According to culinary historians, the Menches brothers created the “Hamburg Sandwich” in Hamburg, New York in 1885. Working as cooks at a county fair, after running out of pork for their sausage patty sandwiches, and having a supplier unwilling to butcher more hogs in the summer heat, the Menches decided to try beef instead. They found the meat to be so tasteless after they fried it, coffee and brown sugar were mixed into the patties. There were no other condiments.
Fast forward 125 years. In addition to mayo, ketchup, mustard and onions, I’m sure the Menches would have been happily surprised to see the innovative ingredients used in Santa Fe to flavor their creation: green chile, jalapeños, guacamole, and Morita sauce, to name a few. Below is list of local eateries that might spark controversy among burger lovers, but each has its devotees.
Bobcat Bite
Almost every burger-connoisseur’s favorite, Bobcat Bite is the high temple of red meat. Once a trading post and gun shop, the family-owned restaurant has been home to one of the most popular burgers in Santa Fe since 1953. Seating is limited in the cramped, unassuming building and off-the-beaten-path location. If you arrive during lunch hour be prepared to wait for a counter seat or, if you’re lucky, a table. All burgers are 10 oz. and made from fresh USDA prime. The menu includes a green chile cheeseburger ($7.50), bacon cheeseburger ($7.95), and plain burger ($6.45). Order your burger rare (dark red- warm center), medium rare (light red-hot center), medium (pink through and through), medium well (just a touch of pink), or well (fully cooked-no pink).
Location: On Old Las Vegas Highway. 4.1 miles from the Rodeo Road – Old Las Vegas Highway and Old Pecos Trail intersection. 505-983-5319
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 11:00am to 7:50pm
Dave’s Not Here – Tune-Up Café
What used to be Dave’s Not Here is now home of the El Salvadoran influenced Tune-Up Café. Inside the small restaurant you will find a bar, long communal table, and several comfortable booths. The owner of Dave’s Not Here (Annie Baylor) might be gone, but the legacy of a fine, juicy burger lives on. For starters, there’s the scrumptious buffalo burger for $8, or the original “Dave was here burger” (with garlic mayo on a brioche bun) for $7.
Location: 11151 Hickox Street. 505-983-7060
Hours: Monday – Tuesday, 11:00am to 8:00pm & Wednesday – Saturday, 11:00am to 9:00pm
Blake’s Lotaburger
After borrowing $5,300, Blake Chanslor (a native Texan who moved to Albuquerque after World War Two) opened the first Lotaburger in 1952 in Albuquerque. The 230-square foot stand was located on the corner of San Mateo and Southern. Chanslor drew a crowd with his tasty burger, and in 1953 opened two more stands in Albuquerque. Eventually, Lotaburger expanded across New Mexico, including five locations in Santa Fe. In 2003, Chanslor sold his interest as owner but the very simple Blake’s menu, and its flavor-rich burger, live on. The green chile cheeseburger with double meat is probably Blake’s most popular. Other favorites include the flagship “Lotaburger” and “Itsaburger.” All come with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and mustard. For a small charge you can add cheese and bacon. The prices draw budget-minded carnivores (lots of repeat customers), and range from around $3 for the basic Lotaburger to about $6 for a combo with fries and drink. Unlike a lot of fast food chains, when you order a burger at Blake’s you can watch the staff cook it in front of you. During the lunch hour it’s recommended calling in your order to avoid a wait.
Locations & phone numbers (in Santa Fe): 404 N Guadalupe 505-983-4915, 2004 Saint Michaels Drive 505-471-8694, 2820 W Zia Road 505-438-2411, 420 Airport Road 505-473-7633, 3200 Cerrillos Road 505-471-2433
Hours (for all locations): Monday – Saturday, 10:00am to 10:30pm & Sunday 10:00am – 10:00pm
The Bull Ring
For nearly four decades, located next to the state Capitol, the Bull Ring was regarded as the watering hole for local politicians. Since it moved a decade ago to its current location on Washington Avenue, the lunch and dinner crowds are more diverse, but the menu is pretty much the same. Owner Harry Georgeades has received many Gold Bowl Awards (established in 2000 by the Santa Fe New Mexican) for “best steak in Santa Fe”. Its Bull Burger should have been recognized too. USDA prime, corn fed, and hand cut daily, the half pound chopped steak burger is cooked to your liking. The burger is served on a sesame seed bun and comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, and French fries. Tasting and filling, and well worth the under-$10 price. The upscale restaurant has been recently redecorated and its bar is as comfortable as ever.
