Celebrate National Burger Day in El Paso and New Mexico with these 7 restaurants
There's no better day to talk about burgers than on National Burger Day, Thursday, Aug. 24.
National Burger Day celebrates the invention of the mouth-watering, well-seasoned, ground beef patty between two buns. According to nationaltoday.com, there were several concoctions of a ground minced meat dish by the Mongols in the 13th century A.D. But it was two New York brothers in the 1880s who invented the burger when they ran out of pork sausage for their sandwiches.
Years later, the McDonald Brothers started making burgers in California and therefore the beginning of the largest fast-food chain in the world. Burger King would later appear and become McDonald's biggest challenger.
Around El Paso and in New Mexico, El Pasoans have a lot of choices when it comes to burgers. Many local restaurants either focus on burgers or offer a burger with some kind of twist, whether it's extra meat, some locally grown green chile or some other topping.
Here is a reminder of some great places to visit when hankering for a burger.
Panda Burgers on the East Side
If you're looking for a burger whose presentation is outside of the box, then Panda Burgers, at 10780 Pebble Hills Blvd., is the place to visit. The popular joint offers a variety of specialty burgers, from the Super Panda, ($15) a double cheeseburger with a quesadilla, to the Super GZoss, a cheeseburger topped with two carne asada tacos and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and onion.
On Wednesdays, the Eastside shop offers $6.50 burgers and $2.50 Tecates; so check it out.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.
Eloise on the West Side
Eloise, owned by El Paso musician Jim Ward, is a whole mood — a cool restaurant and bar with dim lighting, a good selection of beers and an irresistible Pub Burger, $14, among other dishes, including vegetarian.
The restaurant is at 126 Shadow Mountain Drive, Suite A, with tables around a large center bar. The pink and light green color palette was inspired by filmmaker Wes Anderson. Eloise is a place for college friends to meet up or for younger people to treat mom and dad to a meal.
The Pub Burger is hard to hold with a big well-seasoned patty with brie, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and Dijon mustard in a pair of house buns. It also comes with a big serving of shoestring fries. Other sides available include rosemary potato chips, artichoke and cucumber salad and sautéed vegetables. A vegan patty is an option for those like Ward, who don't eat meat.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Grab a burger at the El Paso Chihuahuas
The El Paso Chihuahuas have less than 18 games to their 2023 season, so make plans to get out there and have some baseball fun if you haven't already.
While many go to actually watch baseball players make some great plays, some of us like to check out the players and the food. For that side of the stadium, let's talk about the Jalapeño Popper Burger.
The food services have several kinds of burgers on the menu. But one of our favorites is the Jalapeño Popper Burger with a cream cheese dressing, cheddar cheese and a popper on top. You get both the flavor of the burger and an appetizer all wrapped in one. Winning!
Try Wahlburgers in New Mexico
Sometimes you have to try places just so no one tells you about it. That's the case of Wahlburgers, the famed burger place started by Paul Wahlburger, brother to the more famous siblings, Donny and Mark.
The closest Wahlburger's is actually a food court shop at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero. And soon after it opened, we were among those that had to see what the fuss was all about.
We walked up to the counter and ordered the Double Decker ($11.45). Employees ask you how you want the patties cooked, which is a nice feature for being a food court setup. The Double is made up of two beef patties, "government cheese," shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and Paul's signature Wahl sauce. The French fries, onion rings, and tater tots are separate and $3.75 each.
Frisco Burger and Papa Eric's Burgers
If you're from El Paso, you have to have these places — Frisco and Papa Eric's Burgers, on your mental rolodex of burger staples.
So that's why we are grouping them together. They are solid choices any day of the week, whether you are by yourself or have some friends in town.
Frisco Burger is on the East Side at 3111 N. Yarbrough Drive and is known for its signature Green Chile and Avocado Burger with grilled onions. Papa Eric's Burgers has several locations around El Paso and has the type of burgers that take two hands to hold. The green chile sauce they serve also should be added to every bite.
Sparky's in Hatch
Any foodie list on burgers or barbecue has to include Sparky's, at 115 Franklin St. in Hatch, New Mexico. The popular place has been featured in various magazines and its owners have even been nominees for a James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest category in 2020.
They are only open Thursday through Sunday, which may be a reason there's usually a line wrapping around the restaurant. But there's always some statue or patio decor to keep you busy while you wait.
The spot is famous for its green chile cheeseburger, which can be a combo with a side and a drink. For the heartier appetite, try the Oinker, which is a green chile cheeseburger patty topped with a quarter pound of smoked pulled pork in between two super soft buns. The combo, which includes a side and a drink, costs $16.49.
Restaurant hours: 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant also is bringing back live music from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
More: Are you an El Paso foodie? Take our quiz
For those who like to complain about what El Paso doesn't have, here's a short list of burger places.
In-N-Out Burger
Probably at the top of the list. Many people constantly like to talk about whether it's better than other franchises we do have. And many make sure to stop and get a burger when they travel to California, which is where it all started. The nearest ones might be four hours away inTucson and six hours away in Phoenix.
White Castle
Another famous franchise that has not made its way to El Paso. The franchise, originally from Kansas, is known for small, square hamburgers, or sliders, made in their signature buns. Different and not bad.
Krystal Burgers
Originated in Tennesee, is another popular small burger place. The burgers are known for being tiny but full of flavor and with grilled onions.
Is there a place we are missing on this list, let us know.
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150, mcortes@elpasotimes.com and @EPTMaria on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: National Burger Day 2023: El Paso restaurants to try Aug. 24
