This is just a little mom 'n' pop burger stop on the side of the highway with a half-dozen tables and a handful of seats at the counter. What's all the fuss? Well, when was the last time you ate a hamburger that had been formed by hand from beef ground up fresh that day? Yes, it makes a difference. The green chile cheeseburger here is a fat, juicy monster dripping with chile. It makes a fast-food burger taste like a Gardenburger. You will remember the burgers your grandmother fried in her cast-iron skillet and you will ask yourself, "Why don't hamburgers taste like this anymore?" This is the kind of burger that makes hamburger fanatics (and there are
lots
of them) spend $70 on gas for a $7 burger. Bobcat Bite is consistently cited in stories about great American hamburgers, but even with all the gushy national press, the place still looks like a replica of your great-aunt Maybelle's kitchen circa 1967 (complete with vintage bobcat art). Owners John and Bonnie Eckre know they have something special on their hands, so they've done little to change this jewel in Santa Fe's crown. Since 1953 we've loved this place, and with any luck we'll keep on loving it for another 50 years.
420 Old Las Vegas Hwy., 983-5319,
.
Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Saturday. $
