{"id":39,"date":"2025-05-16T15:00:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T21:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=39"},"modified":"2026-03-31T13:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T19:46:08","slug":"johnnies-grill-el-reno-oklahoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=39","title":{"rendered":"Johnnie’s Hamburgers & Coneys – El Reno, Oklahoma"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Johnnie’s Hamburgers & Coneys<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“In onion is strength; and a garden without it lacks flavour.<\/em>
\nThe onion, in its satin wrappings, is among the most beautiful of vegetables;<\/em>
\nand it is the only one that represents the essence of things.<\/em>
\nIt can almost be said to have a soul.”<\/em>
\n~Charles Dudley Warner, American Novelist<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 \u201conion breath\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Much of that paragraph was excerpted or paraphrased from an article titled “Why Nobody Likes Onions<\/strong><\/a>.”\u00a0 \u00a0As 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Our very first experience with an onion burger–thanks to Roadfood.com<\/strong><\/a>— transpired in 2005 at Johnnie’s Grill.\u00a0 It’s an experience we never forgot.\u00a0 Alas, it took some twenty years before we made our return to Johnnie’s.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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El Reno Honored on the Back Wall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An oft-told urban myth (fake news) inaccurately recalls the supposed invention of the onion burger.\u00a0 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\u2019s Great Depression in the 1930s.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 \u00a0In 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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Double Meat Hamburger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.\u00a0 Those three iconic El Reno onion burger establishments are Johnnie\u2019s, Robert\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> (circa 1926), and Sid\u2019s Diner<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 You can also get onion burgers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa where a newcomer (2011)\u00a0 named Tucker’s<\/strong><\/a> is claimant to the “home of the Mother Tucker<\/em>.”\u00a0 Onion burgers are making their way beyond the Sooner State’s borders.\u00a0 Burger scholar George Motz<\/strong><\/a> serves them at his New York City restaurant Hamburger America.<\/strong><\/a> (named for the book<\/strong><\/a> he authored).\u00a0 You can even find onion burgers at Stackers Burger Co<\/strong><\/a>. in the Albuquerque area.<\/p>\n

Making an onion burger isn’t exactly rocket surgery.\u00a0 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 \u2013 and only then do you smash the beef down into the searing heat of the flattop. The sliced onion now merged with the beef.\u00a0 Give\u00a0 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\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Another Double Meat Onion Burger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

