Comments on: The great OKC onion burger tour, part one: Johnnie’s Grill

By: Ed Davis

Ed Davis — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:15:48 +0000

i work at johnnie,s grill in 1983 i wish i had pictures of the original johnnie,s grill the one that had only nine bar stools

By: Eating The Road

Eating The Road — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:44:24 +0000

I had a great burger at Johnnie’s Grill!
http://eatingtheroad.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/johnnies-grill/

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:32:42 +0000

I’m with you, Jennifer. Johnnie’s is where we always went when I was growing up because it’s where my Dad went when he was growing up.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:34:06 +0000

Throughout my childhood we would drive to Johnnie’s from OKC for lunch after church on Sunday. This was back when there were 9 or 10 stools in fromt of the grill and that was it. I remember sitting out on the curb and waiting our turn for what seemed like forever. My Dad went to Johnnie’s with his Dad every time they came into town to sell grain…so Dad shared the tradition with us. To me, there is NOTHING like a Johnnie’s burger. And the Coney’s WITH slaw are just as good as the burgers.

By: Wimpy

Wimpy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:11:25 +0000

Good but if I’m in El Reno I’ve got to go with Roberts I like the burger better a little more meat and better value!!

By: Donald

Donald — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:44:51 +0000

David says the next series should be on Chicken Fried Steaks I agree and that will take us back to Nics his are the best you’re going to find and his onion burgers are great too!

By: Doug

Doug — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:54:29 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Johnny’s burgers and coney for over 50 years. I lived used to live on the street behind Johnny’s and walked down the alley for breakfast (short stack…3 pancakes $1.00) supper (3 hamburgers $1.00). Johnny Siler was there mornings and Otis was grill man after school. Otis, Robert, Johnny…9 stools and always a line. Johnny had his hamburger and chili meat specially ground at Acie Bryants IGA (I worked in the meat market). I now live 1,000 miles away and NEVER go down I-40 or El Reno and fail to get my fill. Prices have changed…more seating…different staff…SAME GREAT FLAVOR…DON’T EVER TINKER WITH SUCCESS!

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:11:14 +0000

I’ve now had the legendary onion burger, and it was… neato! I am a big fan of caramelized onions and pickles, so this was a good late-brunch stop on a Sunday.

The burger “tour” continued, however – we were on the way to Meers for the famous longhorn burger. Yum.

By: Richard Sullivan

Richard Sullivan — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:18:39 +0000

I remember going when Johnny Siler owned the place and I guess I am showing my age! I also remember when the coneys and hamburgers were 20 cents a piece!! Steve is doing a great job with the place and the tradition continues. Hello to everyone in El Reno!

By: kurt

kurt — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:38:10 +0000

My dad and I ate there a few days ago for the first time and the burger I had was excellent! I don’t think the prices are too high, I’ve had more expensive burgers that weren’t nearly as good as Jonnie’s.

By: John

John — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:11:23 +0000

I have been all over the world. Trust me, this is the best burger you will ever enjoy.

By: Megan

Megan — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:06:24 +0000

When I first moved to Oklahoma, I started hearing about onion burgers. At that time, I wasn’t an onion fan, but someone finally convinced me to try one. It was amazing! There are three places to get onion burgers in El Reno — Johnnie’s, Sid’s, and Robert’s. It’s so funny to hear people literally argue over which is best! To me, though, Johnnie’s is simply amazing…great burger and even better hand-cut fries. You just can’t go wrong at Johnnie’s!

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:42:15 +0000

I argued enough with Gallaway when I was in junior high and high school, so I’m content to let him have his way now.

(I wish I had more pictures of the 301 S. Rock Island that I will always remember.)

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:29:45 +0000

MMMM now I know what I want for lunch. The best Onion Burger I’ve had in OKC was from a place off of May next door to Eppersons Photo. Sorry, I can’t remember the name but I will always remember the onion burgers.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:35:12 +0000

Hey Matt – thanks for some good history on the original location of Johnnie’s in El Reno. Regarding the spelling of the names – I called back out there last night and asked again for clarification since Steve watched me write down the names during my interview with him. I did indeed misspell Otis and it is now corrected in the review above. But they did tell me Steve Gallaway’s name is spelled like I have it above. Thanks for calling my attention to that!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:31:30 +0000

Hey David – glad your family discovered an Okie specialty when y’all moved here! And yes, actually Little Mike’s is next on my list to review. I went in a couple of weeks ago and talked to Mike’s kids, but missed him. They wanted me to come back and get some quotes “straight from the mouth”. ha ha. And I just haven’t done it yet – but keep watching!

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:54:54 +0000

Having seen more of Johnnie’s history than you’d normally guess, it kind of undermines the review when you get the names of the last two owners wrong: Otis Bruce and Steve Galloway.

(And I know it’s been this way for over 20 years, but there will only ever be one thing at 301 S. Rock Island in my mind, and Johnnie’s isn’t it. Johnnie’s will always be at 310 S. Rock Island in my mind. That’s just how that goes.)

By: David

David — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:16:40 +0000

Sarah – I can’t wait for the rest of your reviews on the onion burger tour… Since moving to Oklahoma, this is truly an Okie specialty my family loves! I hope you will stop by our favorite, Little Mike’s on NW Expressway. Be sure to get the rings! Your next series needs to be a Chicken Fried Steak Tour!

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:24:36 +0000

I grew up going to Johnnie’s with my dad who grew up going there with his dad. So, Johnnie’s has always been the true onion burger place for me, though I know there are others. I often run into people who aren’t even aware of these places in El Reno and if anyone out there falls in that category, I highly recommend getting out to try an onion burger.

My only complaint is that they’ve sort of reached icon status now and their prices have gotten high. Granted, it’s only $2.70 for a burger, but cheese is at least 30 cents extra and honestly, I usually eat two burgers plus a coney (also very, very good) and some fries or rings. The burgers aren’t big so most people eat more than one. That can make the bill pretty hefty, for a diner.

But hey, people are willing to pay it and the taste is definitely there so I don’t fault them.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts and comparisons to other onion burger places.