Isleta Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

When the Spanish arrived in the late 1500s they named the village south of Albuquerque Isleta, a diminutive of “isla” which means “island.”  Fast forward 600 years, and may as well have been christened “desert island” as in short for “deserted island.”  Despite being one of the largest of New Mexico’s nineteen Pueblos, drivers may not have even known that Exit 215 off Interstate 25 will transport them to the home of some 3,000 inhabitants.   That is until the Isleta Resort & Casino began operating in 1986.  Calling itself “New Mexico’s Grandest Casino Resort,” the Isleta Casino Resort boasts of the best of headline entertainment, capacious meeting rooms, gaming, dining and more.  It’s located just minutes South of Albuquerque’s Sunport and in fact, it has an Albuquerque address.

So does the Isleta Grill which itself might have remained a hidden treasure had it not been for the New Mexico State Fair’s green chile cheeseburger challenge.  While the New Mexico State Fair hosts a number of food related competitions, none garner as much attention as the green chile cheeseburger challenge.  Unlike political elections, the public is not subjected to a months-long bombardment of torturous and borderline slanderous messages.  Instead, an online call goes out to prospective candidates (established brick-and-mortar restaurants only) with an entry deadline and a non-refundable entry fee of  $25.   In 2024, ten contestants from throughout the Land of Enchantment competed for top honors.

On the day of the competition, the process (as explained on the New Mexico State Fair website) is pretty straight-forward.  “The order to “Fire Up Your Grill” will be given at approximately 11:30 am. Introductions and announcements will begin approximately 11:50 am. The contest will kick off at approximately 12:00pm, with the first burger presented for judging around 12:20 pm. (Exact times will be determined on the day of the event) Once all competitors have finished presenting their respective burgers for judging and the on-site coordinator has declared the competition complete, the “People’s Choice Competition” will begin. (Ballots are limited on a first come first serve basis).”

Almost invariably, there’s a difference of opinion among judges and the people.  In 2024, judges awarded best green chile cheeseburger honors to Isleta Grill while the people’s choice was Albuquerque’s Craft Republic. While not everyone may have agreed with the results, there were no  post-voting demonstrations and celebrity lamentations or threats to leave New Mexico afterwards.   Instead, diners began pilgrimages to both winning establishments and sampling the burgers for ourselves.  If only political elections were so cut-and-dry.  (Yeah, I know political elections have  more significant consequences than voting for the state’s best burger, but damn, election pandering sure gets tedious).   In 2025, the Isleta Grill didn’t have to share honors with anyone, sweeping both the people’s choice and the judge’s choice.  Two years in a row is a significant achievement.

4 February 2025: After the green chile challenge results were announced, the Isleta Grill saw a significant increase in the volume of diners.  Gregarious owner Leticia Romero told me that after the competition, diners were lined up in some cases for nearly an hour.  The din has slowed somewhat, but diners still visit from throughout the state.  Leticia invariably asks where they’re from and invites one and all to “come back.”  Even if distance prevents frequent visits, most of them will return to enjoy another green chile cheeseburger.  Over the years I’ve tried every single burger that’s won the state fair event.  In some cases I’ve questioned whether “blind judging” also meant other senses (particularly taste) were incapacitated.  In my estimation, not all burgers have been worthy.  The Isleta Grill’s burger IS.

In fact, this burger ranks up there as one of the very best burgers (top three) to have won the challenge and certainly one of the very best green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico.  It is simply outstanding! Best of all, the green chile bites back.  It’s got piquancy native New Mexicans can respect.  Leticia told me she pays more for extra hot chile, but doesn’t believe the current blend is especially hot.  While it isn’t burn your tongue piquant, it’s got more heat than almost all similar burgers have.   This is also a green chile the size burgers used to be.  That means a five-inch, it takes two hands to handle bun and a beef patty that extends just beyond those buns.  That means lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, mustard, green chile and cheese.  It’s not a salad with a thin smashed burger patty.  It’s a real burger.  Think Lota Burger forty years ago.  Moreover, it’s absolutely mouth-watering at a medium-well degree of doneness.  Ingredients coalesce to bring you explosions of flavor.  In particular that green chile warrants a salute.  Though you can have your burger with fries, ask for the ribbon fries (pictured above).  They’re fantastic!

