ABQ- 2 new burger options on central

[jjdot]

bRgR is opening in June at 3rd and Central downtown. I have to say the name didn't bother me until I read that it's meant to be pronounced bee-ar-gee-ar. It looks like it has the potential to be a good new downtown option.
http://www.brgrabq.com/index.html

Also, just noticed a sign "Holy Cow burgers coming soon" on central in "EDO." I think the cross is Walter but I may be a block off. Can't find any info online yet.

[Erich]

BRGR is a couple of months behind the first date I heard announced. Hope they can pull it off with the inexpensive prices for good beer they had planned.

Thx for the info on the Holy Cow burgers - I sometimes walk over that way from my office - I'll check it out.

There's a new burger place behind a bail bondsman on 6th just N of Lomas, too. Bulldog Burgers or something like that. I cruised by there a week or so ago, but the line was too long for me - I'll have to try it out and report back.

[DebitNM]

Have you tried Lumpy's? I have had burgers and fries there twice, the sweet potato fries are really good, burger is nice too.
5420 Central Ave SW
Albuquerque, NM 87105

http://nmgastronome.com/blog/?p=7421

[Erich]

I have not, but I can now report back on Bulldog Burgers (take out only - 710 6th NW, in back of AAA Bail Bonds, 505.242.7800, new hours 8-5:30 M-F). I had one of their Bulldog Burgers and a Gold Rush cupcake (bad me!).

The base 1/4-lb Bulldog Burger ($3.59) comes with lettuce (shredded), tomato, onion (which I 86'd, I have to go back to work and don't want my colleagues suffering from raw onion-breath all afternoon), mustard, mayo, ketchup (which I 86'd), and I upgraded the burger by adding green chile, red chile and cheese ($.49 each). (Other optional upgrades are bacon ($.79/slice) and another patty ($1.19 - I probably should have done this one but didn't see it until it was too late). (They also serve Nathan's hot dogs ($2.89, with mustard, relish, ketchup - ick, onions and kraut), green chili [sic] stew (12 oz - $3.49/16 oz. - $4.19), red chile cheese enchiladas ($3.89), and breakfast burritos (potatoes, scrambled eggs and cheddar - $2.29, add bacon or sausage for $.79 and red or green for $.49). No fries, just chips - a Bulldog Burger Meal of burger, 24-oz. drink and chips is $5.89, but was on special today for $5.29. Cupcakes were on special for $1.89 (usually $2.25) and Roma Bakery empanadas are $1.25 (which I think might actually be the same price Roma sells them for).

One orders from a pleasant and efficient woman on the east side of the building - she makes clear notes on exactly how you want your burger made up, and then shouts it back to the cooking crew. After paying, you sit on one of three (thoughtfully umbrella'ed) benches in the fresh air on the east side of the building and wait about ten minutes while your order is prepared. They shout out your name, and you pick your food up from a different window on the south side of the building. (The building is neat and clean - they have retractable screens to attempt to keep out flies, and the place does not in any way smell like a grease trap.)

Okay, the burger. It came with a crunchy kosher dill spear - nice. The patty appeared to be factory made. The burger tasted really good. It was served medium to medium well on a toasted bun that had sogged out by the time I got to my office (it was very well wrapped and very hot - the steam must have done it). There was a nice bite to the green and a nice flavor to the red, the cheese was nicely melted. The shredded lettuce wasn't crunchy, but was pleasant, and the tomato gave it nice flavor. This was a whole heck of a lot better than a Burger King burger . . . and probably better than a Carl's Jr. burger.

But it's not going to be driving the Little Red Hamburger Hut out of business, or even scaring them. The experience was pleasant enough that I suspect that I'll head back (it's just a little north of my office - and would be easy if I didn't feel like walking), but the wait time outside could make it unappealing for Downtown folks on windy or cold days. I suspect Bulldog Burgers will stick around - it appears well run and it fills a nice niche near the courthouses. I certainly wish them well.

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Little Red Hamburger Hut
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM 87104

[Erich]

Revisited Bulldog Burgers and got a triple green chile cheeseburger. This one is VERY good - probably better than Lotaburger at its best. The meat is nice and hot and meaty, the cheese melted perfectly over it, and the chile is pleasantly mouth-warming with a nice roasted flavor. Good show. Yum!

