BBQ out; burgers in

Blake Ewing waves the 'White Flag' and retools a downtown restaurant

When downtown was starting to emerge from ghost-town status, there were a few brave souls who established themselves in the uncertain terrain. The first barbecue joint to set up shop was Back Alley Blues & Barbecue. But downtown, it’s a-changin’, and downtown’s first BBQ joint has now transformed into White Flag Burger Bar.

“When we opened Back Alley, it was because I thought we needed a barbecue restaurant downtown, not because I was some barbecue enthusiast,” said Blake Ewing, owner of the Blue Ox Restaurant Group.

“Now, with five other barbecue restaurants within a mile and a half, many of which are Tulsa favorites — my favorites, too — it was time to raise the white flag and do something else,” Ewing said. “Sometimes it is good military strategy to surrender and live to fight another day. And that has sort of been the running joke with the new place.”

Ewing’s latest conquest for the hearts and tummies of Tulsa features a full arsenal of tasty burger choices and bar grub with the signature quirkiness of a Ewing-owned business.

The interior has changed up a bit to accommodate a walk-up bar where you place your order, a stage was added for live music and a large projector screen allows sports fans to catch the big game. But what really sets the tone for a White Flag experience is the menu.

The burgers feature “locally-sourced, fresh, never frozen ground brisket and chuck with grilled-in white onions.” The menu offers straightforward Basic Burgers ($4.95), but the specialty burgers are hard to resist. With options like the Yoko Oh No! ($7.95) with sesame peanut slaw, green tomatoes, sriracha mayo and wonton cream cheese; or the appropriately named Back Alley Fail Burger ($7.95) with pulled pork, green apple slaw, Back Alley BBQ sauce, red onion and cheddar jack cheese, it is obvious that this place is heavy on kitsch and unafraid of exotic ingredients. But the big question is: can White Flag back up the running jokes with serious burgers?

I was drawn to the Tacky Southwest Art ($7.95) with shredded lettuce, guacamole, smoked bacon, cheddar jack, spicy pickles and chipotle ranch. The first thing to notice about these burgers is the bun. Baked fresh by local bakery Pancho Anaya, these buns blow anyone else’s out of the water. This gloriously golden bun, with a hint of a sourdough chew, easily handled the payload of ingredients. The flavor of the burger was outstanding. Not overloaded with seasoning, the quality of the beef was unmistakable. The combo of guacamole and chipotle ranch really added a southwestern flair that was more tasty than tacky.

My fellow burger aficionado decided to go big with the The Mile High ($7.95) with green chiles, a fried egg, Mexican white cheese and barbecue ranch. For $1.00 more per patty, we substituted buffalo for the regular beef. This burger arrived sky-high, but so were the expectations. It did not disappoint. Instead of ingredient overkill, the flavors really worked together to create a heady burger experience. There was a distinctive difference in the taste of the buffalo, and the addition of the fried egg was sublime.

Side options include fries, onion rings and sweet potato tots. I’m a tot gal, and I was overjoyed that these tots delivered a crisp, slightly sweet potato experience without being mushy.

White Flag also has a ton of bar snacks to accompany a frosty beverage, such as chips and queso ($6.95), fried pickles ($5.95) and candied bacon ($5.95).

The dessert menu features hand-spun milkshakes, root beer floats and, a state fair favorite, fried Twinkies ($4.95). Instead of throwing in the towel like a level-headed human, I ordered up a fried Twinkie. It arrived piping hot with whipped topping and a red berry glaze. As much as I hate to admit it, it was delicious. Turns out I have been eating Twinkies wrong all these years. Who knew?

There is something going on every night at this new burger joint, like Tuesday’s Kids Eat Free or Beer Dinner Thursday, which features the chance to taste a local brewery’s latest draught. After scrambling on the scene with guns blazing, it seems Ewing’s group has established its niche in the downtown landscape. Despite its self-deprecating name and menu of tongue-in-cheek selections, White Flag Burger Bar is a great place to go for a damn good burger.