Driving through Albuquerque, you might suddenly find yourself doing a double-take at what appears to be a giant terracotta owl staring back at you from the roadside.
No, you haven’t accidentally wandered onto the set of a quirky Wes Anderson film—you’ve just discovered the Owl Café, one of New Mexico’s most beloved culinary institutions.
The building’s distinctive owl-shaped architecture might lure you in, but it’s what’s on the plate that will keep you coming back: quite possibly the best chicken fried steak in the entire state.
Let’s be honest—in a land famous for green chile cheeseburgers and enchiladas smothered in red sauce, chicken fried steak isn’t exactly the first dish that comes to mind when you think of New Mexican cuisine…