REVIEW: Fat Guy's Burger Bar
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
I heard the directions from the young lady behind the counter about how to eat a Fat & Juicy burger at Fat Guy’s Burger Bar.
The Fat & Juicy ($7.25) features two beef patties stuffed with butter and blue or American cheese. The patties cook together around the edges, forming a pocket for the butter and cheese.
I chose blue cheese and added toppings of mustard, grilled mushrooms, lettuce and tomatoes.
The young lady — I think her name was Cassie — told me the burger comes out really hot.
She said hold it up straight on its side and take a couple of small, careful bites to release the pressure built up inside. She also said to take care not to squeeze the burger while taking a bite.
I did well until the last bit of advice. I forgot and squeezed the burger, and hot butter and cheese erupted out of the patty, geyser-like, covering my thumbs and a small mound of fries I had placed beside the burger. More napkins, please.
The silver lining was the butter-cheese mix missed my clothing, and it made a dandy sauce for the fries.
This took place at the just-opened Fat Guy’s Burger Bar at 79th Street and Memorial Drive. The original is located next to ONEOK Field.
Owner-chef Chris Dodge and manager J.C. Kline said they had been looking to expand for almost two years, and they found this spot, which formerly held two Mexican restaurants, appealing.
“We gutted it, put in a 38-foot bar and brought in new tables and chairs,” Kline said. “The only thing unchanged is the tile floor, and we would have replaced it if it had been more feasible.”
We visited a little after 1 p.m. on a recent weekday. All of the 12 tables, except for an eight-seat high-top at the front, were taken, so we bellied up to the bar with our chocolate and vanilla milkshakes.
In addition to the Fat & Juicy burger, we had a triple-meat cheeseburger ($7.75) with barbecue sauce, relish, onion and lettuce, and it was juicy and flavorful.
The 18 toppings for the burgers are free.
I can’t say for certain, but the fries — prepared by cutting and blanching then cooked in peanut oil — seemed to have been reheated and weren’t as crisp as usual.
A cool feature at Fat Guy’s is the 16 dipping sauces available for the fries. Diners receive one sauce with a regular order ($2.25) and two with a large order ($3.95). Additional sauces are 50 cents each.
We had Parmesan peppercorn, malt vinegar aioli and chipotle ketchup and liked all three. Among the other choices are sriacha, wasabi, roasted garlic, honey mustard, ranch and strawberry ketchup.
A new specialty burger, called a pizza burger, was a chalkboard special that day and was tempting. It had pork sausage, a beef patty, thick-sliced pepperoni, smoked provolone cheese, mayo and spicy marinara on a garlic bun.
“We’re working on one we call a rodeo burger, and it’s delicious,” Dodge said. “It has a beef patty, a slab of bologna, grilled onion, mayo and spicy barbecue sauce.”
In addition to burgers and fries, Fat Guy’s offers hot dogs and chili.
A children’s menu includes a burger, cheeseburger, junior dog and grilled cheese for $2.75 to $3.75.
This location has more beers — 10 on tap, 51 overall — than the downtown store and might stay open later on the weekends if demand is there, Dodge said.
Find Scott Cherry's reviews in Thursday's Weekend magazine or online at tulsaworld.com/cherrypicks.
Fat Guy’s Burger Bar
7945 S. Memorial Drive
918-893-2232
140 N. Greenwood Ave.
918-794-7782
Service: order at counter
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week; accepts all major credit cards.
Associated Images:
A peanut butter bacon burger made Thai style with spicy fries is a popular item at Fat Guy's Burger Bar, a successful burger restaurant located at 104 N. Greenwood Ave. in Tulsa by ONEOK Field. Tulsa World File
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