Larry’s New Mexico Hall of Fame ( in no particular order):
- Best Green Chile Cheeseburger—Sparky’s (in Hatch) ♥♥♥♥♥
- Best Stuffed Sopaipillas (Carne Adovada)—Mary and Tito’s; Infinitesimally close runner-up—Rancho de Chimayó Restauranté
- Best Red Chile—Mary and Tito’s
- Best New Mexico Meal Ever (tie)—BellaLuca (Truth or Consequences) and Lucia (Albuquerque)
- Best Thai—Siam Cafe
- Best REAL Mexican—El Norteño and Los Equipales [tie]
- Best Indian—Namaste
- Best Bread Pudding—Barry’s Oasis and Lambert’s (Taos) [Tie]
- Best Coffee Shop—Oasis Coffee & Tea (Corrales) ♥♥♥
- Best New Mexican Restaurant—Mary and Tito’s
- Best Pizza—Nicky V’s Neighborhood Pizzeria ♥♥♥
- Best Chinese—Budai
- Best Corrales Restaurant—The Indigo Crow
- Best Seafood Restaurant —Desert Fish
- Best Cubano—The Guava Tree
- Best Pasta Dish Ever—Orvietto at Nicky V’s Neighborhood Pizzeria ♥
- Best Middle Eastern Restaurant—San Pedro Middle East Restaurant
- Best Chef—Jennifer James
- Best Bistro—Blade’s Bistro
- Hottest Red Chile — Cecilia’s (Nob Hill). Truly incendiary! ♥
♥ Best Newcomer (2012)—Paddy Rawal’s OM – Fine Indian Dining (ABQ) and Aceq (Arroyo Seco)
♥ Best Newcomer (2011)—El Bruno’s Restaurante y Cantina (ABQ)
♥ Best Newcomer (2010)—Desert Fish
♥ Best Newcomer (2009)—Lucia
♥ Best Newcomer (2008)—Namaste
Larry’s New Mexico Hall of Shame:
- Worst Meal Ever —Banana Leaf (Rio Rancho)
- Worst Service—Blake’s Lotaburger (Montgomery Blvd NE)
- Worst Coffee & Dessert—Village Inn (Rio Rancho)
- Worst Huevos Rancheros (Red)—Little Anita’s (Corrales)
- Biggest Disappointments—El Pinto and Sadie’s (North Valley)
- Worst Chinese—Fortune Cookie (Near Corrales)
- Worst Crab Soup—Cooperage (Fairgrounds)
Larry’s New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger (GCCB) Quest
I order GCCBs Competition Style (for uniformity of comparison).
Bun, patty, cheese, and green chiles. No adulterants or contaminants.
This is a living list. Check often for updates.
Revised April 20, 2013
- Sparky’s (Hatch) ♥♥♥♥♥
- Owl Bar (San Antonio)
- Horseman’s Haven Cafe (Santa Fe)
- Bobcat Bite (Santa Fe)
- Owl Cafe (Albuquerque)
- Indigo Crow (Corrales)
- Griff’s Hamburgers (Albuquerque)
- Perea’s Tijuana Bar (Corrales)
- Fuddruckers [yeah, really!] (Albuquerque – Pan American Freeway)
- Monroe’s (Albuquerque — Osuna Rd)
- The Grill on Menaul (Albuquerque)
Larry’s Bread Pudding Hall of Fame:
- Dragonfly Cafe and Bakery (Taos) ♥
- Lambert’s (Taos)
- White Coyote Cafe (Truth or Consequences)
- Indigo Crow Cafe (Corrales) ♥
- St. Clair Winery & Bistro (ABQ Old Town)
- Cecilia’s Restaurant (Nob Hill): Capirotada. ♥
- Blade’s Bistro (Placitas)
- Two Fools Tavern (Nob Hill)
- Pasion Latin Fusion (ABQ Downtown)
Hi Larry,
On our way to/fro the White Sands/Alamogordo area this past weekend, we tried GCCB at both Owl Bar & Cafe and Sparky’s. Owl Bar & Cafe was first on Saturday morning. We were the only people there. It was a great burger… but, we had Sparky’s late Monday afternoon on the drive home. Owl Bar, who? Sparky’s was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had! It may be sacrilege to say so, but I can take or leave green chili. I took it in both cases, and liked it, but burger vs. burger, Sparky’s just blew Owl Bar away. (Can’t hear, read, write or say the words Owl Bar without thinking of the prohibition era bar on the ground floor of the Belvedere in Mount Vernon. We loved a block away and I am a little “home”sick for that Owl Bar. It was our last minute “let’s get a drink” or “I can’t decide where to eat” place.)
We are heading to Mary & Tito’s later today for some red chili something or other, maybe stuffed sopapillas. I love them at Sadie’s, which feels like a really pedestrian place, so I’m excited to try them somewhere a little more homey feeling.
Melissa