Owl Bar - San Antonio, NM

Posted By Michael Stern on August 27, 2009 9:24 PM

"Masterpiece! Masterpiece" sings the waitress at the Owl Bar as she carries a green chile cheeseburger from the kitchen to my place at the bar. It is 8:30am, and while the menu does have a couple of egg-and-bacon breakfasts as well as a few steaks and sandwiches, the unique New Mexico hamburger is what has put this out-of-the-way watering hole on the good eats map. Since at least the early days of atomic bomb tests at nearby White Sands, when scientists used to come here for an explosive meal, The Owl Bar has built such an exalted a reputation that aficionados drive from Texas and Colorado to eat 'em two by two. It is so popular at lunch in the summertime, you may have to wait for a place to sit.

Crusty, gnarled patties of beef are covered with chopped hot green chilies and the chilies are in turn topped with a slice of cheese that melts into them and the crevices of the hamburger. The green chile itself is a flavor revelation; in concert with beef, it's magic. Customary condiments include raw onion, chopped lettuce, sliced tomato, and pickle chips. This is one glorious package, and while we have never compared it side-by-side to the excellent green chile cheeseburger up at Bobcat Bite in Santa Fe, there can be no doubt that the Owl Bar's version is among the state's best. Green chile cheese fries are also available on the side., and there is a small menu of other sandwiches.

When I ate my cheeseburger at breakfast time, the stools at the bar were occupied by a few regular customers having their own all-liquid breakfasts in the form of Coors Lite. Decor at the Owl is a delightful roadhouse hodgepodge of beer memorabilia, photos, and paper currency that customers tack to the walls. The story is that the proprietors, Adolph and Rowena Baca, regularly take down the donated cash and give it to local charities.

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Posted By Jim on January 30, 2012 1:39 PM

Interesting place, one should visit for sure, but if it's a fast food burger you're after this is the place, otherwise the Buckhorn Tavern runs circles aroung the Owl. In my honest opinion, the Owl's burgers were ok, nothing to write home about.

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Green Chile Cheeseburger

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Posted By Gordon Hendricks on October 25, 2010 1:12 PM

Though the Green Chile cheeseburgers are smaller here than at Buckhorn Tavern... they are better tasting!! The onion rings are GREAT!!

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Green Chile Cheeseburger

Green chile cheese Fries

Onion Rings

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Posted By Don Jeffus on October 25, 2010 12:18 PM

Back in the 1960's I would fly into San Antonino and buzz the cafe to let them know to pick me up at the dike (only place to land in the area). It was worth the effort and cost just to get a really good chile cheeseburger. I am moving back to NM and will make the Owl Bar a regular place to stop again.

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Green Chile Cheeseburger

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Posted By Donald Skipwith on September 5, 2010 4:40 PM

I regularly pass through San Antonio on my way from my home in Albuquerque to my mountain house in Cloudcroft...in fact I am always hopeful that I have time to stop at the Owl for New Mexico's signature green chile cheeseburger. The Owl is what roadfood is about, fast and delicious. You have a choice in San Antonio and it is the Owl.

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Green Chile Cheeseburger

Green chile cheese Fries

French Fries

Onion Rings

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Posted By Elaine Williamson on December 25, 2007 4:10 PM

I lived in the Ruidoso area for 28 years. Traveled through San Antonio a multitude of times. I never missed a chance to eat at the Owl Bar! I even scheduled my trips to and from Albuquerque around the Owl Bar's serving hours.

The green chili cheeseburger is the very best. I have it every time I go. And the pinto beans are also great. I have tried burger restaurants in practically all the states of the union but still find the Owl burger the best! It's just the right size for a flavor burst but not so big that it overwhelms the delicate balance between the New Mexican green chilies and the cheese. The heat from the chilies can make you sweat, but nothing tastes quite like it. They serve it atop a napkin on a saucer just as the picture shows.

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