Is it the beef or the love?

LAGUNA – It all started eight years ago at Dancing Eagle Supermart. It is the ‘Laguna burger.’ Dana Riley and Glenda Waconda can be attributed to starting the great burger and today it is arguably noted as one of the state’s best green chile cheeseburgers.

After hundreds of trial runs, the famous recipe emerged as a combination of the freshest ingredients, spices and most importantly the process as the staff fondly refers to the “love” – hence the phrase ‘is it the beef or the love?’

“Both,” said cook Rochelle Fernando last week. “It’s the beef and the love.”

The burger has recently joined the state’s elite as one of the featured burgers on the New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail, created by the state tourism department.

In addition to being named to the trail, the Laguna burger has participated the past two years in the State Fair Green Chile Cheeseburger competition.

The famous burger is now being cooked at three locations – the original location, Dancing Eagle Supermarket; a new location at 66 Pit Stop at Exit 140 near Route 66 Casino west of Albuquerque; and the newly remodeled 66 Pit Stop at Exit 114 in Laguna.

The Exit 114 66 Pit Stop had added to its building and can now seat approximately 50, including seating on a outdoor patio. Until today, the store only had six counter stools. The store is closed today and will reopen tomorrow. On Saturday, May 21, the store in Laguna is hosting a grand opening from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event includes a Muscle Car Show of 15 autos. Store license plates will given to people who buy a Laguna Burger.

“With the expansion we hope to set the stage for the burger to grow in popularity,” explained LDC Chief of Retail Operations Earl Carrasco. “In the coming years our goal is to see more opportunities to grow the franchise as a result of this expansion.”

The Laguna Burger is one-half pound of ground beef delivered fresh everyday. The renovation includes a much-needed grill three times the size of the old one. The old grill could only fit nine burgers, the new one can accomodate 27.

Currently, the girls make 90 patties a day at the Laguna store, the busiest of the three, “And if we need more, no problem,” said Charlies Archuleta, Director of LDC Store Operations. “We will make them on the spot.”

The special recipe remains undisclosed.

“We’ve perfected the burger over time,” said Archuleta. “Although the new Laguna Burger expansion will take center stage at the grand opening on Saturday, the renovated 66 Pit Stop convenience store is a welcome change, revitalizing the Laguna community with a fresh, clean and always friendly place to make a pit stop.”

Archuleta said that approximately 90 percent of the Laguna store’s sales is the Laguna Burger.

KDSK 92.7 FM radio will be broadcasting from the grand opening.