Sun Cattle Co. in OKC honors and elevates El Reno classics

OKLAHOMA CITY — Is there anything more Oklahoman than a fried onion burger?

Well, yes. Probably a lot of things. But a fried onion burger is exceedingly Oklahoman, both in origin and spirit. Born during the Great Depression in El Reno, the onion burger embraces the dual Oklahoma loves of deliciously unhealthy foods and being thrifty.

By supplementing hamburger beef with thinly sliced onions that were squeezed dry, restaurants in El Reno were able to serve more burgers at a consumer-friendly cost. The onions bulked up the beef, but they also imbued it with sharpness, sweetness, and—when the onions went from browned to charred—an oddly appealing hint of bitterness.

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Sun Cattle Co. – Film Row – OKC – June 2024 (GREG.ELWELL/Okla City Free Press)

And while burger aficionados are always recommended to visit El Reno for a taste of the original, Oklahoma City is lucky enough to have its own fried onion burger purveyor at Sun Cattle Co. in Film Row.

Anyone thinking, “I’ve had onions on a burger before. What’s the big deal?” needs to understand the difference between putting onions on a burger and cooking onions in a burger. The onion’s juices mingle with the beef as it cooks, leaving some nearly raw inside the patty, while those on the surface get browned or blackened. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, in other words.

Sun Cattle owner Russ Johnson understands the appeal and has brought together a team that creates burgers that meet and exceed the original with great technique and a few added flavors.

For a first-timer, the best choice is the classic fried onion cheeseburger. While lettuce and tomato are great additions, tasting the original without any distractions is a great introduction to this Oklahoma original. The onions hit the griddle first, followed by a ball of ground beef that is flattened on top of the onions, trapping most of them inside at various degrees of cooking.

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Sun Cattle Co. – Film Row – OKC – June 2024 – fried onion cheeseburger (GREG.ELWELL/Okla City Free Press)

What is different at Sun Cattle is the overall degree of doneness of the burger. Cooking a thin burger patty without over-cooking it is a challenge, but the cooks on the griddle at Sun Cattle have perfected the art. Every patty comes out with a great crust on the outside while retaining that juicy beefy goodness that makes a truly excellent burger.

It’s served simply in the bun with a slice of cheese melted on top and a pile of dill pickle slices adding crunch and helping cut through the richness.

“We wanted to have a really straightforward, really simple menu. We wanted to move away from the overly elaborate burgers you see on some menus,” Johnson said. “But I also wanted something to be a kind of signature burger for us.”

And that’s how the Big Jack was created. Similar in some ways to a certain famous fast food burger, the Big Jack includes two all-beef onion burger patties, special (Sun) sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles. . . and hash brown rounds instead of a center bun.

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Sun Cattle Co. – Film Row – OKC – June 2024 – The Big Jack (GREG.ELWELL/Okla City Free Press)

If the idea of a knock-off of a burger from a clown-themed fast food chain bothers you, well, get over it. The Big Mac is good and the Big Jack is both an homage to and an improvement on the original. That said, it’s a very messy burger and it has a lot of moving pieces. If you’re new to onion burgers, consider going for the base model before upgrading to the Big Jack. 

There’s another Oklahoma original burger on the menu, as well. The #6 (in the feature photo) combines the El Reno onion burger with the Norman-born Theta burger for a saucy take on the original. And sauce is key, as Johnson uses Split-T Theta sauce and not barbecue sauce.

“Theta sauce isn’t as sweet as a traditional barbecue sauce, and it’s not as smooth, either,” he said. “There’s something about the combination of flavors and textures—the smoky, slightly sweet sauce with the little bits of onion.”

Burgers are rightly the focus at Sun Cattle Co., but don’t forget the coneys. El Reno has the slaw dog, which is more like an appetizer, while the version available in OKC is more substantial and a bit messier.

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Sun Cattle Co. – Film Row – OKC – June 2024 – Slaw dog (GREG.ELWELL/Okla City Free Press)

“This is definitely a knife-and-fork kind of hot dog,” Johnson said.

A slaw dog comes with a topping of smooth chili and slightly sweet slaw, almost closer to a relish, which creates a clash of textures and a harmony of flavors.

On the side, the fries are perfect shoestrings for dipping, but don’t sleep on the onion rings. Sun Cattle Co. makes them nice and thick and incorporates plenty of seasoning in the batter. The addition of pepper in the breading really elevates these rings in the local pantheon.

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Sun Cattle Co. – Film Row – OKC – June 2024 – Steak nuggets (GREG.ELWELL/Okla City Free Press)

And the “Other Stuff & Things” menu is where to turn if you’re feeling burger burnout. The steak nuggets are a gourmet take on those classic school cafeteria steak fingers some of us remember fondly. They are at once exactly what you remember and 1000 times better. And now that Sun Cattle is making cream gravy for dipping, they’re a must-have every visit.

The steak sandwich deluxe is not a Del Rancho rip-off. For one thing, it’s cheaper than Del Rancho’s famed Steak Sandwich Supreme, but it’s also constructed differently. Sun Cattle’s version is truly a chicken-fried steak sandwich with a lovely crunchy crust surrounding tender, but not too-tender, cube steak. Del Rancho has their own process, which involves covering the steak in breadcrumbs, rather than seasoned flour. 

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Sun Cattle Co. – Film Row – OKC – June 2024 – steak sandwich deluxe (GREG.ELWELL/Okla City Free Press)

For a little extra flavor, I suggest a dash of hot sauce inside the bun. Regardless, it’s a gorgeous, filling little sandwich that tastes like a happy memory.

Though it’s not endemic to Oklahoma, the Frito chili pie is just as hard to resist as any of the Okie fare, whether as a meal or a side. I suggest getting one for the table to share. And maybe an order of fried pickles. Hard to go wrong with fried pickles.

  • Sun Cattle Co.
  • 800 West Sheridan Avenue in Oklahoma City
  • Mon-Wed 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  • Thurs-Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • www.suncattle.com

Watch for our weekly column by one of OKC’s best food reviewers, Greg Elwell, focused on locally-owned restaurants serving great food by neighbors you want to know.


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Long-time food enjoyer Greg Elwell writes about food, restaurants, and trends. He has his own blog "I Ate Oklahoma" and has written for The Oklahoman, The Oklahoma Gazette, and others.