Phat Stak brings hip-hop, inventive burgers to Nob Hill

Phat Stax, the burger joint in Nob Hill, is hardly Albuquerque’s first food truck turned brick-and-mortar restaurant.

It is, however, the first based on a hip-hop theme.

A look inside the dining room shows the commitment to the bit. Posters, artwork and figurines devoted to famous rappers adorn the walls. Here hangs a framed copy of Dr. Dre’s landmark album, “The Chronic.” There stand several Funko Pop! figurines of Flavor Flav, founding member of Public Enemy. Wu-Tang Clan sounds from the speakers, and the menu items are puns on famous hip-hop artists. It’s like a museum to the stretch of time between the mid-1980s and mid-’90s that’s widely considered the Golden Age of hip-hop.

Married couple Tonya and Caskey Hill launched the food truck version of Phat Stax in 2020. Three years later, they moved into a block-walled building at the back of a small complex at Central Avenue and Tulane Drive SE. Ihatov Bread and Coffee and the empty building that once housed Slice Parlor flank the Central side, while Phat Stax shares the building in the back with Tractor Brewing Company. The buildings are conveniently arranged around a small, free parking lot.

Phat Stax opens at noon every day. Closing time ranges from 7 p.m. on Sunday to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

My friend and I dropped in recently for a mid-week lunch. We arrived a few minutes before opening, but the host/server kindly unlocked the doors and let us inside. We perused the menus displayed on a couple of large electronic boards above the register while Caskey Hill prepped the grill behind the counter. Within a minute, a line had formed behind us.

After ordering, we were given a number and took a seat along the window looking out on the parking lot. The small dining room consists of a mix of two-top and four-top tables that can be pushed together for larger parties.

We spent the short wait for the food trying to identify all the Funko Pop! representations of rappers lined up along a shelf high on the wall.

The menu offers burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and hot dogs. Appetizers, referred to as Intros, include onion rings, fried pickles, cheese curds and chicken wings priced from $7.50 to $10.

An appetizer of Stuffed Thots ($9), jalapeño tater tots served with red chile raspberry jam, intrigued us the most. The five hefty tots shared a plate with a small cup of jam. The tots sported crisp, golden brown shells, around a fluffy core of potato flecked with peppers. The peppers didn’t register but the jam blazed, enlivening the tots with a sweet and spicy charge of flavor.

Smashed burgers, called “Phatties” on the menu, are the featured attraction. There are no less than 13 varieties, with clever names and ingredient combinations. The burger with red chile raspberry jam and grilled slices of ham, for instance, is called the MC Jammer. My favorite name was the Notorious BLT, a burger made with — surprise — bacon, lettuce and tomato. Veggie, vegan and turkey burgers round out the roster. Be on the lookout for specials. A recent option was a burger topped with birria.

We opted for a conservative choice: the 2Pac ($11.50), basically a double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions. The two large patties, vaguely square in shape, spilled out of the bun under a thick, partially melted slice of salty, creamy American cheese. The rest of the fixings were tucked under the burger patties. The generously proportioned patties carried a good sear on the edges, and the bun held everything together well. A tasty, filling burger.

All burgers are served with a metal basket of fries. The fries, medium cut and with potato skin on the edges, were hot and crispy. They are available as standalone dishes ranging in price from $3.50 for a small serving to $9.50 for a large smothered with green and red chile and cheese.

Chicken dishes, listed under the “Phlox” category, start with diced chicken over fries and house sauce for $12.50 and go up in price to $16.50 for the Ludacrisp, a fried chicken and waffle combo with cheese, bacon, an egg and syrup.

We tried the Cardi-BBQ ($14.50), a grilled chicken sandwich with barbecue sauce, cheese, bacon and an onion ring, and were quite pleased with its balance of sweet, tangy and smoky flavors. The juicy, thin chicken breast was served on the same sturdy bun used for the burgers. It also came with a basket of fries.

Two choices of hot dogs pop up in “Tha Dogg Pound” section of the menu. The entry-level Doggy Dog ($8) is served with diced onions, while the Bow Wow ($10) is topped with nacho cheese and green chile. Both come with french fries. We tried the Bow Wow. It was a good, if overpriced, dog, juicy and with the skin crisped up on the grill.

The menu offers a few lighter choices like a Grilled Chicken House Salad for $14.50. A hot dog and a cheeseburger, both $10, make up the Kids Menu.

The Ph’real Shakes ($6) come in three classic flavors: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. We tried the latter two and they were terrific. Served in plastic cups and topped with whipped cream, the shakes were thick enough to stand a straw in, and their strawberry and chocolate flavors nicely balanced the spicy, smoky food.

Highlighting the drinks menu are $2 glasses of red Kool-Aid that, like the music on the speakers, deliver a dose of nostalgia.

Service was stellar thanks to the friendly, informative host who juggled her various responsibilities with aplomb and efficiency. The dining room filled up within 15 minutes of opening with people on lunch breaks from work and a couple of large parties. By 1:30, it had largely cleared out, although the takeout business remained steady.

The availability of gluten-free buns means that many of the menu items can be made in gluten-friendly versions.

At Phat Stax, hip-hop culture inspires some of the more inventive burgers and sandwiches in town.

Phat Stak brings hip-hop, inventive burgers to Nob Hill