SMASH BURGERS

Bebe Zito
Various Locations 

While Bebe Zito might be best known for its ice cream, you shouldn’t sleep on their burgers. The Bebe Burger is brought to new levels thanks to the crispy beef and bacon patties. Some of Bebe Zito locations only offer the one style of burger (in single and double patty options), but Malcom Yards and Woodbury offer additional burger experiences. The Birria Burger (served with a side of Birria broth!), the Bebe-Q Burger, or the Better Burger are all a smash. 

Bull’s Horn
Minneapolis 

After receiving national accolades for his fine-dining establishment, Piccolo (which was once called the place where “Anthony Bourdain discovered that Midwestern food could actually stand toe to toe with New York dining”), Doug Flicker decided to close on a high note.  

His next move? Buying the neighborhood dive bar with his wife, Amy, and turning it into one of the world’s best burger joints. The burgers at Bull’s Horn are superlative because they are humble. They do not make big claims, or use fancy meat blends, or cost $24. 

Not to say Flicker is skimping on ingredients — the American cheese that comes sumptuously melted between patties is house-made — but he’s not going to be showy about it. The Bull’s Horn burger comes to your table in a classic plastic basket, with a generous side of salty potato chips. (McDonald’s-style fries are available for an upcharge.).Service is fast and professional, and regulars abound.  

Come on the right night, and you’ll even get a meat raffle.  

Dream Creamery
Minneapolis 

From the innovative minds of the fine-dining phenom Travail, Dream Creamery in Northeast Minneapolis serves their popular Dream Burgers, a ¼ pound burger patty smashed into griddled onions topped with American cheese, their delicious Dream Sauce, garlic-dill pickles, and raw onions on a milk bun. You can order it single, double, or triple but make sure you save room for a scoop (or a pint to-go) of their popular ice cream with flavors like spiced pina colada, triple chocolate sea salt, and more. 

The Angry Line Cook uses anger as a form of fuel, but don’t expect grouchy service. This food truck may have been built on a large helping of rage, but it also includes an even larger helping of heart. For those who can take the heat, The Angry Burger can’t be beat, while The Other Burger brings some delicious beef stock aioli to the table. The very accommodating staff will also make a kid-friendly burger (aka a plain cheeseburger) upon request. While they have a robust pop-up schedule, you can always lean on the fact that they offer curbside pickup as well. 

Wells Roadside
St. Louis Park 

This revamped drive-in near Highway 7 in St. Louis Park brings Oklahoma-style smashburgers to the Twin Cities with their thin smashburgers with fried onions. The burgers are available in single, double, or triple, with or without onions. The burgers are made by an automated griddle that smashes 24 burgers at once from griddle to bun in just a few minutes and are very affordable. 

They offer year-round dining, with their enclosed patio with heaters. It’s also very dog-friendly like their sister restaurants, The Howe and The Block. For a sweet treat, don’t miss their rotating flavors of soft serve ice cream. 

FANCY BURGERS  

Just don’t forget to end your night with a slice of tres leches. 

Chloe by Vincent
Minneapolis 

In the tradition of “bring it back” dishes, chef Vincent Francoul kindly resurrected the famous burger from his dearly missed eponymous restaurant. Here’s what you need to know about the Chloe by Vincent reboot: it’s a really fancy Jucy Lucy. Pulled short rib is blended with an 80/20 ground beef mix and stuffed with top-quality gouda. It comes to your table topped with “vb” sauce (a cornichon-laced burger sauce that, yes, includes ketchup) and includes a side of just-salty-enough frites. This is the kind of comeback we can get behind! 

Gus Gus
St. Paul 

Gus Gus, a tucked-away, cozy spot in St. Paul that’s equally befitting of date night as it as a casual happy hour, serves one of the Twin Cities’ sloppiest burgers — and we mean that in the best way. The double smash patty cheeseburger comes with a generous festooning of caramelized onions and dijon mustard aioli, which may or may not drip down your wrist as you bite into it. Ask for extra napkins and don’t be shy; we promise this beauty is worth it. Especially since it also comes with a generous side of Gus Gus’ best-in-class-fries.  

Our pro tip? Ask for a side of the bagna càuda aioli that comes with the standalone order of fries. It’s remarkably savory and absolutely special.  

