Cheeseburger Champions

STATE FAIR CHEESEBURGER CHAMPIONS

GREEN CHILE CHEESE BURGER FAME SPOTLIGHTS YOUNG NEW MEXICO RESTAURANT

BY JULIE CARTER

Sometimes when dreams come true, they arrive even bigger and better than we’d hoped for. Oso Grill in Capitan, New Mexico is the “we want a small Mom and Pop restaurant of our own” dream of Brian and Pam Cleckler. Located on a corner where two main highways intersect, and across the street from the Smokey Bear Park and Museum, Oso Grill has, in just three years, become an established part of the local community and a destination; many travel great distances on word-of-mouth recommendations.

Home of the world-famous Smokey Bear, Capitan boasts just over 1300 residents, a 500+ student school district, the Smokey Bear Market, along with other Smokey Bear named businesses (motel, restaurant), one gas station and an assortment of other small businesses that serve the locals.

Capitan is also home to the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, a destination for thousands of visitors during the annual 4-day Fourth of July Stampede rodeo. In August it’s county fair time, again filling the fairgrounds with people and livestock. And if all that isn’t enough for a visit, the historical stomping grounds of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, Lincoln, New Mexico, is only 12 miles to the east.

What does a weekly tally of 400 pounds of fresh ground chuck for burgers and 40 pounds of daily cut cube steaks for chicken fried steak say about a business that first opened their doors August 3, 2015? According to Brian, Oso Grill is on target to do three quarters of a million dollars in sales this year, topping the $550,000 they did last year. “We are a year and half ahead of our projections,” he said, “And this has been with no advertising. We support a lot of local events like the county fair as well as the FFA, 4-H and different things at the school, but we’ve never advertised.” The family, food and service speak for itself, but a prestigious award recently added to their fame.

Last year, Oso Grill won the People’s Choice Award at the 2017 New Mexico State Fair Green Chile Cheeseburger competition. It was their first time to enter, but definitely won’t be their last. The restaurant closed for the day while the Oso crew headed to Albuquerque and the New Mexico State Fairgrounds for lots of hard work with great rewards.

Oso Grill at 100 Lincoln Ave. Capitan, NM

Julie Carter

Last year’s winning burger, now named the State Fair Burger,was a standout with its fresh (never frozen) 8 oz. patty, chopped New Mexico green chile cooked directly on the meat to give the patty an infusion of chile flavor, then a layer of melted cheese, all topped with battered deep-fried green chile strips. Served on a toasted bun with a chipotle ranch dressing sauce that adds a tangy sweet zap, it all adds up to a flavor explosion. The Cleckers have deep roots in the Lincoln County area. Pam is fourth generation to the local mountains, while Brian has spent most his adult life in the hospitality and restaurant industry including 9 years as the Special Events Director of Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero and 2 ½ years as manager at Ruidoso’s Casa Blanca Restaurant. “When we’d travel, we would always stop in little restaurants along the way and dream about how we would do it if it was ours,” Brian shared. Finally, the time came when a new business venture wouldn’t take them away from family time with their kids. “We knew that this would take 100% devotion in order to succeed,” Brian said. “We put it on the back burner until such a time it would not impact our kids. Our life has always been to put family first. We do that still today with our employees. That rule makes many of our decisions for us.” The Clecker children, Jenna and Caleb, left the nest for college and careers. Jenna has her Master’s in Special Education with an emphasis on Autism and is currently working for Region IX Education Cooperative in Ruidoso. Caleb will graduate from New Mexico State University in December 2018 with a degree in Business and Ag Finance. The Clecklers knew they wanted to have their restaurant in Capitan where they lived, where it was home. They even sought the use of the current location a year or so earlier, but it wasn’t available at the time. When it was, the Cleckers jumped at it and the rest is family recipes, pots and pans history.

Pam Cleckler of Oso Grill

“We started out cooking what we always cooked at home,” he said, “Family favorites, family recipes.”

In the beginning there were 5 employees but soon increased to 19 , not including Brian and Pam. The operation has grown fast and not without growing pains, but now, according to Brian, it has leveled out to a manageable daily routine. “The best that it’s been,” he said. The first menu was one page of plain paper run off on a copy machine. They began with a limited number of family favorites including a good burger and a determination to offer food the people of Capitan wanted. Still today, the menu is ever evolving, and the daily specials determine the dishes that are in demand — what could or should end up as a regular menu item. “Most of our recipes we’ve cooked in our home for 30 years,” Brian explained. “If we want something new, we try it out on family first before we bring it to the restaurant.” Today the menu lists 9 different burgers including the now-famous State Fair Burger. It also offers steaks (cut to order locally), chicken, catfish, chicken fried steak (also cut daily and breaded to order), 9 different sandwiches, appetizers and assorted salads. The dessert menu varies with the day but always includes fry bread with fresh strawberry puree, an apple or mixed berry tart with ice cream and a root beer float. Pies are made fresh and often include chocolate molten lava cake, Pam’s grandmother’s recipe for buttermilk pie, and one of Pam’s own creations, the Almond Joy pie. To round out a memorable meal, a nice beer and wine list is available.

What makes their customers return again and again? Brian’s belief is that it’s as simple as friendly service and food that is dependably fresh, homemade and with a unique twist. A raspberry chipotle sauce is served with the bacon-wrapped poppers and the Oso egg rolls (stuffed with brisket, green chile and cheese). The loaded baked potato comes with brisket, bacon, cheese and candied jalapeños. The Oso chile relleno is a large poblano chile stuffed with cheesy mashed potatoes and fried chicken strips. They do all their own breading, battering and make all their gravies and sauces.

New Mexico State Fair 2017 People's Choice Award Winner!

Julie Carter

PLANNING A VISIT? Oso Grill has a private dining room for special occasions and will also cater an event upon request.

They are open: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.

They are located at: 100 Lincoln Avenue, Capitan, NM 88316 (575) 354-2327

The Oso Grill Dining Room in Capitan, NM

Julie Carter