The corner of downtown El Reno, where Choctaw Avenue and Sunset Drive meet, has long been called the “Crossroads of America.” Now, it’s officially trademarked as the “Crossroads of the Continent.” And, if it’s Americana you’re looking for, you found it.

This point is where Route 66, on its 2,448-mile trip from Chicago to the Pacific, meets another historic highway with a 1926 birthday, US Route 81. That road rambles 1,200 miles north over the plains from Texas to the Manitoba border, following the Chisholm Trail, a network of trails that saw literally millions of cows driven to Kansas in the years following the Civil War.

El Reno’s biggest claim to fame, though, is a one-of-a-kind delicacy that predates the Mother Road. It’s appeared in food magazines and on multiple Travel Network and Food Network shows. And, it’s inspired a recent “Oklahoma burger” trend around the world, including at hamburgerologist George Motz’s celebrated New York restaurant, Hamburger America.

Welcome to El Reno, the birthplace and capital of the onion burger universe.

The Perfect Onion Burger

In the early 1920s, a local restaurateur named Homer Davis sought more affordable food for railway workers during a train strike, so he started pressing onions into beef patties to help cut costs. Beef was costly but onions were cheap; their inclusion added hearty mass to the burgers. The El Reno fried onion burger was born.

Soon, Davis’ Hamburger Inn became the place to eat in town. After the stock market crash in 1929 sent the national economy into a tailspin, the onion burger earned the nickname of the “Depression burger.” They’re still here, and they still delight locals and travelers from around the world.

Today, a couple thousand burgers are grilled daily in El Reno, but that number soars during El Reno’s Fried Onion Burger Day (www.elrenoburgerday.com), held annually on the first Saturday in May. Visitors take in the annual car show, see live music, and get a bite from the world’s largest onion burger, an 850-pounder that gets carved up and shared for free.

Thankfully, you can savor onion burgers any day in El Reno, as Route 66 travelers are grateful to do. And, while Davis’ Hamburger Inn has long since closed, just south along Route 66 you’ll find a trio of beloved onion burger joints, all about a block apart, and a fourth destination just to the west that has been brought back to life.

These are cozy places, where you’re likely to gab with the cooks and fellow diners sitting at the counter and watching the steam rise off the grill. Robert’s Grill (405-262-1262, 300 S Bickford Ave) has been open since 1926; Johnnie’s Hamburgers & Coneys (405-262-4721, 301 S. Rock Island Ave) since 1946; and the stalwart Sid’s Diner (405-262-7757, 300 S. Choctaw Ave, sidsdinerok.com), which opened in 1989 but was launched by a family with more than sixty prior years in the onion burger business. Adam Hall, the third-generation owner of the restaurant who’s cooked for the likes of Andrew Zimmern, still helms the grill at Sid’s today.

Jobe’s Country Boy Drive-in (405-776-3192, 1220 Sunset Drive) is both an old and new spot for an onion burger. The revived 1958 diner, which opened as Jobe’s and features an iconic Route 66 sign, reopened under new ownership in August of 2024.

The owners of the four surviving (and thriving) El Reno onion burger establishments remain friendly with each other, and all make the onion burger the right way, with patties lovingly seared on a seasoned flat-top grill for flavor, overflowing with Spanish yellow onions smashed into the freshly ground beef and deliciously caramelized.

Need an appetizer? The coney with mustard-based slaw is El Reno’s second most famous dish.

The Filling Station and Other Downtown Delights

Route 66 travelers will ultimately find themselves downtown, whether in pursuit of the perfect onion burger, a quaint shopping trip, or a memorable selfie.

The Filling Station, at 120 S. Choctaw, should be on every visitor’s radar. The vintage former 1950s Texaco station has been artfully transformed into an El Reno tourist information center and gift shop. Staffed daily from 9-4 (noon to four on Sundays), and catty corner to the Route 66 Centennial Monument in Petree Plaza, The Filling Station opened in 2025 and has hosted visitors from countries across the globe. In addition to brochures and gifts, travelers look forward to the “cleanest rest rooms on Route 66.”

El Reno, the county seat of Canadian County, was a train hub for western Oklahoma in the early 1900s. You can learn more about this history in the 1906 Rock Island Depot, now home to the Canadian County Museum (405-262-5121, 300 S. Grand Ave, canadiancountymuseum.com), which features exhibits of early pioneers and railroad history. The museum is a worthwhile visit.

Surrounding it are a host of historic buildings to peek into, including the Hotel El Reno (a 16-room hotel built in 1892); a cedar-log Red Cross Canteen; and an old jailhouse with carved initials dating back to 1910.

Riding the Rails

To experience the thrill of El Reno’s railroad past, reserve a ride on El Reno’s Heritage Express Trolley, which makes half-hour tours by century-old buildings along the old Interurban rails that ran across town from 1908 until the 1940s. The trolley is operated by the Canadian County Museum. You can ride the trolley Saturdays for $5 per person. It’s advised to call ahead for schedules: (405) 262-5121.

More Information

Find out more to explore locally:

City of El Reno:  www.elrenook.gov

El Reno Main Street: www.elrenomainstreet.com

El Reno Chamber of Commerce: elrenochamber.com