Sid's

300 S. Choctaw, El Reno, OK - (405) 262-7757

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Posted By Michael Stern on 6/8/2008 3:36:00 PM

Sid’s proprietor Marty Hall learned the business of hamburger making working at Johnnie’s, just a few blocks away. Since he opened Sid’s (named for his late father) in October, 1990, his restaurant has become one of El Reno’s premier burger places.

The onion-fried burgers are mouth-watering, cooked so the onions mashed into the patty of meat are charred from their time on the grill, giving the sandwich a sweet and smoky zest. Non burger eaters get two or three Coney Islands, which are bright red weenies topped with chili and a superfine slaw with a mustard punch. Milk shakes are so thick that they are served with a spoon as well as a straw.

Other than the exemplary burger-shop menu, Sid’s is noteworthy for its amazing interior décor. Because he is a history buff, Mr. Hall has filled the place with photographs of life in and around El Reno going back more than a century. Using eleven gallons of clear epoxy to seal some 450 pictures onto the top of the counter and the tops of tables, he arranged his visual gallery in chronological order starting at the far left of the restaurant. Here are pictures of the Oklahoma land lotteries and cowboys on horseback, as well as nostalgic ephemera from the early days of car culture, when El Reno was a major stop along Route 66. No matter where you sit at Sid’s, images of olden days in Oklahoma will surround you.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"The onion burger at Sid's comes in two sizes, the regular and the king. The regular, shown here, is plenty big enough to satisfy most appetites."
Cliff Strutz

"Sid's offers a large variey of handmade shakes and malts. Delivered in a silver beaker, there were two full glasses worth of this delicious, thick cherry shake."
Cliff Strutz

"An onion-fried burger and a chocolate shake ... presented on a table that is a fascinating crazy quilt of El Reno history "
Michael Stern

"There's always a conversation going on among hamburger connoisseurs at Sid's counter."
Michael Stern

"Sid's onion burger is what made them famous, although all-you-can-eat biscuits & gravy sounds like it is worth investigating!"
Cliff Strutz

"Sid's flies the U.S. flag outside; inside, the history of the Oklahoma frontier is epoxied into all the table tops."
Michael Stern