The Best Burgers in MSP, Ranked by Our National Burger Critic

There was small dubiousness that I would travel to the Mini - Apple for Burger Quest . The Twin Cities happen to be one of the fistful of country in the country with a style of hamburger all their own . The Jucy ( or Juicy ) Lucy , a Warren E. Burger lug with tall mallow , was created in South Minneapolis in the ' fifty ( for more on that debate , read my storyhere ) and continues to be democratic with tongue - burning enthusiasts today .

So I set out to taste both the o.k. Lucy - style burgers and more traditional unity across Minneapolis and St. Paul , talking to chefs and constantly harass Drew Wood , the deputy editor atMpls / St. Paul Magazine(and original Minneapolis Thrillist editor ) to come up with a list of 11 , incorporating both the old - school stain and the handsome new burger Gand in townsfolk . Also , my dad was in Minneapolis for the weekend , so he came to a couple of spots .

11. The Juicy Lucy

The 5-8 Club

One of the OG Lucy purveyors , 5 - 8 Club spells Juicy correctly , and surrounds that hunk of cheese in the middle with a lot of burger . I go there with my father straight after live to Matt ’s Bar , and we could n’t get over just how expectant it was . For representative , when the burger issue forth out , my dad was like , “ Wow , that ’s big , ” AND HE CONSTANTLY DOWNPLAYS EVERYTHING . But it ’s not the size of it of the burger in the competitiveness , it ’s the , um , hmmm . My point is that – despite the size of it , and a substantial heaping of cheese oozing through the middle , it was buttery but not to a fault flavorful , and – as is the problem with many Lucys – overcooked and dry around the edges with a non - toasted roll .

10. The Juicy Nookie Burger

Casper’s and Runyon’s Nook

The Nook is a St. Paul fable , having been around since 1938 , and passed through just four different possessor ( each of whom has observe the Nook name ) over 78 year . I was told to remain my Jucy Lucy quest at the Nook , so I got the Juicy Nookie with grilled Allium cepa . The burger was nicely sized , seasoned well , and packed full of tall mallow , but again , it ’s that old Lucy outcome : dry overcooked centre out of doors of the molten essence . I desire to mildly pat the cook who whipped this thing up and tell him that it is n’t him , it ’s the burger vogue . Also , I would like to go bowling in their downstairs area as soon as possible .

9. The Blucy

Blue Door Pub

The BDP was one of the blank space almost everyone from Minnesota separate me I had to visit . The terminus “ legend ” was cast around a few times . Shit was tangible . And when I visited , I could see why : the informal place on Selby Ave with the blue door has a good-time atmosphere , dainty little wooden booths inside , and a dude posture outside on the patio on the phone with his married woman with a spread of a couple of burgers and beers before him , mayhap lying about his current localization . The classic Warren E. Burger to get at Blue Door is their Blucy , which is yet another version of a Lucy , but this one stuffed with down in the mouth tall mallow and ail . It is – as my perceptive lensman Annie show out – a “ date killer ” for sure . And though pungent , the portmanteau word of the creamy cheese and the tang of the garlic mixed well with the center , which was more balanced in temperature than the other Lucys ( potential because the blue cheese ’s gist temperature does n’t rise as fast as American ) , and the stacking of kettle of fish along the bottom gave it some much needed acid . The roll was grilled well , but a contact stale through the middle of the top . It was a solid beefburger , even if I could n’t get within 15 yard of anyone for the next three days .

8. The Revival Burger

Revival

Revival is known for their fried chicken . And if that was n’t clear before I walk in the restaurant , it was after I ride up at the bar , and peeked into the kitchen where piece after piece pose waiting to be deport to a lucky board . The burger is in the fancified diner - elan category . It is two thin griddle patties ( part made with a curt - costa blend ) , American , mayonnaise , and bread + butter pickles . In very small portion , this burger is fantastic . It has almost like a dry - ripened funk to it , the roll is diffuse and griddled , everything blends together well . But it is an sheer piquant bomb calorimeter . The Malva sylvestris and mayo and patty and the pantry griddle bun overshadow the house - made pickles , and that little bit of dose has no chance to skip through the tidal wave of butter and adipose tissue , which eventually end up making the roll slightly soggy . My advice would be to get this Warren Burger as an appetizer amongst a few people , and savour those few piquant bites .

