{"id":8791,"date":"2023-04-22T21:14:14","date_gmt":"2023-04-23T03:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=8791"},"modified":"2026-04-05T14:18:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T20:18:07","slug":"circle-t-burgers-belen-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=8791","title":{"rendered":"Circle T Burgers – Belen, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Circle T Burgers: Serving Belen, New Mexico since 1958<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The year was 1958.\u00a0 The average American wage-owner’s income was $4,650 per year.\u00a0 A Ford automobile cost between $1,967 and $3,929.\u00a0 Milk was $1.01 per gallon.\u00a0 Bread cost 19 cents a loaf and a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti went for 19 cents a can.\u00a0 First class US postage was raised to 4 cents after having held at 3 cents for more than a quarter-century.\u00a0 A gallon of gasoline cost 24 cents. In 1958, the United States had two-thirds of the world’s 47-million television sets and many of them were tuned in to Gunsmoke, Father Knows Best, Dinah Shore and The Jack Benny Show.\u00a0 France gave the world the disposable Bic pen (which very few people under 20 have even heard of today).\u00a0 Corningware dishes, the hula hoop and stereo records were introduced.\u00a0 To pay for this copious consumerism, American Express introduced the first credit card. The “King” Elvis Prestley was inducted into the United States Army. Prince, Andy Gibb, Madonna and Michael Jackson were born.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Dining Room is Replete With Vintage Brick-A-Brac<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the world of sports, Pele scored two goals to lead Brazil to victory at the 1958 World Cup.\u00a0 Wilt Chamberlain left the University of Kansas to play with the Harlem Globetrotters.\u00a0 Ohio State defeated Oregon in the Rose Bowl while the St. Louis Hawks bested the Boston Celtics to win the NBA championship.\u00a0 The New York Yankees claimed their unprecedented eighteenth title.\u00a0 Closer to home, the University of New Mexico Lobo basketball team lost every game<\/strong><\/a> they played.\u00a0 With future NFL Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy\u00a0at the helm, the Lobo football team had a 7-3 record.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A World War II Scooter Rebuilt By Owner Phillip Tabet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1958, Belen, New Mexico wasn’t quite the bedroom community for Albuquerque it is today.\u00a0 In fact, it was downright pastoral with many families continuing generations-old farming traditions.\u00a0 Moreover, Belen was the hub of the Santa Fe Railroad, which to this day remains a major employer in the community.\u00a0 Hard-working railroad workers, farmers and ranchers are a hungry lot, a fact that wasn’t lost on local entrepreneur Gilbert “Gil” Tabet who in 1958 opened the first of two Circle T Burgers restaurants in Belen.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Best Of” Framed Certificates On the Walls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tabet was a pioneer of sorts, introducing green chile on his restaurant’s burgers at a time when America’s love affair with the hamburger was just starting to ramp up.\u00a0 Though it might surprise New Mexicans, almost no one in Valencia county<\/span> was showcasing the area’s fantastic green chile on their burgers until Tabet led the way.\u00a0 Soon other restaurants followed and the rest, as the proverbial “they” say is history.\u00a0 Generations of Belen residents grew up on the Circle T’s food and remain steadfastly loyal today. \u00a0Gilbert Tabet passed away several years ago, but the restaurants he founded are in good hands with scion Phillip Tabet. \u00a0Phillip is a fountain of knowledge, especially of Belen history. \u00a0Moreover, he’s a nice guy and great host. \u00a0He’s happy to tell you about the World War II scooter that bisects the restaurant’s two seating areas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Circle T on Belen’s Main Street has the look and feel of the 50s-style restaurant it is.\u00a0 In years gone by, when you approached the restaurant from the north, you would espy a 1960s icon for A&W’s teen burger, a fiberglass statue of a teenager sporting a letterman’s sweater emblazoned with an encircled letter T.\u00a0 The teenager is holding a frosted mug on one hand and a gigantic burger on the other. \u00a0The years were not kind to that statue which is now just a memory. \u00a0A large sign confirms you are indeed at Circle T Burgers.\u00a0 A large enclosed patio faces Main Street while an old-fashioned pick-up counter can be found on the restaurant’s southern parking lot, ostensibly for calling in your order in advance and picking it up quickly. