8 Of The Best Green Chile Cheeseburgers In New Mexico
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If you're planning a trip to the Land of Enchantment, there are plenty of famous New Mexico foods you should jot down on your desert-dining bucket list — but few are as celebrated as the green chile cheeseburger. Traditionally, the green chiles on this iconic New Mexico dish are a hot pepper grown in the Hatch Valley in the southern part of the state (and nowhere else in the world, I might add). Compared to Colorado's Pueblo chiles — used in Colorado's own version of the green chile cheeseburger — New Mexican chiles (also known as Hatch chiles) are often spicier and known for their trademark smoky, robust taste. Since they grow only in the valley, nourished by the fertile soil of the Rio Grande, they're a great source of pride for New Mexicans.
I make the nearly 2,500-mile trip from my home on the East Coast to New Mexico often, just to get my hands on a green chile cheeseburger — okay, not just for the burger, but I always scope them out when I'm in town. In this list, I've rounded up some of the best spots for New Mexico's most iconic burger, from down-home dives to elegant eateries. I based these picks, which boast great textures and bold, chile-forward flavors, on both my personal experience eating at some of these restaurants and on reviews. So grab a stack of napkins, a cold drink, and prepare your taste buds for an American classic with a fiery side as we dive into the spots that do New Mexico's most iconic dish right.
The Owl Bar and Café in San Antonio
Just outside Socorro, in the tiny village of San Antonio (not to be confused with the city in Texas), you'll find the Owl Bar and Café, a humble spot with a long and storied history. You probably wouldn't think twice about this restaurant if you saw it while passing through sleepy San Antonio, but it's been a pillar of the local community for nearly 100 years.
The story of the Owl Burger is one of love, deception, and war. No, really. The café started out as a tiny bar inside Frank Chavez's father's grocery store. Chavez and his wife, Dee, ran the place sans food until a couple of atomic scientists started hanging out at the bar on the regular. They convinced Dee and Frank to put in a grill and start cranking out burgers, and thus, the famous Owl Burger was born. Legend has it these scientists would go on to conduct the infamous Trinity Site explosion, giving the humble Owl Bar its historical claim to fame.
Today, along with providing a hub for community gatherings, the Owl Bar and Café also produces one of the state's best green chile cheeseburgers — the kind that draws tourists to a town with a population of just about 46 people. The burger features beef ground on-site and smashed into a perfectly greasy, flattened patty topped with a secret homemade green chile sauce that keeps folks coming back for more.
(575) 835-9946
77 US-380, San Antonio, NM 87832
Laguna Burger (Multiple locations)
I challenge you to find a single New Mexican who has never indulged in the famous Laguna Burger — or at least doesn't have it on their burger bucket list. If you've ever traveled through New Mexico on Interstate 40, you might recall a gas station known as The Pit Stop off Exit 114. This modest roadside convenience shop is home to a casual burger stand that you probably wouldn't guess serves one of New Mexico's most famous green chile cheeseburgers. The burger stand inside the store opened back in 2005 and instantly earned a glowing reputation. Today, Laguna Burger has six restaurants around New Mexico and counting.
Laguna Burger does right by the state's most iconic burger with a heaping ½ pound of fresh Angus beef. The meat is seasoned with a special blend of herbs and spices, which add a pop of flavor to complement fiery Hatch chiles. Fresh, high-quality meat and New Mexican chiles are stacked on a locally baked bun at all Laguna Burger locations, keeping every aspect of this burger as New Mexican as it gets. Although Laguna Burger was wildly popular with travelers and local residents almost as soon as its first location opened at The Pit Stop, it wasn't until the burger won the award for Best Green Chile Cheeseburger at the 2016 New Mexico State Fair that it garnered statewide appreciation.
Multiple locations
The Chili Line Depot in Tres Piedras
If you're looking for a little classic New Mexican hospitality, look no further than The Chili Line Depot. The restaurant and inn is the self-described "heart of Tres Piedras," and is one of few eateries in the area. Its historic building was once a bar and dancehall for the old Chili Line Railroad, and the restaurant's proprietors work to keep the building's old-school charm intact. Tres Piedras lies just outside the Carson National Forest, so The Chili Line Depot sees plenty of hikers and travelers, as well as those looking to get their hands on one of the state's best burgers.
