Santa Fe, N.M.
Initially a trading post and then a gun shop, in 1953 rancher Rene Clayton put this ragged, pink adobe building to better use: a roadside diner serving one of the best hamburgers in the country. Now owned by John and Bonnie Eckre,
Bobcat Bite’s was named for the bobcats that used to come down from the dusty New Mexican hills to kindly relieve the restaurant of its scraps.
BB’s signature green chili cheeseburger is built from freshly ground antibiotic- and hormone-free chuck steak and topped with diced green chilies (from nearby Hatch, America’s chili capital) held in place by a slice of white cheddar. The key to the burger is the 50-year-old cast-iron griddle, which leaves the patty crunchy on the outside and as rare as you want it in the middle.
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