Oh the onion ring, a staple side dish among burger joints and steak houses alike, but often overshadowed by its potato cousin. While you can get your fix of french fries nearly anywhere in this metropolis, the task of finding onion rings is a little more challenging, which is why we've put together a list of 5 places to fuel your fried onion craving.
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Some things never change. Take Hamburger Works, for example. Those who love it frequent it religiously- probably because what you ordered in 1974 is going to taste the same as what you order today. This no-frills neighborhood bar and burger stop features a condiment bar (Golden Corral style) and order-at-the-counter service. The Hamburger Works onion rings are more fry batter than onion, leaving plenty of empty space on the inside to either fill with more sauce or just slide that sliver of onion out when you know no one's looking.
This locally owned chain of sport bars has locations all over town. Each delivers just the kind of menu you'd expect from a sports bar but with a quality that's slightly better than you might think. Their onion rings for example have a lighter, flakier batter than most, making them easy to consume but by no means any healthier. On the Zipps menu, it says that that the onion rings are made fresh in-house. Batter up!
Located in what may be the worst parking lot in town, the Chicago Hamburger Company fills up fast, and with good reason. They've kept a consistent crowd since 1981 by offering a predictable but palatable array of Chicago style foods such as burgers, sliders, and of course, onion rings. The rings are nothing fancy but they have the perfect ratio of onion to batter, fried whole in canola oil. If you're craving an old standby or you are tired of everyone putting their own progressive spin on things, these rings are just what you're looking for- simple, but oh so good.
The Vig is a prime example of what happens when you combine trendy Central Phoenix hipsters with a sport bar (case and point, the bocce ball set up on the back patios). It's a good notch above your go-to hole in the wall, but the food is just as a greasy and just as delicious. Despite putting their own name on it, the Vig-O rings are still your classic onion rings, served generously and paired with a side of either barbecue sauce or ketchup.
This Fox Restaurant Concept, which first opened in Tucson and then worked its way to Biltmore Fashion Park, is the spot where shoppers and burger lovers alike can go to get what could easily be considered the business casual of onion rings. Not as fancy as the fried appetizers you'll find at a good steakhouse, but a good leap above the beer battered baskets you'll find in everyday sports bars, these rings are coated in the same poncho bread mix as Zinburger's zucchini chips and partnered up with a side of tangy barbecue sauce.
