By Richard Buchner
ALBUQUERQUE, NM —Laguna Burger, a local favorite known for its green chile cheeseburgers, is expanding with a new UNM-area restaurant at 105 Harvard Dr. S.E., where 505 Spirits once stood.
“Beer and burgers are cheap and good,” said Christina Apodaca, a UNM psychology student. She loved the atmosphere of 505 Spirits but thought it was too expensive, Apodaca said.
“It just felt like it was high class, and when you’re selling a product to a whole bunch of poor college students, there’s no connection with your demographics,” Apodaca said.
Laguna Burger began in 2005 as a burger stand inside a convenience store in the village of Old Laguna off I-40 east of Albuquerque. Since then, it has expanded to six locations across the Albuquerque area.
Apart from its vast selection of beer and burgers, the restaurant also offers various other local favorites. Laguna’s take on Frito Pie will still be on the menu, blending traditional New Mexican cuisine with conventional American-style dining. Laguna will also offer breakfast options, including “The Breakfast Wimp,” which consists of hashbrowns, cheese, mayo, two ground patties, and an over-easy egg.
In 2018, Laguna Burger partnered with UNM Athletics to become the official burger of the Lobos and many students know the burger chain from its food trucks and stand at The Pit.
