down by the river
SUGAR’S BBQ & BURGERS
For the warmer months, Pasatiempo is sending its food writers on a few periodic road trips in Northern New Mexico to highlight the best possible traditional cuisine our region has to offer. Whether these restaurants have been around for 50 years or five, we’re calling them New Mexico Classics. YOU could drive right by the battered tin-sided trailer that is Sugar’s BBQ & Burgers — but that would be a mistake. Sugar’s has been a roadside attraction on NM-68 in Embudo for 22 years and has been earning national as well as local accolades for much of that time. Gourmet magazine counted Sugar’s among the 10 best drive-ins in 2005; Jane and Michael Stern gave it a positive review on their Roadfood blog in 2010; the burger half of the equation made it onto New Mexico’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail; and TripAdvisor and Yelp “critics” rate it a consistent 4.5 out of 5.
Now, you could order fish on a bun, a veggie burger, or Dino nuggets at Sugar’s — but why would you? Sugar’s is all about the smoke (applewood these days) and the meat.
The combo dinner (available only on Saturdays and Sundays) lets you sample three of the most popular offerings — brisket, sausages, and ribs — on one loaded plate. The sweet/salty/smoky sausages are among the best I’ve had, delivering a satisfying snap when you bite through the casing. The totally tender and tasty ribs, while not quite falling off the bone, offered no resistance and much satisfaction. The low and slow smoked brisket, on the other hand, was a mixed blessing. Some of the cuts were stringy and chewy; other portions were silky smooth and soft. All the meats come bathed in Sugar’s own barbecue sauce, a sweet and tangy tomato-based Texas-style concoction that speaks of little to no vinegar and just enough sugar to make it addictive. If you don’t want sauce, tell them when you order.
Dinners are served with a piece of Texas toast, a thick slice of raw onion, thin slivers of pickle, and two sides. The finely shredded and sweetened coleslaw was a perfectly good example of its style. The bright yellow potato salad — delicious, once I got