It’s hard to beat a good burger for lunch. Wherever we travel, we always look to add at least one good burger joint to our itinerary. It never ceases to amaze us with the unique ways that eateries find to dress up this handheld staple. During a return visit to Oklahoma City, we had a chance to dine at S&B’s Burger Joint. On this particular day, we were joined by Tabbi & Meg, from the Visit OKC tourism bureau. We love getting to spend time with our hosts, as we learn so much information about the city we are visiting. On this particular day, we would discover that S&B’s is rocking the classics with their unusual dishes.
We want to thank Visit OKC and S&B’s Burger Joint for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.
Long Play Favorite
S&B’s Burger Joint has built a following across Oklahoma. This chain of restaurants is owned by Shannon Roper and Bryan Neel, hence the name S&B’s. While we often shy away from showcasing chain restaurants, there are always those few that stand out from the pack. We like that S&B’s is more of a local chain and that they are dedicated to their community. This includes being generous with donations back into each community that they serve. We arrived a few minutes early, so we had time to scope out the interior. Since we were enjoying an early lunch, it meant that we had our choice of tables, in their open, garage-like seating area.
Gimme, Gimme
Most of you can probably remember the lyrics, “We built this city on rock and roll”. This chain has built rock and roll into their theme. From the colorful graphic images on nearly every surface to the rows of LP records, it’s all about the tunes. Reviewing their menu, we found that they carry this theme into this area, as well. We found categories of Greatest Hits Salads, Classic Rock Pizza and Burgers, as well as Other Classics. Our hosts talked up the specialty shakes, so we obviously needed to sample one. I picked out a Strawberry Poptart Shake, which is truly over-the-top experience.
Rockin’ Patties
With four in our group, there was a whole lot of food being ordered, so let’s get started. Meg got it rolling with the Impossible Burger. This plant-based version of a burger is becoming all the rage. While we are okay with a good cow-based patty, it’s nice to see restaurants beginning to solve the ordering dilemma for our vegan friends. Tabbi pulled from the Indie Rock Burger section, with her order of The Frenchman. With mushrooms, Swiss cheese, fried onions, and French onion dip, it had me second-guessing my choice.
Smothered Goodness
You can’t have burgers without getting some fries, and Tabbi knew that S&B’s was rocking the classics with their Peanut Butter & Bacon Fry. While we truly enjoy a nice order of sweet potato fries, this place doesn’t stop there. Let’s get crazy and drizzle some creamy peanut butter all over your fries. Oh wait, why not toss on a heaping helping of bacon crumbles, as well. What kind of madness is this? Oh wait, it’s the delicious kind that kept us coming back for more.
Instant Classic
With all of these crazy options to choose from, it was actually our server who helped me decide on my burger. Old Town Road is one of their signature burgers and starts with one of their half-pound Angus beef patties. Then they go crazy. Toss on some melted cheddar, jalapeño-bacon, hand-breaded fried jalapeños & frizzled onions, and then coat it with BBQ aioli. While you are at it, why not top it with a whole fried jalapeño? Oh wait, they did just that, and it was delicious.
Rocking the Classics Again
It was looking like Crystal would have to bring some normalcy to our table. I thought it would happen with her order of the Black & Blue. Once again, S&B’s was rocking the classics with their spin on this burger house staple. Sure it’s a burger, and sure it has bacon, but the coating wasn’t blue cheese, it was a balsamic blue cheese vinaigrette. How can that be misconstrued as a Black & Blue Burger? Sure enough, they threw this dish for a loop, as well. Crystal quickly discovered that the blue cheese is stuffed inside the burger, so the flavor comes out in every bite. Pretty tricky!
Get in my Belly
As we dined and conversed, it was clear that S&B’s Burger Joint has found a way to spice up their menu. By rocking the classics with unusual twists, they have carved out a niche in the burger world. What made it even better was that the Angus beef patties were juicy and flavorful, so they would easily be able to stand out on their own. Of course, we aren’t upset to have so many unique topping combinations to choose from. It just makes it a little more difficult to pick just one. At least I had my strawberry shake to savor while I decided.
I don’t like you guys showing something that’s not in Kansas and will have to make a trip because the pix look good, why did I follow you on Instagram!
Tim, without these tempting pics, how would you know about all those delectable stops in other cities? Just be sure to travel safely, so you can come back home and tell us about your experiences.