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Not a bad little day today. We made plans to go to the Cardinal Bar in Minneapolis and the first baseball game ever at Target Field. Jason & Tarsha Rice, Nate Pischke and me drove down to the 38th street light rail station which is right next to the Cardinal Bar. We jumped on the light rail and took that to the new ball park to watch the Gophers take on Louisiana Tech. The Gophers got their asses kicked but the stadium was beautiful!
After the Game we jumped back on the light rail and headed back to get out burgers. The Cardinal bar as Nate described it is a local watering hole. Its set in a neighborhood and had quite a few drunks in it at 4pm already. Including one guy that gave me bunny ears in our group photo. He was very apologetic and offered us beer from his pitcher to make up for it. The Cardinal large bar but is pretty dark and kind of out dated. Its your typical dive bar minus one thing. They have amazing hamburgers. They have a giant mural painted on the outside of the building and another giant mural painted on the inside of the restaurant. They just hosted an episode of food wars for the Travel Channel. The Cardinal was a neutral site to determine the winner between Matt’s Bar and the 5/8 Club which are both on our list. I am excited to watch it.
The Cardinal is known for their exceptional burgers and among those burgers is another Juicy Lucy. Jason and I both went with the Juicy Lucy with fried onions. I got onion rings with mine and he went with the fries. I can’t remember exactly what Nate and Tarsha got. The Juicy Lucy is a pretty good Value at $4.95 but does not include anything else. Fries are an additional $1.50 and onion rings were an additional $2.95. The wait time was about 20 minutes which is what the menu said it would be and pretty typical for a Juicy Lucy.
The burgers came in a basket with the sides and a pickle. I noticed right away that the buns were toasted which I love. Other wise it was a normal plain hamburger bun. I tries my onion rings first which I have to admit were some of the best I have ever had. I tried some of the fries also which were nothing special. The Juicy Lucy itself was so good which was a relief after last weekend at the convention grill which were so so at best. I put this Juicy Lucy right up there with the Nook for taste and quality. They lost a few points for atmosphere but other than that are in the running for best Juicy. The meat was perfectly cooked and the cheese was almost perfectly melted. Not quite the liquid mess that poured out of the Nooks burger but close.
I would stop by the Cardinal Bar for a burger anytime. It is going to be a great place to park by before a Twins game. I look forward to catching the light rail to a game and then going to get a burger right after. Make sure you read the street signs carefully because Jason had a parking ticket on his car when we got back to the vehicle. You can drive down another block and there is plenty of parking with no signs. I highly recommend a trip to the Cardinal; they had good service and plenty of room for a large party. CARDINAL BAR
2920 E 38TH ST
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55406
Phone: 612-724-5837
Email: rrcasey@cadinaltavern.com
Website: www.cardinaltavern.com
Juicy Lucy Rating: 1-5
Atmosphere (3)
Presentation (4)
Bun (3)
Flavor (5)
Juiciness (4)
Cheesiness (5)
Value (4)
Side items (3)
Wait time (4)
Total Score 35 out of a possible 45
After a three week hiatus let the quest recommence. I was joined by the usual suspects Brian Wallenfelt, Nate & Brooke Pischke, Eric Prose and Chelsea Jordan at the Convention Grill & Fountain in Edina, MN.
The Convention Grill is a throwback to the 50’s dinner. Or an actual 50’s dinner that has never been updated and hasn’t changed a thing. I am not sure if it was just bad luck or if it is normally like this but there were kids everywhere. Half of them seemed to be crying making it too loud to hear people across our own table. It did settle down about half way through our meal. Two kids fell over right by my chair and I was wrongfully accused of tripping them by my party.
We all ordered burgers and malts off the menu. The malts came right away but it took a long time for the rest of the food to arrive. I hadn’t had a malt in years! I got the Strawberry malt with banana. It was awesome. I wish I could say the same for the burgers. There is nothing wrong with them they are just not in the same league as some of the other places like The Nook or Lions Tap. I ordered the Plazaburger which consist of sour cream, chives and chopped onions on a wheat bun. The bun was a nice changeup from the typical white bun and was pretty good. I also got smoked cheddar cheese added to my hamburger which was really good. We all split an order and a half of fries as well. The basket is huge and is enough to feed 3 to 4 people. The fries were a little overcooked for my liking. The overall value was decent. My burger was $5.50 plus a little extra for the cheese. The order and a half of fries cost around $8.50 but feed all 6 of us and the malts were around $5 with another 50 cents for fresh banana.
