Maple Tavern - Maple Grove, MN - Signature Burger

The Maple Tavern is not a place that I hear many people talking about when it comes to their food.  Well it should be, at least when talking about burgers.  I have previously posted about the Half & Half Burger which is a blend of beef and bacon.  That was a great burger but I was not feeling the like clogging my arteries quite that much this night.  So I went with this gem instead.  The beef was juicy but not undercooked by any means.  The burger to bun ratio was spot on (which you all know how much I hate too much bun).  I definitely would recommend trying any of the burgers from this joint.  If you are in the north-west suburbans and need a good burger, I would go here.

Price: $9.95

Burger: 9/10

Bun: 8/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Overall: 9/10

Website

Surly Beer Hall - Minneapolis, MN - Surly Burger

This was clearly not a burger made at a place known for their burgers nor was it anything special.  The burgers were very thin with little flavor to them.  The cheese and sauce made the burger pretty good but the bun made it go back a bit.  The thin meat with a large bun made this burger something I would never order again.  I would suggest going for something else if you are eating here.  The beer hall itself is great though and a fun place to go and hang out with friends.  They even have "Where's Waldo" books that can add to the fun (if used correctly of course).

Price: $12.00

Burger: 6/10

Bun: 4/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 6/10

Website

Earl's Kitchen + Bar - Denver, CO - Bacon Cheddar Burger

I had this little burger when I went down to visit Bubba and Rachel in Colorado.  I would say the burger itself was very good but definitely not worth a 14 hour car ride (ha ha).  It definitely is not the best burger I have ever had but it was worth eating and I would have it again.  The fries were great so that also added to the appeal.

Price: $16.00

Burger: 9/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

WEBSITE

5-8 Club - Champlin, MN - Le Bleu Ribbon

I have always been a fan of 5-8 (this is where I have had a majority of my juicy lucys while growing up after all).  They have a 5 burger "Cheese-tastic Challenge" where you eat the five juicy lucys and get a free one and a shirt.  I thought "heck yes, lets do it!"  My and my friend decided to go with the Le Bleu Ribbon first as we both love a good chicken cordon bleu.  It is stuffed with cheddar cheese and ham chunks.  The burger itself was pretty good but then they put a "touch" of dijon mustard on it (really it was a lot of dijon mustard not a touch) that was the turning point for my dislike for this burger.  I thought it was way overpowering and made you not able to taste any of the other good things in this burger.  I would not recommend this burger.

Price: $9.99

Burger: 5/10

Bun: 6/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 5/10

Website

Smashburger - Golden Valley, MN - Bacon Cheeseburger

I had a meeting at school this day so we decided to take our rare availability for a lunch out and go to Smashburger.  I went with the regular Bacon Cheeseburger this time.  I am much happier with this than the BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar burger from before.   I got the smaller one so I wasn't ridiculously full while sitting through the rest of the meeting and it was plenty of food.  The burger was good and juicy but done to nearly perfection.  Overall this was a very good burger that I would definitely have again.  It was not one of my favorites nor would I drive 30 minutes to get one but if you are in the area of a Smashburger I would get it.  Again, this location is very small and we caught a busy time for lunch.  There was limited seating and we had to wait in line for about 10 minutes before we could order... I wish the place was bigger...

Price: $5.99 ($1.99 more for fries)

Burger: 8/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

Five Guys Burgers & Fries - Maple, Grove - Bacon Cheeseburger

Well I could not resist stopping in and getting this burger while out shopping.  I am not mad about my inability to stay away from 5 Guys either.  I decided to splurge and get the bacon (it did cost a whole $1 more).  I was not disappointed as they definitely made it worth the money.  The bacon is below both patties and unlike most places who are very stingy with their bacon, 5 Guys gave plenty of it so that I had some in each and every bite.  Just like the first time I was there, the burgers were ridiculously juicy, the cheese was melted and gooey, and the fries were given in mass.  Remember, if you go there with someone else, you never have to order more than the small fry!  Trust me.

Price: $7.49 (not including fries nor drink)

Burger: 9/10

Bun: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 9/10

Website

Smashburger - Golden Valley, MN - Big BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar

This was a pretty good burger.  I am usually not a fan of deep fried onions on my burger (haystack onions in their words) but on here it was not bad.  The burger itself was very tasty and I would definitely suggest making a trip here for a burger.  I would not get this same burger myself again but I would try another one (maybe just a simple bacon cheeseburger next time...).  Downside: fries and drinks come separately so you are basically going to pay the same price as a sit down restaurant at this fast-ish food place.  I would compare the speed of this to Five Guys Burgers & Fries.  This location is very small and I can see being a hassle if it were busier but it was pretty slow when I went in.  Overall a good burger but probably not somewhere that I will put on my "have to go to before you die" list.

