by John Hardaway (@CoachHardaway)10/5/2021 3:41:42 PM
posted in: Skordle Sampler | 2,131 views
The Great Burger Debate
If you watched the premier of the SKORDLE Pay Dirt Pick’Em Show last week, you may have seen the discussion about burgers in Oklahoma and specifically Onion Burgers and the Meers Burger.
One could argue that these are the two most iconic burgers in Oklahoma.
The short debate exchange centered around one guest making the statement “I would eat dog food before I would eat an onion burger.”
This was soon followed up by statements promoting the high quality of the famed Meers burger, only to be rebuked with statements basically saying it was “OK” and nothing special.
I have had many El Reno-style (Sid’s and Johnnie’s) Onion Burgers in my lifetime. I even love making them on my new Blackstone.
I also made my first trip to Meers Burger this past summer to finally check it out and I was glad I did.
As for the Onion Burger, its roots are in the Great Depression when hamburger cost was high, but onions were cheap.
To stretch the hamburger meat supply as well as keep costs down, onions were cooked directly into the patties.
What resulted, almost by accident, was pure greatness!
El Reno even has an Fried Onion Burger Day Festival which I would love to attend some day in the future.
As for Meers, it is definitely a destination food road trip in Oklahoma that everyone needs to make.
The old store is nostalgic and neat! Uneven floors, interesting decorations, and a line out the door on the weekend will probably greet you.
After or before your Meer’s experience, you need to check out the nearby Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Mount Scott (drive to the top).
Save some room for the cobbler and vanilla ice cream (but not on top of the mountain).
Which is better?
Onion Burger or Meers Burger?
The onion burger
I think its best we let the SKORDLE followers make that decision, but first let me make a few comments and analysis.
- If a person doesn’t like onions, then the likelihood of them liking an “onion” burger is about slim to none. If you’re one of these people, then I can fully understand why you don’t like a onion burger. Now if you like onions and burgers and still don’t like onion burgers, I would love to know why. The classic version of the Onion Burger (Hamburger, Onion, and mustard) is not my favorite version. I love my onion burger to have a lot of cheese on it and some ketchup, more along the versions at Burger Shoppe, Tucker’s or Coney Island.
- The Meers burger is big - almost the size of standard plate. The hamburger patties almost get lost in the bun and veggies, but it is still a very good burger.
- In closing, my pick would be a Double Patty Onion Burger with a couple of slices of cheese, and maybe some bacon as well if they are offering it.
Which iconic Oklahoma hamburger are you picking?
Onion Burger or Meers Burger?
The Meers burger
Let us know why!