[Erich]

Just got back from BRGR with a carry-out order: a low carb double-patty chile bliss burger ($6 + $4 for the extra 1/3-lb patty). The takeaway order was served in a styrofoam container with no napkins or utensils enclosed or offered.

Upon placing the order, I noticed that the receipt did not specify "low carb" and went back to the counter to make sure that it had been noted. The counterwoman told me that I had not asked for it that way (I had; it was the first thing that I said and I had only placed an order because I saw "low carb" offered on the menu that I popped in to pick up) but then quickly fixed it.

The space is nice with a "this was cutting-edge in the Big City five-years-ago" feel to it. All of the servers were smiling and verbally welcoming. We had another moment of drama when the (very nice - the servers were all very nice) woman at the cash register did not know how to add the extra patty on to the order (she was nervous about doing it wrong), and the manager (Peter Gianopoulous) expressionlessly helped her out. She told me that the extra patty would be $4, and made sure that was okay before proceeding - nicely done. I note that the manager was the only employee in the place who was not making eye contact with and greeting customers - he might have been having a bad day.

When the burger came (after about 10 minutes), it was done medium (they asked how I'd like it, and I said the grillperson should do it however s/he pleased), nicely charred on the outside, on a bed of grilled romaine. I asked for both red and green chile, and only note green on the burger - it's tasty, with a little heat on the lips. The purportedly NM-grown grass-fed beef (several exotic meat options are available) has a very nice taste to it. I'm very sure it would have tasted better eaten in, accompanied by one of the multitude of good beers they have on draft for $3/glass (didn't look quite like a pint, but I could be wrong as I just saw them carried nearby and did not handle one). I'll have to try that soon - definitely worth a return trip, though it might not be quite as edgy or remarkable as the marketing appears to want you to think.

[jjdot]

Thanks for the update Erich! It sounds like they are having some opening jitters. It does bug me that the manager never acknowledged you. I really feel like making you (the customer) feel comfortable is as big a part of their job as logistics etc. Yes, maybe it was a rough day, but my understanding is that he is hardly new at this. I think he also runs Bricklight Dive in the UNM area (among other things?). I haven't tried BD yet but a coworker just went and she said that the food was great and local beer (marble) cheap. Both place are now on the list to try.

[Erich]

Gianopoulous really did it right with the beer list - I love the Marble beers (and would even if they weren't local - they're just outstanding) and they are carrying Santa Fe Brewing Co (with its pretty wonderful Java Stout) as well as some custom house beers.

Oh, and speaking of opening jitters, they had a big sign up by the cash register with all the things that they didn't have - including all the shakes and meatballs. I look forward to seeing them hit their stride, and will definitely try it again.

[Erich]

FWIW, there was a line literally out the door at BRGR at lunch today (Friday).

[Erich]

Went back with Gina after work today: I had a Marble IPA (lovely, if warm-ish, 14 oz. (I'm pretty sure) for $3), a medium Mojo Mind burger ($6 - bacon, swiss, and a "zesty mojo sauce" that made the bottom of the burger pan absolutely drip with juice), and a pretty large side of battered green been fries ($3, served with mayo). Gina had a sparkling cosmo ($4, sparkling wine with fruit juice - she reports it was just right on the sweetness, and was very low in alcohol - of course), a pretty large side of sweet potato tots ($2), and a medium-well Enlightenment burger, no mayo ($6, onion rings and provolone - there was a distinct lavender taste to this - it was really good with lots of mustard). I later had another 14-oz. $3 beer (a Santa Fe Java Stout).

Service was quite good, with friendly servers who were more attentive than expected. People-watching on Central is pretty amusing. Gina's burger was pretty delicious. Mine was fine, but not as good as the first one I'd had a few weeks ago and definitely not as good as Gina's. The buns were a bit tougher than I like and - well - we wound up leaving about half of them. I'm all for eating bread if it's really good, but if it's just puffy and there - well, the bun was a weak point for me. The green beans were heavily battered and fried, and the sweet tater tots seemed to have been sweetened with some additional sugar in the stuff holding the potato pieces together. Both fried sides were tasty and were fried pretty well - they were crispy and delicious, yet did not get the hands greasy as they were eaten. We're not afraid to eat, and one of these sides would have been plenty.

