Oscar Winning Performance
The pleasure you have with dining here is unsurpassed. The food is absolutely great and the burgers are the best you will have anywhere. Pies are like your mamas. The one thing that stands out above all else in this little out of the way adobe is the people who own and operate it. These folks have found the key to hospitality and serve it with every meal. Thanks Magdalena Cafe for the great food and friendship you allowed me to enjoy.    [11 Feb 2002 12:22:16]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: chilli cheese burger, pies

     ­t. ray, DOD   rayt at wes dot army dot mil

Magdelena Burger at the Magdelena Cafe!!
A couple of years ago, we were on our way to visit the VLA (Very Large Array) which is located just 21 miles west of the nearest town, which is Magdelena, New Mexico. As far away as Socorro, people had been telling us to stop in at the Magdalena Cafe and try their Magdalena Burger. Well, you can almost aways tell if a restaurant is good by the number of cars out front (or lack there of), and the Magdelena Cafe was no exception; cars were packed around this little cement block building on the west side of Magdalena. Once inside this small, crowded, building, and its very plain dining room and steamy kitchen area visible through the doorway behind the cash register (by the way, I rate all this very highly, because this is just the way I love my restuarants!), I couldn't wait to try their specialty: the Magdalena Burger, which is a great hamburger topped with a large slice of grilled Orange Bell Pepper, in addition to any other normal burger additions. I found this burger to be excellent! And the grilled Orange Bell Pepper added a great aroma and flavor to the burger.
I HIGHLY recommend this, as well as a great slice of their pie.
Enjoy! We did!    [02 Jun 2006 21:04:58]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Magdalena Burger

     ­Steve, Crawfordsville, Indiana   ka9ppa at sbcglobal dot net

Good grub!
Don't miss this hidden treasure a half block off the beaten track - it's a traditional small town cafe that feels like it's from a bygone era, since the owners obviously have a personal relationship with their customers and the establishment serves as a social hub for the surrounding area. After the cafe opens for breakfast at 7 AM you'll find it filled with local cowboy ranchers and farmers and be surrounded by the banter of friends and neighbors starting their day while enjoying each other's company over coffee ...try the huevos rancheros, homemade biscuits and gravy or a short stack with two over easy and a side of green*). There are wonderful daily specials on the lunch and dinner menus but the entire cuisine is truly remarkable, thanks to the exceptional dedication of the owners and their cooks. The green chile cheese burgers and baked-from-scratch pies are legendary but don't pass up the chance for one of their mouth watering steaks - selected by and for New Mexicans who really know their beef.

In short - y'all come if you're hungry, particularly if it's for an experience of real New Mexican food and hospitality.

* forget everything you know about 'chili' If you're not from NM, because with all due respect this isn't like the lesser examples you'll find in Texas or the Mid-West. Chile is a unique local staple that comes in two basic forms, referred to as either "green" or "red" (some of the best of both are from near-by Hatch NM, the self-proclaimed "Chile Capital of the World"). Green chiles are picked unripe and fire-roasted before being peeled for use, while red chiles are allowed to ripen and dry on the vine before being ground into a powder. Red chile is generally perceived as being 'hotter' or more piquant than green chile since it's effects are felt on the tongue and mouth rather then in the stomach. Ask for 'Christmas' if you want to taste them both in a single dish - and get some sour cream or milk to dampen the fire. In any case prepare to have your sense of well-being stimulated and heightened by the potent physiological and pharmacological effects of chile.

   [02 Oct 2007 13:17:11]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Everything (I kid you not!)

     ­Mike (an old Norteño)