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The icon for A&W’s teen burger used to be suspended on a pole near the restaurant’s parking lot, but it’s now long gone<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The restaurant’s real treasures are indoors where nostalgia abounds in the form of vintage art and period signage festooning the walls. You’ll want to stroll up and down the aisles and study the collection Gil Tabet amassed over the years.\u00a0 A collection of framed photos back-lit by small LED (light emitting diode) lights is well worth checking out.\u00a0 My favorite is one of Central Avenue (Route 66) in the Duke City looking east near the intersection of Carlisle.\u00a0 It’s amusing to see all that’s changed since the photo was taken, probably in the late 1960s, and what remains the same in our beloved Land of Ma\u00f1ana.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Also on the walls are framed photographs of the I Love Lucy television show so popular in the 1960s.\u00a0 A hooked rug depicting a chile ristra hangs on one wall as do many things of interest, including several framed newspaper articles celebrating the restaurant and the Tabet family.\u00a0 Modernity is no stranger to Circle T, however.\u00a0 Signage suspended from the ceiling directs you to the restaurant’s Wi-Fi hot spot and invites diners to visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.\u00a0 It’s an interesting dichotomy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A half-pound green chile cheeseburger with an order of French fries<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The menu hangs above the order and pick-up windows.\u00a0 It, too, is a period piece.\u00a0 On the left-hand side, the menu lists burgers which range in size from regular (1\/6th pound) to jumbo (1\/4th pound).\u00a0 Listed below these burgers are optional additives: chile, cheese, bacon and jalapeno. \u00a0 Other burger options include a tortilla burger and a taco burger, both with cheese and chile. \u00a0The right-hand side of the menu is captioned “Sandwiches and Fries” and it’s easy to see why.\u00a0 Favorites include a jumbo barbecue burger, hot dogs, fried bean burritos, chicken wraps, chicken sandwiches, fish sandwiches, chile cheese fries, nachos with jalapenos, French fries and two sides: green chile or nacho cheese.\u00a0 Though your intended meal may be a green chile cheeseburger, it would be easy to get get off-course.\u00a0 Everything on the menu sounds delicious.<\/span><\/p>\n

5 July 2010<\/strong>: Should you stay on track and opt for the green chile cheeseburger<\/em><\/strong>, you’ll be rewarded with one of the very best in New Mexico.\u00a0 The secret to this burger is definitely the green chiles the Tabet family purchases from Rosales Farms in nearby Lemitar.\u00a0 This chile bites back with a piquancy rarely found in Duke City burgers (though owner Phillip Tabet tells me it used to be much more piquant, but time has apparently tamed taste buds and guests now prefer a more “timid” chile). \u00a0It’s a fresh, delicious neon green pile of deliciousness, spread generously on lightly toasted buns.\u00a0 Other ingredients on this burger are fresh tomatoes, red onions, pickles, crisp lettuce and mustard. \u00a0The burger made it to the New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Barbecue Sandwich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Everything on the menu is prepared to order on a well-seasoned flat metal grill that retains flavors well and cooks at consistent temperatures.\u00a0 The results are an excellent green chile cheeseburger, the type of which you might want a second or third as I did.\u00a0 The coalescence of fresh ingredients and the lean, fresh, hand-pressed beef coupled with terrific green chile places this burger in rarefied company as one of the very best in New Mexico.\u00a0 That’s not just my contention.\u00a0 Circle T competed in the governor’s inaugural green chile cheeseburger competition (or as TJ Jackson recommends “Death Match) during the 2009 state fair and made an excellent accounting for itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

23 April 2023<\/strong>: Another surprising, albeit non-traditional burger, you won’t find anywhere else is Circle T’s jumbo barbecue burger<\/strong><\/em>, a quarter-pounder resembling a sloppy Joe.\u00a0 It doesn’t taste like a sloppy Joe.\u00a0 The ground beef on this magnificent burger is ameliorated with a tangy barbecue sauce tinged with red chile for even more bite.\u00a0 It’s a handful and if you’re not careful, the contents may find their way onto your clothes (Murphy’s Law postulates that you’ll be wearing a white shirt when you eat one). \u00a0My Kim had a barbecue burger during our inaugural and second visits. \u00a0She compares it to the sloppy Joe at Albuquerque’s 66 Diner<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tortilla Burger with Green Chile and Cheese<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

