On our first trip to White Sands National Monument over 2 years ago we stopped in Hatch, New Mexico (yes home to "Hatch" green chile) and ate at Sparky's. The food was so delicious that we decided we needed to go there again.
Sparky's is almost the only resturant in Hatch. It's located at 115 Franklin St, Hatch, NM 87937 but to be honest you should have no problems finding it. Sparky's is located on the main road in Hatch, has multiple signs when entering town to guide you, as well as has numerous giant statues located outside and even on the opposite side of the street; if you're in doubt look for the long line of people waiting outside. Word to the wise, they are only open Thursday-Sunday 10:30-7.
Decor: good, Sparky's is definitely unforgettable. Outside has statues of everything from giant robots and T-Rex's to Colonel Sander's and the iconic Chili's pepper. The inside is just as eclectic; the resturant consists of 3 separate dining rooms as well as an outdoor seating area. There are fur trapper fortune tellers (you know like in the movie Big, except in that instance it was a sultan or something), fliers from past live music performances, road signs, multiple warnings against the consumption (or even possession) of alcohol on the premises and other things of the like.
Cleanliness: excellent, the resturant was packed, we went on Saturday at 12:30 so you can bet that everyone who had ever even heard of Sparky's was there to eat and the tables were still cleared quickly.
Food appearance: poor, there are no fuss or frills, plastic cups, self-service drink station, food served on paper plates or in paper boats.
Food taste: excellent, despite the lack of frills or fuss the food is clearly where Sparky's shines. Nate and I both ordered "The World Famous" combo; just a burger and fries, right? Definitely not! The burger is juicy and cooked to a perfect medium, the bun stands up to the juicy-ness of the burger (if you've ever had to eat a burger with a knife and fork because the bun fell apart, you understand why this is a big deal), the chile is fresh (obviously) seasoned and spicy, the cheese is melty and the fries! They're seasoned and wedge fries which everyone knows (or should anyway) that is one of the best fry varieties (tied with waffle and curly). This green chile cheeseburger is quite possibly the best I've ever eaten as as a life-long Burquena and New Mexican I would consider myself somewhat of an authority on the subject. We also got a Chile-Mango shake which was literally chile powder and mango syrup blended into vanilla soft serve. It was spicy and refreshing all at the same time.
Service: good, you order at the counter, get a number for your table, and the servers bring out your order.
Total: 11/15
If you're anywhere near Hatch and are craving what this blogger consideres the pinnacle of green chile cheeseburgers, go to Sparky's! It's honestly worth any trip to get there (well if you're already on the way because there is nothing in Hatch unless you are attending the annual Green Chile Festival in the fall).
It's good. I like.
ReplyDeleteNice review. I'd love to go to Sparky's again someday, and White Sands, too. Hope you've thawed out by now.
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