flamez burgers & more

interesting menu, great service, a tad pricey. the tempura asparagus, aka asparagus fries were new to me and super nutty flavor.

the classic rock music seemed out of place and the 300 hz drone of the range exhaust had a jamming effect on conversation.

before going today, i read the user reviews and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt since most were fairly old reviews. i'd read the reviews about the owner being cranky and them being sticklers for the under 8 only on the kids menu. knowing this, we went in with a smile, 4 hungry adults, and 3 fairly foodie-trained kids ages 6, 8, & 10.

we were greeted by a cloudy faced man in the kitchen, so i smiled and he almost smiled back while directing us to pick a table. our server was pleasant enough and quickly put tables together. we waited for our drinks, mostly waters, but listened to the decent selection of beer, wine, and appetizers. dad got the santa fe pale ale and some fried pickles, which were both delicious. we waited some more while she cleared a few tables, and finally ordered. the kids ordered the cheese ravioli (of which there were only 4 in a quantity of sauce), the mac&cheese (very tasty), and without balking the waitress accepted my 10 year old's kids cheeseburger and fries order even though she's obviously not 8. i was grateful for this because even though she has a growing appetite, the kid certainly would never finish the adult sized portions of burger and fries and i didn't feel much like spending $12 for her to leave half uneaten.

the 4 adults all ordered our own variations of the angus burger with some having sweet potato fries and others regular fries. hubby opted for green chile on his, which he reported was all he could taste--good, but the meat flavor was overpowered by it. dad isn't picky so he enjoyed his. mom was starving and i think why she was so pleased with hers, though she agreed that the burger patty was definitely tough and lacking in flavor. i like my burgers with that lovely seared meat flavor, so i was disappointed that while my bun was fabulously flaky and soft, the sauteed (wish they'd been truly caramelized) onions and mushrooms turned my burger into a fairly bland grease fest. the regular fries were perfectly crisp on the outside, but dry on the inside and disappointing. the sweet potato fries, however, were perfection. i suspect, though, that they're traditional warehouse fare and thus hard to mess up.

my oldest liked her bun, but said everything else was just average. the ravioli child devoured her 4 raviolis, but when i tasted it i realized they were just warehouse ravioli, though cooked properly (chains always over cook). she greedily ate everyone's remaining sweet potato fries to fill herself up. the mac&cheese munchkin is 6 and reported, "the after taste of the macaroni is just ok. the beginning taste is much better." i thought the shells and cheese were pretty delicious, with a good balance of properly cooked shells to cheese with clear cheddar flavor. we're picky about our mac and cheese in this family, so that balance is crucial! the portion size was fairly generous on the macaroni. all kids meals are $5, which is fair, and the macaroni was big enough to possibly split between two toddler/preschoolers though no older than that. the ravioli could have used two more pieces to fill up an average school age kid and feel like you got your $5 worth.

as for service, you could tell our waitress was trying very hard to be upbeat and pleasant. she forgot to send the order in so brought some kettle chips as an apology and for the kids to have something to eat while waiting. i'm not a potato chip fan, but these were darn good and i appreciated the gesture.

however, my husband sat watching the guys in the kitchen as they cooked. the older grouchy-faced man does not seem to enjoy being there. based on other reviews, i can only assume this is the owner, but i couldn't be sure. they should wall up the kitchen if he is the owner and can't control his facial expressions. it feels like he hates his job and is barely tolerating the invasion of people into his space. oh, and the "minors should be accompanied by an adult" sign leading down the 3 step hall to the bathrooms makes you feel welcome, too .

all in all, if i was going out with a friend, no kids, and wanted something other than a burger i might consider going back. but since i'm still on a quest for the best burger in abq, i'll keep looking.

great burgers and great sides! the burgers are large, juicy, and cooked to order. there were four diners, and everyone was happy with there order. lamb, beef, buffalo, and turkey were all equally delicious. i just wish i had a second stomach so i could have ordered the venison burger. next time it will be the first thing i order, oh and the fried asparagus. thank you flamez for having meat other than beef and turkey!

this establishment is terrible
they turn away people at the door with tables open. they no longer "do" take out like their ad says. meat is dry, tough and over cooked. they took over the building next to them in the strip mall, and seem to be intent on pretending this old dude that runs it, is gordon ramsey.
turns away customers
and serves basically a dry hamburger patty on a stark white plate, with a side of risotto!!
haha

i hope they go out of business
because they don't support the community
the community shouldn't support them

you know that place where you get a hand made burger that's fresh to order and it's super juicy. well thats not this place. the burgers are reminiscent of the frozen ones that come in a plastic bag from the grocery store. although the service was great and on point. the food was not. i got "the all american burger bowl". it too reminded me of something from the freezer section a salisbury steak tv dinner and if i recall it even had the oval shape of it. not a good burger, and i hate to tell you no matter what fixings you put on the burger it doesn't hide the fact that's it's a frozen patty.

this guy can build some serious flavor profiles....really good food they understate their presence by using the word burgers in their name, very healthy very good food

good food for dining in. the food is pretty good, however the atmosphere and professionalism is definitely lacking. we have tried to call in orders several times and the phone is never answered. when we have gone in the restaurant and asked about the phone or correct number to call, our question and comment is brushed off. we do want to support local business, but the indifference we are treated with makes it hard to want to continue our support, either dining in or taking out.

tucked away secret. we discovered this restaurant about a year after it was open....absolutely wonderful. consistent food quality, good service, personable owner....everything we have ordered has been marvelous. asparagus fries as an appetizer is delicious....fresh asparagus light tempura served with a gargonzola sauce....wow.....their burgers (i have only had the beef) are delicious. and if you like fish and chips holy cow a piece of haddock the size of a surf board!

