Call it America’s quintessential comfort food, if you will. The ubiquitous burger can be found at the corner bar, the high-end steakhouse, and everywhere in between. The classic rendition, a simple, seasoned beef patty, grilled to perfection, often fits the bill. Other times, you need to shake things up. If you’re a bit of a burger adventurer, here are the best local places for going beyond the bacon and cheddar.
Z Mac Daddy Burger
Three regulars at J. Cousineau’s were chiding owner Dave Zapf (also known as “Z”) one day because they said there wasn’t a burger that could satisfy their hunger. He hightailed it back to the kitchen and threw together a burger of monster proportions, with two ground beef patties totaling two-and-a-half pounds, surrounded by three slices of bun, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, a special sauce, sautéed onions and mushrooms. Thus, the Z Mac Daddy ($10.95) burger was born. Wife Misty, whom Zapf likes to think of as the “voice of reason,” convinced him to scale it down to two quarter pound patties, so that’s how you’ll find it on the menu today, served with a load of fries on the side. Trying to wrap your mouth around this thing is good for a laugh, and Zapf says he has seen several approaches: the “smasher,” who takes a hand to it and smashes it down before taking a bite, the “die-sector,” who disassembles it first, the “dainty,” who eats it with a knife and fork, and the “mauler,” who uses two hands, opens wide and takes a bite. After five years of hearing customers react with, “Oooh,” “Aaah,” and “Oh, my goodness, did you see that burger,” he hasn’t looked back since. 13540 Grove Dr.; 763.420.8355
Peanut Butter Burger
Maple Tavern owner Jacob Toledo (more commonly known as JT) got to talking with his chef one day about burgers, as they often do, when they started tossing around the peanut butter idea. “I like peanut butter on my pancakes, and our chef had previously tried peanut butter on a burger before and liked it,” he says. They decided to give it a go, and pretty much every customer that he has talked to after trying the peanut butter burger ($10) has raved about it. The peanut butter is sweetened up with a little honey, spread over the top of the half pound Angus patty and topped with chopped bacon. The Southwest burger ($10) is another creation that gives the plain old beef burger a run for its money, topped with what Toledo describes as “deconstructed nachos,” with taco seasoning in the patty, bean puree on top of the burger, pico de gallo, corn tortilla strips, guacamole and sour cream on the bun. “It’s a lot on a burger, a lot of flavor in your mouth,” he says. The menu at Maple Tavern gets switched up about every six months, and they love to experiment with new burgers in the kitchen so customers don’t get tired of the same old thing. They’ve even offered a mac’ n’ cheese burger in the past. 9375 Deerwood Lane N.; 763.425.2700
Peter’s Burger
One of the founding partners of 3 Squares, Australian-born David Burley, holds a soft spot in his heart for a place called Peter’s by the Sea, a beach shack located in Perth, Australia, that is famous for its burgers. As the Australians are known for throwing egg, pickle and other strange things on their burgers, the group at 3 Squares decided to put a Peter’s burger ($10) on the menu, topped with hard cooked egg, a house made sweet pickle relish and caramelized onion, served on toasted sourdough bread. “It’s a little bit of a novelty burger, but people love trying it and love hearing the story,” says co-owner Stephanie Shimp. They’re also known for a signature turkey burger, spiced up with pepper jack and a peanut poblano pesto aioli ($11). 12690 Arbor Lakes Pkwy.; 763.425.3330
Humpty Dumpty Burger
Not sure if you’re ready to venture out into wild burger territory? Then stop in at The Lookout Bar and Grill for the Monday burger special. Chances are you’re going to love the innovations on this staple of American cuisine, but even if you don’t, the half-price special means it’ll only set you back $4.95. The Humpty Dumpty ($9.99) is topped with eggs, ham, cheddar, lettuce and tomato, a breakfast burger of sorts that seems to be cropping up on burger menus all over the place. Otherwise, the Maple Grove Slam ($9.99) carries just about everything in the kitchen – cheddar, Swiss, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, mushrooms and mayonnaise. All burgers come with a side like French fries, salad or even better, the famous house-made tots. By owner Mike Kinnan’s own admission, he was dubious about offering yet another potato choice on the menu, but the kitchen staff convinced him otherwise, and the tots have been flying out the door ever since. 8672 Pineview Lane N.; 763.424.4365
Pepper Burger
Apparently people like it spicy at Malone’s Bar and Grill, because customers love to order the signature Pepper burger ($8.95). The patty is rolled in black peppercorns and served with a dollop of seasoned sour cream on top. Another unexpected twist is the Garage burger ($9.50), a variation that was lifted from a friend of the family at McCoy’s in Elk River, topped with raw onion and a sour cream and green olive spread. All burgers are half-pound grilled patties, served with your choice of chips or cole slaw (French fries or fruit can be substituted for $1.50). They go down just right with one of Malone’s best-selling beers: Summit, Stella Artois or Coors Light. 12635 Elm Creek Blvd N.; 763.447.6500;
Napa Valley Burger
They’ve definitely got their down-home burgers at Granite City Brew Pub, but the Napa Valley burger ($9.89) differentiates itself by offering something a little more sophisticated. It’s topped with fresh-sliced mozzarella cheese, crisp pan-fried prosciutto and a homemade avocado spread, served atop freshly grilled focaccia. It comes with mixed greens tossed in a balsamic dressing with sundried tomatoes, but also consider a half-order of the waffle fries or truffle fries which can be substituted for $2.99 extra. All menu items come handily paired with a suggested house brew, and for this burger, it’s the Brother’s Benedict Bock, a German-style, medium-bodied lager. The Bedda Chedda burger ($9.59) is another popular choice, topped with barbecue sauce, shredded cheddar and crispy smokehouse bacon, and paired with the Duke of Wellington, Granite City’s IPA. 11909 Main St.; 763.416.0010
Chipotle Barbecue Burger
Serious meat lovers are going to swoon over the Chipotle Barbecue Burger ($9.99) at Champps. It starts with one of the signature half-pound beef burgers topped with cheddar cheese and applewood smoked bacon, then it’s topped with barbecued pulled pork, chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. Another hook for carnivores is the Pepper Jack Stack ($11.59), made with two half-pound patties and topped with bacon and pepper jack cheese, served with queso sauce for fry-dipping. Half-pound burgers are just $5.99 all day on Burger Madness Mondays. Swap onion rings for the fries with any burger for just $1 more, and any burger can be made with a turkey or veggie patty by request. 13521 80th Circle N.; 763.494.4515