Parlour
Various Locations

Did Parlour Bar invent the smash burger? No, of course not. But they make a really, really, really good one. And yes — we're including Au Cheval in that assessment. This smashie is crafted from a brisket, ribeye, and ground check blend, and comes on a squishy egg bun. Order their “soup of the day” (their cheeky name for a rotating specialty cocktail), don’t skip the fries (sold separately), and get ready to adjust your global burger power rankings.  

Spoon and Stable
Minneapolis 

The Dirty French is dead, long live the Dirty French. The “Dirty French,” of course, is the name of a burger from Chef Gavin Kaysen’s dearly-departed Bellecour. Thankfully, Chef Kaysen knows how to please a crowd, and the burger is now on the bar menu at his stalwart superstar, Spoon and Stable.  

The Dirty French is a Francophile’s dream: a dry-aged double patty smothered in gooey raclette cheese, red wine onion ailoli, and sauce perigourdine (that’s truffles and madeira, for those who forgot their english-french dictonaries), sandwiched inside a fluffy milk bun. Fries are sold separately and come topped with Parmigiano and béarnaise powder.  

StepChld
Minneapolis 

StepChld’s “Cooper” burger (see: the glamour shot at the top of this story) is a fancy take on the classic smash – with mitmita (an Ethiopian spice) aioli, Cooper’s American cheese, and onion. You get the choice of fries or a salad as a side (why don’t more places do this?), and can sub vegetarian Impossible meat or a gluten-free bun, making the Cooper one of the most accessible burgers in town. 

Francis Burger Joint
Minneapolis 

The Francis burger is like a lot of other smash burgers in town – ooey-gooey American cheese, double patty, piquant special sauce. Except for one key difference: Francis burgers are 100% plant-based. Built for the herbivore crowd who don’t want to settle for hockey-puck veggie patties, Francis gives you the choice of Impossible meat or a black bean patty, and even offers a Juicy Lucy. The shoestring fries are excellent as well, but the tater toppin’ — a (yes, vegan) creamy chive dip served with wavy kettle chips — has our hearts forever. 

Ok, but where do you go if you’re like, really, really hungry? Where can you get the kind of burger that will sustain you for an entire afternoon at the lake, or refuel you after biking the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway? That is when you want to pay a visit to Hamburguesus El Gordo. A low-key South Minneapolis shop specializing in Mexican street food, El Gordo’s burgers are piled high with toppings (mozzarella AND cheddar cheese! ham AND chorizo AND bacon!) and come with a spicy pepper side that cuts through the richness. Anemic little picnic burgers, these are not. Plus 10 points if you wash it all down with their excellent horchata! 

Northbound Smokehouse
Minneapolis 

This neighborhood brewpub has been featured on Diner’s Drive-ins, and Dives, and consistently wins awards for their food and beer. Serving southern BBQ alongside a taste of northern Minnesota, with one of the best tap lists in town, it can’t be beat. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, you will love their house-made wild rice burger topped with smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and garlic mayo on a toasted egg bun. You can swap the beef patty on their burgers for a wild rice patty, too.  

P.S. Steak
Minneapolis 

An all-star example of bringing a fan favorite back from a much-missed restaurant (see also: the Vincent burger, Spoon and Stable’s Dirty French) is the P.S. Steak lamb burger, originally served at La Belle Vie. The former pinnacle of the Twin Cities fine dining scene is where P.S. Steak now resides, and the lamb burgers are only served in the lounge.

That's burgers, not burger; these iconic bites are sliders spiked with warm ras el hanout and topped with cooling mint yogurt sauce — a cult classic for a reason.   

CLASSIC BURGERS  

Annie’s Parlour
Minneapolis  

The gingham tablecloths! The amazing views of the University campus! The rickety staircase you’ve got to ascend. Annie’s Parlour is one of those Twin Cities institutions that feels like it’s been there since the beginning of Dinkytown itself. (Not quite, but it has been there since 1974.) 

The Annie’s burger isn’t so much about the burger itself (it’s a good, classic burger), but about the salty, fresh-cut fries, the classic malt you get to top off your meal (they bring the ice-cold metal shaker so you can top yourself off), and the sense of warmth and nostalgia vibrating through the air. Whether you’re a college student, an alumni reliving your glory days, or visiting Annie’s for the first time, it always feels like coming home.  

Bread & Pickle
Minneapolis  

Everything tastes better by a lake. Sorry, we don’t make the rules. But we do reap the benefits of lakeside food stands like Bread & Pickle, Kim Bartmann’s stalwart concession operation in the Lake Harriet bandshell complex. 