7. The “Perfect Burger”

Victory 44

The most originative restaurant in North Minneapolis is , at first , an almost retiring gastropub , until you see the expert quality of the stuff coming out of their kitchen . And though the menu transfer oft , the “ Perfect Burger ” will likely never leave , because Chef Erick Harcey takes his Warren E. Burger plot so very seriously . After a methamphetamine hydrochloride of wine-colored and a loaded pickle appetizer , the Warren Earl Burger came out on a cutting control board and the my bartender dutifully rattled off all of the bells and pennywhistle : a cake made from 80 % chuck and 20 % bacon , housemade pickles on the bottom , more Francis Bacon on top , two slices of American cheese , Dijonaise , all on a potato bun from a local bakery . And those buzzer and whistle were scrumptious – the salty partial porc patty had a fantastic char , and a skillful blend of table salt , the pickles and dijonaise does its line to offer contrast – the only major issue was that potato bun . Although it was lightly griddle on both sides , it does not hold up to the calf love of toppings and soon get a little inert . But more significantly , the bottom bun is way too big , and that bottom bulk affects each bite , as more simoleons unintentionally accede the equation . With lowly buns and heavier griddle , the Perfect Burger would be even close to perfection .

6. The Jucy Lucy

Matt’s Bar

The OG of the Lucy scene , the position that started it all , the captain of the craft . Matt ’s looks almost exactly like the stripe in my grandpa ’s old cellar – all wood and formica , and white haired men babble out about hockey game . The flattop where they cook the Warren Burger is tiny – kids in dorm rooms could in all likelihood sneak something bigger in . The Burger take a long time to cook , and then when you get them , you ’re told to waitress , lest you burn your tongue off your face . But when you do hold back just the right amount , the hamburger , with its roughly griddled exterior , subdued peal that gets steamed by the heat , thinly griddled diced onions , and one Anethum graveolens pickle somewhere in the middle offer up three of the most satisfying Jucy Lucy burger bite in Minneapolis . But then those three bites are over , and the party stop . Pro tip : get one Lucy , and a even cheeseburger on the side .

5. Nighthawks Cheeseburger

Nighthawks Diner & Bar

The chef behind the burger at Nighthawk is Landon Schoenefeld , who , back in the day , ferment alongside Isaac Becker ( of 112 Eatery ) to serve make the instantly noted 112 cheeseburger , so you bonk the Burger Force is strong in him . And so it is at his upscale diner , which I hit up on their trivia night ( looter : they asked no questions about Kent Hrbek , so alas I did not resolve any trivia correctly).As I was splitting the burger with our former Minneapolis editor , we got the double beefburger , and when it come out it calculate intimidatingly messy , but I just embraced it , because that ’s what my life coach told me to do . The patties were loosely work , juicy and piquant , almost ready to crumble and fall apart . The griddled onions on the bottom of the roll were clearly and gratefully marinated . A nonaged progeny was that the bun seemed to take up too much space , both in compare to the size of the Warren Burger and in my mouth during bite , but other than that it was one of those burger experience where all elements conjoin in glory . Oh and please , trivia people : ASK SOME DANNY GLADDEN QUESTIONS , all right ? ! ? !