22 April 2023<\/strong>: In recent years, both “tortilla burgers” and “taco burgers” have increasingly grown as a popular alternative to New Mexico’s sacrosanct green chile cheeseburger. \u00a0We’ve usually found both alternatives somewhat lacking especially since many purveyors use tortillas that are much too thin to hold in all ingredients, particular moist ones. \u00a0The tortillas at Circle T look as if they may have been made by a tortillera at a home kitchen. \u00a0They’re thick, but not overly so. \u00a0Moreover, they have that inimitable homemade flavor and texture. \u00a0Circle T’s tortilla burger<\/strong><\/em> has all the accoutrements: lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese and green chile. \u00a0It’s a good one!<\/span><\/p>\n

French fries are also quite good–as in “Best of the County” good according to several framed certificates on the wall.\u00a0 They’re the thin variety, the type of which you might find at LotaBurger, but they’re lightly salted.\u00a0 That’s easily remedied or you can opt for a ketchup coverage instead.\u00a0 Circle T Burgers is on the New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0 It’s less than half an hour away from Albuquerque and well worth the visit.\u00a0 Taste what Belen residents have enjoyed for more than fifty years–one of New Mexico’s true restaurant gems serving one of its best green chile cheeseburgers and so much more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Circle T Burgers<\/strong>
\n523 South Main Street
\nBelen, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 864-4135
\nFacebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 22 April 2023
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 5 July 2010
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Very Good<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Good to very good food; generally solid; delivers consistent quality, strong technique, and a comfortable, enjoyable dining experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $ – $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Half-Pound Green Chile Cheeseburger, Jumbo Barbecue Burger, Tortilla Burger, Fries<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The year was 1958.\u00a0 The average American wage-owner’s income was $4,650 per year.\u00a0 A Ford automobile cost between $1,967 and $3,929.\u00a0 Milk was $1.01 per gallon.\u00a0 Bread cost 19 cents a loaf and a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti went for 19 cents a can.\u00a0 First class US postage was raised to 4 cents after having held at 3 cents for more than a quarter-century.\u00a0 A gallon of gasoline cost 24 cents. In 1958, the United States had two-thirds of the world’s 47-million television sets and many of them were tuned in to Gunsmoke, Father Knows Best, Dinah Shore and The Jack Benny Show.\u00a0 France gave the world the disposable Bic pen (which very few people under 20 have even…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":63518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,141,581,574,588,5631],"tags":[2944,2949,2652,2945,842,2943,2947,2946,2951,2950,2948],"class_list":["post-8791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-burgers","category-new-mexico","category-new-mexico-culinary-treasures","category-new-mexico-green-chile-cheeseburger-trail","category-new-mexico-green-chile-cheeseburger-trail-2011","category-very-good","tag-barbecue-burger","tag-best-of-the-county","tag-french-fries","tag-gilbert-tabet","tag-green-chile-cheeseburger","tag-new-mexico-green-chile-cheeseburger-trail","tag-opened-in-1958","tag-phillip-tabet","tag-taco-burger","tag-tortilla-burger","tag-world-war-ii-scooter"],"yoast_head":"\nCircle T Burgers - Belen, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=8791\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Circle T Burgers - Belen, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The year was 1958.\u00a0 The average American wage-owner’s income was $4,650 per year.\u00a0 A Ford automobile cost between $1,967 and $3,929.\u00a0 Milk was $1.01 per gallon.\u00a0 Bread cost 19 cents a loaf and a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti went for 19 cents a can.\u00a0 First class US postage was raised to 4 cents after having held at 3 cents for more than a quarter-century.\u00a0 A gallon of gasoline cost 24 cents. 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