This Underdog Burger Chain Is A New Mexico Staple (It Was Even Featured On Breaking Bad)

There's nothing inherently wrong with claiming a big-name chain as your favorite burger stop, but sometimes it's those small restaurants you drive by on the way home from work that can surprise you the most. Those seemingly random ice cream chains that you discover while exploring a new coastal city or the wings chains you've passed about a thousand times on the drive between states may just end up becoming your new favorite spot in the world. Though not as well known in the eastern half of the United States, folks from the Southwest know a thing or two about Blake's Lotaburger, which has over 70 locations spread throughout New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.

Blake's Lotaburger is everything you love about fast food, but with a touch of Southwestern flair. The company is devoted to sourcing the freshest ingredients possible, turning to native New Mexicans for products whenever possible. It's a quality that's kept customers coming back for over 70 years, and one that may soon reach customers in new states, as Blake's has tentative plans to expand. Blake's is so well-known in New Mexico that it was regularly featured on the hit show "Breaking Bad," which takes place in Albuquerque, aka Blake's Lotaburger's hometown. This underdog food chain has such a cult following that fans easily spotted the red pinstriped paper bags in several episodes of the show.

In 1952, World War II Navy veteran Blake Chanslor opened the first Blake's Lotaburger with a simple menu of the Lotaburger, a smaller version named the "Itsaburger," bags of potato chips, and a vending machine for sodas. Before long, Chanslor noticed that his customers often smuggled in their own green chile peppers for their burgers, so he decided to oblige them by adding them as an official ingredient. Thus, the now-beloved LOTA Burger New Mexico Style was born.

Within the following year, Chanslor was already opening new locations across the state. Urban legend says that Blake's Lotaburger was the first to turn green chile hamburgers into a phenomenon, even if many other chains add it to their menus today, like these other popular green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico. Blake's Lotaburger menu may have started with only two entrée options, but today it boasts much more than that, even if the New Mexico style burger remains the most popular.

The regular Lotaburger and Itsaburger are still available, along with the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tender Boat, and the Blake's Chicken Sandwich, which is doused in the restaurant's signature creamy green chile sauce. In addition, the chain's chili, fries, and onion rings are big hits, as well as its breakfast burritos, which aren't lacking that classic Blake's green chile kick. Blake's Lotaburger is easily one of the 21 foods you just have to try in New Mexico, even if spice isn't your thing.