On the heels of lunch, just 45 minutes before, we made a quick stop at Claud’s Hamburgers, in Tulsa, as we continued our road trip. Technically – I made a stop, as I was the only one eating at this time.  Claud’s has been serving up burgers since 1954 (in this location since 1965) in a restaurant that’s the size of a suburban living room. There are eight seats at the counter, and six more lining the windows, in this classic Okie burger joint that is in the second generation of ownership.  I ordered a single with cheese and watched as the magic began.

This griddle has seen it’s share of burgers, I imagine.  And back when Claud manned it (until 1985 when he passed the business to his sons), you only had the choice of three toppings – mustard, onion and pickles.  Today, you can get all “wild and crazy” and add ketchup, tomato and lettuce.  Or even replace the American cheese with pepperjack.  I wasn’t going to get too out there, so I went with a single cheeseburger.  If you order your burger with onions, they are actually cooked into the patty, as opposed to being a topping.

What this picture doesn’t reflect is just how flat this patty is.  The 3 ounce burger is thin and crispy and the American cheese (which is the best cheese product for melting on a burger) is the perfect topping.  It hit the spot – it’s a shame I didn’t have time for a double.  And some fries.