The cozy restaurant and the upstairs inn are decked out with classic Southwestern decor — meaning ordering this chile-drenched burger is a completely immersive experience. Customers praise the restaurant for its use of local beef, pork, and eggs sourced right from the owners' ranch. It also grows many of the vegetables used at the restaurant in its own greenhouse, making The Chili Line Depot a true farm-to-table eatery. Once you've devoured a saucy, cheesy burger on a warm, fluffy bun topped with garden-fresh accoutrements, grab a slice of the restaurant's locally famous apple pie with green chiles and piñon nuts (a nut native to the Southwestern U.S.) if you're really trying to absorb the New Mexican culture.
(575) 758-1701
38429 US-285, Tres Piedras, NM 87577
Tumbleweeds Diner in Magdalena
I highly recommend taking a cruise down Highway 60 in New Mexico. Not only does the drive offer spectacular views of the desert and glimpses into tiny, picturesque towns like something out of an old Western film, but it'll also take you to Tumbleweeds Diner, where you can indulge in one of the best green chile cheeseburgers of your life.
Tumbleweeds Diner has only been around since 2021, but it feels like it's been a part of the small desert town of Magdalena since the beginning of time. The restaurant is decorated in timeless, lively New Mexican decor, so it's a great spot for visitors traveling on the 60 looking for a little taste (literally and figuratively) of New Mexico. The restaurant is also surrounded by views of the Magdalena Mountains, which are some of the most unique and beautiful mountains in the state.
The smashed green chile cheeseburger at Tumbleweeds Diner has quickly become one of the town's claims to fame. It's made with house-ground brisket, American cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, house-made pickles, and Young Guns' Hatch green chiles on a potato bun toasted in butter. The meat melts in your mouth while creamy cheese and smoky, zesty peppers give the sandwich an intense punch of flavor. You can also get your green chile cheeseburger as a salad, or opt for the restaurant's equally famous Cowboy Candy burger on the side, which was dubbed New Mexico's best when we rounded up every state's tastiest burger.
(575) 418-7537
1408 1st St, Magdalena, NM 87825
Café Abiquiú in Abiquiú
Just a little ways north of Santa Fe lies Abiquiú, a scenic town known for its ties to the art world as the home of Georgia O'Keeffe. Despite its small size, Abiquiú sees plenty of tourists, who come for the natural scenery, art, or a little bit of both, and the Abiquiú Inn is there to welcome them with open arms. The rustic hotel offers traditional fireplace lounges, sculpture gardens, and one of the state's best burgers at Café Abiquiú.
On a nice day (which there's no shortage of in New Mexico), ask to sit on Café Abiquiú's outside terrace to soak in the desert vista before your meal. Sitting inside has its perks, too; the walls are adorned with the work of local artists, engulfing the restaurant in the kind of small town charm that tourists seek out in New Mexico.
The green chile cheeseburger at Café Abiquiú — known simply as the Abiquiú Burger — is piled high with diced chiles and melted American cheese on ciabatta bread. The beef comes from nearby Zenitram Farms, so it has the unmistakable flavor of fresh meat that didn't have to travel far to make its way to your plate. Enjoy a burger with a fan-favorite Rio Chama margarita and then finish it all off with a chocolate piñon tart.
(505) 685-4378
21120 US-84, Abiquiú, NM 87510
Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio
Believe it or not, San Antonio — the little town with a measly double-digit population — is home to not one, but two of New Mexico's best green chile cheeseburgers. The aforementioned Owl Burger sees stark competition from the Buckhorn Tavern, another historic pub with deep roots in the San Antonio community.
Manny Olguin inherited Buckhorn Tavern from his father Miguel back in 1945. Once he took over as owner, the place became the preferred spot in town for burgers, drinks, billiards, and even haircuts and impromptu boxing matches (it was a simpler time). Today, Manny's son Bobby owns the restaurant, where he keeps the green chile cheeseburger's legacy alive.
