Houlihan's - Maple Grove, MN - Cheesy Royale Yum Yum Good Times Burger

I went out with friends for dinner and saw the name of this burger and had to order it purely based on title alone.  For a franchise burger, this definitely did not disappoint.  The special sauce they have on it is delicious and makes the burger even better (although I would have like a bit more of the sauce on the burger itself.  The burger was a bit more Well done than I would have liked; it was not Well done but more Med-Well than Med.  I would say if you are here, order this but this would not be a burger that I would make a special trip just to eat.

Price: $11.95

Burger: 7/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

Victory 44 - Minneapolis, MN - The Perfect Burger

(Picture from www.vita.mn - sorry mine got deleted in a phone swap)

When you go to a place and they only have one burger on the menu and its name is The Perfect Burger... well you have to hope that it lives up to the name.  When the bartender brought me the burger he asked if I had ever eaten there before, of course I said no.  He then went on to explain every part of the burger down to where the bun comes from.  I also hate huge buns (as they take away from the taste of the burger) and their bun looked very large.  Luckily it is very soft and almost airy where it does not seem so large when you bite into it.  They put love into every little piece of this burger and most of it is either made in house, or by a local distributor (small business supporting small business).  The only downfall, it is a small coffee shop which is not really my "scene."  Definitely recommend and yes this would be a destination burger!

Price: $14

Burger: 10/10

Bun: 9/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Overall: 9/10

Website

JC's Bar & Grill - Maple Grove, MN - Double Trouble

I wend here for a place to get a burger and to grade some papers.  They were very accommodating of this and did not try to rush me out (given it was not as though all of the spots were filled and they needed me to leave).  With that being said... The burger.  As I was eating it I kept thinking I could taste taco seasoning.  I couldn't figure out why there would be taco seasoning on a hamburger until I looked over and saw a sign saying that there was a special on tacos that day.  Well that showed me that they either did not clean their prep station or the grill itself very well.  Either way, it made the burger terrible.  It has thousand island dressing on it which I usually like but mixed with tacos... yeah not so much.  The staff was very nice and did a good job though.  They do have great waffle fries so if you want to eat something, you should get waffle fries too.

Price: $11.98

Burger: 3/10

Bun: 6/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 4/10

Website

Gold Nugget - Minnetonka, MN - Bacon Me Crazy Burger

I was a bit scared of having Gouda on my burger but with the mixture of burger and beef in the patty and also that it was topped with maybe the most delicious bacon I have ever had I think this burger worked out quite nicely!  The burger itself was cooked at a perfect medium (I was asked pink or no pink).  This is either the most or tied with the most delicious burger I have had thus far on my trip.  Definitely a must try!  [Note:  I just looked at the menu and they added a Fried Egg and Avocado to this burger... so may not be the same deliciousness as before but I would still try it... the price also went up $1]

Price: $14.95

Burger: 9/10

Bun: 9/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

Website

Mad Jacks Sports Cafe - Brooklyn Park, MN - Apple Jack Burger

This was another try for close to home deliciousness.  The burger itself was decent.  It was not amazing but one that could be ordered on a regular basis without disappointment.  I ordered it medium and it seemed to be medium when it was brought out to me.  It was a bit drier than I would of liked so it may have actually been closer to Med-Well than I would have liked.   The bacon was good but again nothing to brag about or jump around for.

Price: Do Not Remember

Burger: 6/10

Bun: 6/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Overall: 6/10

Website - N/A

Five Guys Burger & Fries - Maple Grove, MN - Cheese Burger

Great "fast-ish" food place.  Greasy burger that is very juicy and delicious.  The burgers are definitely not frozen (or don't seem to be) and are fresh made right in front of you eyes (if you care to watch).  You get to order whatever toppings you want and they are made precisely the way you ask.  As you can see in the picture, the cheese is melted and gooey deliciousness.  The bun is nothing fantastic but much better than any real fast food place.  The fries are fantastic and you can either get them regular or with cajun spices on them (I chose cajun).  Unfortunately they are not provided in the price of the burger.

Price: $6.49 (burger only)

Burger: 9/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Overall: 8/10

Website

Roasted Pear - Brooklyn Park, MN - Smokehouse Bacon Swiss

So I thought I would try a place close to home although no one had recommended it to me.  Mistake on my part.  I asked the bartender which was the best burger he told me to get the Smokehouse Bacon Swiss and then asked how I wanted it cooked.  Awesome I get to order it the way I like, fantastic.  I ordered it Med, unfortunately it came out Med-Well to Well Done.  Not what I like.  Very little juice at all.  The bacon on top was also burnt to a crisp.  It was like they put it on the grill and forgot they had put it on.    Even with that the taste was decent.  Not worth the money but decent at best.  The place is nice and they seemed to be very kind and talkative to their regulars (which I am not one of).

Price: $11

Burger: 4/10

Bun: 5/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Overall: 5/10

Website