“In onion is strength; and a garden without it lacks flavour.
The onion, in its satin wrappings, is among the most beautiful of vegetables;
and it is the only one that represents the essence of things.
It can almost be said to have a soul.”
~Charles Dudley Warner, American Novelist
In the vividly hued threads that comprise a diverse tapestry of culinary preferences, onions stand as a polarizing ingredient. While some of us hail onions as the backbone of flavor, others recoil at their mere mention. In some cultures, onions are associated with bad breath and are avoided in social settings. This stigma can reinforce negative perceptions, making onions less appealing to those who prioritize etiquette. The fear of “onion breath” can deter people from enjoying dishes containing onions, especially in professional or romantic settings. This concern is not unfounded; the sulfer compounds in onions are released into the bloodstream and exhaled through the lungs, making their presence hard to mask.
Much of that paragraph was excerpted from an article titled “Why Nobody Likes Onions.” As an unabashed paramour of the edible, bulbous vegetable with a pungent odor, I love the alliaceous aromas emanating from a kitchen in which onions are being sliced or fried. Nowhere does the pungent perfume of onions being fried mimic a siren’s song more than in El Reno, Oklahoma, home of the onion burger. Our very first experience with an onion burger–thanks to Roadfood.com— transpired in 2005 at Johnnie’s Grill. It’s an experience we never forgot. Alas, it took some twenty years before we made our return to Johnnie’s. Our second visit reenforced all we love about onions in general and the onion burger specifically. If you’ve never had an onion burger, you owe it to yourself to make a pilgrimage to El Reno.
An oft-told urban myth (fake news) inaccurately recalls the supposed invention of the onion burger. Because of that fallacious fairy tale, the onion burger is often referred to as the Depression Burger. Myth holds that the onion burger was created during America’s Great Depression in the 1930s. In truth, the burger actually predates the Depression by about seven years, having popped up at a hamburger joint in El Reno, Oklahoma as a result of the Great Railroad Strike of 1922. 400,000 railway workers across the nation walked off the job on 1 July 2022 in search of better pay after their wages were cut by an average of 13% in the aftermath of World War I.
In El Reno (about fifteen miles west of Oklahoma City), an innovator named Ross Davis had just opened Hamburger Inn which stood near a tram stop in the center of town. In an attempt to extend his beef supply, Davis decided to begin smashing a large handful of finely sliced onions into the burger patty. Onions were already widely in use on burgers all over the country, and were much cheaper than beef. Davis eventually progressed to using 50% beef and 50% onions for each burger, inadvertently creating an instant classic – and due to its proximity to the tram stop, the alluring smell of onions would regularly lure customers off of the tram and to the walk-up window of the Hamburger Inn.
Although Hamburger Inn is sadly no more, the onion burger lives on at three longtime El Reno establishments, all within olfactory-arousing distance of each other in the city’s downtown. Those three iconic El Reno onion burger establishments are Johnnie’s, Robert’s (circa 1926), and Sid’s Diner. You can also get onion burgers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa where a newcomer (2011) named Tucker’s is claimant to the “home of the Mother Tucker.” Onion burgers are making their way beyond the Sooner State’s borders. Burger scholar George Motz serves them at his New York City restaurant Hamburger America. (named for the book he authored). You can even find onion burgers at Stackers Burger Co. in the Albuquerque area.
Making an onion burger isn’t exactly rocket surgery. First, you take a ball of beef, put it on the flattop, and season with salt just like you would for any smashburger. This time, however, you cover the beef in razor thin slivers of white onion – and only then do you smash the beef down into the searing heat of the flattop. The sliced onion now merged with the beef. Give it a minute or two to let the edges of the patty begin to crisp before flipping and cooking the other side. As soon as you’ve flipped, pop a slice of American cheese on top and let that melt as the burger cooks. After another minute or two, your patty should be ready: place it inside a sliced burger bun (ideally a potato roll) with a modest spread of mustard and two pickle slices and voila. You have yourself an Oklahoma onion burger.
