See You at the Flipside. New restaurant opens in Luther

Most of us know burgers. Some of us have hardly met one we wouldn’t eat. Still, we have our opinions. 

Hard to say whether I have consumed more burgers than I have made; it depends on the price of ground beef. Growing up, I remember the wooden hamburger press with the rooster decal we pulled out for summer burger nights. Patties went into the skillet (we were not weeknight charcoal grill people) and fried until any bit of pink or sizzle was gone. Luckily, we had American cheese, onions, and tomatoes from the garden plus mustard, Miracle Whip, and ketchup for some flair. Seems we used sandwich bread more than buns. 

How many of us prepared or flipped burgers at our first jobs?  During my teenage years at the local seasonal Tastee-Treat (MI), we used a fancy scoop and stainless smasher to get patties grill-ready. 

Those were yesterday’s burgers, and we loved them.

Great Food Fast

Flipside Burgers is next level, and we’re here for it. Right here in Luther.

“I think this burger is gonna kind of change people’s perception of what a burger’s supposed to be,” said Levi Bouska, part of the ownership group with Preston Goombi and Joe Chesser, all of Wellston’s Butcher Stand fame. 

“We are three burger guys, and we’re food guys. We just try to push the envelope further in Oklahoma.  The food scene is slowly coming up and growing. People are more open to trying new things.” 

A Flipside burger is made of beautiful fresh beef, hand-seasoned and pressed. The caramelized onion topping is worthy of being its own side dish (if you’re into that), taking two hours a day to prepare. The cucumbers turn into crunchy zesty pickles – and each condiment from Flipside sauce to beloved Ranch is made from scratch right there at 204 N Ash, the same location as the original Sugar Shaker and other joints we fondly remember.

Flipside’s buns get their own paragraph. They are Japanese milk buns. Fresh, slightly sweet, and light but substantial enough to support the burger, or a double, and its toppings. Buttered and grilled. Yes, please.  

The fries shall not be ignored. The potato goodness really stands out – prepared in high-grade sunflower oil. Lightly seasoned and crinkle cut, you can get them with cheese or chili, or both. 

The combo also comes with a Shasta – another nostalgic throwback.  

Open and Now for Dinner

We all just knew Flipside Burgers would be a hit when Levi teased it last October. After all, these are the Butcher Stand people, near the Wellston Route 66 pin drop where the barbecue junkies converge and queue on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s worth the limited hours and the wait times. The awards and giant reputation are proof of that. But can we talk about the Twinkies? They are not the same, as those of us around in the 1970s can attest. Not everything gets better. Still, it’s not like we won’t eat it. On the ribs, brisket, and sides – all are crave-worthy, five stars; their own next level. 

Flipside has been open for lunch for a couple of weeks and has already been hyped by influencers Galen Culver and Lance West, and grown an enviable social media following. The new business is a welcome addition that could help hype all Luther businesses, including our favorite food trucks, especially as the town has been sprucing up with signage, landscaping, and Route 66 hype.

We’ll all eventually get to Flipside to work through the menu and rate whether the accompanying oatmeal pie in the basket has changed like the Twinkie. They are expanding to dinner hours beginning Friday, July 31, from 10:30 am – 8:00 pm. Lunch hours only on Sunday and closed on Mondays. Online ordering is also available. 

Luther Was Chosen

The story, in addition to celebrating another business choosing Luther, is in the dream for Flipside Burgers. 

Here’s the dream of the three burger guys, they want to duplicate the Flipside Burgers concept in small towns (close-ish to a city). The move is as promising for Flipside as it is for the towns where empty structures can be revitalized, and the community will have more options for “great food fast.” The concept answers small-town struggles of sustaining restaurants and stores and creating new jobs. Flipside already has a roster of super-friendly employees and has called out for more applications. It’s good to be greeted with smiles, like they’re glad we came in, and to depart with a “See you on the Flipside,” whether you carry out your to-go orders or find a spot in the smallish but groovy dining room. 

The Luther location could be the flagship, the original, where it all began. 

Flipside Burgers is the latest to join a revered list of Luther restaurants. From the diners, cafes, coffee shops, Mexican food, barbecue, and chicken joints – Luther has been a launch pad, a place to scratch the itch of owning a restaurant or test a food truck, where every ingredient, utility bill, renovation, equipment repair, and payroll factor into a razor-thin space between profit, community love, and staying open. Some move on. Some retire. Some pause. Some succeed.

Levi says the experience of opening up in Luther has been cool. “When we open another one of these up in some other small town somewhere else, we already know what to look forward to,” he said. 

With great risk comes great reward. 

“We get to feed people; there’s nothing like it.”