When we travel around the Southwest, we stick with the 75% planed, 25% spontaneous rule. We also do a lot of research for our scheduled time, and if there is a remarkable Green Chile Cheeseburger anywhere near or on route to the destination — we stop. GCCBs are to the Southwest like po-boys are to New Orleans, burnt ends are to Kansas City, and the cheesesteak is to Philly.
So, as were were making plans for Santa Fe, we were watching a show called Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food Channel) and it was all about burgers. Some pretty amazing burgers … french onion soup inspired, mountainous topping piled burgers, cheese stuffed, a veggie version with pickled and guacamole toppings. And the whole time we’re watching, we’re talking to the TV –“What about the GCCB?” I mean, we were taking it personally!
And then they began to describe …
This! The Santa Fe Bite Green Chile Cheeseburger!
We praised the show, “Good job, you got it right. Good for you.”
We can’t tell you anything about The Bite’s breakfasts, steaks, chops, or tacos because this top left portion of the menu is our focal point.
The cheese is a gooey combination of white American and Swiss, with a homemade bun.
Butter crisp grilled.
Fresh sliced onion for crunch.
Under the cheese and bacon is a hefty spoonful of low/medium heat chopped green chile. No catsup or mustard. Doesn’t need it. This is perfection!
The outdoor patio, a favorite spot on a nice sunny day.
They have a great (and very reasonably priced) beer and wine menu, too.
You might hear people in Santa Fe call them The Bobcat Bite. This was the name of their first restaurant that was located on the outskirts of the city, when the menu was strictly burgers, chops and steaks. They called it the Bobcat because when they first opened, bobcats in the area would come down, and people would toss them scraps. The bobcats would come back for more, and became mascots of the place. Then, the owners moved to the historic plaza area and re-named it the Santa Fe Bite.
They were sure to bring the original cast iron grill with them, and locals swear that this perfect GCCB remains the same best ever burger.
They’re within walking distance of the Plaza, at the intersection of Alameda and Old Santa Fe Trail. Inside Garrett’s Desert Inn.
A trip to Santa Fe will not be complete without experiencing this!
Buen Provecho!
Amy and Mr.D
Note: Sad news … this post was originally written in 2015 and we recently learned that The Santa Fe Bite closed their doors in Oct. of 2018. The owners were ready to open a new chapter on life, semi-retire and let’s face it, the restaurant business is all-consuming. They will be missed, and all of Santa Fe is still in mourning.
