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Isleta restaurant dominates Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge
Nine restaurants from across the state came together at the New Mexico State Fair Monday to compete in the Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge.
Isleta Grill prevailed, winning both the Judges Choice and Peoples Choice competitions.
鈥淲e originally came out just to get our name on the map and bring light to Isleta Pueblo in a good way,鈥 Leticia Romero, owner of Isleta Grill, said. 鈥淎nd I think we did it.鈥
Grills lit up at noon, with each restaurant making burgers that were split among the 10 judges. The lineup of judges included Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, New Mexico State Fair Queen Kaitlyn Maria and 98.5-FM radio personality Chaz Malibu.
Malibu judged in the first Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge and has judged several times since. He said Best Green Chile Cheeseburger is a title every restaurant wants.
鈥淚t鈥檚 neat because nobody understands how the green chile cheeseburger is literally what epitomizes New Mexico meals 鈥 because it鈥檚 the go-to in New Mexico,鈥 Malibu said.
A Willy Wonka-style contest helped determine some of the judges.
Fairgoers had a chance to line up to receive an envelope. Out of the 300 envelopes distributed, 100 contained a golden ticket that granted them a wristband, providing access to try every restaurant鈥檚 burger and cast a ballot.
Among the People鈥檚 Choice judges was Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina, who said it is important to support these local restaurants 鈥 located from Albuquerque to Hatch to Questa 鈥 because it gets people traveling around the state to try out these burgers.
鈥淵ou see how many people gravitate to actually travel to that part of town or that part of the state just to try them out,鈥 Medina said.
Each burger had its differences, such as the Isleta Grill burger, which used frybread instead of a traditional hamburger bun.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 another new staple of New Mexico 鈥 ,鈥 Romero said. 鈥淲e wanted to just elevate it and bring something different. We didn鈥檛 want to do the same thing.鈥
This was Isleta Grill鈥檚 second year in the competition and they won Judges Choice in 2024. The restaurant is in the Isleta One Stop convenience center, just north of Isleta Resort and Casino.
The other restaurants that competed included Downshift Brewing Co.; Fuego 505; Craft Republic; Owl Caf茅; The Grill at The Sheraton; Sparky鈥檚 Burgers, BBQ & Espresso; Grill at the Monte Carlo; and Laguna Burger.
Medina enjoys trying all the restaurants鈥 burgers, he said, because it gives a chance to taste all the various techniques used to make a cheeseburger.
鈥淏eing able to be out here and get a taste of New Mexico (and) see how people can bring a different twist on a New Mexico classic green chile cheeseburger, it鈥檚 interesting,鈥 Medina said.
Keller said the competition is 鈥渏ust so uniquely New Mexico.鈥 He enjoys judging the competition, he said, because it supports the state and local economy and because it is fun.
鈥淚 think at the end of the day, we all have various challenges, but we can all love a good green chile cheeseburger,鈥 Keller said.