Video: Burger House an oldie and a goodie
By SCOTT CHERRY - 9/24/2009
Burger House is one of those treasured pieces of Americana that one occasionally encounters, as much by chance as anything.
I had been vaguely aware of the burger stand on Edison Street, about three blocks west of Central High School but kept forgetting to go back and check it out.
That changed when a co-worker dropped off a paper menu on my desk — cherry limeade, gravy fries, triple cheeseburger, barbecue bologna sandwich, chili, chicken-fried steak dinner — and few items more than $4.99. This sounded uniquely old school, and I was there in a flash.
In the 45 minutes I was there — on a recent rainy day— seven or eight customers stopped in, and in each instance Burger House owners Kerry and John Leeds or one of their three employees greeted the customers by name. John Leeds said some customers have been visiting Burger House, a takeout-only hamburger stand, since it opened 46 years ago.
"It always has been a neighborhood restaurant and a family run place," said Leeds, who grew up about two blocks away. "This west Tulsa neighborhood must be one of the oldest in town, and we're only a few blocks from the Sand Springs line.
"Our building originally was a one-room schoolhouse for the Charles Page orphanage and the first restaurant lease we could find on the building was by Albert Grey in 1963."
I ordered the cheesy bacon mushroom burger ($3.49), and it was a wonderfully gooey mess. The Swiss cheese melted over the mushrooms and into the patty, all held together by a soft, toasted bun. Corn nuggets and onion rings ($1.99) were from a food-service provider, but both were good quality, a notch above many we run across.
A hamburger steak ($4.99), simply seasoned with a little salt and pepper, was thick enough to hold in its flavor, and it came with a mound of fries topped with a peppery cream gravy. A small side salad included fresh lettuce, diced tomatoes and shredded cheese, and was a bargain at 99 cents.
Leeds said the fish dinner has become one of the most popular items.
We also tried a large bowl of chili ($1.99), and it proved to be nicely balanced, neither too spicy nor too bland.
"We use Chili Bowl brand," Leeds said. "It's the same chili that has been served here for at least 30 years."
We loved our huge cherry limeade ($1.99) and our large vanilla shake ($2.29). Leeds said customers love or hate his sweet tea.
"We make it really sweet," he said.
The order window sits under a covered front porch, the inside of which is decorated with old license plates. Leeds said his landlord started the collection, and customers have donated others. A drive-through window is available, and call-in orders are popular. Two picnic tables sit under shade trees across the parking lot for those who prefer to dine on the grounds.
Burger House is just a few blocks west of another icon, Ted's Hamburgers.
"They're good people," Leeds said. "These two restau-
rants have co-existed just fine here for almost five decades."
Burger House is open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. It accepts Visa and MasterCard.
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BURGER HOUSE
4020 W. Edison St. 582-8695
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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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White9, (9/24/2009 1:58:28 PM)
Burger House is a west side tradition! John & Kerry Leeds have carried on a 45 year tradition and have stayed true to the classic burger & fries experience. Nostalgic west side patrons now have a Burger House Bunch that meets up periodically to dine and reminisce, as well as class picnics during Central High reunions. Grab a friend, go by there and try a combo! :)
Two Cents, (9/24/2009 5:42:07 PM)
I grew up in that area in the 50's and 60's and went to Pershing, Roosevelt and Central High. Burger House has great food. I still drive over there when I am hankering for a good old-fashioned burger and fries. White9: Could you elaborate more on the Burger House Bunch and when they meet up to wine and dine? I might know some in the bunch from the good old days.
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