Though I pride myself on having a sesquipedalian vocabulary, very often pop culture vernacular escapes me. Even food memes borne of pop culture are well over my head. If you’re familiar with or use such terms as “good soup,” “cheugy,” “phone eats first,” “glizzy” and “caviar bump,” you must be from the Gen Z generation. Were I to use these terms, it would make me seem like a patronizing old fossil trying to be cool.
During a December, 2023 visit to the Tin Can Alley, my Kim and I came a restaurant with a curious name neither of us could comprehend. We quickly dismissed the notion that “On The Flip” had something to do with Albuquerque drivers extending their middle fingers in a salute denoting that other drivers are number one. We then agreed the name has something to do with food that’s flipped. Pancakes maybe. Burgers probably.
It turns out On The Flip is subtitled “beach grub perfected.” My first experience with beach grub came in Massachusetts where beach grub consisted of lobster rolls, fried clams and tuna grinders. In Mississippi beach grub was oysters, shrimp and crab. None of these sumptuous seaside favorites–perfected or otherwise–appear on On The Flip’s menu. In fact, the closest thing to my conception of beach grub were fish and chips and a fish taco. Admittedly while enjoying pristine beaches, a hankering for burgers did occasionally set in.
Perhaps On The Flip recognizes the only beach in Albuquerque is Tingley Beach near the Rio Grande where the only seafood you’re likely to snare are silvery minnows and tin cans. On The Flip’s menu is a landlubber’s delight showcasing burgers, tacos, mac & cheese, soup and salad and “taproom bites.” It’s not an overly ambitious menu, but that’s on par with other “pods” within the Tin Can Alley. If you’ve never visited, Tin Can Alley is easily one of the Land of Enchantment’s most unique and striking eating, drinking and shipping venues, an 11,000-square-foot behemoth housing ten local businesses all under one roof. Nay-sayers might tell you the exterior resembles a dystopian structure, but within the capacious two-story venue is a colorful and comfortable milieu that’s home to ten local restaurants and shops–including On The Flip.
As an connoisseur and ccognoscenti of New Mexico’s sacrosanct green chile cheeseburger, I must admit it would be a real challenge to decide whether to order fried clams or a green chile cheeseburger if that option was available. Both are among the world’s greatest foods On The Flip’s rendition is called the Burqueño Burger (Hatch green chile, white Cheddar, red chile aioli, lettuce, tomato). It’s a meaty megalith that may appear a bit too well done at first glance. Bite into it and you’ll discern the dark crust hides a moist and juicy beef patty. You might even find that beef patty a bit reminiscent of the beef at Griff’s, a long-time Duke City institution that shuttered its doors in 2023. Griff’s did have a hot chile option that On The Flip doesn’t. Even with both Hatch green chile and red chile aioli, the chile wouldn’t rate very high on the Scoville scale. On a flavor scale, this burger rates much higher.
On The Flip offers three “maxed out mac and cheese bowls” including one (Flamin’ Hot Mac) that might set your tongue on fire with green chile and flamin’ hot Cheetos crumbles, the latter of which tends to be much more piquant than most chile. A much milder option is the bacon street mac (five cheese blend topped with fresh lime, cotija cheese and basil pico de gallo. Street corn would be a welcome addition. Green chile, too…and what dish wouldn’t benefit from more bacon. This mac just didn’t have much personality. Certainly it’s much better than Kraft’s mac n’ cheese, but as an adult mac, it’s got a ways to go.
After a nice lunch at On The Flip we’re still a bit lost on what the term means. I’m leaning toward flip-flops, pretty standard beach footware. My Kim looked it up and believes it’s short for “on the flip side.” All we could agree on is that New Mexican beach grub perfected is something different in the landlocked Land of Enchantment than it is on the coast.
On The Flip
6110 Alameda, N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 317-7244
Website
LATEST VISIT: 8 December 2023
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Burqueño Burger, Bacon n’ Street Corn Mac n’ Cheese
REVIEW #1363
Horrible location.
Chile””