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PrintA beef to pick
Again proving Tulsa’s place as a burger mecca, Fat Guy’s Burger Bar offers fully customized burgers to satisfy the downtown dining crowd.
Fat Guy’s jumbo bacon cheeseburger comes with three 3-ounce patties, three slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup and mustard.
I am just now waking from my nap. Earlier on this sunny summer afternoon, my husband, Tate, and I treated ourselves to a cheeseburger lunch at Fat Guy’s Burger Bar.
The new burger joint, nestled conveniently next to the Greenwood Avenue entrance of the new ONEOK Field downtown, took over the space formerly occupied by Jordan’s Fish Market.
Before opening last April, the quaint burger bar, which seats fewer than 50, got a spanking-clean makeover. After uncovering original brick walls, plaster and aggregate floor, the space needed little more than some polishing to make it modern. The new bar seats 15, and the mid-century-inspired plastic chairs on the patio catch overflow diners popping in during the lunch rush or a Drillers game.
Be sure to bring your appetite, for the menu starts off with double burgers. If you want a single, you’ll have to choose from the kids’ menu. We decided to go for it, and both chose a double burger. My burger was topped with American cheese, grilled onions and pickles; Tate’s with cheddar, mustard, lettuce and tomato — no surprises there. Both were juicy, flavorful and a bit too much for us to finish. Maybe next time we’ll be more adventurous. People swear by the peanut butter bacon burger ($5 every Wednesday), which owner Chris Dodge recommends “Thai style” with grilled pineapple, fresh jalapeno, cilantro and Sriracha sauce, but I’m leaning toward the Fat and Juicy (two patties stuffed with butter and your choice of American or blue cheese).
Burgers come with double (Fat Burgers) and triple meat (Jumbo Burgers) and include your choice of 18 free burger toppings. Besides the usual suspects such as mustard and mayo, choices include A.1. Sauce, jalapeno relish, grilled pineapple, grilled onions and green chili sauce. Toasted buns are made fresh daily by a local bakery and help keep the juicy burgers intact.
Fries are hand-cut and fried twice (blanched first, then fried to crisp in peanut oil). Also available in a spicy “Cajun” version, the fries come with your choice of 15 different dipping sauces, including blueberry ketchup, chipotle ketchup, roasted garlic aioli, parmesan peppercorn and malt vinegar aioli (my new favorite fry condiment!), just to name a few.
Whether you are dining in or grabbing a bite for the road, orders are packed to go in white paper sacks. Not even a paper plate in sight.
Other menu items include hot dogs, a chipotle chicken sandwich, a BLT, house-made chili and even a veggie burger. And if you have any room after your meal, Fat Guy’s makes one delicious milkshake.
Beer and wine are available, including drafts of Guinness and selections from Tulsa’s own Marshall Brewing Co.
If you’re up to it, take the “Fat Guy Challenge.” Contestants have one hour to devour a 1-pound bun topped with two pounds of beef, one pound of bacon (15 slices), two 4-ounce hot dogs, eight slices of American cheese, lettuce, onions and tomatoes — and your choice of a condiment. Not to mention a pound of fries on the side. No big deal; it’s free if you finish it, plus you will leave with a T-shirt and a space on the “Wall of Fat.” Otherwise you’ll get the bill for $35. Upon writing this, I am told that only one person has finished — I’d like to shake his or her hand!
