If New Mexico could have one state food, it would be the green chile cheeseburger, with each restaurant, diner and roadhouse cafe claiming to have the ultimate version. It was a scorching early August day in New Mexico and I was heading south on the I-25, up and over rolling desert hills skirting the mighty Rio Grande River under a sky of endless blue. My destination was Hatch : a tiny village in the river’s valley, 70 miles north of the Mexican border, where a distinct aroma of sizzling fresh green chiles laces the air come harvest time, which had just begun.
When I arrived and got out of the car, I was hit by a smoky scent that I soon traced to the nearby Grajeda Hatch Chile Market , one of many brightly painted chile purveyors dotting Franklin Street, the village’s main road. Here, I stood and watched for a while, transfixed, at the prized local ingredient tumbling in rotisserie-style roasters over roaring gas flames. A deafeningly loud and hot spectacle, necessary to scorch and loosen the chile skin to bring out the flavour before they're peeled, chopped and then roasted or turned into sauces.
Dubbed the chile capital of the world , Hatch was my final stop on a road trip to discover a fascinating dish unique to New Mexico that features this cherished fruit-and-spice in one: the green chile cheeseburger – or GCCB as it’s known locally. Not your regular burger, it comes served big and juicy, with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and, of course, a generous helping of green chiles, which I enjoyed roasted inside a "world famous" Hatch GCCB at Sparky’s Burgers and BBQ , Hatch’s roadside haven of Americana and kitsch where I escaped the searing heat after a mosey around town. Hatch green chiles are renowned for their distinct flavour and heat, thanks to the unique terroir of the fertile Rio Grande River valley where they grow.
Although this type of chile is grown throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, California and Mexico, only those grown in Hatch can use the name. It’s a special ingredient celebrated every August at the Hatch Chile Festival , which has been running for more than 50 years and attracts more than 30,000 people. New Mexico green chiles are defined by their long, thin shape, measure anywhere between five and 12 inches, and vary in spice level from mild to extremely hot.
Fresh chiles are green, while dried chiles and dried chile powder are red. Chiles were first grown by Pueblo and Hispanic communities throughout Santa Fe de Nuevo México 400 years ago. So woven into the local psyche, they’re even used to illustrate car licence plates, and whether you prefer green or red is the state question.
And here's where their story gets interesting. The GCCB is widely thought to have originated in another haven of Americana, The Owl Bar & Café , located 100 miles north of Hatch in the tiny New Mexico town of San Antonio. Its location is key to its existence: The Owl Bar & Café is just a 30-minute drive from the Trinity Testing Site at the White Sands Missile Range .
This is where the world’s first atomic bomb was detonated on 16 July 1945 as part of the Manhattan Project led by Robert Oppenheimer , the lead scientist behind Christopher Nolan’s 2023 multi-Oscar-winning film . "When they arrived in town from their secret laboratory at Los Alamos two hours north of here, they were masquerading as prospectors," explained Janice Argabright, fourth-generation owner of The Owl Bar & Café, as she told me about the Manhattan Project scientists. We were huddled in a leather-clad booth next to a polished mahogany bar that originally came from Conrad Hilton's father's saloon and rooming house, which was also located in San Antonio.
"[The Hilton hotel-chain founder] grew up here and our families were friends," she added. The Owl Bar started with her great-grandfather in the late 1930s. "He had a mercantile store with little cabins that he would rent out," she said.
He also had the only payphone in town, so these "prospectors" would come and do their work and make calls. "They rented their rooms and when they asked for something to drink and eat, we started serving food." This was when Argabright's grandfather returned from the Navy.
He needed money, so he opened a little bar in the mercantile store. "He was the one who started cooking," she said, "beginning with hamburgers, adding cheese and serving them with green chile on a separate plate." The day the dishwasher didn't turn up for work changed the course of New Mexico's culinary history.
"With no clean plates left, my grandfather put the green chiles in the burger. So that's how we came up with the green chile cheeseburger dish we know today – and The Owl Bar & Café was born." The improvised creation quickly became a favourite dish among the prospectors, who would come by regularly for cold beers and a green chile cheeseburger fix.
"They loved our burgers," said Argabright. Regarding the name, several untrue stories exist, but Argabright tells me it was chosen simply as a matter of cost. "A travelling signwriter passing through town, who charged by the letter, offered to paint a name on our shop window.
