Blake’s Lotaburger getting Lotalove in the OC
August 25th, 2010
Photo by menuinprogress.com blog
Thanks to Gustavo Arellano and a post that caught my attention from The Alibi, our most treasured fast food outlet is receiving some adoration in the wake of the Five Guys Burger chain press blitz. Yeah, it’s a chain. There are over 600 of them.
Sez Arellano,
“Allow me, then, to play the game: if we’re going to have a regional burger chain invade our county and go up against our In-n-Out’s and TK’s, why couldn’t it have been Blake’s Lotaburger, the country’s most-ardent proponent of what’s perhaps burgerdom’s greatest manifestation: the green chile hamburger?”
(Note, I have received a couple of emails from Five Guys reps asking me to come in and try their stuff. I absolutely will, but it is a rare chain restaurant that eventually gets a formal review. Maybe they’ll be one. Who knows.)
But Lotaburger gets Lotalove for its fries, the chile cheeseburgers, and just the fact that it is local and pretty gosh-darned good. Not utterly fabulous, not the best in the world, but just plain good.
How often do you get to enjoy something that is unpretentious, local, and good in that way? Enjoy your chile cheese fries and that strangely addicting shake flavor (that Blake’s claims is blackberry but always tasted very odd to me).
I’ve found that Blake’s quality varies from location to location, unfortunately. But when it’s made right, it’s goooooood. I’m glad that it’s gaining recognition, it deserves to have a larger stomping ground than it has now.
Comment by AW — August 25, 2010 @ 7:25 pm
Yeah…too bad Blake’s had to donate to Proposition 8 in California and try to outlaw gay marriage in a state where they don’t even have stores. I haven’t been in a Blake’s since that happened and won’t go back until they donate to a cause promoting gay marriage, to even out the inequity. And this may be considered blasphemous in New Mexico, but – I think Five Guys has a better burger anyway, and once they start carrying green chile? Fuhgeddaboutit.
Comment by A. — August 26, 2010 @ 9:32 am
You know, I’d forgotten about the Prop 8 thing. That’s kind of a wet blanket.
Comment by Andrea Lin — August 26, 2010 @ 1:10 pm
@ A.
Wow, yeah, I had overlooked that aspect too. I definitely agree with you. :\
Five Guys is a great addition to the burger arena here, I hope they hurry it up with their green chile, though. ;P
Comment by AW — August 26, 2010 @ 3:03 pm
If you really want to enjoy something that is unpretentious, local, and good AND owned by really good guy head over to the Coyote Diner on Montgomery. He can make great burgers that are terribly underpriced an a buffalo green chile cheese burger than is rarely dry (and that is hard to do). I think he gets bored always cooking the same thing so he has daily specials. If you are lucky it will be buffalo green chile stew.
Comment by Jim M. — September 1, 2010 @ 11:41 am
Thanks, Jim!
Comment by Andrea Lin — September 2, 2010 @ 12:47 pm
I remember going to the youth club at Holy Ghost parish when the prish consisted on one renovated WWll barrack from one of the bases. I believe the first Lotta Burger was just a few blocks away on San Pedro SE.I could be mistaken,but I think the first McDonalds in Albuquerque was on the southwest corner of San Pedro NE and Lomas. The first Toddle House was on the south side of Central in about the thirty five hundred block. I remember that there was also aToddle House on Lomas NE near Our Lady of Fatima and another just east of Bob’s Burger stand on Central in about the seventy eight hundred block. Anyone remember cruising US 66 between the two Bobs? How about Highland High winning the state championship in foot ball in 1954. What was the name of their star player who was recruited by Oklahoma and went on to the pros? Regards
Comment by Donald E. George — September 13, 2010 @ 10:24 am
Thanks for the memories, Donald! Great info about both Blake’s and McDonalds.
Comment by Andrea Lin — September 14, 2010 @ 8:17 am
Prop 8? Contributed. I must have spent $10 grand at the burger king nearest me in the last 10 years. We can cancel that account.
Comment by Ben — September 14, 2010 @ 12:39 pm
It’s not just Prop 8. If they are on the wrong side of that, they are wrong across the board. And I know like the turnover among their non-English speaking employees either.
Comment by Ben — September 14, 2010 @ 12:41 pm