Bibo Bar & Grill / Motorcycle Destinations

Motorcycles are definitely one of the most beautiful ways to see the world. Along the way, riders always seem to find the most curvy roads, the best restaurants, the coldest beer, and the most interesting destinations. And I've learned that the best way to find them is to simply ask the ride. That's why I asked over 750,000 of you who follow me on social media to cast your vote on the absolute best. This is Motorcycle Destinations. Bebo's Bar and Grill is off the beaten path and many times referred to as the best-kept secret in New Mexico. Established by Joseph Hanisch in 1913 as a trading post, Bebo's Bar has always been family-owned and operated. Welcome to Bebo's. It's my first time too. We'll experience it together. When walking through the door, I immediately realized this is my kind of place. It had a kind of low-lit atmosphere. And when you think of an old-world saloon, this is exactly the type of feel that comes to mind. Hey, Maria. Hey. Adam Sandoval. Pleasure to meet you. So we are here in, the town is actually called Bebo? The town is called Bebo. And your bar and restaurant's also Bebo? Bebo Bar and Grill. All right, Bar and Grill. Yes. All right. I had a warm greeting by the lady behind the bar. Her name was Maria. And it turns out she not only works here, but actually manages the restaurant for over 13 years. My name is Maria. I am the manager at Bebo Bar and Grill. So what kind of unique things can you tell me about this place? Well, we got a lot of bike groups that come around here. They find that wall over there. Over back here? Yeah, back here. Let's take a look. Yep. Looking for weird, crazy stuff. People jog here. Yeah, I'll put my mark on it. Let's see here. I can reach the ceiling. Yeah. We'll go on the ceiling. I still put Scooter's name when I signed. Heck yeah, man. I'm part of the history of Bebo. Yes, sir. Awesome. Bikers love to sign their names and have walls where they can put where they're from and who they are. And Bebo's Bar definitely delivered on that aspect. They've got a whole nook just filled with signatures from people that have come from all over the world to eat right here at Bebo's Bar and Grill. So this has been through several remodels you said? Yes. The restaurant was over on that side originally. This has been a merchandise center. They didn't turn it into the bar. 1970s. And when was this building originally built? Oh, 1935. So these floors here, these are not original? These are original to the 70s, I believe. The 70s. These were put in the 70s and they look, man, they're cool. Yeah. What about in here? Those ones are the original floors. Well, heck, that's more than 100-year-old floor right there. Lots of people on these floors. Yes, sir. Lots of people. Lots of trucks. Lots of boots. Yes, sir. Plenty of spurs. Yes, sir. One of the things I found really interesting is the uranium mining history of this town. That's what it was. They mined uranium here and they brought that right into the decor of the bar with the actual foot rails along the bar. So these are the bits here and they're from uranium mines. Still spinning. Well, some of them are. So these would go down. These bits would be attached to these poles and they'd go down 2,000 to 3,000 feet into the earth drilling for uranium. And here at Bebo, they're used for your foot rail when you're bellied up to the bar. All in all, this is the type of bar that I would ride to on a Friday night or a Saturday afternoon to meet up with some local riders. It's just got the atmosphere and the feel of exactly the type of place I enjoy spending my time. It truly does bring the Wild West back to life. This place gets super busy on evenings during Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays are the big bike days. Sundays are when we get all our bikers in. Now, don't be fooled by the swanky red velvet backdrop and the red lighting. This is a full bar and liquor package store. You could get your small bottles all the way up to your medium and big size bottles. Get them in a paper bag to go. At one time, this was even a drive-thru window where you could pick up your alcohol if you didn't care to sit in the bar and enjoy a burger. But in the 1990s, they outlawed the drive-thru liquor here and they were forced to shut down the window. I asked Maria what the bar was most known for when it came to their food and she didn't hesitate to tell me it was their green chili Bebo burger. Alright, so what are you going to show me today? I'm going to show you our famous Bebo burger. And why is this burger famous? Um, I won a steak competition several years ago. Alright. I got famous because of that. So the first step is to get those buns warmed up. Yes, sir. Nice and toasty. I love a toasted bun. Everybody does. Takes a little extra time but it makes the burger so much better. How big is that patty? Every burger is a half pound. Every burger a half pound? The whole restaurant is, sir. I think all burgers should always be half pound. Quarter pound burgers are just, they just never cut it. They get too dried out and they're not juicy enough. A good half pound burger, that's the key. Now you have to get the green chili on it. Green chili. Now that is what New Mexico is absolutely famous for. All across New Mexico, green chili is like what you have to have. Now that's a homemade sauce it looks like? This right here, we get the green chili and onion olive. Are you a green chili eater? Yes, sir. And on a scale of one to ten, how does your green chili rank against the rest of New Mexico? You know, some batches aren't as hot as others, but I gotta say this one's one of the better ones. Better means hot? Better means hot, yes. And New Mexico better means hot. So this is just pepper. Pepper. Lowry's salt. Lowry's, one of my favorite seasonings. Lowry's works for everything. Yep, and that's it. Let it cook. Let the girl do the work. A burger that size takes a few minutes. I like mine like medium rare. Medium rare. How are you? I like my burgers well done. You're well done. Yeah. Give me the leather. Steak on the other hand, I can do a rare. See, that's what I hear a lot of people that way. When it comes to hamburgers, it's got to be well done, but steak is rare. Yeah. Meat, I don't care what it is, knock the horns off of it, put it on a burger, I'm ready to eat it. Yeah. As she's grilling up this burger, I'm getting more and more excited watching that green chili heat up. The burger is just sizzling with grease all around it, and then she did my favorite thing. She took the bun from the grill and slid it into the grease. I like to get all that grease all over. I was going to say, get all that grease soaked up in the bun. That's perfect. You like to cook the way I like to eat. Yeah. Now, what kind of cheese are we putting on it? This is American cheese. Green chili goes on top. While it's still on the grill. More grease. Grease is good. Way over the top. Look at that. Bottom bun. Everything for us is mustard. All right. I like mustard. White onion. Look at the size of that. That is not for the faint of heart. If you're a big bad biker, this looks like a burger you just might want to eat. The moment of truth. The Bebo green chili burger. Warm. The bun's warm and juicy. Just the way I like it. Let's give it its first bite. There's a fresh burger. Soaking that grease in may not be the healthiest way to eat a hamburger, but I'm going to tell you, it is definitely the most delicious way. You got that heat coming off the top. All those fresh cold vegetables on the bottom. That contrast is something that I absolutely love in all burgers. I've never been a huge fan of like mushroom swiss burgers and things like that because I love the contrast between the vegetables, the meat, the cheese. Look at the grease in the bottom of that thing. This is a burger you definitely are going to need some napkins for. Incredibly satisfying. This is anything but a dry burger. That green chili is just good. Every time I go through New Mexico, I try to get green chili. This is my first green chili of this trip and it's worth it. This is not a hamburger that's going to leave you wanting more. I'm going to finish it. Perfectly cooked too. It's a burger you almost don't want to finish. Definitely worth the ride. 100% worth the ride. Bebo's Bar. Definitely a place worth visiting whether you're coming for a weekend to connect with a bunch of other riders or just want to experience a real authentic green chili cheeseburger. To find more places you should be riding your motorcycle, visit MotorcycleDestinations.com or see some more of our videos on our YouTube channel, Motorcycle Destinations and we will see you at the next destination.