Experience the Legendary El Reno, Oklahoma Hamburgers at the Annual Burger Festival

The History of the El Reno Hamburger Festival

The small city of El Reno, Oklahoma is located just west of Oklahoma City. While it has a population of only around 16,000 people, El Reno has become famous throughout the Oklahoma City metro area for its delicious hamburgers.

Several family-owned hamburger restaurants in El Reno have been serving up tasty burgers for decades. Residents of Oklahoma City and other nearby towns regularly make the drive to El Reno to get their hands on these mouthwatering burgers that have achieved legendary status.

What Makes El Reno Burgers Special?

The El Reno hamburgers are special because of their thin-cut fried onions that are tightly packed into the patties while they're being grilled. This caramelized onion juice gives the burgers incredible flavor.

The burgers are also often served on slightly sweet, soft bun that perfectly complements the burger and onions. The combination of the flavorful patties with the sweet toasted buns creates a simply delectable burger experience.

The Annual El Reno Hamburger Festival

To celebrate El Reno's status as the burger capital of Oklahoma, the city has hosted the annual El Reno Hamburger Festival every year since 1991.

The festival typically takes place over a weekend in late May or early June. Thousands of hungry burger lovers descend on El Reno from all over Oklahoma and beyond to get a taste of El Reno’s iconic sandwiches.

Trying the Legendary Local Burgers

During the El Reno Hamburger Festival, attendees have the opportunity to taste burgers from all the legendary local restaurants, like Sid’s Diner, Robert’s Grill, Johnnie’s Grill, and many others. Trying each unique take on the classic El Reno-style burger is a real treat.

In addition to the traditional burgers, some restaurants craft burger specials just for the festival weekend, featuring creative ingredients and flavors.

Other Festival Highlights

Along with tasting all kinds of incredible burgers, the El Reno Hamburger Festival also features live music performances on an outdoor stage. Local Oklahoma bands, especially those that play country and rock music, are crowd favorites.

There is also a large outdoor beer garden that serves craft beers and cocktails so attendees can wash down their burgers. Local food trucks offer everything from loaded fries to funnel cakes for perfect festival snacks.

An annual burger eating contest always draws big crowds as contestants try to set records for most El Reno burgers eaten. There are separate women’s and men’s divisions for eating both 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb burger patties.

Visiting El Reno for Burgers Outside the Festival

While the El Reno Hamburger Festival provides the perfect opportunity for outsiders to experience all the city’s best burgers at once, visitors don’t have to wait for the festival to get an authentic El Reno burger experience.

Must-Try Local Favorites

Sid’s Diner, located downtown, claims to be the birthplace of the El Reno slider burger. Their crispy onion burgers come in sizes from single to quadruple patties. Sid’s classic diner setting offers a true old-school burger joint atmosphere.

Johnnie’s Grill is another downtown establishment that has been serving their delicious burgers since 1952. Johnnie’s is especially known for their Hickory Burger, which features added barbecue sauce and bacon.

Robert’s Grill is a third downtown burger restaurant that has achieved legendary local status after being featured on food TV shows. Their double onion burger with pepper jack cheese is a customer favorite.

Trying the Newer Places Too

While the downtown stalwarts are certainly worth visiting, El Reno has also welcomed some new burger restaurants in recent years that have already built strong reputations.

Stacey’s Hamburger House opened downtown in 2016 and has quickly become known for premium ingredients and creative burger toppings like sauteed mushrooms and homemade chili.

Nic’s Grill, which debuted in 2013, offers giant 5-patty Quadzilla burgers along with an array of craft beers. Their Bacon Avocado Burger is always a best seller.

Plan Your Visit to Burger Paradise

For hamburger enthusiasts, a trip to El Reno needs to be on the bucket list to experience these world-famous onion burgers in their natural habitat. Attending the annual El Reno Hamburger Festival each May or June is an excellent way to taste the city's very best burgers all in one place.

But the plentiful local burger restaurants like Sid’s, Robert’s, Johnnie’s and others serve their tasty sandwiches year-round. Their decades of burger grilling experience has perfected the unique El Reno hamburger style.

Carnivores who truly appreciate a perfectly crafted burger will not leave El Reno disappointed after tasting what this Oklahoma town has to offer. It’s a burger paradise rooted in tradition but continuing to evolve as more restaurants join the city’s juicy burger scene.

FAQs

When is the El Reno Hamburger Festival held?

The El Reno Hamburger Festival is held annually over a weekend in late May or early June in El Reno, Oklahoma.

What makes the El Reno burgers special?

The El Reno burgers are special because of the fried onions that are tightly packed into the patties while they are grilled, giving them incredible flavor.

What activities take place at the festival?

Festival activities include tasting burgers from local restaurants, live music performances, a beer garden, food trucks, and an annual hamburger eating contest.

What are some of the best local burger joints in El Reno?

Some of the best places for iconic El Reno burgers are Sid's Diner, Johnnie's Grill, Robert's Grill, Stacey's Hamburger House, and Nic's Grill.