TUCKED INSIDE AN ADOBE facade off historic Route 66, Bibo Bar & Grille is no stranger to shifting with the times. The original building was a trading post in 1913 and went through a series of twists and turns. In the 1950s, the restaurant sold Spanish cuisine. But since 2007, Bibo has been an epicenter of green chile cheeseburgers and New Mexican biker legions. “Everyone comes for the green chile cheeseburgers,” says Maria Kanesta, the bar and restaurant manager. The secret? Bibo uses the hottest Hatch chiles available, attracting bikers from across the state for weekly roundups from early March into the close of summer. The insider’s scoop is to try the fried chicken sandwiches. A chicken breast is filleted by hand, breaded, and fried. To Kanesta, the love that goes into the sandwiches exemplifies Bibo’s values: The entire dish is handmade, start to finish.
Try this: To eat like a local, go straight for the hot wings. “They’re fried crispy with Buffalo sauce,” says Kanesta. “They speak for themselves.” Founded: 2007. Region: Northwest. Price: $. facebook.com/bibobar