"If you haven't eaten chile in New Mexico, you might not understand just how good a green chile cheeseburger can be. Unlike the limp, bland chilies that come out of a can, the chilies on this burger fairly glow with sunshiny vegetable flavor. In concert with beef, cheese and condiments, it's a taste of Roadfood heaven."
Michael Stern
"The inside is dark and cool, with a great old-time bar atmosphere. That is owner Bob Olguin sitting at the bar."
Cliff Strutz
"Due to recent attention by national magazines and television, the Buckhorn Tavern is no longer a local secret. We were told that people regularly drive from as far as Las Cruces and Albuquerque to eat here."
Cliff Strutz
"This green chile cheeseburger is one of the two reasons why the town of San Antonio is a Roadfood destination."
Cliff Strutz
"Here is a view of pretty much all of the commercial district of San Antonio. In the foreground at the right is the Buckhorn. On the other side of the street, towards the back, is the Owl Bar, also a green chile cheeseburger destination."
Michael Stern
"Frito pie, which may or may not have been invented in New Mexico, is a fiesta of different textures and, like the green chile cheeseburger, delivers its deliciousness in kaleidoscopic array."
Michael Stern
"Chile cheese fries, Christmas style. That means they are topped with both green and red chile. I wish the fries had been cooked crisp."
Michael Stern
"Dining with dollars. The Buckhorn Tavern is one of several worthy Roadfood places around the country that use dollar bills as wallpaper."
Michael Stern
"Bobby Olguin is no absentee celebrity chef. He is on hand in person as well as on this sign touting his fame."
Michael Stern
The Buckhorn can be maddeningly crowded, but if you are on a mission to eat New Mexico's top-ranked green chile cheeseburgers, it should not be missed. The meat itself is a wide, rugged patty about 1/2-inch thick, cooked medium so it is moist but not dripping juice, redolent of beefy flavor. While several burger variations are available, including a barbecue burger, a taco burger (on corn tortillas instead of a bun), and an Atkins plate (hold the bun), it is the big, juicy, fully dressed green chile cheeseburger, here titled the Buckhorn Burger, that has put this ramshackle tavern on the map.