There’s plenty to like here; we’d never kick the cheese curds out of the passenger’s seat, but there’s something about their classic burger that feels quintessential “lake life.” Get it plain, with special sauce and pickles, or add “the works,” with griddled onion, tomato and lettuce. Either way, you’re going to want to upgrade for cheese and throw in a side of fries, then grab a spot to watch the sailboats and dig in, wondering how you got this lucky. 

Convention Grill
Edina 

This classic diner spot is decked out with neon signage and has been part of the community since 1934. Generations of customers have been coming for their hamburgers and cheeseburgers in their cozy booths or old-fashioned counter. They stick to the classics and offer classic burgers, California burgers, bacon cheeseburgers, patty melts, mushroom burgers, and their Plaza Burger served with sour cream and chopped onions on a pumpernickel roll. Pair your burger with their classic fries, malts, floats, or an ice cream sundae.  

Lions Tap
Eden Prairie 

Lions Tap in Eden Prairie serves delicious award-winning burgers in a no-frills spot. It’s a classic beef burger, hand-packed every morning and seasoned with their secret blend. It’s become so popular, they even bottle it up for purchase. They have also been rated one of the best burgers in the Twin Cities for decades and are a popular spot with locals. 

Their simple menu includes a hamburger, cheeseburger, California burger, bacon cheeseburger, or a mushroom and Swiss burger. All burgers come with pickles and can be topped with fried or raw onions. They are all served with their classic crinkle fries and are available in singles or doubles.   

Red Cow
Multiple Locations 

More than just a classic burger, the 60/40 burger at Red Cow is a must for bacon lovers. The burger is a blend of 60% certified Angus beef, and 40% ground bacon, topped with cheddar, candied bacon, and a beer mustard. This simple yet elevated burger has become so popular, you can even order sliders at Target Field during a Twins game. Red Cow has grown to have locations in Wayzata, Uptown, North Loop, St. Paul, Edina, and Rochester.  

EXPLORE MORE 

Sometimes, it’s not the beef that makes the burger. Minnesota’s state grain, wild rice, is enjoyed in many forms throughout the state, and one of the tastiest ways is on a bun. The historic Fitger’s Brewhouse in Duluth serves it up three ways: the classic, with cheddar, sprouts and garlic mayo; pub style with sautéed onions, mushrooms and Swiss; and one topped with blue cheese and jalapeños.  

Gordy’s Hi Hat
Cloquet  

Summer road trippers en route to the North Shore, Iron Range or Voyageurs National Park would be wise to plan their drives around a mid-day stop at this local legend. Dishing up fresh hamburgers, homemade onion rings and other classics since 1960, Gordy’s was a hot spot long before Guy Fieri put it in the national spotlight. 

The burgers come in single and double portions, with variations including the bacon deluxe, mushroom and Swiss, and pizza burger. Pair yours with the famous onion rings, French fries or cheese curds, and wash it all down with a freshly blended shake or malt in flavors like Oreo, butterscotch and classic chocolate. 

King’s Bar & Grill 
Miesville  

Located between Hastings and Red Wing on Highway 61, the tiny town of Miesville is home to quite possibly the biggest burger menu in the state. At any given time, there are more than 60 options to choose from at King’s, with toppings like bacon, peanut butter and maple syrup — all on one burger. They’re always trying out new recipes, so even the regulars don’t have to order the same thing twice. 

Newt’s
Rochester 

There are four Newt's locations in Rochester, with the downtown original maintaining its status as a local legend. Come hungry for the massive hamburgers served with a mound of fries: the signature Works Burger is a 3/4-pound patty covered with American cheese, hardwood-smoked bacon and blue cheese sauce on a grilled and buttered Kaiser bun. Other topping options include fried onions, peanut butter and fresh guacamole.  

Val’s Rapid Serv
St. Cloud  

What was once an abandoned gas station now serves some of the best burgers in the state. Val’s Rapid Serv opened in 1959 and is known to locals as Val’s. This tiny spot is only 490 square feet but serves 250-350 customers every day. It’s located on the east side of St. Cloud, just minutes from Highway 10. 

Their simple menu includes hamburgers and cheeseburgers, (single, double or triple), French fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and candy shakes, and everything is served to-go. After your first bite, you won’t believe all of their burgers are under five bucks. 

They also offer unique milkshake flavors like birthday cake, butterscotch, hazelnut, and more. If you’re traveling along Highway 10, you have to make a stop at Val’s. 

Find more food and drink picks in Minnesota.