Best Burgers in Tulsa: 8 Local Spots Worth the Trip

The best burgers in Tulsa come from a mix of old-school counters and newer bars: Ron's Hamburgers & Chili, Society Burger, Arnold's Old Fashioned Hamburgers and the plant-based Ruby D's Burger Joint were all reader picks in TulsaPeople's 2025 A-List awards, and Tina's in SoBo earned a spot on The Infatuation's 2026 list of the city's best restaurants for its smashburger. Add old-school stops like Hank's Hamburgers on original Route 66 and Weber's Superior Root Beer in Brookside, and you have a burger crawl that covers most of town. Hours and locations change often, so check before you go.

Tulsa burger picks at a glance

A quick word on the Oklahoma onion burger

Oklahoma is known for the fried onion burger, which traces back to El Reno in the 1920s, when onions were used to stretch ground beef during hard times. Thinly sliced onion is piled onto a ball of beef on a hot griddle and pressed flat, so the onions cook into the patty. You will see versions of it, or burgers that borrow the idea, at several places below. If you only try one "Oklahoma" burger on a visit, ask whether a spot cooks its onions into the patty or just tops it with them, and order the griddled version.

The best burgers in Tulsa, place by place

Ron's Hamburgers & Chili

Ron's has been around since 1975 and has grown into a regional name, with locations across the Tulsa area and in towns such as Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs and Glenpool, plus a handful in other parts of Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. That reach is part of the appeal: it is the kind of place locals point you to when you want a straightforward burger. As the name suggests, chili is the other half of the menu, so a chili-topped burger or a side bowl is the natural order.

Ron's was one of TulsaPeople's 2025 A-List winners in the burger category. The current locations page lists four Tulsa stores, including South Harvard at 8201 S Harvard, plus area locations in Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs and Glenpool. Check the page before heading out.

Society Burger

Society describes itself as a craft American kitchen, and the Cherry Street restaurant leans into that with burgers, scratch-made sides, local craft beer, cocktails and weekend brunch. It also has dog-friendly patios, which makes it an easy pick on a nice evening. The menu rotates limited-time items through the year; recent examples on its site include a chili burger and a green chile queso burger.

Society Burger was also a 2025 A-List winner for burgers, which tells you what locals value about it: good burgers in a comfortable, social setting rather than a grab-and-go counter.

Arnold's Old Fashioned Hamburgers

Arnold's is a west Tulsa burger spot now located on Southwest Boulevard. The name says what to expect: old-fashioned hamburgers and fries. It placed among TulsaPeople's 2025 A-List burger winners, alongside much newer and better-known restaurants, which says a lot about its local following. It is a good stop if you are exploring the west side of the city.

Ruby D's Burger Joint

Ruby D's, downtown, is fully plant-based, and it has been winning over people who are not vegan at all. A 2026 TulsaPeople feature noted that it has been "cleaning up" in the magazine's A-List awards for the past couple of years. Owners Fernando and Kortnie Martinez previously ran the Cajun food truck The Bayou, then built Ruby D's out of a pop-up focused on plant-based comfort food.

The Drive-In burger is the usual starting point: two plant-based patties with onions, pickles, mustard, plant-based bacon and a vegan cheddar sauce. Sides such as Mac Bombs (fried mac and cheese) and onion rings are built for dunking in the house Ruby Sauce. The room itself mixes a 1950s drive-in look with a brighter, louder color palette.

Tina's

Tina's, on South Boston Avenue in the SoBo district, is a cocktail bar first, but its smashburger is a big reason people go. The Infatuation's 2026 guide to Tulsa's best restaurants singled it out as the city's top take on a smashed onion-style burger: a crisp-edged beef patty with grilled onions, melted cheese, pickles and a house sauce, served with salty fries. Expect a lively room with shuffleboard and well-made classic cocktails. It gets busy, so arrive early if you want a table.

Hank's Hamburgers

Hank's is a longtime spot on East Admiral Place, part of the original Route 66 alignment, and it plays the part of a classic hamburger stand. Its signature is the "Okie Dokie," which the restaurant's website describes as six patties with mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, fried onion and raw onion. The Big Okie Burger, chicken sandwiches and corn dogs round out the menu, and online ordering is available for carryout. Its posted hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; it is closed Sundays, so plan accordingly.

Weber's Superior Root Beer

Weber's in Brookside has been family owned and operated since June 1933, and the restaurant says it is the oldest and longest-running business of any kind in the neighborhood. The root beer recipe traces back to the family's roots in the late 1800s, and it is the reason many people go: a burger with a mug of the house root beer is the natural order. The building is small, and phone-in orders are welcome, which helps on busy days.

Fat Guy's Burger Bar

Fat Guy's is where to go when you want a burger that is more project than meal. Its signature Fat & Juicy seals butter and cheese between two patties so the center turns molten as it cooks; the restaurant itself warns diners to bite carefully. Other specialty burgers include a peanut butter and bacon burger, a pulled pork and smoked Gouda burger called the Sweet Caroline, and a spicy fried pickle burger. Check Fat Guy's website for its current Tulsa location and hours before you go.

A few more burgers worth knowing about

• Ava June (Cherry Street): Better known for its seafood tower and steak frites, but The Infatuation called out its "decadent burger" as a reason to like the menu.
• Cow & Cabbage: The Infatuation has mentioned a weekly backyard burger special. Confirm that the special is still running before making a trip.

Best Tulsa burgers by situation

• Fast and familiar: Ron's Hamburgers & Chili or Hank's Hamburgers.
• Sit-down with a patio: Society Burger on Cherry Street.
• Burger with a great cocktail: Tina's in SoBo.
• Plant-based: Ruby D's Burger Joint downtown.
• Nostalgia: Weber's in Brookside or Arnold's in west Tulsa.
• Something outrageous: The stuffed Fat & Juicy at Fat Guy's.

Tips before you go

1. Confirm hours the day you go. Several of these are small, family-run places with limited hours and Sunday closures, and posted hours on third-party listings are often out of date.
2. Check which location you are heading to. Ron's, Fat Guy's and others have opened, moved or closed locations over the years. The restaurant's own site is the most reliable source.
3. Order the sides that made the place famous. Chili at Ron's, house root beer at Weber's, and the dipping sauces at Ruby D's are part of the experience.
4. Go early at popular bars. Tina's and Society can fill up on weekend evenings.
5. Bring a group for the big burgers. A six-patty Okie Dokie or a stuffed Fat & Juicy is more fun with someone to share the fries.

How this list was put together

This guide draws on reader-voted results from TulsaPeople's 2025 A-List awards, recent food coverage such as The Infatuation's guide to the best restaurants in Tulsa and TulsaPeople's 2026 profile of Ruby D's, and each restaurant's own website for menu details. Places were included only when there was a recent sign they were still operating. Restaurants change quickly, so treat this as a starting point and check before you go.

Frequently asked questions

What burger is Tulsa known for?

Tulsa, like the rest of Oklahoma, is closely tied to the onion burger, where thin-sliced onions are pressed into the patty on the griddle. Many local spots serve their own take, and smashburgers in the same spirit have become common at newer bars.

Where can I get a vegan burger in Tulsa?

Ruby D's Burger Joint downtown is entirely plant-based, so every burger on the menu is vegan.

Which Tulsa burger spot is near Route 66?

Hank's Hamburgers sits on East Admiral Place, part of the original Route 66 alignment, which makes it an easy stop on a Route 66 drive through the city.

What is the oldest burger place on this list?

Weber's Superior Root Beer in Brookside dates to 1933, according to the restaurant.