Other Great Burgers

The 15 burgers anointed as the Cities’ best are by no means our only good ones. The burgers that follow all ranked above 78 on our 100-point scale, meaning the least of them was nigh to very good. Some had notable flaws, which are laid bare in our tasting notes; others just got stuck with killer competition.

The Strip Club
(luxury) 87.33
A superb burger. Killer pickles, great bun, shreddy lettuce, good fries.

Town Talk Diner 
(luxury) 86.67
Beefy, nice rough grind, sweet pickles, ripe tomato. Needed a bit more seasoning.

Vincent 
(luxury) 86.33
Good beefiness and char, well-seasoned but overcooked. Stuffed with short-rib meat, it’s one of the richest burgers in town.

Murray’s 
(luxury) 85.67
A revelation of beefiness and juicyness, though marred by middling seasoning and a dry, crumbly bun.

The St. Paul Grill
(luxury) 85.33
Very competent grill burger, though under-seasoned. Nice potato-flour bun.

Nick & Eddie
(luxury) 85.00
A super steaky, beefy grind, a homemade bialy “bun,” and the coolest soundtrack this side of Detroit. Consistent overcooking was its Achilles’ heel.

The Cheesecake Factory 
(tavern) 84.50
The Factory’s “Old Fashioned” burger boasted a killer buttery, griddled, seeded bun, good seasoning, and grill char. It would have been top five had it not come overcooked.

The Nook 
(Juicy Lucy) 84.00
Supremely beefy Juicy Lucy, with all The Nook intangibles, but oddly underseasoned and boasting too much thick, Velveeta-y viscous cheese.

Peppermint Twist
(thin) 84.00
This drive-in burger comes with a soft bun, crispy edges, tasty pickles, and a nice balance of ingredients. Great wedge fries, sad tomatoes.

The Blue Door Pub 
(Juicy Lucy) 83.33
Beefy, well-seasoned, but underdone with a rare, cool center. The only undercooked burger of our survey.

Cafe Maude 
(tavern) 79.67
Beefy and charred, decently seasoned, but overcooked, with a terrible dry bun, silly cheese options, and profoundly unwelcoming service. Good fries.

Buffalo Tap
(Juicy Lucy) 79.33
Big and thick, a Juicy for he-men, but on the dry side, from the weak bun to the overly lean meat.

Zelo
(tavern) 78.67
Great eggy bun, perfectly cooked, reasonably beefy and seasoned, but a bit on the bland side.