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So apparently all I eat in New Mexico is hamburgers.  So What.  I like hamburgers, and it’s the only state where they’ll throw green chilies on them, so I load up while I’m in the state.  Besides, I gotta warm up my meat gland before the barbecue onslaught that begins when we hit Springfield.  I’ve gotta have my intestinal track in carnivore mode before we get to Kansas City.

Enter Blake’s Lotaburger.  Like Bobcat Bite, I’ve eaten here before, and I’ve come back for more burger-y love.  The best way to explain the basic premise behind Lotaburger, is to call it the Santa Fe version of Tommy’s shack. Everything is made to order, and the patty is almost razor thin.  Where Tommy’s makes use of their legendary chili, a proper Lotaburger has a nice coating of spicy red and green chili on top.  Also like Tommy’s, Lotaburger has an excellent slogan, which is emblazoned on their bags - “If you are what you eat, you are awesome.“  This slogan is spouted by a drawing of an Uncle Sam-ish character or mysterious origin - perhaps he’s the Lotaman?

There’s something wonderfully idiosyncratic about the process of food prep at Lotaburger.  They write down your order on the back of the bag it’s going to be served in, and the folks working the grill, frying and topping stations pass the bags back and forth.  They follow this up by attaching each bag in your order to another by spearing them together with a toothpick, they use this same method to seal the corner shaped bag that contains your burger.

Fortune smiled on us during this visit to Lotaburger.  It’s a bit of a wait and I was in line behind two women, one of whom worked at Lotaburger as a teenager, as they conversed.  Outside of some technical details of the assembly line process by which each burger is made.  So that’s a positive - folks who worked there as teens still eat there.  Probably means that there’s nothing shockingly disturbing going down in the kitchen.

While we were eating, a metalworker named Tomas joined us at our table.  Further extending Lotaburger’s credibility, he informed us that he has been eating at Lotaburger, at this location, for 45 years, and that the same woman has worked the order window the whole time.  And like everyone we seem to run into during our travels, he knows San Pedro.  Years ago, he worked as a welder and pipe-fitter at Pier 5 in Long Beach Harbor.

an aside - both times I’ve eaten at Lotaburger the customer base has intrigued me.  It’s a mix of super blue collar Latinos and white office workers - everyone seems to eat there.  There’s always a bit of a weirdness, too.  Last time there was this really strange guy on a recumbent bike, who wouldn’t leave his low slung position to do anything, and this time there was a pack of developmentally disabled adults, at least of one who’s Wookie-like yelp revealed exceptional excitement.

above - the burger.  While nothing to look at, it’s delicious from top to bottom.  The magic is in the chilies, a spicy-sweet mix that infuses every bite with peppery goodness.  There’s no sauce on the burger, so you’ve got to provide you’re own from the ones on hand.  I added a little ketchup, but this burger really needs nothing, a simple snack.  The patty is labeled as Angus beef, but that’s largely meaningless to me.  It’s well done and has a nice greasy grilled flavour.  The bun is light, and the whole thing makes a nice snack. 

above - fries.  I’m an idiot for not ordering my own.  I usually will skip the fries, unless their reputation is legendary, as they’re usually a disappointment.  I must have had a lapse in memory, as these are glorious fries.  I don’t know if they’re cut on site, but they’re skin on and have an excellent crispy exterior, matched by a soft and potato-y interior.  They’ve got a bit of that beef tallow flavour that McDonald’s built an empire on, and they’re filling, but not in a greasebomb way.  Few good burger joints have fries to match their burger, but at Lotaburger the burger and fries are exceptionally matched.  They give you little packets of iodized salt to go with the fries, too, and little tubs of ketchup.

The damage.  The two of us were lunched up for about ten bucks, and we shared fries and I had a Gatorade from the car.  So it’s definitely easy on the pocketbook, and it’s by no means a gut-busting commitment, so you’re not wandering about feeling like a blimp all day.