Oklahoma Theta burgers?

[Mosca]

I’m going through the hamburger deep dive, Heavenly Hamburgers Made Easy,and I came across Oklahoma Theta Burgers.

Huh? I never heard of such a thing. “[I]t is usually a 6-ounce patty topped with a smoky tomato sauce sometimes called “hickory sauce”, mayo, dill pickle slices, and shredded cheddar cheese, typically accompanied by onion rings and Dr. Pepper.” And it is in the burger taxonomy section, not the recipes section, so it’s only mentioned, not in-depth.

Okay. Don’t need a recipe for that, except maybe the sauce? But there’s no recipe, just a description of the regional style. And try googling “theta burger sauce”; there really isn’t anything out there. An article mentions that it isn’t the same as bbq sauce, and specifically that it doesn’t include ketchup. The same article refers also to “kum bac sauce”, but if you Google that, well, those recipes are all over the place, and most of them include ketchup. And another article references George Motz. Great, I have The Hamburger Bible! Um… no mention of Theta Burgers.

Back in the ‘60s my mom used to make something called LBJ Burgers, that she read in a syndicated newspaper article. An LBJ burger is an open faced cheeseburger with bbq sauce, pickles and onion, like a pulled pork sandwich. Back then bbq sauce was Open Pit or Masterpiece, which were both pretty smoky. But no mayo.

I could buckle up and buy a bottle of Split-T Theta Burger Sauce. But where’s the fun in that?

Has anyone ever had a Theta Burger? Am I missing something? Is it worth trying to duplicate, or research further?

[Uncle Bob]

Did you run across this when searching Hickory Sauce? What is hickory sauce? - Chef's Resource

[Mosca]

Yeah. That’s not it. That’s bbq sauce with liquid smoke. They list commercial versions of hickory sauce as “Sweet Baby Ray’s, Stubb’s, Bull’s Eye, etc..”

[realdocBBQ]

I can tell you, it is a very unique sauce. I've eaten Theta Burgers from Johnny's Charcoal Broiler for many years.

The theta sauce is something different. I don't know what is in it, but now you've got me thinking... Johnny's is the prototypical style, as far as I know, so maybe that will help you in your research.

It's thick, not smooth, not chunky - kind of like tomato puree, but thicker. Not as thick as tomato paste, but thick enough not to be runny. Like, use a spoon to put a 'dollop' on a burger and it sits on top without spreading much. It's tangy and smoky. Not tart.

I'm really stumped trying to describe it. The cheese has to be shredded, thick shredded sharp cheddar, it tastes like, piled on top. Pickles are 100% dill, not sweet. So you put down mayo, patty, dollop the sauce, a handful of thick, soft cheddar shreds and pickles on top of that, mayo on the top bun. It really is heavenly when done right. It's a pretty thick burger and can be messy if you load it up, but the sauce doesn't run, it'll all kinda squish as you bite, and you lick the sauce, cheese and mayo combo off your fingers and the sides of the burger squishing out as you eat. The onion rings at Johnny's are great, as well.

God, now you've got me craving one. I'm going to have to do some research when I have time on how to make that sauce - but maybe knowing Johnny's Charcoal Broiler is the standard (as far as I know, anyways) will give you somewhere to start.

Good luck, and I'll work on it, as well!

[Lynn Dollar]

George Motz visited Johnnie's and had a Theta burger. I've got this YT vid cued to his Johnny's segment.

Honestly, I'd never had one at Johnnie's. I'd eaten everything on the menu but the Theta, so I tried one a couple months ago and it was good, but not something I'd order again.

It has an interesting background, in that it goes back to an old OKC burger joint called the Split T ( which was the offensive formation ran by OU Sooner coach Bud Wilkinson in the 50's ). The burger named after a sorority on the OU campus.

Well, the cueing did not work here, its at 7:45

[Mosca]

I had to let that clip continue to Sid’s and the onion burger. Notice, that isn’t really a smashburger. It’s smashed, but not to any extreme, and that looks like about a 6 oz patty to me.

My takeaway is, “Make a good burger and eat it.” Nothing else really matters.

[Lynn Dollar]

Mosca that Ceasar burger is also excellent. And very messy. I get that take out so I can deal with it at home.

I've not been to Sids or Roberts, I hate to admit. But I told my wife we need to get out to El Reno.