Photo by Bailey Rucker
Oklahoma City is experiencing a Golden Age of burgers. The Food Network’s Alton Brown made the nation aware of it when he recently called the burger at Bar Arbolada “the best double cheeseburger in America,” but locals have been raving about some of these places for a long time. The abundance of excellent choices requires that we restrict this list to burgers meant to be held in one hand, not carved up with a knife and fork to make them manageable—but to help you navigate this amazing time in our culinary history, here are 10 Burgers You Need to Try Now.
Bar Arbolada, 637 W Main. By the time you read this, the burger will be available at Riley Marshall’s new Flycatcher Club, located in the Ironworks District. Marshall’s burger has been locally famous since he introduced it for Paloma Town on Saturday nights, and it’s exactly what an old-fashioned burger should be. Order it as it comes for the full experience.
Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails-Paseo, 605 NW 28th. Chef Zach Hutton is finally getting the attention he deserves, and his burger is just part of the reason. The blend varies, but it’s always rich and beefy, with house pickles and beautiful caramelized edges.
Paseo Grill, 2909 Paseo. Turns out steak trimmings make for great burger patties, and this Paseo District concept has been quietly churning out one of the city’s best burgers for a long time. Its fries would qualify for a “best fries” list easily, too.
Patty Wagon, 3600 N May. Simple, flavorful, executed perfectly every time.
Get the onion rings, and enjoy an old-school burger in a perfect setting.
Palo Santo, 1203 SW 2nd. Chef Brian Butler’s time with Chef Roy Choi shows up throughout his cooking, and the Asian influences extend to his magnificent burger. Get a side of the okonomiyaki tots without fail.
Spark, 300 Oklahoma City Blvd. Pick any burger on the menu, but at some point, pick the BLC: pimento cheese, bacon, cheddar crisp, crunchy pickles, and “prairie ranch.” The combination of flavors and texture is burger perfection.
Burger Punk, 3012 N Walker. Yes, chips belong on a burger—in the case of The Clash Burger, it’s Nacho Cheese Doritos. Combined with hoisin mayo, grilled onions and jalapeňos, American cheese, cilantro, and lime, it’s a flavor bomb of the best kind.
HiFi Burger Shop, 301 W Main, Moore. Bryan Neel—the “B” in the original S&B Burgers—is back at it, this time in Moore. The Batch #23 is what you’re there for: cast iron BBQ sauce, bread and butter pickles, smoked cheddar, and mayo.
The Hamilton Lounge & Supperette, 12232 N May. Like everything else it does, the burger is excellent, and because it’s J. Mays’ joint, it involves a pun. The Aaron Burger (get it?) is Creekstone Farms beef, horseradish, dijon mustard, ketchup, aioli, house pickles, and American cheese.
Good Times, 1234 N Western. Bars and burgers belong together, and to get the full experience of this dive bar that’s not exactly a dive bar, get the classic burger and pickle fries to go with your frozen Painkiller.
