Faith
lies in
The ways
of sin
Chased
the charmed
But I don't want them
anymore
Another Tuesday.... another Taste... and this seems the perfect week to talk about Oklahoma, what with the Thunder in the second round of the NBA Playoffs and... um... uh...
...this?
Anyhow! Oklahoma Burgers is a still relatively new presence within the ever expanding Toronto burger scene. Opening up in 2022 (I think) inside of the Kingsbridge Food Hall in Mississauga. The impression they made upon burger lovers was quick and positive (such as shown by this tastyburgers article, quite a delightful little blog that's worth a glance)... making the demand for a second (more central Toronto) location was on the table. This very thing happened, with Oklahoma Burgers bringing their beef (the cow kind not the animosity type) right to the Theatre District of downtown on the north side of King Street West and Simcoe Street.
It's an intersection I'm very familiar with, having worked across street for almost four years inside that very glassy reflective dome-like structure. This was over half a decade ago now but I do recall a decent shawarma place in the tiny little spot where Oklahoma Burgers currently is... not easy to forget considering the serious lack of other takeaway food options in the immediate vicinity, while the only food offered at Roy Tho---I mean that "dome place" were mints, pre-packaged cookies, nuts and various other non-meals (which us staff weren't supposed to eat anyhow... a rule totally followed by all of us, yup).
Needless to say, I would've loved this 'Oklahoma Burger' had it come around in 2018. This just continues a bizarre coincidental trend of interesting food places opening nearby my workplaces soon after I no longer work there. Like the King Slice on Queen West near the Drake Hotel or pretty much anything near Ossington and Dundas (Bobbie Sue's Mac and Cheese in particular). I don't even wanna mention all the breweries that appeared around The Junction within a year of me moving from the west end. Why does this keep happening??? "Hey he's gone! Move on in lads, heh heh heh"
The Oklahoma style burger (also known as the "Onion Burger") may not be the prettiest to look at (especially in this particular photo, great job photographer guy). It's origins actually trace back a century ago: Homer Davis and his son Ross operated an El Reno, Oklahoma inn and, as a way to cut down on the overhead cost of meat, loaded their fried hamburgers with onions which were much cheaper than beef (plus tying one to your belt was the style at the time). They called it the "Depression Burger" and the recipe clearly caught on enough to become a popular regional variation on the classic burger.
It's fairly similar stylistically to a smash burger although there are notable differences (being griddled with a bucket of onions chief among them). Still, despite the smash burger boon we've seen in recent years this Oklahoma version hasn't quite gained anything close to a similar momentum or widespread awareness. This certainly was my first time trying such a take on the humble hamburger. Hey, lets see how it went right after these messages...
We're back! Now, the downtown Toronto location (via it's extreme tininess) has a more limited menu than the Mississauga one (which features onion rings and their designed-to-go-viral Brisket Jalapeno Triple Smash). This Toronto one however does offer what you see above: Dirty Fries.
What are "Dirty Fries" you ask? Hey I'm the one writing the review here. Let me finish! You've got crinkle cut fries, fried strips of their smashed burger patty covered with those plentiful onions, along with a double drizzle of their burger sauce and "BM" sauce. Plus some pickles on the side because why not.
Right off the bat (pow)... I can tell these fries weren't fried to order. This was a damp rainy day sure, and I was eating this under the cover of Roy T---I mean that glass dome place... but regardless these fries didn't have that oily heat or sizzle you get from fresh out of the fryer. Fried earlier that day? Probably. Just a teeny tiny amount of staleness and missing that key freshness.
They're still pretty good fries. Lots of nice crunch, the seasoning is salty and has some zingy warmth to it... remaining crunchy and tasty even once cold as well. They make a good vessel for the real dirtiness happening all around here, which is quite a lot. I'll talk more about the beef when we get to the burger itself... all you need to know for now is that strong flavour of beef and onions is inescapable even on bites that don't have any of that stuff on top.
The two sauces make for an odd but compelling combination. This is a very mustardy burger sauce (a thought shared by my reviewing compatriot of Tasty Burgers) a bit like a honey dijon at that (not quite a full dijon potent enough to hit the nostrils). Really though, the BM sauce is the real star here. The "BM" stands for "bone marrow", a delicacy I'm not at all familiar with (apparently my aunt loves it) making this a first for my tongue.
Well... it was definitely different: rich and creamy at first and I got a slow hint of building vinegary sweetness to it... while the aftertaste was exceptionally nutty (cashew-like I'd say). It reminded me somewhat of a satay and schezwan sauce... took a bite or two to quite get used to, just by its unusualness in this form, but I quite liked it. Unique stuff.
Behold, a much more flattering shot of an Oklahoma burger from Oklahoma Burgers.
This is the single (my thoughts on double burgers are well known at this point) and lemme tell ya... this thing does indeed taste as dirty as it looks. That greasy beef and fried onion flavour just drips out of this thing... those two elements (beef and onion) are so symbiotic in here that you can't taste one without the other.
All you've really got here is beef patty, fried onions, melted American cheese, a slight dab of burger sauce and a soft potato bun. And it doesn't need anything else: that fried taste is so powerful that any other strong flavour couldn't hope to match it. Not a first date meal I'd say (maybe third).
Unlike the typical smash burger, you don't get the crispy/charred edges around the beef... but the inside is well cooked, thin and tender enough to be enjoyable on every bite of it. This is an extremely tasty burger: the flavour is simple (salt, pepper, beef and onions baby onions) and irresistibly greasy, the soft bun holds it all together nicely and the fake cheese is melted just to that right point of covering the beef without seeping into it. Simplicity doesn't have to mean boring of course and there's nothing boring about this one. Such a legion of fried onions wouldn't allow such a thing.
Overall! I think we've got another strong entry on the Toronto burger scene. While I wouldn't place it among my very favourites I've encountered (I don't love fried onions quite to that degree) Oklahoma here indeed makes a top notch level burger that tastes like the cheat day/guilty pleasure one might be seeking on such an occasion.
Greasy, oniony, great beef flavour... it checks all those boxes you'd want from a dirty burger and I would indeed recommend giving them a try. The atypical bone marrow sauce is definitely a flavourful highlight as well, making me curious how that stuff would work on an actual burger (which they do offer). Terrific stuff that definitely satisfies a particular lane among cheeseburger fans.
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Tuesday Tune
The bass and guitar work in this song is just fantastic. What a sound.
That's all for another week! This seems like a good time to mention how the Tuesday reviews are approaching another milestone in a few weeks: #125, which granted is a more commonly celebrated anniversary than my half-shoehorned #120 (but I was using my whole shoe!). Yes, I do have something fun and special planned for that particular review as well... but for now! Stay safe, stay warm and most of all... don't spill that mustard.
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