Finding the Best Hamburgers in Oklahoma City - Continued

On the flip side of that debate for me would be a place like Goldie's Patio Grill, an Oklahoma original that began in Tulsa. I can remember having Goldie's from time to time as a kid, but it had been years since I'd been there when I sampled a burger for this search. The restaurant itself is family-oriented and comfortable, and you definitely shouldn't miss the pickle bar.

But for my tastes, the charcoal-grilled flavor of the hamburger is just overpoweringly strong to the point that you almost can't even taste the toppings. The bun is relatively standard and plain, and my fries were even more undercooked than the ones I noted above at Earl's. Without eating much of the side, I regretted not ordering the half pound burger rather than the moderate one-third pounder. I will give the Goldie's meat points for juiciness. The burger was wonderfully succulent without being overly greasy.

Pros:

• Perfect level of juiciness
• Comfortable restaurant atmosphere with plenty more to offer such as pickle bar
• Some unique burger choices such as the gravy-covered country special

Cons:

• Traditional burger has overpowering charbroiled taste
• Topping and bun very ordinary

Verdict: Goldie's would be another that ranked on my list of disappointments. I had fond memories of the longtime Oklahoma establishment, and I wanted to love it. But I just didn't. Perhaps my tastes have changed over time, but this one illustrates perfectly for me that the chargrilled taste can sometimes go too far.

I'm open to all burger tastes on this search, of course, fire-grilled or otherwise, and I desperately wanted to get as much variety as possible, even if at times I didn't always sample the most exotic offerings of some locations. One burger I was particularly looking forward to trying was the gourmet American "Wagyu" Kobe Burger from Red Prime Steakhouse.

See I'm a huge Red Prime fan, and as soon as I get around to actually putting together that top OKC steakhouses list, you can bet it'll be on there. The burger itself is gigantic, justifying its price tag of over twenty bucks and includes a tasty gruyere cheese and bacon on a sourdough bun. Look, I can eat a burger with the best of them, but I couldn't get completely through this one. Frankly, I thought the sheer size was, in the end, its downfall. It could've been cooked a bit longer for my preference, and the amount of meat occasionally hid the great taste of the cheese and bacon.

Pros:

• You get your money's worth
• Loved the unique sourdough bun
• Quality toppings

Cons:

• The amount of meat is just too much, overshadowing other tastes
• Not a fan of the pickled onions

Verdict: This one is bound to satisfy those huge burger appetites, and I was impressed with the uniqueness here, including the bun and cheese. It is a gourmet experience, much different than some of the roadstop-style burgers I've tried. But alas, I just can't see a reason to choose the Red Prime burger over their fantastic steaks.

Opposite of that upscale, unique gourmet burger experience is the homogenized, chain restaurant nature of Red Robin. With over 200 locations around the U.S. and Canada, it certainly didn't engender the same kind of excitement in me, I have to admit. But several in OKC recommended it, so I made my first visit to a Red Robin, stopping in for lunch at the one near Quail Springs Mall. Even though I didn't have high hopes, I was actually impressed with the experience.

The dining area has televisions throughout (as most casual restaurants seem to these days), and I took a seat at a wooden booth. The menu offers plenty of burger options, and they're served in small, round baskets with those huge "steak fries," some sort of Red Robin season available on the table. I sampled a Classic Bacon Cheeseburger and also stole a bite of the Sicilian Burger with pepperoni and provolone. The meat is about everything you can ask for: good size, fresh and juicy. And I had zero complaints about the toppings, loving the crispy bacon and the big sesame-seed buns.

Pros:

• Quality, tasty hamburgers
• Large size makes them definitely worth the money
• Great variety of specialty burgers

Cons:

• Chain restaurant, so it's not exactly original and unique
• Family atmosphere. That means you should probably expect some loud kids.

Verdict: As you can probably tell from many of my reviews here on About.com, I'm less than excited by chain restaurant options. I typically prefer something unique and OKC-original, if I get the choice. So it pains me to say in that regard, but Red Robin has some quality hamburgers based on my experience. The number of specialty options makes it a place you can go many times without getting bored.

Continue to page 4 as I go through a couple I considered far from unique...