Location: 150 Washington Ave (in the courtyard of the NM Bank and Trust Building). 505-983-3328
Hours: Monday – Friday, 11:30am to 10:00pm & Saturday – Sunday, 4:00pm to 10:00pm
Bert’s Burger Bowl
Since 1954, Bert’s has continued to maintain its tradition of great burgers, terrific service, and reasonable prices. Bert’s claims to have invented the green chile cheeseburger, and world famous chef Martin Rios of the Anasazi Hotel recently praised this road food joint by saying, “no one beats these burgers.” Like Lotaburger, Bert’s burgers are made to order and can sometimes take up to 10 minutes to prepare. Condiments include crisp onions, fresh tomatoes, pickles, and piquant green chile. After receiving heat from critics for having small burgers in comparison to his competition, owner Fernando Olea added five gourmet burgers to the menu in 2007. Each is a half pound and come garnished with atypical ingredients. The most expensive of the five burgers is the Kobe, which has the same ingredients as the standard burger. Also added was a lamb burger topped with pineapple chunks, chopped cilantro, and pastor sauce. You also have a gourmet pork burger (comes with red chile and mashed beans), an ostrich burger, and the bison burger (served on a toasted bun and comes with fiery hot Morita sauce). Still, the green chile cheeseburger outsells them all.
Location: 235 North Guadalupe. 505-982-0215
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:30am to 7:45pm & Sunday, 10:30am to 5:45pm
Santacafé
Served on a homemade bun with house potato chips and co-owner Judy Ebbinghaus’s secret ketchup recipe, the casual-elegant Santacafe offers up a tasty burger of USDA prime (with enough marbling for flavor) that patrons swear by. Add a cheese or chile. $10 buys you a taste of culinary heaven. Nothing in this restaurant happens by chance. Check out its accolades in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
Location: 231 Washington Ave. 505-984-1788
The Shed
This Mexican, Pueblo, and Spanish-influenced restaurant has been serving tourists and regulars since 1953. On the menu you will find three tantalizing burgers, the standard (1/3 1b. lean ground beef on a bun, choice of Swiss, American, or cheddar cheese), the Shedburger (with fresh chopped green chile & jalapeño, and choice of Swiss, American or cheddar cheese), and the Shed Patty Plate (two lean beef patties, choice of Swiss, American or cheddar cheese, as well as fresh chopped green chile & jalapeño). The Shed is often crowded at lunch so get there well before noon.
Location: 113 ½ Palace Ave. 505-982-9030
Hours: Monday – Saturday; Lunch 11:00am to 2:30pm (first come, first served) Dinner 5:30pm to 9:00pm (Reservations Recommended)
Blue Corn Café
Featured in Gourmet Magazine, the café’s Tortilla Burger (wrapped in a flour tortilla and smothered with cheese and red or green chile) just might be the best in town. The Green Chile Cheese Burger (½ pound burger on a regular bun, but also topped with green chile as well as a tangy chedar cheese) is another lunch favorite. Don’t forget the one-of-a-kind Black & Blue burger (a blackened one-half pound burger topped with crisp bacon and blue cheese).
Two Locations: 133 Water Street and 4056 Cerrillos Road
Phone: 505-984-1800 (Water St) & 505-438-1800 (Cerrillos Rd)
Rio Chama
If you need a red meat fix, the Daily Grind burger may be the ticket. This hand pattied burger is made from pure USDA Choice Angus beef and is grilled to your liking. Choose from cheddar, asadero, swiss, or blue cheese. Toppings include, jalapeños, green chile, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, carmelized onions, rajas, and applewood smoked bacon. The Menches brothers would be proud.
Location: 414 Old Santa Fe Trail. 505-955-0765
Second Street Brewery
Voted one of the best in town by the Santa Fe New Mexican, the Second Street Burger is one half pound of USDA Choice ground chuck on a sesame bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Nothing frilly or superfluous—just a filling meal. The fries here might also be some of the best in town.
Location: 1814 Second Street. 505-982-3030
Hours: 11am to 10pm Monday thru Thursday, 11am to 11pm Friday and Saturday, 12 noon to 10pm on Sundays
