It had been many years since I last visited Patty Wagon – a small and fabled burger spot housed in an old Whataburger on N. May.
During that last trip, I was writing a review for the long-lost Red Dirt Report and was impressed with what I had, so while in the N. May neighborhood last week, my girlfriend and I stopped by for a revisited review on a different publication's dime.
When we arrived for lunch around noon, there was already a line running up against the door, which is always a welcome sign when desiring quality food.
After patiently going through the queue, we placed our orders at the counter and then landed one of the few open tables.
As we waited for our number to be called, I noticed Patty Wagon seemed like a packed jailhouse with the counter-staff acting as our wardens, except they were busily cleaning tables and throwing out trash.
Daydreaming about prison, the food was brought out to us and we were ready to eat, starting with a large portion of those shareable French fries.
Actually, they were called Fresh Hand-Cut Fries ($3.49) and they are one of the best things about Patty Wagon, aside from the comical t-shirts on the wall in the back. They are perfect potatoes, skin-on with long slopes that were perfect for dipping. Yum!
Before I had my burger, my girlfriend had the Indigenous-sounding Thunder Bird Sandwich ($10.99). It was more than a typical turkey sandwich, with all-natural, hand-carved turkey breast, thick-cut bacon, lettuce, tomato, and her choice of sauce—she had the Wagon Sauce, to be precise—on toasted wheat bread.
With the tangy barbecue sauce and all the fixings, the real star is the combination of turkey and bacon, giving it a real down-home feel. It was a mighty turkey sandwich, with all the taut muscles on the non-fried bird of prey singing to me!
But I had perfection on a bun with my sandwich, calling out one of my former employers in true tribute…
It was the Red Dirt Burger ($9.99) and, with extra jalapenos, it was a burger that’s fit to print! It consisted of a single patty with cheddar cheese, thick-cut hickory smoked bacon, grilled onions, and lettuce, all drenched in the “Made in Oklahoma” BBQ sauce.
Ooooooowwweee! This is a mighty fine burger, with the cheddar cheese, husky bacon, and of course, the beefy meat patty that gives us the ‘roid rage for a truly spectacular lunch. Sorry, but I ate every bite of it, with a few leftover fries for that “whole” feeling.
So, yeah, Patty Wagon is still tops with their burger game, bar none. And, even though I missed out on it this time, you should purchase one of the decorative t-shirts when you find yourself on this Patty Wagon. Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
