Food Worth a Drive in Oklahoma: Onion Burgers and Route 66

Food worth a drive in Oklahoma follows the old Mother Road, Route 66, where the stretch between Tulsa and the western edge of the state is lined with diners, burger counters and cafes that have fed travelers for generations. Plan the drive around meals, not miles.

The onion burger, a thin patty pressed onto sliced onions, is the dish El Reno made famous. Many Route 66 cafes are casual and modest in cost, but check menus.

Why is food worth a drive in Oklahoma tied to Route 66?

The highway opened in the 1920s and carried families, farmers and travelers across the plains. Small cafes grew up along it, and many survive. They serve breakfast all day, pie from the case, chicken fried steak and burgers cooked on a flat-top.

Oklahoma's tourism office publishes dining guides to the route. Plan to stop at a handful rather than all of them, and to eat light between meals. The state is proud of these places, and it shows.

What is an El Reno onion burger?

El Reno, west of Oklahoma City, calls itself the fried onion burger capital of the world. The burger is made by smashing thinly sliced onions into a patty on a hot griddle, so the onions cook into the meat. It dates to the Great Depression, when cafes stretched beef with onions.

El Reno's short-order counters and drive-ins all serve it, and several sit within a few blocks of each other. A burger crawl is an easy half-day plan. Order a single or a double, with the onions, mustard and pickles, and eat it on the spot. These are short-order counters, so the burgers arrive in minutes, and a stack of paper napkins is part of the service.

Which Route 66 Oklahoma diners are real landmarks?

A landmark diner and gas station on Route 66 in Arcadia, with a wall of hundreds of sodas, a shop and a 66-foot-tall soda bottle out front. It is as much a photo stop as a meal, but the menu has burgers and sandwiches, and you can buy a bottle of something unusual to take home.

It is a quick stop, so it fits on a route. Parking is easy. The tourism office lists other landmarks on the highway, so look at its guide before you set out. If you like old signs and neon, plan a stop at dusk.

Which Oklahoma roadside cafes serve chicken fried steak and pie?

Chicken fried steak, pie and breakfast are the staples. The Oklahoma chicken fried steak guide covers the cafes of Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Cafes on the route often keep early hours, so plan to eat breakfast or lunch. Pie sells out, so ask first.

Is Stockyards City worth a stop?

Oklahoma City's Stockyards City is home to historic steakhouses that have served ranchers for generations. It is the place to order a thick steak and a baked potato, and to see where cowboys once did business.

Stockyards City has western wear shops and a livestock market. It is a pleasant daytime walk, and a good break from the highway.

What else is worth a stop in the cities?

Onion burger counters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, some of them tiny and cash only, are worth a detour. Oklahoma City cafes and Tulsa buffeterias serve chicken fried steak that locals have eaten for decades.

These are good places to end a day on the road. Check hours, because several keep weekday schedules.

How to plan a Route 66 food trip

Start in Tulsa, drive west to Oklahoma City, and continue to El Reno and Weatherford. Stop for breakfast, a burger lunch and a late dinner. The drive is long, so split it over two days.

Fill the tank often. Check hours before you set out, because small-town places may close early or on certain days. Weekday mornings are the easiest time for a counter seat, and a short wait is part of the charm. Bring a paper map or download one in advance, because cell service can be patchy on stretches of the old road.

What to read next

For a neighboring state, see the Arkansas food worth a drive guide. For a Texas comparison, read the Texas State Fair food guide. The US guides page lists more states.

Follow the friends whose taste you trust and the Friends' picks layer on the Mosey map shows the places they rated or saved. It is a quick way to choose where to stop in Oklahoma when you have no time to read twenty reviews.

A road trip is a perfect list. In the Mosey app you can rate every burger and slice of pie, note the town and the griddle and build an Oklahoma list. Rate an onion burger in El Reno, a chicken fried steak in the city and a slice of pie on the Mother Road as separate dishes, and the list becomes a road map you can hand to the next traveler. Invite friends by link, and everyone can add the stop they would drive back for. The more meals you rate along the route, the better your own record of Oklahoma gets.