Without the benefit of having tried onion burgers other than at El Reno, it’s hard to imagine any better. Considering visitors trek off the beaten path for onion burgers, Johnnie’s menu doesn’t even list them as “onion burgers.” Instead, it lists a hamburger, double meat hamburger and a triple meat hamburger. Add-ons include your choice of cheese, lettuce and tomato, slaw, bacon and chili. At the very minimum, hearty eaters should ask for cheese, lettuce and tomato. You’re welcome to add mustard or ketchup to your heart’s content. While the plentitude of onions may have started as pearlescent, they obtain a beauteous caramelization. That caramelization, coupled with the Maillard reaction turn pungent raw onions into something so mild and sweet, they might as well be dessert. Ergo, cheese for saltiness, tomatoes for acidity and lettuce for a neutral savory quality. Now, these burgers would undoubtedly be even better with green chile, but that for now is a pipe dream.
The aroma of grilling onions greets you as you park your car and by the time you’re ready to place your order, those grilled onions will have likely triggered nearly salacious salivating. A spatula wielding grill man obviously well practiced in the craft mashes thinly sliced yellow onions with raw, thin, hand-formed patties, alternately grilling each side to ensure uniformity of onion dispersion. Caramelized onions adhering to the meat patty are then placed on a bun. It’s an art form. My Kim can’t handle more than a single patty which she adorns with mustard for an acidic bite.
Another Johnnie’s specialty is Coney hot dogs. They’re not the same hot dogs you’ll find at Coney Island nor are they the same Coney dogs popular in the Detroit area. One of the differences is their color. Most hot dogs acquire a brownish-reddish color when grilled. The hot dogs at Johnnie’s remain bright red even after grilling. They’re also not as thick as say a Nathan’s hot dog. In fact, they’re somewhat on the thin side. At Johnnie’s, many diners order their Coney dogs with chile, others with coleslaw. The more savvy among us order the Coney dogs with both chili and coleslaw.
My friend Steve Coleman, the scrivener behind Steve’s Food Blog, describes the chili: “The chili was really one of the smoothest and most flavorful I have ever eaten (by smooth I mean mainly that it was not greasy and was somewhat liquid so that it could be poured over the hot dog). Many people familiar with New Mexican cuisine (and I among them) proclaim their chile to be hotter, more flavorful, and more satisfying than the Tex-Mex style chili (which is always brown and usually made either with meat or beans). Johnnie’s chili, though, was different, with a flavor that I think made it equal in quality to much of the New Mexico chile (although certainly not as spicy).” The last time he had the slaw, he found it a bit toned down while the slaw during our most recent visit in 2025 had a discernible hint of horseradish.
It stands to reason that Johnnie’s serves up some of the best onion rings you’ll find anywhere. Sweet pearlescent onions are sheathed in a golden hued batter that lends a light crispness when you bite into them. Onion rings are served with two sauces, but neither are necessary. What renders these onion rings among the best you’ll find anywhere is the fact that the sweet, delicious onions are the dominant flavor, not the breading. Additionally, the onion rings aren’t limp and sad. They arrive at your table hot and crispy, not greasy and soggy. Order the larger portion. You’re sure to polish them off.
Johnnie’s Grill has its own pie man, a local baker who furnishes–if the pecan pie is any indication–primo pie. Concocted with a light corn syrup instead of the more common dark corn syrup, this pecan pie isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, has a generous amount of pecans and a light, delicate crust. Even better than pecan pie unadorned is pecan pie a la mode. Johnnie’s uses a premium vanilla ice cream that pairs very well with the pie and its plentitude of pecans. My Kim prefers a chocolate shake to a slice of pie. Johnnie’s makes shakes the old-fashioned way.
Johnnie’s has a full American breakfast menu. Regrettably those outstanding onion-fried burgers aren’t on that menu, but you can have a breakfast burrito with the same outstanding chili you’ll find on a Coney dog.
Johnnie’s Grill
301 South Rock Island
El Reno, Oklahoma
(405) 262-4721
LATEST VISIT: 10 May 2025
1st VISIT: 18 November 2005
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 24
COST: $$
BEST BET: Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Pecan Pie a la Mode, Onion Rings, Coney Dog
