Johnnie's World Famous Onion-Fried Burger

El Reno, Oklahoma
Monday, July 3, 2006

Gas prices were decreasing ($2.76 per gallon) but our cowboy/cowgirl appetites were increasing as we crossed just some 300 of the nearly 70,000 square miles of Oklahoma. We moseyed our way to El Reno, OK, in search of Johnnie's, another cool little place recommended by Roadfood, that's been around since 1946. There we inhaled Johnnie's claim to fame--the onion-fried burger. Ribbons of onion are mashed deep into the top of a patty of ground beef as it cooks on the grill, resulting in a hamburger that is a delicious intertwined mix of meat and caramelized onion. Of course, we had to have the extra large order of fries to accompany it! MMM Good!!

After downing our grub and paying the whopping $8 tab, we wrangled the Blazer and left Johnnie's in the dust. The landscape continued to change as wheat fields replaced houses and we were becoming one with the road. We marveled at the thought of the pioneers making their way cross country without benefits of A/C , four wheel drive, and a GPS system! Thea suddenly wanted to watch every Western ever made (did you know Oklahoma has the largest American Indian population of any state?).