Dueling Green Chile Burgers

The tiny town of San Antonio, south of Socorro, is home to a pair of legendary green chile cheeseburgers. The Owl Bar & Café and the Buckhorn Tavern sit just feet apart, each serving a nationally famous green chile cheeseburger and each with fiercely loyal fans. Rather than choosing sides beforehand, stop at both and decide for yourself which restaurant you like better!

Owl Bar & Café

The Original Owl Bar & Café makes a strong historical claim. Frank and Dee Chavez opened the Owl in 1945, and its signature burger has reportedly followed the same recipe since 1948. Local tradition says it was created for workers from the nearby Trinity Site who wanted something more substantial than bar snacks. The Owl Burger remains a straightforward New Mexico classic: beef, melted cheese and roasted green chile served inside an old-school roadside bar.

Buckhorn Tavern

Across the way, the Buckhorn Tavern offers the decorated challenger. Its Buckhorn Burger combines beef and green chile with cheese, mustard, tomato, lettuce, chopped onion and pickle. The restaurant gained national attention after appearing on food television, defeating Bobby Flay in a burger challenge and earning a place on GQ’s list of “20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die.” The result is a larger and more heavily dressed rival (that takes 30 minutes to make) to the Owl’s historic original.

Both places serve great burgers, I really couldn’t pick a favorite. Also they’re not really rivals, that’s just a fun story. If you’re heading down south on I-25, stop in San Antonio and try both, You won’t regret it!