Iconic Eats: Robert's Grill

Iconic Eats is Ben Luschen's series focusing on famed Oklahoma foods he's trying for the first time. If you have a suggestion for his next blog, email him at ben.luschen@TravelOK.com.

With all due respect to the staple dishes of chicken-fried steak and biscuits and gravy, Oklahoma’s greatest and perhaps most well-known contribution to the country’s foodscape is likely the fried onion burger. The culinary rose that miraculously sprouted from the bleak inopportunity of the Great Depression serves as a testament both to Okie ingenuity and the creativity that often follows necessity.

It is not hard to find an onion burger in Oklahoma. It seems at least every other local hamburger joint has their own interpretation of the iconic sandwich with onion-pressed beef somewhere along its menu. But to get the real thing, you have to go to the place where it arguably all began: El Reno.

Or at least so I’ve heard. You see, though I have consumed many a fried onion burger, I have never once in my life had an honest to goodness El Reno Onion Burger. In fact, my co-worker Greg Elwell’s insistence that I try one was the inspiration behind the entire Iconic Eats series.

For his first El Reno fried onion burger, Ben chose Robert's Grill. Photo by Greg Elwell

That being said, it was really just a matter of time and availability before Greg and I ventured out to El Reno for a piece of Oklahoma history. Hamburger pilgrims like ourselves have no shortage of options here. El Reno’s Big Three for onion burgers includes Sid’s Diner, Johnnie’s Hamburgers & Coneys, and Robert’s Grill. I hope to try them all some day, but on this day Greg and I were feeling reasonable and limited ourselves to a normal single-restaurant lunch. Of the Big Three, Sid’s is probably the most well known. For this lunch, though, I am putting my faith in one of my colleague’s favorites. Greg says I absolutely have to try the Robert’s Grill burger, so I’m putting his recommendation to the test.

Often, modern eating seems to be as much about businesses’ novel concepts as it is about the food itself. Robert’s, by contrast, is as no-nonsense as it gets. The space is too small for tables. Instead, patrons sit along a single red laminate counter. Fewer than ten stools—made more for function than for posh comfort—are set out for the customers. Yet, grabbing a seat at Robert’s is a privilege, because it means you are only minutes away from some of the best onion burgers and slaw dogs of your life.

Piled high with chili and mustardy relish, the slaw dog is another El Reno delicacy. Photo by Greg Elwell

I’ll be honest, I really had no idea what a slaw dog was before visiting Robert’s. I ordered one expecting maybe a weiner topped with your everyday mayo-based coleslaw. I could not have been more wrong. Robert’s served me up a bright red dog on a flattened bun under a mountain of no-bean chili sauce. But most notable was the mustardy local slaw variation laid in a yellow stripe over the top of the hot dog. It has the look and consistency of creamed corn but tastes miles better. It easily stands out as one of the best chili dogs of my life. What really makes it work is the snap of the grilled dog, which just can’t be replicated when steamed or boiled.

The only drawback is that soon I had finished my slaw dog and was left once again without any delicious food immediately available to me. Luckily, at Robert’s, you can watch your burger on the grill through the entire cooking process. Watching as your future double with cheese sizzles and browns on the flat top is sort of like following the online delivery tracker from your favorite pizza chain, but this one comes with the added bonus of that enticing smell. In addition to the burgers, Robert’s also toasts the buns to a crisp and buttery golden brown.

The double onion burger with cheese at Robert's Grill in El Reno. Photo by Ben Luschen

Once the server finally slides my burger basket over, I can’t help but smile. It’s the smile of someone who knows they’re about to eat something delicious well before they take the first bite. And, but seconds later, my suspicions were confirmed. The first thing to note is that the flavor of the grill itself is immediately apparent. Who knows how many onion burgers have steamed their way over to customers on that thing -- each individual burger contributing a modicum of enhanced flavor bringing us to this savory moment. Customers get more than a burger. This is the taste of El Reno itself. The beef and onion patty is a crisp and concentrated mass of pungent flavor.

A burger from Robert’s will stick with you long after the meal is over—and I don’t just mean the oniony whispers of deliciousness past from your gastrointestinal system, but those are a plus, too. What I really mean is Robert’s isn’t just a restaurant, it is an experience. This type of honest, blue-collar eating just isn’t as common as it used to be. So, where does Robert’s stack up in the pantheon of El Reno burgers? I still have a lot more eating to do before I can make that call, but I know I won’t be forgetting this trip anytime soon.

Classic comparison: “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell. No frills. No gimmicks. Just the blue-collar beauty that makes you feel alive.

Let Ben know which classic Oklahoma eats he needs to try next by emailing him at ben.luschen@TravelOK.com.

Written By

Ben Luschen

Luschen joined the *Oklahoma Today*’ staff as Research Editor in 2021 and currently works as the magazine's Web Editor, managing the website and social media fronts. His past *Oklahoma Today* stories have ranged in content from the state's bee and quail industries to its vibrant art and music scenes. Not adverse to a road trip, Luschen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure. He is never out of opinions about the current state of Oklahoma City Thunder basketball.