We both agreed that the overall food experience was one of "really good bar food" - but not necessarily "really good food". We both envision returning - certainly for lunch, and probably on an occasional evening when we found ourselves in the area. I'd like to try out more of the menu.

Oh, and they were out of meatballs. Again. _Before_ the dinner rush started.

[Erich]

Oh, and "Holy Cow Burgers" ("a burger to die for") in the old Bob's fish-fry place is still walled off by construction fence and looks like it has MAJOR work yet to do before opening. I wonder if it'll actually happen.

[Erich]

Went to Little Red Hamburger Hut on 15th and Mountain yesterday for lunch, and got my usual 1/2-lb red/green everything-but-onions burger. Absolutely top of the pile, in my opinion. Outstanding.

They've started allowing upgrades from regular fries to chile-cheese fries in the combo . . . I would not recommend it. The chile and cheese are great, but they sog-out the otherwise perfect fries.

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Little Red Hamburger Hut
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM 87104

[jjdot]

I'm a fan of the Little Red as well--I can't always make it there when they're open but I'm always glad when I do.

I made it out to BrGr last week. I took a friend there for his birthday. They did a good job with the decor, it feels fun and urban and I like the round bar. They had lots of great beer on tap and it was reasonably priced. My friend wanted the yak but they didn't have it so he had the lamb. It was very tasty, though he said it could have been bigger. I had the Nirvana, a kobe beef burger "umami seasoned and parmesan encrusted, sauteed mushrooms, demi-glace" and I thought it was juicy and delicious. We shared the sweet tots and the french fries. all in all we really enjoyed our meal--service at the bar was good throughout and then...

since it was my friends birthday I snatched the bill and just handed over my credit card, big mistake. I had a also had a couple of beers so I wasn't a math whiz at the moment. About 2 hours later I was thinking , hey, I paid a lot for that dinner. So I dug the bill out of my purse and well, it was someone elses, a party of three, and I was overcharged by 20 plus dollars. Luckily I wasn't too far away so I schlepped back and went up to a guy who seemed to be a manager, he happened to be doing receipts as it was closing time. As soon as I walked up he knew who I was, the barman who made the mistake came up and apologized. They were very nice about it, but when I pulled out my card so that they could credit the transaction he said "it's easier for me if I give you cash." I said OK. Big mistake number two, but I was tired and wanted to go home. Of course later I realized that I had paid a 20 percent tip on a bill that was almost twice my actual bill. I guess it will come around to me some other way but I think the manager should have handled that differently. A disappointing end to what had been a good experience. Lesson learned--always check the bill!

[Erich]

Ouch. A good reminder for me, that's for sure.

Gina was carrying on again this weekend about how much she enjoyed BRGR. I think she liked the food more than I did on our visit last week. Which is funny, because she wound up eating a lot less of it - I know I ate the lion's share of the sides and at least half of her burger. (Not to mention the two beers!)

Maybe I'll give them another shot at lunch (I mean, it's right here), and this time eat in with a colleague.

[jjdot]

Holy Cow is open:http://www.bizjournals.com/mobil...

[Erich]

Good looking-out!

Reconnected with an old friend yesterday (we learned we were working just blocks from one another) at Little Red's (which he loved) and discovered that the Little Red Hamburger Hut is again changing its hours (now to 7:30 - 4:30 M-S). Will try to get over to Holy Cow in the next couple weeks now that I've got someone new to pal around downtown with at lunch.

-----
Little Red Hamburger Hut
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM 87104

[Erich]

New sign up over there at Little Red Hamburger Hut - now it's T-S, 7:30-4.

:-)

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Little Red Hamburger Hut
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM 87104

[Erich]

Was at Holy Cow (look for the adorable cow skull graphic - 700 Central SE, SE corner of Central and High in Albuquerque, just W of I-25, 505.242.2991) last night with some friends, and really liked it. This is despite the fact that I was a giant grouch heading out the door and really didn't want to be going out - so the fact that the Holy Cow people were able to pull me out of Mr. Grump mode and into having a delightful experience is pretty remarkable.

As you probably have read up-thread, Holy Cow is located in the old Bob's Fish & Chips Drive-In location (the Bob's sign is in the restroom). This area of Central ("Edo", if you're down with the developers) used to be pretty shady, though it now feels completely safe and in fact was absolutely full of walking families on this Friday evening.

