Ron's Hamburgers & Chili — Restaurant in Glenpool

What really defines “the best of the best,” and who gets to decide the standard? Is it a panel of judges with their hyper-refined palates and very specific tastes? Or is it the community—the everyday diners who return again and again, not because they’ve been coerced by a shiny plaque, but because they genuinely think your food is worth coming back for?

I see restaurants leaning into this trope all the time. Especially when it comes to burgers, barbecue, or chili, they love to flex their “award-winning” titles. You know the ones: ‘Voted Best Chili in Houston’. It’s right there on the menu, presented as undeniable proof that what’s about to hit your table is nothing short of culinary greatness. But here’s the thing: did my taste buds cast that vote? Did yours?

Take Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili, for example. Sure, the chili is good—solid, even. But is it “the best”? That’s the million-dollar question. And while we’re asking, how do we really know what the judges tasted when they handed out those accolades? Do we assume the chili I had today is identical to what won over their oh-so-discerning taste buds? If I’m honest, I wouldn’t call it the best chili I’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong—it’s far from the worst. Actually, it’s quite respectable and even sneaks into my personal Top 10. But let’s be clear: my opinion doesn’t really matter, does it?

What does matter is this: if your dining room is full every day, and customers are raving about your burgers or chili, then congratulations. That’s your proof. The community—the people who keep coming back—are the real judges, and their verdict trumps any award.

Now, onto my personal experience: I enjoyed the food and left with a lot to ponder. But I do have a couple of observations. First, your staff is clearly busy, which, while understandable, means a little of the friendliness is sacrificed. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting. Second—and this one is a bit more critical—your bathrooms. They’re more than a convenience; they’re a trust test. If customers feel they can trust you to maintain a clean restroom, they’re more likely to trust what’s coming out of the kitchen.

So, while I’m still on the fence about whether Ron’s truly deserves the title of “the best,” I’ll likely return. After all, your reputation has piqued my curiosity, and those hamburgers might just have the final say....

Chili is definitely on the underseasoned side with absolutely no kick. The restaurant is definitely not grounding fresh chili's together to create their blend and does taste canned. The bun is obviously prepackaged and not made fresh. The dog is probably a generic all beef online order. Not ground fresh. The restaurant itself needs a major clean. Dirt stuck visibly to the ceiling tiles and vents. The owner needs to go back to the drawing board. Almost $5 for a single chili dog that I had to eat with a fork. Quantity over quality. He doesn't even take the time to drain the grease from the ground beef before serving it. So I am shoveling spoonfuls of grease in my mouth while eating. Or sear the beef to compound the flavor. It's literally thrown into a pot without a care. Not even slow cooked. Disappointed and will not be back. The owner is chasing profit over quality and and his markup seems to be around 450% which is sad. He comes from a standard middle class family and does not understand that for many people that $5 takes 30 minutes of hard work to make. There is no appreciation in the presentation or ingredients or quality. I expect this from a greasy hot dog cart or truck. But not from a ful service restaurant. Shame. Bathrooms weren't clean but neither were they dirty. Service was standard. I make much better scratch chili at home. So why do you...

The jalapeño nuggets were overpriced. The price they had online didn't match what was charged. I got chicken only, but was charged for the chicken and fries combo. We went through drive thru to pick up and they were insistent that I was charged correctly. The cashier was a little snippy and seemed very rushed and overwhelmed. He handed us the credit card machine to hold. We didn't want to take it, because we saw all the greasy finger prints and smudges on the card reader. He said that was impossible, because they disinfect it after ever use. Hmmm... But they were insistent that we must hold it and do it. The cashier was impatient, because of we were slow in figuring out the prompts that we were not accustomed to. The nuggets were hot and fresh. They were heavy on salt but lacked the jalapeño chicken flavor punch. This is by far not the review I wished to give, but it is true. This was not a...