For many citizenry , my trip to Oklahoma for Burger Quest was perplexing . “ Oklahoma City is n’t even that braggart ! ” one of my friends plain when I told him . “ How are you choke there over Phoenix ? ”
Well , I explain , Phoenix did n’t invent a style of Warren Burger . My trip to Oklahoma City ( and the township of El Reno , secretive by ) was of the essence because it is basis zero of the onion Warren E. Burger , a griddled hamburger style invented in El Reno during the Depression ( for more on the history of the Warren Burger and the township study my storyhere ) and more or less exclusive to Oklahoma . For this particular part of the quest , I tried to eat onion burgers wherever I went and have included the three iconic El Reno onion Warren E. Burger tell apart in the OKC ranking .
Accompanying me during the trip-up was local OKC photographerChris “ Quit ” Nguyen , who , by from being a photographer and doing societal media for new ramen jointGoro Ramen , basically make out everyone in town .
Quit Nguyen/Thrillist
9. Onion Burger with “No Name Ranch” beef
Irma’s Burger Shack
How can you not trust the burgers at a space named Irma ’s ? Aside from having a great name , Irma ’s is a burger fable in OKC and was name stop by basically everyone I talk to . In lodge to really do it up , I had them make the traditional onion burger using the “ No Name Ranch ” beef , which is extremely touted and Oklahoma - raised . The roll was soft and it had a good griddle , and the kick had a okay grain ( I want to say mouthfeel but dammit this is n’t wine-coloured ! ) but the grilled onion were not totally caramelize , and it was slightly overcooked for a medium , think of you needed extra condiment to battle the dryness . A hearty burger , but not a game - auto-changer .
8. Onion Burger with cheese
Sid’s Diner (El Reno)
Of the three honest-to-god - shoal onion hamburger joints in El Reno , Sid ’s – with its bright scarlet sunshade and contract out front imploring you to watch them onMan v. Foodandthe Food web– is the one that has go most quickly into the 21st C , solidify its berth as the tourist burger destination in El Reno . They ’ve got “ Freedom Toast ” on the card , and you’re able to get a “ heart omelette ” for breakfast if you want it . I mystify the onion plant burger with tall mallow , and watched as the onions sat on top of the meat as the bottom of the burger misrepresent , before the cook flipped it over and those onions gloriously flavored the Warren E. Burger . The nettled bun was hot and buttered with full toasting around the side . The thin cake had a great griddle but was mayhap a bit salty for my taste . And – in a tactical error – actually putting that cabbage and tomato on the onion burger somehow take off from the honor of the taste . An all - around well hamburger though .
7. Onion Burger with cheese
Johnnie’s Grill (El Reno)
6. Classen Burger
Republic Gastropub
It ’s not an onion burger , hunky-dory ? But the Classen , with pickles , mayo , American cheese , lettuce , and a porter - hickory sauce , was the near choice on the bill of fare to a classical cheeseburger . And it was tasty – the chopped hole is a great idea to get some evenly spread dot in there to battle the really luscious burger and the other fatty elements , and the porter - hickory yield it a bit of BBQ tang , but ultimately the pretzel bun ’s hard exterior texture caused some of the constituent of the burger to slip off as you bit in , almost like trying to twinge a greased football game , and the marrow – while juicy – lacked any overtly memorable trait .
5. The Signature Burger
S&B Burger Joint
Comfortably back in the onion plant Warren Earl Burger saddleback , S&B ’s signature has a quite a little of things going for it : a good impudence on the meat establish it a peppery flavor , perfectly melted American cheese that had a creamy factor to it like an American queso , flavorful cooked onion , etc . If not for the slightly dry bun and slimly wry heart , this could ’ve been in the top three . Also deserving mentioning : our waiter was an aspiring rapper and he was endearing ( as a waiter … I ’m not actually sure of his rapper merits ) .
4. The Fried Onion Burger
The Garage Burgers & Beer
I was n’t clued into this position until my lensman tell me I should in all likelihood be clew into this spot . It ’s a small range around Oklahoma in the mood of many new fast - casual spots , with counter service and strong drink ( including a inclination of hilariously named shots ) . The onion hamburger was done right , with a crap ton of them piled high , well - steam , and the sneaky right increase of pickle and mustard greens , which snub through the fat and gave it a nice burst of loony toons . It was one of the most flavorsome burgers of the head trip , though all of that action fell aside rather speedily , Cinderella - at - the - ball style .
3. Single Onion Burger with Cheese
Tucker’s Onion Burgers
This was the frontrunner coming in . Already on my list of best hamburger in the country , I ’ve long been enamor of Tucker ’s , but had n’t had it in many age . But good lord do they know how to make a Warren E. Burger . The salty , peppery griddle Creekstone Farms Black Angus burger had the most perfectly crispen buttery grilled bun , an engineering feat that proceed all the steam and heat energy and adipose tissue inside without break down . The Malva sylvestris and the Allium cepa kept a clean , tangy flavor . It was everything I wanted and remembered . And yet …
2. Onion burger with cheese
Robert’s Grill (El Reno)
1. A burger with “cheese and everything.”
Nic’s Grill
There are admittedly times when this burger quest puzzle a little dark . Times when I get misanthropical about seeing the same types of things repeated urban center to urban center . Poor burgers that I ’ve been lead to believe are not poor . Meat sweats and heart hangovers ( they are veridical ! ) . But then you get to a spot like Nic ’s and you think again . I arrived at Nic ’s Grill at twelve noon on a Thursday . It sits in a random part of town , on a busy , wordy route across from a cocktail Browning automatic rifle that sounds like a strip lodge cry Alibi ’s . And at noon on this random sunny Thursday , 25 people already stood in assembly line in front of me , entertained only by the wireless blaring ' eighty hits out of a speaker , and the thought that soon they might get a opportunity to eat one of Nic ’s burgers . After 40 minutes or so , I finally wangle to hook in and get one of the 12 prized rejoinder seating room in front of the grill . Nic sit behind the grill , a giant , cordial , patient but dictated man , and cooks everything up in waves . Another younger man is the waiter and bar back and everything else . No one ever really call for what you require to eat . They make out you ’re get a burger ( though I imagine if you want something dissimilar , you ’d just holler it out at some point ) . But after a short wait , Nic turned to me “ mustard and mayo , brother ? ” he asked . And then “ Cheese and everything?”I did it all : mustard and mayo ( pal ) , and cheese and everything . And the burger that came to me was a goliath , an impossibly large and overwhelmingly delicious muss , feature a guest spot by some delightful fries . I ’d keep an eye on the onions scooped on top of the Warren Burger in unconstipated Oklahoma style , and then I watch Nic put the cheese on , and then top with the bun and let it steam . I have suppose of a salmagundi of direction to describe it , but the adept I could do is relate the fact that – when I turned to my left wing and my right – the other 11 people sat in perfect eery secrecy , fundamentally in prayer to one of the most perfect Warren Burger in the country .
sign up up herefor our daily Dallas electronic mail and be the first to get all the food / swallow / fun DFW has to offer .
Quit Nguyen/Thrillist
Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Quit Nguyen/Thrillist
Quit Nguyen/Thrillist
Quit Nguyen/Thrillist
Quit Nguyen/Thrillist
Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