We showed up at 7:30 on a Friday night and the place was hopping, but there were four-tops available inside as well as on the patio. The place was completely clean - it was hard to believe there was a rush on, but there it was. We weren't inside for three seconds before the manager was at our side, telling us to feel free to sit anywhere we'd like and taking us around pointing out available tables (very welcoming and professional). Inside was kind of loud (though nice and cool) and it was pleasant enough outside that we opted for outside. He left us (simple, two-sided) menus - I'm sorry didn't take a photo of one.

We hadn't been sitting for a minute when our waitress came by and apologized for taking so long to get to us. (! - seriously. This kind of service is what we saw all night long. These guys are awesome.) They have a decent selection of beer and a few wines - alas, they (apologetically) were out of the first two beers that I requested on draft. Ordered a decent Malbec ($6) and a glass of iced tea ($2.25, they were very good at keeping it full - had some sort of fruity flavoring in it, though) and waited for our friends. (Within another two minutes, a _second_ waitress came over to make sure that we were being taken care of. Awesome.)

Our friends were late, and our waitress came and asked whether we'd want a little something to nosh on while we waited. We asked for some of the zucchini fries ($3.5). We were enjoying our wine a few minutes later when the waitress came by to tell us that she was sorry that our zucchini fries were taking so long (they really weren't - it had been maybe ten minutes and we hadn't even really thought about them) and that the manager had comped them. She then set them on the table. They were nice and hot and breaded with panko, but not knock-me-over or anything. Our friends showed up just as the zukes did, and they got a couple of beers as well. So I went ahead and got a beer, too (pint of Blue Moon served with an orange slice, $4)

The menu is burgers ($8.5-9.5 range), sandwiches, fries ($3.5-4), shakes ($5, IIRC) and beers (c. $4-5) and wines (c. $6). They have a good variety of burgers with toppings already assigned, as well as a pretty amazingly lengthy list of add-ons that all are in the $1 range. We all got burgers (I got the blue cheese burger with bacon ($9), and added green chile ($.75) and a fried egg ($1) - one of us got a beet salad ($8 - everyone liked it), and we got an order of rings ($3) as well as sweet potato fries ($3) for the table.

Since it's the other nearby recently-opened frou-frou burger place, I have to compare Holy Cow to BRGR. Both serve the burgers medium by default, but will cook it any way you want. BRGR has odd things like yak burgers and Yeti burgers, whereas Holy Cow seems to have mostly regular beef (they have an eggplant and a fish sandwich as well. No mention was made on the Holy Cow menu about how each cow was raised by hand from an egg by certified beef therapists at a ranchito outside Chamizal and hand-fed unicorn tears from an eyedropper while being lovingly Shiatsu-massaged by Zen masters, yet somehow the beef was good and beefy. Both BRGR and Holy Cow use brioche rolls - I found the one at Holy Cow to have a better texture than those at BRGR, but I came away with the feeling that there was still too much bread for the burger. This was mitigated at Holy Cow by the copious add-ons I got, which were really done properly - the sandwich came with pretty delicious bacon and chunky blue cheese, but the green chile I added was tasty, a little fiery and smokey, and the egg I added (they asked how I wanted it done, and I went with over hard) was large and exactly the right thing to make it my-burger-done-my-way. I was pretty darned happy. Everyone else seemed pretty darned happy as well. Anyhow, BRGR sure has the beer selection won (tho Holy Cow's is fine) and BRGR may have a few more sides on the menu. BRGR certainly has more burger options in terms of exotic meat. Based on the one burger I've had at Holy Cow, the burger seems more to be the tasty well-grilled canvas on which the toppings make the sandwich shine, whereas BRGR seems to be more about the meat with the toppings taking a less central role.

I didn't taste the beet salad, but everyone else did and commented on how good it was with the dressing and thinly sliced beets in amidst the greens. I can tell you that the rings were just outstanding - made in-house (of course) with a Sierra Nevada beer batter, they were hot and crisp and just the right mix of sweet, salty and savory. I don't recall having had a better onion ring. The flavor of the batter was noteworthy enough to really add to the ring. The sweet potato fries were delicious - perhaps not the best I've ever had (that would be the perfectly fried ones I had in BsAs a couple years ago) but crisp and lightly salty on the outside, mealy and lightly sweet on the inside. They came with a terrific dipping sauce made of Greek yoghurt with jalapeño minced in - ah! The fries were just as good with the sauce as without - really a nice couple of sides.

