Blake’s Lotaburger

Don’t know about the burgers here… but the brkfst burrito with bacon and green chilies was awesome.

I’ve eaten at Blake’s a handful of times and was never impressed by their burgers. I always go to Five Star Burger for a great burger, even though there’s a Blake’s one block from my home.
I never left a review because it seemed pointless. You kinda know what you’re getting when you look for a greasy burger joint. They don’t promise more.
However, an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican under the title «Workers allege harassment, retaliation at Blake’s Lotaburger» has caused me to write.
If you wish to know more, look up the article.
And I’m refusing to eat here until corporate changes its approach to how its employees are treated. I hope to change my Blake’s reviews once they reconsider how they handle sexual harassment charges in their business model.

i walked into a slow time and the cooks gave me dirty looks. I was the only one there and the cook screamed my number out loud right in front of me when my burger was ready. the overly make-​uped manager had no people skills. when i picked up my food, the cook looked over me and i had to force eye contact. i said «thank you», not sure what i did wrong, that cook is lucky i didnt knock him out. fuck Lotaburger for making feel like a jerk for being hungry… i guess my skin was too pale to get respect as i witnessed the staff joking with a Spanish speaking customer who arrived after me. sorry, I thought I still lived in the US. #fuck_​lotaburger

9 people working this morning and it still takes 20+ minutes to get a breakfast burrito.
Also, there’s no green chile in my burrito. This seems to be a recurring issue with this restaurant.

Fast and easy. Great quality for fast food. There menu is simple and delicious. Great breakfast burriros.

I had a classic double double. Cooked fresh, in viewing distance. Also ordered season fries. Wife says patty is a bit bland. «Put some salt and pepper on that $#!+ when you cook it «she says. I loved my burger and fried. Also had those ketchup packets that you dip into.
Great grub when coming back from colorful Colorado with a colorful appetite.

Typical Blake’s Lotaburger — when it comes to hamburgers, they all seem to be very consistent in their preparation. I haven’t had breakfast so this is a review for burger, onion rings, and strawberry shake.
I’ll put a double meat Itsa Burger with cheese and green chile up against any other chain out there or not here (re: In’N’Out).
The onion rings were very good, especially if you like them very crispy.
The strawberry shake could have used a little more strawberry flavor.
This particular site is nice because:
Has both indoor and outdoor seating.
Good central location in Santa Fe.
Not so nice because:
Parking lot needs repaving.
Staff seems a little chatty and miss things, my order was missing cup of water.

I’ve given this location chance after chance. After coming home with a sausage breakfast burrito smothered in red when I ordered double bacon and green, and then called and told I couldn’t get a refund, I’m done. They lost not only me as a customer, but all my coworkers who I had gotten burritos for over the years. Looks like El Parasol has found a new regular.

I’ve been to this blakes several times and every time it’s a disappointment. Yesterday I ordered the breakfast burrito. You know the one. With bacon cheese eggs hash browns and GREEN CHILE!
Apparently, this blakes thinks there is a world wide shortage of green chile. (Well. Maybe there is). But in New Mexico there is not. Since I tasted no spice of delight I decided to investigate. During the surgery, it was determined this breakfast burrito had not one, but two whole pieces of chopped green chile. What the heck?
Also. Such sloppy folding of a simple burrito. And burnt slice (note the singular) of bacon. It was a giant mess that found its way into the trash.
Luckily, the blakes near where I live is usually much better. (However even they have a hard time getting an order right. But that’s another story).
Sorry blakes, st michaels street. You’ve lost a customer for good this time.

Double bacon cheeseburger with no chili, fries and onion rings… very tasty, might even go back for another before i leave!

They get no stAr and lost a customer before they even got what possibly could have been a regular while I’m working here… I give courtesy and respect it in return. Asked chic about what type of fries (yes I have fry fetish. She kept hatefully repeating «regular» over and over even when I asked «crinkle cut, steak, shoestring, so I kindly said thanks bye!!!