Price: $6.99 (Smashfries an extra $1.99)

Burger: 7/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

Armstrong High School Cafeteria - Plymouth, MN - Bacon Cheeseburger

This one goes out to the D Lunch teachers table 2014-15.  Well I think just by looking at this burger you can tell it is pure 100% high end beef... well maybe not...  It is not my least favorite burger I have ever had but you can tell these are made for mass production.  I have all the respect in the world for the cafeteria cooks but oh man... the burger was clearly not the freshest.  I am thinking these may start frozen pre-made and then heated up and put out for eating.   The bacon (at least I think it was bacon) was made into a circle to cover the entire patty so that is awesome at least (again hoping it was actually bacon...).   Long story short, I would not say you need to make a special guest appearance at Armstrong High School to try this burger out.

Price: I have no idea... $3 maybe?

Burger: 3/10

Bun: 3/10

Atmosphere: 9/10 - gotta love the lunch table!

Overall: 3/10

Website

Gold Nugget - Minnetonka, MN - Chimichurri Burger

So this may be a bit skewed as I was incredibly hungry when I ate this bad boy.  I was extremely excited to see that this was on the menu as it was the burger that won the Burgle Battle MN in 2014 and was the one I voted for.  The full size burger did not let down one bit!  The burger itself has mortadella ham and chimichurri in the patty.  With that in the meat it also had Gruyere, arugula, tomato jam, and a bone marrow mayo on top of the burger.  A lot of delicious things happening in this burger and they all go together oh so well.  The burger was given two options, pink or no pink and of course I chose pink.  It was cooked nearly perfectly with just the right amount of juice and pink.  The ONLY downside of this burger (other than it being a pretty spendy) is that the bun was bit too big for my liking.  If it had a less full bun I would definitely have given this a total 10/10.  This burger is a must try and the Gold Nugget should be on any burger lovers restaurants to try!  

Price:$14.95

Burger: 10/10

Bun: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

Website

Burger Jones - Minneapolis, MN - White Trash Burger

Yet another establishment with the word burger in their title.  High hopes were in order for this place as well.  I actually saw this restaurant while driving to My Burger so I decided to go the next day to try it.  I asked the bartender what he liked and he then listed off 3 or 4 and then said the White Trash Burger was the most popular burger so I went with that.  I regret my decision.  There is just way too much going on with this burger that made me both almost have a heart attack and not enjoy the meal.  So whats on this burger?  Deep fried bacon (yep, you read that right; deep fried bacon...) and cheese curds.  I got so overwhelmed with the burger that about half way through I decided to just eat the burger part and I finished the cheese curds separately.  The burger itself was really good so I am planning on making another trip to this place and getting a less aggressive burger.  I think that this is more of a burger you say you ate because of how terrible it is for you rather than something tasty.  One last thing, I did not realize the waffle fries would cost me an extra $3.25 so just a head up on that one (not worth the $3.25 if you ask me).  Note: my rating of 5/10 is with everything on it, the burger alone was probably more of an 8/10 but I am judging the White Trash Burger here.

Price: $14.24

Burger: 5/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 6/10

Website

My Burger - Minneapolis, MN - Original My Burger (Double) w/ Cheese

I had really high hopes for this place, any restaurant with the name "My Burger" had better darn well have great burgers!  It is a fastish food place that I would compare speed wise and environment wise to Five Guys.  I will start with what I noticed first, the pickles they use are sweet pickles so if you are not a fan of those (I personally hate sweet pickles) than I would make sure to ask for no pickles!  Rookie mistake on my part.  The burger itself was very good.  It did not seem nearly as greasy as Five Guys burgers but that may have made it a little less delicious at the same time.  I went with the basic burger this time but next time will probably try one of their concoctions to put their burgers to the true test.  If I lived in the Uptown area I would probably make this a regular spot but as I do not, it may be a long while before I get here again.

Price: $7.75

Burger: 7/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

Applebee's - New Hope, MN - Triple Bacon Burger

Well this was my first burger after a brief hiatus and I was also excited to see that Applebee's had made a new burger.  The burger has bacon infused in with the beef and bacon on top.  Well to start, this burger is a complete mess, make sure you have extra napkins if you order this. The burgers are Med to Med-Well which I prefer more Med to Med-Rare but ah well that may just be nit picking.   I would say it is a decent burger but I would probably not order it again.  I think their normal burgers are probably better and have stood the test of time on the menu although I have not had one of those for probably 2 years now.  The staff was very friendly which is very usual at Applebee's from my experience.  Either way, worth an order if you are going to Applebee's but not worth a special trip just to get it.

Price: $10.49

Burger: 7/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

3 Squares Restaurant - Maple Grove, MN - Blue River Burger

For my Dad's birthday he wanted to have a good burger so we went to 3 Squares again.  I decided to order something that was not a special (the last burger is no longer on the menu).  I went with this bad boy.  I will say you clearly will need to like Blue Cheese to get this (as it is a blue cheese burger) but if you do like blue cheese this is a great burger!  It was cooked to order and did come with a little pink as I requested.  The blue cheese did not overpower the burger taste (as many blue cheese burgers do) so that was yet another bonus to this burger.  I would definitely suggest this burger and am sure the other burgers they offer are delicious!

