FORT SILL, Okla. (July 30, 2015) -- Of the many things people suggested for me to add to my Okie Bucket List, few things were as often suggested as the Meersburger at the Meers Store and Restaurant in Meers, Okla., (that's a lot of "Meers" for one sentence).
In fact, while doing an interview with a Soldier in basic training (from South Carolina) he mentioned wanting to try a Meersburger. Apparently everyone has heard of them.
A Meersburger patty is made from the restaurant's own 97-percent lean, grass-fed longhorn. It's cooked medium-well and served with mustard, dill pickles, tomatoes, purple onions and lettuce which is the way they have been making it for the past 50 years.
I decided to go, after Spc. Jamie Williams, the Soldier in basic training, mentioned wanting to go during family day before he graduated. He also mentioned not having family coming so I offered to drive him and a battle-buddy out there -- doing a good deed while also getting to check off something else from my Okie Bucket List.
The burger and the location have gained national attention ranging from local papers to Good Morning America and the Travel Channel. Despite the attention, the building remains humble. To the casual observer, the building the restaurant occupies looks as though it's much older than the 50 years they've been making burgers. It also appeared to look much like Army policy -- things were added to it without taking anything away.
Meers Store and Restaurant sits on a three-way intersection, and as I pulled up, I was a little worried on where to park. I'm not sure if you're allowed to or not, but my three-car caravan parked on the street and walked to the restaurant. The entrance is labeled (which is good because it could be hard to miss with all the other doors and signs) and after entering we walked up a ramp and waited behind a chain -- somewhat like waiting for a ride at an amusement park.
"At least we're first in line," Williams said. And he was right. Peering into the dining rooms I could see there were already many tables filled with diners of all ages. We soon got our seats and began to look through the menu, which was filled with personality.
The personality of the owner, Joe Maranto, shines through in his comments about condiments: "Some folks like mayo on their burgers instead of mustard but we call burgers with this a SISSY BURGER! Other folks like ketchup on their burgers instead of mustard. We call burgers with this a YANKEE BURGER! Cowboys believe ketchup belongs on fries, not beef. A few folks out there want all three --- mustard, mayo and ketchup --- on their burgers. The poor fools are simply confused."
Unfortunately, I am one of those confused fools who enjoy all three on my burger (and occasionally on my hot dogs, too -- I know, I'm kinda crazy) but lucky for me, the restaurant doesn't care how I want my burger fixed, just so long as I enjoy it. There is one exception, they will not make an open-faced burger.
Almost everyone in our group ordered either a Meersburger or a Siesmic Burger and our table was over-run with various fried foods: potatoes, pickles, queso, onions and peppers, all of which were delicious to this Southern girl. It took a little while for our meals to come, which we expected being lunchtime but when they arrived we were impressed.
The burgers were Jurassic. The Seismic burgers were carried out in 7-inch pie pans with longhorn meat stampeding out. I'd ordered a Meersburger with cheese on the side (so I could have it in its original state and then add cheese for a cheeseburger) and my husband had a Seismic burger, which meant I got to try all three burgers.
Because the meat is so lean, I found I needed to add some condiments to my burger to make it a little more moist (to my preference) but aside from that I thought it was great. I don't know if you saw the Facebook video showcasing the food at my desk, but I eat a lot. A whole lot. It's not unusual for me to eat a burger and fries and a drink and then ask for another burger. After my Meersburger I could barely finish my fries, and even though I really wanted to get ice cream (because theirs is made at the restaurant) I'll have to come back another day because my burger filled me up.
The reaction from my group varied. Some people praised it, others were underwhelmed (admittedly perhaps from the burger receiving so much praise they set their expectations unreachably high). But, all agreed it was a trip well worth taking. So whether you love it, hate it or don't really care, if you're going to be in the area for while you have to head out to Meers, Okla., and stop by the Meers Store and Restaurant and try a Meersburger. That really is a lot of "Meers" in one sentence.
Social Sharing