I always thought Charcoal Oven served one of the best Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers. This is a flame broiled burger with hickory sauce on top (other sauces are available, but I do not think the burger would be the same with anything else). The hickory sauce is a sweet tomato based sauce that tastes more like barbecue sauce than the traditional ketchup often served on burgers. The Split-T restaurant that used to be on Western Avenue may have originated this sauce in the OKC area, but Charcoal Oven developed its own version. Of the restaurants operating today I do not think the Charcoal Oven's version is as good as Johnnie's Charcoal Broiler, but it is still pretty good. The main thing I think could be improved at Charcoal Oven is the quality of the burger pattie. Even the good sauce is not enough to make me crave the burger served here.

Charcoal Oven also seems to be lacking in the customer service department. Besides the fact that they charge high prices and do not provide anyplace to eat besides your car and a couple of outside tables, there are other factors that leave me less than anxious to return. One is the practice of charging for a glass of water. I feel that a meal here is probably unhealthy enough with a burger and fries that I do not want to compound the harm with a pop, and it is really unfair of them to charge for water.