All this remarkably good food was being prepared while the place was absolutely slammed, by the way, and the service never faltered one iota. Total after tip for four adults eating and drinking heartily and a decent tip was just over $100. The manager and waitresses frequently and unobtrusively checked on us while keeping everything full, fresh napkins available, and sides. They also patiently waited around while we jawed until they pretty much closed up the place (we were about the third table still seated). Lots of families, young couples on dates, cops, older couples, one giant (well-behaved) dog on the patio - it was a great experience.

I've already made plans to go back for lunch . . .

[DebitNM]

Might be good to do the Holy Cow review on a new thread,just sayin, to give them their just desserts,

[Erich]

Probably . . . it'll turn up in a search, tho, and I linked to this page over on their FB page. I'm not sure what Our Chowhound Overlords would think of me re-posting the same review in a separate thread, and this thread already mentioned HC so . . . Anyhow, Holy Cow is certainly doing pretty well and has gotten a decent little bit of press of late. The Yelpers already have two reviews up as well.

Man, I've got to stop eating so much carb, tho . . .

[Erich]

Went back to Holy Cow for lunch with an old friend (lunch crowd runs the gamut from lawyers to firefighters to construction workers to fathers with sons - all happily gobbling the great chow) - we both got the bleu cheese burger with a fried egg and green chile, and we split an order of rings. It was all fabulous and the service was spot-on. Ran into Ryan Scott from Break The Chain radio, who was kind enough to come over and say hello and introduce me to the owner, Chris Medina.

The bun again impressed me as pretty amazing, as was the overall sandwich - great textures, juicyness and flavors. I had my burger medium and the meat flavor was really something. The green chile definitely has a roasty flavor to it, and the bleu cheese is pretty powerfully sharp - it really stands up to the rest of the sandwich. We tore into the burgers pretty hard. The rings were again terrific - the flavor and texture of the batter really contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the onions. Perfect texture, a little greasier this time than last. A very good onion ring for the price.

As noted, service was terrific: folks working were all friendly, napkins just kept coming as they were needed (without requests being necessary), water never got below 1/2 full - and when I paid the tab in cash, there was none of this, "Do you need change?" - it was just whisked away and the change set down a minute later. Just great. The owner checked on us and took time to have a friendly chat even though it was lunch rush. This is a restaurant where everything seems to be done properly, and it's really earned a warm place in my heart after only two visits.

I've taken a couple more photos, and remembered to get the menu this time - not sure if it's legible, but it should be something to go on until they get their site up.

[DebitNM]

I FINALLY made it to Holy Cow and really liked my meal. I went in alone, sat at the bar and my order was quickly taken. It was a Saturday afternoon and it was rather busy with most indoor tables taken and even a few in the [now] enclosed patio.

I like to try basic things on a first visit, albeit a pizzeria or burger place, to set a standard and not get overwhelmed by the fancy fixin's. I had a simple medium burger with carmelized onions and an order of sweet potato fries.

since I was directly infront of the pickup area, I could see that plates sat there a tad longer than I thought was appropriate and there are no warming lights so I was thinking food might not be served piping hot.

My order took a fairly long time, close to 30 minutes, at this was at 1:30 pm. The wait was worth it, as the burger was juicy, cooked to my ordered medium. The only qualm was that there weren't enough pickle slices and that the raw onion rings were under shredded lettuce and were difficult to remove.

The portion of sweet potato fries was quite big and best shared. I would love to have tried the onion rings, but knew it would be way too much food.

The milk shakes looked good, nice and thick and made with ice cream and milk and mixed on a good old blender stand in a metal shaker. They were topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips. Again, passed on one cause it would near about killed me.

I give this a thumbs up and look forward to returning with a group so as to be able to try more items.

[DebitNM]

OK< went back again with the following differences: had a chocolate malt, omg, it was excellent. Split the Thai salad with hubby. It was huge and we each had plenty but I was less than thrilled. It was spicy but with no discernible flavor, certainly not Thai and overall it got a :meh". Onion rings were excellent, but a bit oily, but hey, who cares?

Might try a sandwich next time, they have some interesting sounding ones. But I think you gotta stick with burgers, fries, malts to see the true shine of the place.