we have tried each of the "bowls".... my favorite hands down is the american, but they are all wonderful. you won't be disappointed...closed monday....hope he sticks around a long time.

yummy, had the gyro and it was delicious and the asparagus fries were also killer:) must try this place, very diverse menu

great place, great food, nasty owner.. it makes me sad to write this negative review because flamez offers some of the best food out we've found in the northeast. however, it seems the owner is a tad odd, and nasty.

i have to avoid salt because i'm on blood pressure meds. so i always ask for my food to come with no salt. (pretty hard in new mexico.)

each time i've been to flamez i've politely asked, "no salt please." the staff is always nice about it and assures me they will take care of it.

i began noticing, though, that it seemed as if extra salt was being added to my orders. then, the last time i went there i was on my own and in a hurry. i just ordered a cheeseburger and a side-salad ... and again asked for no salt.

sit on a banquet against the wall there and you're facing the cooking area, directly behind a four-foot high counter. i was looking in the direction of the kitchen and the owner was cooking. he leaned over and said something to a cook next to him who turned and looked directly at me. then the cook got a smirk on his face. it seemed odd ... but i wasn't sure what was up. and i don't like being paranoid.

when my food was served, both my burger and my salad (which is strange since i ordered dressing on the side) seemed salty ... but, as i said, i was truly in a hurry, so i finished my food quickly, paid my bill and left.

as i was driving away, i was overwhelmed by the salt in my mouth and on my lips. i couldn't wait to brush my teeth and gargle to try to wash the salt off my tongue. i couldn't get rid of the taste of salt all night.

clearly the owner himself had done it on purpose. and i truly have no idea why.

as i said, this makes me sad -- but they're off our list.

(simon doesn't seem to want our business any way. which is an odd way to run a restaurant. clearly other reviewers have seen this.)

p.s. we eat out several times each week, all over town. we've never had an experience like this anywhere else.

don't bring your kids.. we wanted to try a new place, and thought this would be good. it was my wife and i along with our 9 yo daughter. after ordering, the waitress stated that the owner would not allow any one over 8 be served off the kids menu. i stated she was just a few months past the cut off, but after checking she said they could not. in my opinion this is business suicide. 8 is quite young for a cut off on the kid's menu. we will definitely not return or recommend to others. we walked out and went to five star and had excellent service and food. plus we were even able to make a change to an item. i read other reviews, and it seems that the owner has a record of poor service. it's a shame he lost a $50 ticket because he is too cheap to allow a 9 yo kid to order a kids meal.

very nice restaurant and wonderful service! the burger i ordered with havarti cheese and green chile was very good! could have split it with someone! fries are freshly made each day and also delicious! they have an entire page of other choices..fish tacos, sandwiches from around the world, etc. i would come back!

great food, and great service. the food was very good, with only a small downside which is it's slightly pricey for the food. the portions are large and in charge, and the food is top notch. i higly suggest a visit here.

great food, but a little pricey for what it is.. my husband and i have been meaning to try this place for a while based on mostly good reviews, but we don't live in that part of town so we hadn't gotten around to it. we finally stopped in for dinner a few weeks ago. overall, it was a good experience. the service was prompt and friendly, our orders were taken timely, the food came out quickly and everything tasted great. for an appetizer, we split an order of the potato skins, which are different in that they are topped with pulled pork and pickles instead of just cheese and bacon like other places. they were delicious! being that this was our first time dining here, we felt inclined to order burgers, though they had several non-burger options that looked good as well. i opted for the american burger bowl based on our server's recommendation. the burger patty was seasoned well and cooked to perfection. the mashed potatoes were very good also, and the cheese and gravy complimented the dish well. my husband decided on a traditional burger with "grass fed" beef, green chile, cheese, and bacon, and a side of regular fries. he really enjoyed his burger, and said that the green chile had a nice kick to it.
my main complaint is that this place is a little on the pricey side for what it is. yes, the food is good, but with the appetizer, two entrees (burger and burger bowl), the side of fries and two sodas, the bill came to just over $40.00 (before tip). that seems a bit steep to me for burgers. also, if you order a burger each topping costs extra, and all sides (including fries) cost extra as well. with some of the burgers already starting at $10.00 and $12.00 depending on the type of meat you select, it seems a bit much to have to add on another dollar or two if you want anything other than a plain old burger and a few more bucks if you want anything to accompany it. another thing that irritated me is that their website advertises that they offer "only custom-blended fresh hand formed burger patties" and "hand-cut fries", yet while we were eating i clearly saw one of the cooks take out a bag of pre-packaged sweet potato fries and open them. obviously the sweet potato fries are not hand-cut on site which makes me think the same goes for the regular fries. this only adds to my opinion that the sides should be included with the already high price of the burger.
this probably won't be a place that we frequent since we live nowhere near it and it's a bit expensive, but i wouldn't mind stopping in occasionally. there are some other things on the menu i would like to try.

loved it! wonderful service. this was our first visit and didn't know what to expect because of the mixed reviews my husband and i had read. we arrived and immediately were sat and helped. my husband has a difficult time speaking english, but our server helped us a lot due to her being bilingual. we some ordered wine, some asparagus fries which are to die for to start off. for our main meal we had a chopped salad and a mexican bowl which were both very tasty. the burgers were cooked just right, which is very difficult to obtain at certain restaurants. besides the food being very good the service was great and we will definitely be back.