The fried onion burger capital of Oklahoma, therefore the world, is in the tiny town of El Reno. But onion burgers are a popular item throughout this burger crazy state. The best we have been able to find is at J & W Grill in Chickasha.
A small, striking, red and white building on busy West Choctaw Avenue, J & W Grill has only 16 counter seats. We were fortunate enough to grab a couple of stools in front of the grill, so we could watch the cook in action. The man doing the cooking was owner Darren Cook, who told us how he used to have a paper route that took him past the restaurant before starting to work here at age 12.
Even though it was only 9:00AM and there were tempting plates of pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and thick, grilled ham being sent out to customers, we were here to try the onion burger. We watched Mr. Cook pile a mountain of sliced onions on top of the patty on the grill. Soon after, the buns were gently laid on top of the beef for a few minutes to be steamed.
Once delivered to us, we couldn't help but admire this burger's beauty. I've never seen so many onions on a burger (onion hangs out from underneath the bun on all sides), and the onions, rather than simply resting on top, have infused themselves deep into the meat. The beef develops a nice outside char and, along with the mess of caramelized onions, you have just about achieved onion burger perfection!
"Watching our burgers being made was almost as much fun as eating them. Here they are sizzling on the grill in between some pancakes, hash browns, and ham."
Cliff Strutz
"The buns were laid on top of the patties for a just a short amount of time."
Cliff Strutz
"A close-up reveals the irresistable combination of cooked beef and fried onions."
Cliff Strutz
"With only 16 counter seats available, don't be surprised if you have a short wait for a stool."
Cliff Strutz
"J & W Grill is the place to go in downtown Chickasha for breakfast and onion burgers."
Cliff Strutz
