Standard Diner

Standard Diner
Address: 320 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 243-1440
Website: www.standarddiner.com
Known For: Diner Food Turned Upscale
What I had: Bourbon Butter Burger
Price: $11.27
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

I was not a fan of Albuquerque prior to dining here….I now change my tune, I love it here! This meal was absolutely phenomenal. I don’t know if food has ever changed my perception of a city so much. Every single thing was perfect. I was in the mood for a cheeseburger and I knew that the Standard Diner was renowned for their Bourbon Butter Burger and if I was going to get that I wanted to try it “as is” and not with cheese. The thing is, I don’t know if I’ve ever ordered a plain hamburger, it’s never made any sense to me not to add cheese. Ever sense I can remember, harking back all the way to my Happy Meal days, I’ve gotten a cheeseburger. I figured, what the heck, I’ll try it as the chef wants me to, so I ordered the Bourbon Butter Burger straight up. It comes with french fries but you can upgrade to sweet potato fries as well. I asked if they’d give me half sweet potato and half regular and my waiter assured me they could, no problem.

I was giddy when my burger arrived, it looked fantastic. I tried the fries first and they were superb, both varieties. Cooked perfectly, perfect width, perfect seasoning. I’d say the Sweet Potato fries were better but that’s like stating that Giselle is better looking than Victoria Beckham (or Padma for me). Both were extremely fresh, crispy yet soft inside (kind of like those girls too :P). The Sweet Potato fries were the best I’ve ever had of that variety, some how they managed not to be overly sweet which I’ve found the case on occasion.

Next, on to the burger. Hands down, the best burger I’ve had in as long as I can remember, honestly. One thing I normally do is slather on whatever condiments I can to a burger, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, hot sauce, you name it, I’ll add it. Like I said I wanted to try this as the chef intended so I opted to restrain myself. Man am I glad I did. This burger was perfect. It was cooked exactly how I asked (just above Medium) and deliciously juicy. The maple infused Bourbon butter was amazing. You think at first this might overpower the taste of the meat with “greasiness” but all it does is add layers of flavor to the party that’s already taking place in your mouth. The well seasoned beef mixed with the richness of the butter and a hint of maple is to die for. I can still taste this masterpiece on my tongue.

Combined with the absolutely fabulous bun, this was a true work of art. I’m not sure the exact type of bun but it was almost like a small French loaf and it was toasted to perfection. The burger came with extremely fresh lettuce, tomato and onions. I literally could continue to speak about every minute thing about this burger but I’ll just say, to my recollection it is the best burger I’ve ever had. You know what….scratch that this is the best burger I have ever had, period.

I don’t mean to sound like a lunatic or overly enthusiastic but it really was that good. The is a truly fantastic place to dine in. They offer “diner” fare in an upscale environment and I’m guessing everything else is just as good as what I experienced. Some of the items they offer are a lobster Caesar salad, country fried tuna with a wasabi guacamole, a green chile turkey melt and mac & cheese with a Guinness and Irish cheddar sauce.

The staff was top-notch, friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and attentive. You’ll pay slightly more than somewhere else but it’s worth every penny and more. I was stuffed full after my meal but their dessert menu looked so darn good, they make everything in-house including five flavors of ice cream, four of sorbet, a Tiramisu Cheesecake, a chocolate cake, an apple pie with butterscotch and fig, amongst others. Sadly I had to pass on a sweet. I would, however, stop in here again in a heartbeat and try one next time. Please heed my advice and have a meal here if you’re anywhere within 3000 miles, you will not regret it.

Standard Diner

Standard Diner Dining Room

Burger & Fries

Bourbon Butter Burger

French Fries & Sweet Potato Fries

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Further reading:
www.yelp.com/biz/standard-diner-albuquerque
www.urbanspoon.com/r/60/651126/restaurant/Huning-Highland/Standard-Diner-Albuquerque

Aug 31, 2009 @ 17:31