Best Burgers in Oklahoma City: Onion Burgers

The best burgers in Oklahoma City are fried onion burgers: a thin ball of beef smashed on the griddle with a heap of thinly sliced onion pressed into it, so the onion caramelizes into the patty. The style was born in El Reno, about 30 miles (50 km) west of downtown on Route 66. In the city, look for it at counters and diners in Midtown, the Plaza District, the Paseo Arts District, Uptown 23rd and Bricktown.

The onion burger began as a way to stretch beef. In the 1920s, Homer and Ross Davis of the Hamburger Inn in El Reno pressed cheap onions into small patties to feed railroad workers, and the burger later earned the nickname “Depression Burger”. El Reno still celebrates it on the first Saturday of May at Fried Onion Burger Day, with a free giant onion burger more than 8 feet (2.4 m) across. The classic version is about half onion, with yellow mustard, pickles and a bun steamed on top of the patty as it cooks.

Burgers in Oklahoma City: key facts

• Local style: the fried onion burger, smashed thin with sliced onion cooked into the beef.
• Birthplace: El Reno, about 30 miles (50 km) west of Oklahoma City along Route 66.
• Annual event: Fried Onion Burger Day in historic downtown El Reno, on the first Saturday of May.
• Neighborhoods to explore: Midtown, the Plaza District, the Paseo Arts District, Uptown 23rd and Bricktown.
• Currency: US dollar (USD); some old counters still take cash only.

Every guide we publish on Oklahoma City is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For other cities, browse all our burger restaurant guides.