16 May 2025<\/strong>: Without the benefit of having tried onion burgers other than at El Reno, it’s hard to imagine any better.\u00a0 Considering visitors trek off the beaten path for onion burgers, Johnnie’s menu doesn’t even list them as “onion burgers.”\u00a0 Instead, it lists a hamburger, double meat hamburger and a triple meat hamburger.\u00a0 Add-ons include your choice of cheese, lettuce and tomato, slaw, bacon and chili.\u00a0 At the very minimum, hearty eaters should\u00a0 ask for cheese, lettuce and tomato.\u00a0 You’re welcome to add mustard or ketchup to your heart’s content.\u00a0 While the plentitude of onions may have started as pearlescent, they obtain a beauteous caramelization.\u00a0 That caramelization, coupled with the Maillard reaction<\/strong><\/a> turn pungent raw onions into something so mild and sweet, they might as well be dessert.\u00a0 Ergo, cheese for saltiness, tomatoes for acidity and lettuce for a neutral savory quality.\u00a0 Now, these burgers would undoubtedly be even better with green chile, but that for now is a pipe dream.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 It’s an art form.\u00a0 My Kim can’t handle more than a single patty which she adorns with mustard for an acidic bite.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Onion Burger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10 May 2025<\/strong>: Another Johnnie’s specialty is Coney hot dogs<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 One of the differences is their color.\u00a0 Most hot dogs acquire a brownish-reddish color when grilled.\u00a0 The hot dogs at Johnnie’s remain bright red even after grilling.\u00a0 They’re also not as thick as say a Nathan’s hot dog.\u00a0 In fact, they’re somewhat on the thin side.\u00a0 At Johnnie’s, many diners order their Coney dogs with chile, others with coleslaw.\u00a0 The more savvy among us order the Coney dogs with both<\/em> chili and coleslaw.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Coney Dog With Chili and Coleslaw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My friend Steve Coleman, the scrivener behind Steve’s Food Blog<\/strong><\/a>, 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\u00a0chile\u00a0to be hotter, more flavorful, and more satisfying than the Tex-Mex style\u00a0chili\u00a0(which is always brown and usually made either with meat or beans). Johnnie\u2019s 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)<\/em>.”\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"
French fries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10 May 2025<\/strong>: It stands to reason that Johnnie’s serves up some of the best onion rings you’ll find anywhere.\u00a0 Sweet pearlescent onions are sheathed in a golden hued batter that lends a light crispness when you bite into them.\u00a0 Onion rings<\/strong><\/em> are served with two sauces, but neither are necessary.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Additionally, the onion rings aren’t limp and sad.\u00a0 They arrive at your table hot and crispy, not greasy and soggy.\u00a0 Order the larger portion.\u00a0 You’re sure to polish them off.\u00a0 \u00a0A large portion of fries<\/strong><\/em> won’t be as easy to finish.\u00a0 It’s enough for two, maybe three hearty eaters.\u00a0 Those fries are superb: thin, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Onion Rings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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<\/strong><\/em>. Johnnie’s uses a premium vanilla ice cream that pairs very well with the pie and its plentitude of pecans.\u00a0 My Kim prefers a chocolate shake to a slice of pie.\u00a0 Johnnie’s makes shakes the old-fashioned way.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Pecan pie a la mode<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

16 May 2025<\/strong>: Coconut pie tastes like home, especially if you were marooned on Gilligan’s Island where Maryann baked a mean coconut pie. On the rare occasions when my mom made something other than prune pie, apple pie or pumpkin pie, it was coconut pie and lemon meringue pie.\u00a0 My siblings all loved the former, while my favorite was the coconut pie (maybe I was adopted)\u00a0 Our return home would not have been complete without another visit to Johnnie’s.\u00a0 Yes, another double-meat onion burger and another slice of pie.\u00a0 This time I had the coconut pie<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 It reminded me of my mom’s version–so creamy, rich, sweet and absolutely delicious.\u00a0 I scraped off the frothy meringue which I would happily have exchanged for more of the fabulous crust.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Coconut Pie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Johnnie’s Grill<\/strong>
\n301 South Rock Island
\nEl Reno, Oklahoma<\/strong>
\n(405) 262-4721
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 16 May 2025
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 18 November 2005
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 3
\nRATING<\/strong>: Extraordinary<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 A standard-bearer; top-tier restaurant; unforgettable dining experience; highest level of quality; rare and remarkable.
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Pecan Pie a la Mode, Onion Rings, Coney Dog, French Fries, Coconut Pie<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“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 \u201conion…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[540,25,76,561,553],"tags":[1868,3682,4961,1908,4925,3184,4927,2652,4924,945,4930,1402,4929,4928,3584,4926,4931],"class_list":["post-39","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breakfast","category-burgers","category-oklahoma","category-rating-outstanding","category-across-america","tag-cheeseburger","tag-chili","tag-coconut-pie","tag-coleslaw","tag-coney-dog","tag-double-meat-hamburger","tag-el-reno","tag-french-fries","tag-hamburger","tag-onion-rings","tag-onions","tag-pecan-pie","tag-pecan-pie-a-la-mode","tag-steve-coleman","tag-steves-food-blog","tag-triple-meat-hamburger","tag-why-nobody-likes-onions"],"yoast_head":"\nJohnnie's Hamburgers & Coneys - El Reno, Oklahoma - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=39\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Johnnie's Hamburgers & Coneys - El Reno, Oklahoma - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“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. 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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. 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