The Isleta Grill serves breakfast and lunch all day long (5:30AM – 3:30PM).   You can even get the award-winning green chile cheeseburger at 5:30AM if that’s what you’re craving..  It is a small family-oriented business owned and managed by the same people who garnered such acclaim at the state fair.  Leticia and her crew are very efficient and well-practiced at their craft.  It’s a credit to Leticia that she’s made a tremendous success of her business.  She’s a self-admitted former alcoholic and drug addict who’s become an inspiration for many of us.  Her philosophy in developing her award-winning burger is “keep it simple,” an edict she lives by.  Consistency and love are her mantra for all her food.

4 February 2025: Isleta Grill’s menu is replete with New Mexican favorites such as burritos, enchiladas, sandwiches (including a Philadephia cheesesteak), pancakes and bacon, Frito pie, Indian tacos, green chile stew, posole (seasonal) and fry bread.  One of my very favorite meals of all time–beans with green chile and onions, tortilla on the side–is also available and it’s very much reminiscent of the beans and green chile on which I was weaned.  I may have involuntarily swooned at each delicious spoonful of New Mexico’s two official state vegetables combined on one plate.  The green chile has a very nice bite that brought a smile to my face and evoked many wonderful memories (thank you, mom).  This is another example of Leticia’s “keep it simple” approach to preparing and serving delicious food.

4 February 2025: My Kim’s choice was a breakfast quesadilla (scrambled eggs, avocadoes, bacon, cheese, sour cream) on a flour tortilla charred the color of a pinto pony.   Four generous wedges of deliciousness on a plate will fill you up and make you very happy.  Some people may consider a quesadilla to be a deconstructed burrito grilled long enough to melt the cheese, it’s got a personality all its owned.  Isleta Grill’s version is replete with fresh ingredients and holds together well despite the moistness and freshness of those ingredients.  I could only dream of what the quesadilla would taste like with some red and (or) green chile, but it was my Kim’s meal after all and she doesn’t do chile.

4 February 2025: You won’t find sopaipillas at the Isleta Grill, but you will experience some of the very best fry bread in the universe and you can have it in multiple ways.  You can have an Indian taco (fry bread with seasoned bean and meat mix, chile, topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion) and even a fry bread pizza (green chile, pepperoni, tomato sauce, mozzarella on a fry bread canvas).  If you, too, like to keep it simple, you can have fry bread sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with honey.  My Kim’s assessment: “it’s better than sopaipillas.”

23 July 2025:  There’s a mistaken notion that a burger on a tortilla is still just a burger.  In truth, a tortilla burger is a wholly different experience with a different flavor.  Once you’ve had the Isleta Grill’s award-winning green chile cheeseburger in its award-winning form, you should try a green chile cheeseburger tortilla burger.   You’ll quickly see what I mean in declaring it a different experience.  On some tortilla burgers, some of the ingredients are virtually lost.  Isleta Grill’s tortilla burger makes good use of the tortilla real estate.  With every bite you’ll experience the flavor of a medium-well beef patty, green chile, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and cheese.  Ingredients are unfailingly fresh and the green chile packs some real heat.  Experientially, this burger is actually a better hand-held canvas than traditional burger buns.  You probably won’t spill a morsel.  Next time I have a green chile cheeseburger tortilla burger, I’ll ask for green chile smothered on top of the entire tortilla.

Isleta Grill has very limited seating, maybe seven tables (mostly two-top), but it’s take-out business is robust and very well managed.  This could be one of New Mexico’s very best restaurants of any genre and I don’t say that about many restaurants.

Isleta Grill
4047 NM-47
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 869-2046
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LATEST VISIT: 23 July 2025
1st VISIT:  4 February 2025
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 23
COST: $$
BEST BET:  Green Chile Cheeseburger, Bowl of Beans with Green Chile, Breakfast Quesadilla, Fry Bread, Tortilla Burger, Green Chile Cheese Fries
REVIEW #1450