You wouldn't think a gal could fit two green chile cheeseburgers into a single 4-day weekend, but for the sake of professionalism, I took a couple for the team.

Now, I love cheeseburgers with a passion...but green chile just wasn't growing on me so far. It wasn't just the lack of spice, but lack of any distinctive flavor that I could identify...after all, bell peppers aren't spicy but they have a very unique taste. I was both confused why people liked green chile so much, as well as why I'd seen photos of green chile cheeseburgers online that appeared to flow with sauce, but every time I'd gotten it, it was more like chopped relish.

Nevertheless, I gave green chile another go at Dave's Not Here in Santa Fe, supposedly one of the best burgers in the state. Some locals hint that the name might refer to a shady owner's run from the law, but it's more likely a reference to Cheech & Chong. The tiny box of a restaurant is decorated with murals on its adobe outside and for some reason, an abundance of Cuban photographs and paraphernalia on the inside. Very cute and homey, just a bit out of downtown.

My cheeseburger arrived medium rare with green chile on the side. I was surprised at the price: $6.50 for a plain 4.5oz burger, extra for cheese and chile! Certainly more than the classic Corner Bistro burger in New York, and just a bit less than my local neighborhood Soda Bar's burger, both of which are a whopping 8oz. I decided to set those thoughts aside and simply enjoy the very fresh-tasting local beef, which came with an extremely generous amount of cheese.

I used the entire serving of chile and still don't really get it.

The fries were merely OK; a bit too hard on the inside and not nearly crispy enough on the outside, and they came without salt. That's a huge no-no for me, as salt can't be added easily tableside without that lingering coat of hot oil.

It wasn't bad, in fact burgers are always pretty good. But with all the praise I'd seen, including signs for "Best of Santa Fe" in the restaurant itself, I just wasn't sure what the hype was about.

With my last few hours in the state, I stopped by 66 Diner in Albuquerque, which is of course on historic Route 66. The original diner burned down in 1995, but was lovingly recreated. The diner's neon outside has a great retro feel and the various cheeky signs inside add to the charm. The soda girls wear cute blue dresses, although I didn't notice any special uniform on the men. It was pretty busy for a Monday night, so I sat at the soda fountain.

I was going to just order the regular green chile cheeseburger, but then I spotted an open-faced green chile STEW burger on the menu. Since I'd been meaning to try green chile stew sometime this weekend, I figured: two birds, one stone.

It was a mistake. I didn't really know what green chile stew was before ordering, but suffice it to say that chunks of pork poured onto a burger plus chunks of potatoes when the whole thing is served with fries anyway is just overkill. I didn't quite finish it, even though the burger itself tasted pretty good. I think I would have been better off with a cup of stew. Also, I've never been that into open-faced sandwiches, so I'd clearly let the unique idea of the green-chile stew sway me.

On the plus side, the fries were excellent, exactly as I like them. At $7.99, the price was on par with Dave's Not Here. I also ordered a half-size thick mint malt, which was fantastic. 50 cents more than a regular shake but I loves me some malt flavor. I kind of wished I could trade a less fattening meal for the full-size serving...you know, when they give you the shaker glass with an extra portion of creamy shake. Mmm...salud! Cute place, would definitely visit again to try something else on their extensive menu.

<   previous      •      next   >