference to the fruit in every page (which is completely appropriate.) However, there is a gaping hole in the list that I regret overlooking–the Green Chile Cheeseburger. Even without the chile, no other place on the planet does burgers like The Land of Enchantment. Los Angeles, which is home of the fast food burger, doesn’t even come close to offering the quality of burgers of New Mexico. Sure, some burger joints here offer “New Mexico” or “Hatch” style burgers, but they simply slap some green chile on a patty and call it good without paying attention to other details, such as the quality of meat. For those of you in LA, just so you know where my taste buds lie–I’m a fan of Fatburger and never waste my time or money at In N Out, which is completely overrated.

Several aspects of New Mexico burgers makes the state an absolute destination for beef patties and buns.
1) Green chile. Even McDonalds recognizes the its brilliance and offers the fruit as a side within the state.
2) Thick, juicy and loose patties–a sure sign that they are hand-formed.
3) Simplicity. Bun, beef, lettuce, tomato, chile, cheese, perhaps some mustard, mayo or ketchup. No gourmet burgers here. Not that I don’t partake in the trend…However, the fast food variety in NM is so profound that brioche buns and gruyere cheese aren’t even needed.
4) There must be some magic element in NM burgers that I have yet to discover. They are simply that good.

I was thrilled to find that the NM Tourism Board has a website devoted to help those in search of the perfect green chile cheese burger. You can check it out right here along with its interactive map. Granted, it is NOT a curated list, but a complete catalog of where to find a delicious burger throughout the state. Me? I’ll eat a green chile cheeseburger anywhere, but these are my favorites:

* The Owl Cafe in Albuquerque and San Antonio (this spot deserves it’s own post)
* Manny’s Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio
* Blake’s Lotaburger Chain (statewide)
* Jerry’s Cafe in Gallup
* Sugars in Embudo Station
* The Bobcat Bite in Santa Fe
* Mine Shaft Tavern in Madrid

You can also check out Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) blog for well-written reviews of tasty burger offerings in the Zia state. Meanwhile, I’ll sit here and just think about them.