Hatch, New Mexico - Sparky's - Uncle Sam, Pig, Chicken, Root Beer Family

On our way to Deming, NM, we took exit 41 off 25 South, and the first sign that something unusual was coming was the sign that proclaimed Hatch the "Chile Capital of the World." In just minutes we spotted the large hot dog (about 7 feet from nose to tail) advertising Sparky's Burgers, Barbecue & Espresso. (The hot dog was in the lot of Franciscan RV, which also held a Muffler Man with a cowboy hat holding an RV...and a car from Toon Town. I love these people!)

Sparky's was just up the road, and it's a Roadside America fan's dream! Across the street in the parking lot are a giant pink pig and a big chicken, and just before you get to the restaurant is a humongous statue of Uncle Sam. At the restaurant itself there's a metal robot (Sparky) and on the roof are the A&W Root Beer mom and dad.

Sitting on a bench in front is an original Colonal Sanders, photo-op ready. Sparky's is perhaps the world's only Burger, Barbecue and Espresso joint. They rival any fancy coffee chain in their imaginative selection of hi-octane drinks.

The decor inside is equally funky, including a giant moose head in the dining room, and vintage chinese checker boards, along with lots of old signs. We were in a hurry, so we had to get our order to go, but the burgers we got were to die for. So good that we stopped in again on our return from Deming. [Judy Pancoast, 07/24/2009]