If you look on a map, El
Reno is so close. It’s just right there. But while a 30-minute drive
from my house might not seem like much, when you consider how long it
takes to wrangle my kid and deal with traffic, it becomes almost
insurmountable.
Which
is why I’m glad our neighbors to the southwest have exported some onion
burger joints our way — like HD’s Onion Burgers, which expands on the
classic El Reno menu in a few delicious ways.
First,
however, let’s address that onion burger ($3.95). HD’s is all about the
customer service, so if you’re one of those sick weirdos who doesn’t
want delicious grilled onions on your burger, the
staffers will do as you ask. In fact, owner A.J. Jamali said they’ll do
almost anything you ask (within reason). You want double onions? You
want easy onions? You want the onion flavor without the onions? HD’s can
do it.
The burger itself is
simple, savory and delicious. The onions are thinly sliced and grilled
dark. The beef is smashed into them, absorbing the rich flavor. My
recommendation is to get it with cheese and pickles. Leave the tomatoes
and lettuce off, as they distract from the flavor. Add a bit of mustard
and welcome to Flavor Country.
Another take on an El Reno favorite is the Top Dog ($2.99),
HD’s version of a slaw dog. It’s a tasty treat that tops a bright red
hot dog with chili, cheese, onions and a mustard slaw. My only complaint
— the dog needed to be a little warmer. Otherwise, very satisfying.
Jamali
told me that the fries ($2.39 a half basket, $3.39 for a full order)
are hand-cut daily and it shows. These aren’t as crispy as I usually
like, but there’s plenty of moist potato flavor to make up for it.
If
you’ve got a big, blazing hot griddle and you want to do more than
burgers, a Philly Cheesesteak ($4.99) is a natural progression. This one
is nicely done, especially with the addition of jalapeños. If they run
out of hoagies, they sometimes serve it on Texas toast. It can get a
little soggy, but it still tastes good.
Do you really need a grilled chicken sandwich ($4.75)? Sigh. Look, HD’s has a grilled chicken sandwich. It’s fine. It does the job. Moving on.
HD’s
also does a gyro (and Jamali is very proud that they make their own
tzatziki sauce.) I appreciate giving people more options, but I’ll be
honest — you should be getting the onion burger. Everybody should be
getting the onion burger. If you’re allergic to onions and, I don’t
know, enjoying life, then maybe you should go someplace else.
Oh,
and one more thing, HD’s makes its own delicious cakes ($2.99 per
slice). I had some chocolate/banana/ almond that was pretty good. And
the strawberry jam cake could be used in a strawberry court of law as
evidence why it’s OK to jam them.
The onion burger is one of the things that makes our state great.
Oklahoma
Gazette’s restaurant review policy is to highlight the positive
aspects, and include constructive criticism regarding food, ambience or
service when appropriate.