Price: $10.95

Burger: 9/10

Bun: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 9/10

Website

Clive's Roadhouse - Blaine, MN - Cheeseburger with Provolone Cheese

This was the first time I had ever been to this location of Clive's.  I have gone to the Champlin location many times though.  I will say that once I walked in I was greeted by the staff and welcomed with open arms.  I was there to grade papers and they let me sit for 30 minutes without ordering any food yet and only a Soda.  To the burger, I let the waitress choose my cheese (she chose provolone) and went with the basic cheeseburger.  This was a very average burger if you ask me.  It was good and I would definitely order it again but I would not make a trip just to get this burger.  It had enough juiciness and definitely seemed like it was never frozen beef (which they put on their menu).  I would say it is a safe order for sure.

Price: $8.95

Burger: 7/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

Sunshine Factory Bar & Grill - Plymouth, MN - Bacon Cheeseburger

I decided to give the Sunshine Factory another try for a couple of reasons.  1) I worked there for a summer for Sunday brunch a long time ago so I thought I would give it another chance and 2) One of my students would not let go of the fact that I did not like her favorite burger.  Well, I gave it another chance.  It looked like they had changed buns to me, this one did not look as thick and didn't have as over powering of a garlic taste to it.  BUT the bun was ridiculously hard.  It was so bad about 3 bites in I just took it off and ate the burger.  That was a great idea because the burger and the bacon together were very good.  So, the downside is the bun.  If you like hard buns this may be for you.

Price: $9.95

Burger: 8/10

Bun: 3/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 6/10

Website

Yard House - St. Louis Park, MN - Black Truffle Cheeseburger

The first thing I noticed about this burger was that the edges of the burger looked burnt.  I still am not sure if it was the tomato bacon onion jam on it or what it was but it definitely was not burnt burger.  The burger itself was cooked to a good medium pink and was juicy like a Med burger should be.  The truffle cheese was awesome and really tasty.  I would say this was overall a good burger but I think I would try something less "fancy" the next time I was there to get a true test of how their burgers match up to everyone else.  The really interesting thing about this place is that there are 3 pages in their menu of tap beers so if you are a beer connoisseur this would be a great place for you to check out!

Price: $12.95

Burger: 6/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 6/10

Website

3 Squares Restaurant - Maple Grove, MN - Matt P's Honey Apple Burger

I have been here a couple times before but never got the burger until now.  I asked the bartender what I should order and he told me about a contest the employees had to make the best burger.  This was the winner and so I am not sure if this will be a permanent staple of the restaurant or if it is temporary.  Either way, it was fantastic.  It had roasted apples that added a bit of sweetness to the burger along with a honey aioli sauce that did the same.  The gouda cheese was a nice mixture with those as well.  The burger itself was cooked to a perfect Med and was slightly pink with just enough juiciness.  I would definitely try this again and am hoping that this is not just a temporary burger on the menu although it was definitely a more spendy burger than a lot of other places.

Price: $14

Burger: 9/10

Bun: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 9/10

Website

Bumper's Restaurant and Sports Bar - Burnsville, MN - Bumpers Burger

This was a long ways to go for this burger (for me at least).  I would say it was a solid tasting burger but nothing too mind blowing.  The burger was a 7 oz Angus Burger, so it was decent sized.  The bun was really good though, I am thinking they doused it butter and garlic and then put it on the grill for a bit, very nice touch.  Unfortunately, you have to order fries separately (I do not remember if I got a discount with the burger...) which adds to the price.  I would definitely get it again if I was in the area but would most likely not drive 30 + minutes again just to have the burger.  Although it is a bigger place, the workers and customers clearly have relationships and has the feel of a small town bar.  This may have just been a lunch thing but it seemed like nearly everyone but me knew each other (but they did have some conversations with me as well).

Price: $6.79

Burger: 7/10

Bun: 8/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

Blarney Irish Pub & Grill - Minneapolis (Dinkytown), MN - Garlic Bacon Gruyere

I was here before the Vikings preseason game with some friends (Laura, Alex, Sam and Emily).  The burger intrigued me from the ingredients listed (arugula lettuce, Gruyere cheese, garlic aioli) all making it seem like a classy burger hidden at a college bar.  Well the burger was tasty for sure.  It was cooked Medium (they did not ask how I wanted it but that's how I would have ordered it anyway) and had a little less juice to it then I would have liked.  The garlic definitely took over the taste of the burger a bit though.  I would say this is a solid burger to order if you are ever at Blarney but not something to make a trip just to get.  Overall a decent but not great burger.

Price: $9.75

Burger: 7/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall: 7/10

Website

The Freehouse - Minneapolis, MN - 1,000 Dollar Burger

I went to have lunch with Spike and he asked me if I wanted a really good burger that was kind of spendy.  Clearly I said yes.  I had high expectations going into this due to his statement.  This may have been the most unique burger I have had so far!  It is a mix of short rib, brisket, and sirloin with duck fat in there and white cheddar.  The entire thing is served on an English Muffin.  I was not to pleased to see that when it first came (shame on me for not reading the description first).  When I took the first bite there was a ton of delicious tastes floating around my mouth.  All of the different things coming together as one delicious taste.  I even liked having the English Muffin bun.  The only thing that would knock this off of my top burgers list is I don't know if you can call it a Hamburger due to the ingredients but it is oh so good!

Price: $15

Burger: 10/10

Bun: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Overall: 9/10

Website