National Cheeseburger Day happened this week on September 18th. What a wonderful time to be alive that we get to celebrate such a wonderful occasion! And while I love and respect my precious vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free friends, today I am focusing on the real deal: full on beef, all the dairy, and sandwiched between some tasty buns. Out of reverence for this glorious holiday, I am paying tribute to this thing we call cheeseburger as it was originally intended to be consumed and enjoyed.
I will take you on somewhat of a tour de OKC and it’s cheeseburger offerings. As much as I would have liked to scour the entire metro area for THE best cheeseburger, I do have a 10 month-old at home, help run a business, and Mama doesn’t need to eat all of the cheeseburgers in town! That being said, I will share from my experience some local favorites. Sadly I can’t have you all over to my parents’ house for my dad’s burgers, which remain my favorite, so I will share the alternates. In no particular order, because it is somewhat subjective, here is a list of some of the best:
PATTY WAGON
You all, this little gem is way underrated in my opinion. These burgers are phenomenal and my husband and I crave them often. They are certified Angus beef, served on delicious bakery buns (which makes such a difference). My go to is the Jailhouse Blues Burger which technically uses bleu cheese, so not your traditional cheeseburger, but who am I to discriminate? It is accompanied by some delicious thick-cut hickory smoke bacon so, you know, it’s delicious. In an era of over-priced food for what you get, these $8 burgers are all the bang for your buck. And where would our beloved burgers be without their trusty sidekick, the french fry; they are hand cut and the perfect amount of saltiness in my humble opinion.
REPUBLIC GASTROPUB
Okay, so this is most definitely one of my favorite burgers in town. I go to this restaurant planning to try something new, but always go back to their signature burger, the Republic Burger, because it’s so darn delectable. Local angus, caramelized onion-apple wood smoked bacon, bleu cheese, gruyere, arugula, and wait for it….a fried egg all served on a toasted pretzel bun. Cue all of the drooling emojis. I mourned this burger during my pregnancy, avoiding the runny egg and burger done medium for maximum flavor; my sweet babe was worth it of course, but oh how excited I was to enjoy it’s return in my life. Also, it appears there is a theme in my life with the bleu cheese. Usually this is not my cheese of choice, but on the above burgers it just works. For your side, you must get the shoestring fries and ask for the truffle mayo. I know it may sound weird, but trust me.
TUCKER’S ONION BURGERS
Here is a no fuss burger where you know that the quality of the ingredients will speak for themselves, so they don’t need to get all fancy with the toppings. I kind of lied before when I said I would only talk about beef. I often choose the turkey cheeseburger here because it is so scrummy (Great British Bake Off anyone?) and tastes like the real deal. Their hand cut fries are also a lovely addition.
NIC’S GRILL
I have only eaten this burger twice sadly, but Nic’s burgers are a landmark in Okc. Guarantees: You WILL eat a delicious burger with no frills, you WILL have to wait in a long line, and you will probably have your burger cooked right in front of you by Nic himself.
There are definitely some fine and commendable cheeseburgers that did not make my list, but I hope you get to celebrate the big day tomorrow! Where is your favorite cheeseburger in OKC?
MEET THE AUTHOR!
Elizabeth Diefenderfer Fleming is a wife and soon to be first time mom. She is co-owner/baker at Cuppies & Joe, a dessert cafe, with her family. She loves cooking and going on adventures with her husband, Thomas and is unashamedly obsessed with her niece and nephews.