It was my father's friend and grandfather who chose 'owl' because it was short!" I noticed the entire bar area festooned with owls of all shapes and sizes, amid other paraphernalia including first responder badges galore. There were also hundreds of dollar bills pinned to the walls with little messages. "All gifts and mementos from appreciative customers," said Argabright.
"Every year we count up the dollars and donate them to charity." At that moment my Owl Burger arrived on a small round blue plate. It looked classic, simple and unpretentious in a flour bun filled with an exceptionally juicy handmade beef patty, slathered in the family's famed (and secret) roasted green chile sauce.
It was topped with American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and finished with mayonnaise and a raw onion ring. It was so succulent I quickly devoured it. "We've not changed the recipe at all since we started in 1945.
We grind the meat so it's fresh and use a mix of chiles from Hatch, which somedays they're mild and others hot, so it's always a surprise," said Argabright, adding, "and I think what sets us apart is the consistency of the burger." Nowadays, across New Mexico, many restaurants, diners and roadhouse cafes claim to make the best GCCB, some of which feature on the New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail . Launched in 2009 by culinary expert Cheryl Alters Jamison, the route takes in 66 stand-out restaurants, drive-ins, diners, dives, joints, cafes, roadside stands and even bowling alleys – including the Owl Bar & Café.
I visited several more on my road trip along the trail, including the Buckhorn Tavern up the road from The Owl Bar, dating to 1944. Here, it's all about the Buckhorn Burger, a towering, photogenic GCCB that was a 2009 winner in American celebrity chef Bobby Flay's Throwdown, which used to air on Food Network. It consists of a handmade burger topped with American cheese and a healthy dollop of chopped, roasted chiles balanced carefully on top of pickle slices, a generous helping of shredded lettuce and a big slice of tomato – a savvy construction for extra height.
It was delicious, succulent and subtly spicy, too. Another unique stop was the sprawling Mineshaft Tavern in Madrid – pronounced “Mad-rid” – a creative community of about 80 homes on the picturesque Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway . Its MadChile Burger, winner of the 2013 Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown in Santa Fe, was an elevated, gourmet affair.
There was a choice of meat, including wagyu from nearby Lone Mountain Ranch , served in a shiny brioche bun with aged Cheddar, chipotle Dijon mayonnaise, two types of Hatch chiles (one tempura battered and deep fried, others roasted) served with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and a whole deep fried Hatch chile on the side. More like this: • The 'Depression Burger' of Route 66 • Roujiamo: China's 2,200-year-old 'burger' • The ‘Indian burger’ McDonald’s can’t master Owner Lori Lindsey is now – along with her MadChile Burger – somewhat of a local celebrity, having been featured on Tastemade's Worth the Hype TV show, and by British celebrity chef Paul Hollywood in his Paul Goes to Hollywood series. "What you have here is the best GCCB in New Mexico," said Lindsey, smiling.
"It’s worthy of its own restaurant we sell so many. It's the most popular thing on the menu. It's hard for the chile suppliers to keep up with our demand.
" I also discovered the GCCB voted the best in New Mexico for five straight years at the New Mexico State Fair at Oso Grill in Capitan, a friendly one-street town that's famous as the resting place of Smokey the Bear, the face of the US Forest Service in the Wildfire Prevention Campaign. The inviting restaurant, set in an old bank building, was packed when I visited on a Tuesday night. "It’s even busier at lunchtime," said owner Brian Cleckler, "when the queue snakes around the corner.
" This came as no surprise; their winning burger was unique for many reasons, not least because it arrived in a shiny brioche bun branded artistically with the ancient sun symbol that features on the New Mexico state flag. "We also treat the burger like a steak," Cleckler said. "We season it 24 hours in advance, then we cook it on a flat grill so that way it stays juicy.
Then I use two types of green chiles; a hot one from Hatch for the sauce, and an Anaheim variety when those from Hatch are out of season, which we cut into strips, batter and deep fry. Then we have our homemade chipotle ranch dressing. I'm not a salad person so there's no lettuce or tomato.
It's all about the green chile, it's the star of our burger.” Needless to say, it's Cleckler's award-winning GCCB that tops the bill on the menu here, one of my favourite spots on the Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail. Tucking in, I wondered if the Manhattan Project scientists were salad people, and how they liked their green chiles.
Tempura battered and deep fried or roasted, mild or spicy, perhaps? Who knows, but whatever their preferences, there's no doubt that the south-western food trend they loved that was created in the bar that opened to serve them is a testament to New Mexico's spicy food obsession – and now mine. -- If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram .
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