4. The 112 Cheeseburger

112 Eatery

During my meal here , they played this one vocal that sounded like it was hop-skip and ram my dad nearly mad . “ I think your CD is cut , ” he somewhat precious told our waiter , who smile and tell him that it was just part of the song . “ Well , it ’s a frightening birdsong then , ” my papa told the waiter . And it was . But the solid food at 112 Eatery is absolutely magical . I had one of my effective meals I ’ve had in the last six months at 112 , and that does n’t even count the burger . So let ’s start counting the Warren Burger ( which , for the last 11 years , has been near the top of every burger list I ’ve ever seen in this city ) , because it is a thing of peach . Packed with smack ( I read in theStar Tribunethat the admixture regard “ butter , cutting eggs , sauteed onions , thyme and salt . ” ) , the essence would take on a meatloaf caliber if it were overcooked , but it was juicy , and the chop brie on top was not as cloying or overwhelming as I think it ’d be . Also , the bun is actually a griddled English gem , which is one of my favorite non - roll to use for cook Warren Burger as they tend to stick around much more crisp than most drink gelt . Go here , get the Warren Earl Burger , but be warned : if they act the skipping call – try not to make eye contact with my dad .

3. Paddy Shack Burger

The Paddy Shack at Half Time Rec

you could usually tell that the beefburger at a bar is going to be good when you take the air into the bathrooms and the urinal are fill with ice . Do n’t ask me to explain the coefficient of correlation , I’M NOT A SCIENTIST . But Half Time Rec and its ice - filled urinals have a secret artillery : Paddy Shack at the Rec , a sort - of - pop out - up eating house within the St. Paul sport Browning automatic rifle serving up traditional Irish foodstuff and pub chow . One of those pub run through happens to be the 2015 achiever of the Twin Cities Burger Battle , the Paddy Shack Burger , which come with shredded lettuce ( always a plus ) , onion plant , paddy sauce , and pickled green tomato . When I first see the pickled green tomato , I was dubious – first of all , I do n’t really like tomatoes on my burgers , and second , the tomato seemed to be ingest up a lot of actual the three estates . But it twist out that thing is a unavowed arm – all of the Lucy in the sky with diamonds and tang from a normal pickle and the soft cooling effects of the tomato in one vehicle . blend that with a great cleaning lady and smell on the patty and the tang of the sauce ( one number : the bun needs a more intensive griddle so liquidity do n’t render it miry ) and you ’ve got a burger worth traveling for .

2. The Parlour Burger

Parlour

Parlour ( my auto - correct keeps trying to change the spelling to Parkour , and I almost require to keep it ) was my last Warren Burger stop on the circuit , a post I nobble into late night after 112 Eatery . My brain was begin to slow down from all of the meat I ’d exhaust that day , and all of the vital looks my father had given me . In some low subconscious way , I was almost upturned that the kitchen was still receptive because I just wanted everyone to stop so I could go back to my hotel and put on that episode ofStranger Thingswhere the chubby kid hoard the pudding – until I got the Warren Burger . The Parlour Burger is like many of the new grade of upscale barroom burger – it ’s a simple two-fold beefburger , nothing more than meat and high mallow on a bun with a side of pickles – but the makeup of the patty ( the compounding of basis sirloin , brisket , and ribeye ) with a perfectly buttered and griddled soft bun and American cheese make it into a funky , salty love letter to the burger var. . And having an Improved Sherry Cocktail on the side does n’t hurt .

1. The Cheeseburger

Saint Dinette

The sidereal day we proceed to Saint Dinette , the nonaged conference Saints had a home plot , so we were treated to the bonus eye - candy of follow many chubby men in Saints jerseys parading down the street , hoping to see Alonzo Harris go M . But meanwhile Saint Dinette had its own heart - confect in the grade of their cheeseburger . you could see from the image above that the roll is pantry , but that butter has formed the perfect roadblock on the griddle lock out the wet for as long as I eat the burger . Each patty front like it was stolen from a “ pure cleaning lady ” Google Image hunting and had excellent browning . The use of a sharp cheddar that somehow still manage to get as liquid as traditional American yield it a peg up in the tang department , and the house - made pickles team up to form an acid tongue to help cut through and combat all the fatty tissue and table salt . I ’ve seen a lot of burger that appear like Saint Dinette ’s – the upscale forked - double – but few to none are able to commit it off so dead . Go Alonzo Harris .

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Blue Door Pub Blucy