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We all scream for Burque Licks
Ice cream has always held a special place in my family story. I still remember our evening walks to the old Dairy Queen on 15th Street and Central Avenue, standing proudly beside Blake’s Lotaburger, the perfect drive-up duo in 1970s Albuquerque. My order rarely changed, a chocolate milkshake or a Peanut Buster Parfait, savored slowly as the sun dipped behind the Sandias.
My father adored ice cream, and our freezer was always well stocked. He was a master of the late night milkshake, blending cantaloupe and vanilla ice cream into a frothy dessert served in lowball crystal glasses, each one carefully measured to the last drop. Those simple rituals accompanied our family evenings gathered around the television console, when four local channels were all we needed.
My sweetest memory is of my father telling his secretary he had “errands in the Heights,” our secret code for an afternoon escape to Baskin-Robbins or the movies. For us, ice cream was never just a treat. It was comfort, connection and home.
Those same feelings return with each visit to Burque Licks, a playful revival of the classic ice cream parlor. The renovated space glows with bright color, part circus tent and part neighborhood hub, with a cheerful terrace for lingering and a walk-up window for those in a hurry. Inside, the line moves at its own frenetic pace as conversation and anticipation fill the air.
The daily flavor board reads like a love letter to indulgence: Cuban Coffee Oreo Cookie, Watermelon Chip, Burque Butter Crunch and other inspired combinations that surprise and delight in equal measure.
At Burque Licks, I am reminded that ice cream is more than nostalgia. It is a timeless invitation to taste and remember.
The Cuban Coffee Oreo has a rich but not overly sweet cream base, with a deep coffee focus balanced by the playful sweetness of abundant Oreo pieces. The true artistry of Burque Licks ice cream lies in its restraint, where the sweetness is perfectly balanced.
In recent years, American desserts have drifted toward overwhelming sweetness. As a pastry chef, I always cut the sugar in American recipes by half. My preference leans toward the lighter touch found in Asian desserts, particularly those from Japan. When sugar is reduced, the true flavors of butter, nuts and chocolate emerge and quite literally sing.
Sandia Chip is a smooth watermelon ice cream with a hint of vanilla. The watermelon tastes authentically fresh, and the dark chocolate slivers scattered throughout create an unexpected yet perfect pairing. It is such a great flavor combination that I would never have imagined. There is a certain rock ’n’ roll audacity in the flavors at Burque Licks that makes each one feel like a creative dare, which is joyful and utterly original.
Burque Butter Crunch was a flavor discovery that does not disappoint. A brown butter base with crunchy pieces of toffee and the surprising addition of green chile. It sounds disconcerting to some, but it is masterful in its pairing. There is an interesting play of temperatures where cold, unctuous ice cream collides in your mouth with hot Hatch green chile. It is brilliant.
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Burque Licks just opened its doors on July 20 and has been building its client base exponentially ever since. I have been numerous times, and it is usually packed with people vying for the flavors that change daily. My only critique is the unusual ordering system, which at times can feel a bit chaotic. With the myriad of ice cream attendants, I think a system of ordering in line followed by quick table delivery would ease the flow of traffic at the counter.
Since each flavor is such a production, I tend to order a scoop ($4.55) or a pint to go ($7.85). There is also an opportunity to order a flight of four flavors. The banana split ($9.75) is enormous and not for the faint of heart. It took two of us to conquer that mountain of lactose. It comes with your choice of hot fudge, caramel, strawberry, peanut butter or marshmallow. All sundaes are served with whipped cream and a cherry.
The milkshakes are a perfect consistency, not too thick and not too watery. For the lactose intolerant, there are always at least two vegan options, such as Vegan Cuban Coffee Oreo, Vegan Cookie Butter, Vegan Chocolate or Vegan Coconut Chocolate Chip. My personal vegan favorite was Cap’n Crunch flavored, which tasted exactly like the milk left over after eating the cereal, taking me back in time .
Other notable flavors include Puerto Rican Pineapple Rum Cake, a tropical blend that balances fruit and warmth, and Samoa, a coconut ice cream with Samoa cookies, caramel swirl and toasted coconut. There is also Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookie, Cuban Coffee Oreo and Caramel Tres Leches, which features tres leches ice cream folded with triple milk soaked sponge cake. Green Chile Apple Pie combines sweet and spice in perfect harmony, while Churros! delivers sweet cinnamon dulce de leche ice cream with crispy churro pieces.
For something indulgent and nostalgic, Lobo Tracks blends vanilla ice cream with chocolate peanut butter cups and a thick ribbon of chocolate.
Every visit feels like a small adventure, with new and surprising flavors waiting on the daily list. There is always an inside joke or an allusion to a local name, a playful nod that makes each creation feel connected to our Albuquerque community.
