It looked so good. A diner called the Owl Café, its building topped by an owl's head.




Owl Café Exterior

It sounded so good. Started as a bar, early customers included Manhattan Project scientists, added a grill for burgers, relocated from near White Sands Missile Range to Albuquerque, still owned by the original family, host occasional hot rod nights. Oh, and their specialty is a green chili cheeseburger.

When the food landed in front of me, it still looked good. Burger plus peach pie for dessert. See for yourself!




Green Chili Cheeseburger




Peach Pie à la Mode


Oh, the disappointment!

Burger was bland. How in Julia Child's name can a green chili cheeseburger be bland???!!! The green chili was sparsely applied and had little spark. Fries not crisp in the least. The peach pie couldn't hold a candle to Dick's. Not even a hint of fresh, peachy taste. The whole meal was irredeemable! The tastiest thing served was the little bowl of beans and green chili served as a diner-style amuse bouche.

Even the whole family ownership thing may have been a charade although, because I dined at the Eubank location, that's not entirely clear.

I got back into the Buick, found the Interstate and continued westward, my gastronomic tail between my legs.