For such a sleepy, small town, San Antonio has seen a lot of burger action. Buckhorn Tavern earned itself a spot on the nation's culinary map when Alan Richman for GQ Magazine gave it high honors in a 2006 list of "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die." Later, Bobby Flay paid the restaurant a visit for his show "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." Bobby Olguin wound up defeating Bobby Flay when the two went toe to toe in a green chile cheeseburger battle.
(575) 835-4423
68 US-380, San Antonio, NM 87832
Sparky's BBQ and Espresso in Hatch
What better place to grab a green chile cheeseburger than in the chile capital of the world, Hatch, New Mexico? Sparky's BBQ and Espresso, is known throughout the state, but not just for its award-winning burgers. The ultra-casual restaurant is also famous for its whimsical aesthetic, which sticks out like a sore thumb on the quiet, rustic streets of Hatch.
Before you go into Sparky's to enjoy the 2022 New Mexico State Fair's Best Green Chile Cheeseburger, you'll be greeted by life-sized fast food mascots and giant characters on the roof of the building holding mugs of root beer and burgers. Owners Josie and Teako Nunn love stocking the restaurant inside and out with physical representations of their quirks, making it almost a little hard to believe that they were both semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef in the Southwest Award in 2020.
Choose between a single or a double green chile cheeseburger (no lettuce and tomato here); the latter comes with double the meat, peppers, and cheese. The cheese, pepper sauce, and meat seem to blend into one another for the perfect savory, creamy, and just-the-right-amount-of-greasy bite. Don't forget to snag a shake on the way out, like the Ozzy, which combines chocolate ice cream and green chiles — a sweet-and-spicy experience you'll only get in the Land of Enchantment.
(575) 267-4222
115 Franklin St, Hatch, NM 87937
Horseman's Haven Café in Santa Fe
This hidden gem doesn't look like much from the outside, but behind Horseman's Haven Café's humble walls lies a fiery secret: some of New Mexico's best (and spiciest) green chile. Locals with a passion for spice (so, the average New Mexican) flock to Horseman's Haven for their favorite peppers with the heat dialed up to the max. Here, green chile comes in five heat levels, with level one being tourist-friendly and level five being the stuff of legends — that is to say, most folks don't make it past level three.
Horseman's Haven Café may be more well-known for its ignitable burrito locals dub "The Devil," but visitors shouldn't sleep on the green chile cheeseburger. The pepper sauce is clearly the star of this burger — you probably won't be able to see the actual burger underneath the pile of sauce. Choose red or green chiles, or get creative and opt for both red and green, otherwise known as Christmas style. If you're not sure which spice level to get, I'd recommend level two (it's hotter than you think).
The restaurant may look like any old New Mexico burger joint, but even the great Anthony Bourdain considered Horseman's Haven one of his favorite spots to eat in the South. He once paid the restaurant a visit for his show "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," and while it's not clear whether or not he indulged in a green chile cheeseburger, he did try the level three green chile sauce and famously said: "My face is burning off."
restaurantwebexperts.com/HorsemansHaven
(505) 471-5420
4354 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87507
Methodology
To put together this list of restaurants serving some of the best green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico, I started with the places I personally visited and loved during trips to the Land of Enchantment. These were the burgers that I kept thinking about long after leaving New Mexico. But to round out the list and make it more than just my own favorites, I also dug through local reviews, roundups, and online articles highlighting spots with deep roots and longstanding positive reputations. Many of these restaurants have been around for decades, feeding travelers, locals, and green chile obsessives alike.
Of course, "best" is always going to be subjective, especially in a state where nearly every town stakes its claim in a legendary version of the state's favorite dish. So I focused on objective qualities, like consistency and the use of fresh and high-quality ingredients while picking the best burger joints. Some of these restaurants have racked up awards and national praise while others are beloved simply because they make an outstanding, no-frills burger. Together, these spots offer a snapshot of the state's rich, fiery culinary tradition.