Bulldog Burgers (Albuquerque, NM)
The other day, after leaving Slate Street Café (home to many tasty delights, one of them being a fantastic burger), Of the Rose was traveling south on 6th street toward Lomas and passed the bail bonds places when he noticed a hand-painted sign advertising burgers. So yesterday, we went to find out what was up.
As you approach the Bulldog Burger hut, you are directed to drive around back where you can choose one of three snazzy parking spots. In front of them sit three shaded benches (with umbrellas, and for that we thank them) and a tiny building from which you can purchase a bail bond and/or burger. As neither of us are behind bars (at the moment), we decided to go for the cheeseburgers, which, lucky for us, are Monday’s special.
Bulldog Burgers offers a limited menu, with choices such as breakfast burritos, hot dogs, green chile stew, red chile cheese enchiladas, or cheeseburgers- it is an Albuquerque specific menu, to say the least. Naturally, we were excited from the start. The bulldog burger gets points for being reasonably priced at $3.59, or $5.89 for a Bulldog Burger Meal- which comes with a 24oz drink, chips, and a pickle. On Mondays, the Burger Meal is discounted to $5.29 (woo hoo), so we got to save some pocket change on that one. Being a non-native and a bit of a wimp, Lindsay G Rocks went for a regular cheeseburger while Of the Rose chose the green chile for his.
The cheeseburger arrived moments later wrapped in love from the little window in the side of the AAA Bail Bonds building. The lady making them wrapped them with so much care, the dill pickle spears were still cold and refreshing once unraveled from their tin-foil cocoons. The burgers were moist, delicate, and in general, packed with awesomeness. A full slice of onion, not just a couple rings, was nestled inside, which raised an eyebrow from Lindsay G Rocks but the real shocker came packed in the chile on Of the Rose’s cheeseburger. We had to ask where such green chile had originated -- turns out it comes from Artesia, which is in the southeastern part of New Mexico. We are going to venture a guess that this region grows some really hot green chile. Like, really. Full, flavorful and tongue-sweat-causing green chile. More on that hypothesis later.
Overall, the Bulldog Burger received the rating of seven stars. Three stars for atmosphere and four for a consistent burger made with love. The atmosphere was awesomely hilarious, and it is nice to sit outside in the lovely New Mexico June under the Southwest’s desert sky (shame it was packed with ash from the fires in Arizona that day) and enjoy a tasty treat. If you live or work in Downtown Albuquerque, the Bulldog Burger is an excellent option for fast and satisfying lunch.