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El Reno, Okla., is a small town known for its classic burger joints.

Tom Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

May 23, 2016

2 Min Read

Travel Indiana long enough and you will conclude that some of the best food is at places you wouldn’t enter unless you were with someone from the area. It’s not the rough crowd you are worried about, it’s the hole-in-the-wall look of the building that makes you wonder if it’s safe to eat there. If the locals take you there, it’s likely a good place to eat.

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The famous Route 66 that connected the Southwest with the West before interstate highways existed runs through El Reno, Okla. On a recent visit, I dined at a famous establishment, even though it’s only big enough to hold maybe 30 people. It’s an old-fashioned diner, Sid’s Diner, in downtown El Reno. Pictures on the wall tell its story. Famous people have eaten there. The specialty is an onion burger, made with onions on the inside of the burger and served with a basket of fries so big it takes two people to eat them.   

Some people belly up to the counter. A few of us ate at a small table. One of the ladies bringing out food is the daughter of one of the founders. It’s rural America at its best.

Actually, we found another burger restaurant in the same town that is more old-fashioned than Sid’s Diner. It’s called Robert’s Grill, and counter seats are all you get. It's slightly bigger than a phone booth, so the cook works in front of you. The onions are outside these burgers, not in, but the taste is similar. The place is only big enough for the cook and one waitress to work.

But modernization has come to this otherwise time-forgotten place. It has a drive-through window. Except for the drive- through window, it looks like time stopped 50 or 60 years ago there.

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Burgers, those big baskets of fries, a dab of grease and free small talk with the locals are all part of the experience.

When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do. When you are in El Reno, Okla., do as they do. Visit their hamburger joints, one famous and one not-so-famous — and more authentic to days gone by than perhaps any other restaurant I have been in.

If you like unique dining experiences, they are still out there. They await you this summer on Route 66.

About the Author(s)

Tom Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

Tom Bechman is an important cog in the Farm Progress machinery. In addition to serving as editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer, Tom is nationally known for his coverage of Midwest agronomy, conservation, no-till farming, farm management, farm safety, high-tech farming and personal property tax relief. His byline appears monthly in many of the 18 state and regional farm magazines published by Farm Progress.

"I consider it my responsibility and opportunity as a farm magazine editor to supply useful information that will help today's farm families survive and thrive," the veteran editor says.

Tom graduated from Whiteland (Ind.) High School, earned his B.S. in animal science and agricultural education from Purdue University in 1975 and an M.S. in dairy nutrition two years later. He first joined the magazine as a field editor in 1981 after four years as a vocational agriculture teacher.

Tom enjoys interacting with farm families, university specialists and industry leaders, gathering and sifting through loads of information available in agriculture today. "Whenever I find a new idea or a new thought that could either improve someone's life or their income, I consider it a personal challenge to discover how to present it in the most useful form, " he says.

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