Some self-proclaimed
pundits postulate that a wise owl should have told
this restaurant's proprietors not to mess with the original, but with
that mindset we might all still be driving Model T Fords. A more
sagacious owl would advise if you do something exceptionally well, why
not try duplicating your success?
The original Owl
Cafe in bucolic San Antonio, New Mexico, has been serving, to
worldwide acclaim, the most famous green chile cheeseburger in the world
for nearly sixty years. Since its inauspicious debut in 1949, the
original Owl has garnered recognition as one of the best burgers in
America by (among many others) Michael and Jane Stern writing for the
Epicurious Web site. Jason Sheehan, erstwhile restaurant
critic for Albuquerque's Alibi will tell you the Owl Cafe serves
the best cheeseburger
in the world.
In the 1980s, the
franchise rights to the original Owl Cafe were purchased by Ski Martin
who launched Albuquerque's first Owl Cafe on busy Eubank. With an
upscale urban 50s ambience and an anthropomorphic architecture featuring
garish neon pink and turquoise lights (showcased in the Food Network's
"Top Five" show), this metropolitan version has a much more expansive menu than
the original restaurant, featuring several other sandwiches, some
comfort food entrees and several New Mexican entrees. A
complementary bowl of beans with green chile (albeit spelled
"chili") after you're seated is one
of the highlights of dining at this Owl. A dessert display case
may just have you wanting to lick the glass.
The one thing that
might detract from giving your burger the full attention and adulation
it deserves is the boisterous and crowded ambience of Eubank
location.
That's why cheers went up when in 2004, Martin
partnered with Frank Marcello (partner in other Albuquerque restaurant
ventures such as Copeland's and Zea's) to launch Albuquerque's second
Owl in the Shops at I-25. In 2005, a third Owl Cafe opened on the
West side (10131 Coors Blvd., 899-8640) where great burgers are direly
lacking. Note: both satellites
closed within two years.
Despite the more
extensive menu offerings, the green chile cheeseburger is still the
biggest attraction--and for good reason. The meat is ground on the
premises, patties are hand-formed and the ingredients (mayo, lettuce,
tomato, pickles, onion cheese and the world famous San Antonio green
chile) are absolutely fresh.
On a double meat burger, the
succulent meat and melted cheese bulge out beyond the buns. The
meat positively breaks apart (the consequences of not using filler) and
its juices make consuming one a lip-smacking, multi-napkin affair.
On occasion, the green chile is as near to green chile nirvana as you'll
find on any burger in New Mexico. Non-natives might find it a bit
hot, but locals think it's just right. At other times, the green
chile is barely noticeable and wouldn't pose a bit of a threat to
someone from, say, Mississippi.
That's what happens when you commit the cardinal offense of spelling it
"chili."
While the dissolution
of the marital institution seems to become more prevalent every year,
there's one marriage that has and probably will withstand the ravages of
time--that's the culinary union of the burger and French fries.
The Owl Cafe serves fresh-cut French fries that are among the very best
in the city. Well salted and served with either red or green
chile, these fries are fantastic. To make it a terrific
triumvirate, order the Owl's Hershey's Chocolate shake or old-fashioned
malt, either of which are thick, delicious and served cold.
The most adamant
detractors (you know the type--averse to change of any kind even though
their last visit to the San Antonio Owl was decades ago) contend this
Northeast Heights restaurant probably shouldn't even bear the name of
the original classic. Me, I think The Owl surpasses, by far, any
of the ubiquitous chains that American appetites gravitate towards and
is very competitive in an otherwise unspectacular burger market.
When its chile is hot, the Owl rocks!