Painfully slow, overcooked food, and easily the most openly racist staff I’ve ever seen at a Blake’s, which puts them high in the running for most racist slopshop worldwide. AVOID.

I really like this place, they were nice and made me an off menu grilled cheese. I also had their sweet tea. Which was good at first then had a strange taste later but was still good. The fries were ok. My dinner companions liked their tasty burgers. Staff was obliging to me as a vegetarian. Especially since they aren’t a very vegetarian friendly establishment.

Really quality burger, fries an shake. Love the simple 1950’s style of the place which had been retained. The food seems simple and tasty.

Did I eat a brick? Ugh. It’s 5 stars compared to fast food, but I can’t say it’s A-​Ok as I’d prefer to pay a little more and get a bigger better brick for mah belly! People love Blakes and it is a new mexico tradition… no hate here, but it is what it is.

As of late their burgers have really suffered. The meat is not the same as it was in the past few years. Not sure what’s going on there. It’s thicker and often times almost feels like it wasn’t cooked through. Like it came out cooked from the freezer and then warmed up on the grill. I had one recently that had cooked blood around the sides and it tasted old. I thought it might be a particular restaurant and have since switched but both places had subpar burgers. Really sucks because their burgers used to be the bomb.

Don’t go. I’ve been coming here for three years once a week because these are the best burritos in town, and I bring my son and we sit and watch them make the burritos. Today I watched them take chile in giant plastic bags and heat them up IN THE BAGS ON THE GRILL. Incredibly unsafe. I had already eaten as I watched them do this and contemplated making myself throw up. So this place and all the Blake’s have been favorite spots for us but this is literally putting poison in the food in a careless manner. I can’t go back.

I just don’t fully «get» Blake’s.
I don’t get that they have good burgers, good fries, GREAT onion rings, but shitty restaurants. I don’t get why the restaurants and parking lots are set up like a drive in, but don’t operate as such. I mean, most of their restaurants have hardly any seating, but HUGE parking lots for like 30 cars, and the lots are set up with diagonal parking just like a Sonic but without the menu boards and carhops. When we visited, there were 4 people eating inside the restaurant, and 10 people eating in their cars. Us? We ate in the car.
I don’t get that they are known for their Green Chile Cheeseburgers, yet they don’t offer a straight up Green Chile Cheeseburger on their menu. You have to order GC on the burger, and it costs extra.
I don’t get that this is a local chain, and a pretty successful one as far as I can tell, but the restaurants and employees all seem old and dirty. If white is going to be your primary wall color, counter color, and uniform color, you had better keep everyone and everything pretty damn clean.
Blake’s is a New Mexico institution. Everyone I’ve met that is from the area was always surprised I had never eaten there in my many visits I used to make to NM. And after I tried it once, I now almost always eat at Blake’s when I visit. The Green Chile on their burgers make for a quick and satisfying GC fix. The GC is addicting, and the burgers, fries, and rings are also very good. I would love to see the ownership reinvest some cash into their restaurants, re-​imagine their menu to include some «all in one» burgers and combos, and retrain all of the customer facing employees to be more friendly and to enunciate instead of mumble. Make it the Southwest’s In N Out Burger. It wouldn’t be that hard.

I’ve always had a soft spot for this place but I feel a lot of my love for Blake’s is from having grown up in Santa Fe. For my money, it’s the best quick burger after Bert’s Burger Bowl. Having lived in Los Angeles for the last 11 years, I can’t say Blake’s could come within a mile of In N’ Out or Fatburger for that matter, but it’s definitely a lot better than the other major burger chains in town.
BE WARNED: These guys slather their burgers in very tart, cheap mustard. Personally, I ask they leave it off altogether.
If you want a quick burger late in the evening (but not too late since they close at like 9:30), you’ll do just fine at Blake’s.

Blake’s is a New Mexico chain and has been around for years and I have many happy memories of stopping by for a fresh burger (with green chili and cheese of course) and eating it on those funky outdoor tables.
And Jeanne d. is right, the onion rings (light and crispy) are superb!