The Convention Grill is a nice place to go if you are looking for a family night out. Not a great place to go otherwise. Nothing really stood out other than the malts. They did have good service and our server was very friendly. Another cool thing is that when you walk in part of the kitchen is right in front of you. You can stand there and watch them cook the burgers and fries. Maybe in several years when I have a family of my own and am driving through the neighborhood I will stop in for another burger. There are just too many great burger places around town for them to compete with.
Next week we are going to try out The Cardinal Bar in Minneapolis.
CONVENTION GRILL & FOUNTAIN
3912 SUNNYSIDE RD
EDINA, MN 55424
Phone: 952-920-6881
Email: None Available
Website: None Available
Specialty Burger Rating: 1-5
Atmosphere (3)
Presentation (3)
Bun (3)
Flavor (3)
Juiciness (3)
Value (4)
Side items (4)
Wait time (2)
Originality (3)
Total Score 28 out of a possible 45
This week we started our day off at the Flat Earth Brewing Company in St. Paul. They are a local brewery that opened their doors three years ago. Flat Earth has a tour twice a month on Saturdays at 4pm. I highly recommend checking them out and supporting a local brewer. Its a small brewery in a little warehouse but they brew some awesome beers. The tour itself lasts about 20-30 minutes depending on questions asked by the audience. They give you a sample as you walk in and then after the tour you are allowed to try several samples and go back as many times as you want. The tour is free! When I say tour I mean standing in the warehouse while the owner tells you about the brewing process and how the company began. I am very jealous of him, it would be sweet to own a brewery. You can get Flat Earth beers at several restaurants around the twin cities including The Nook and Sweeney's.
After the Tour we drove over to Sweeney's Saloon also in St. Paul. Its about a 10 minute drive from the brewery. I was joined by a rather large group this week including Jason & Tarsha Rice, Nate 
& Brooke Pischke, Jesse & Brenda Goerts, Alice Snorteland, Leena Haugland, Eric Prose, Lynn Fussy, Ben Bauman, Chelsea Jordan and Kelly Wallenfelt. Sweeney's is a very hip and trendy bar with a huge patio area and a giant bar with 20 beers on tap. There is ample seating with several different rooms. Its a great place to go with a large party like the one we strolled in with. The only problem was that on this particular occasion they had already reserved a part of the restaurant. This happened to be the only part of the bar that had room for our large group. We arrived at 5:30pm and were told we needed to be out of there by 6:45pm. No problem right? I mean there was only 14 of us. The server seemed a little apprehensive at first. I think he thought we were just there to have a beer and then leave. When we told him that we had all planned to eat as well he seemed to doubt that we could get the feat done in a little over an hour. But we did it and that is one of the reasons I gave them a 5 out of 5 for wait time. I was pretty impressed that they could get good quality food out to the table for 14 people in like 15 minutes which allowed us to enjoy the meal and feel slightly less rushed.
This week I ordered my first specialty burger. The Santa Fe burger which had pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, fried onions, chipotle mayonnaise and a freshly toasted bun. It was a great combination that worked really well together. With each bite you could taste the hotness of the jalapenos and the chipotle mayo contrasted by the sweetness of the fried onions. The burger itself was huge and it came with an order of fries for around $9. The fries were nothing special but I would highly recommend stopping in for a burger. My only negative comment is that they give you a little cup of ketchup which is not enough for the fries nonetheless the burger. A few of the other burgers were also tried such as the chili burger, ultimate cheeseburger and Greek burger. Not one bad comment was made by anybody about their burgers.
Sweeney's is a great place to gather with your friends, knock down a pint or two and have a great burger. They have a giant outdoor patio that was rated one of the 10 best in the twin cities. Currently the men's bathroom is under construction and is located out on the patio in the form of a port-o-pottie. I am sure that will be fixed by the time the patio opens up in the spring. The patio also had an enormous wood burning fireplace which would be awesome to sit around on a chilly Minnesota evening. I look forward to stopping back in one of these days when the weather gets a little nicer.
Santa Fe Burger
Greek Burger
Chili Burger
SWEENEY'S SALOON
96 NORTH DALE ST
SAINT PAUL, MN 55102
Phone: 612-396-0701
Email: None Available
Website: http://www.sweeneyssaloon.com/
FLAT EARTH BREWING COMPANY
2035 BENSON AVE
SAINT PAUL, MN 55116
Phone: 651-698-1945
Email: info@flatearthbrewing.com
Website: http://www.flatearthbrewing.com/
Specialty Burger Rating: 1-5
Atmosphere (4)
Presentation (4)
Bun (4)
Flavor (4)
Juiciness (3)
Value (3)
Side items (3)
Wait time (5)
Originality (4)
Total Score 34 out of a possible 45
Hamburger/Cheeseburger (40 points possible)
1. Lions Tap - Eden Prairie, MN - Cheeseburger - 33 Points
Juicy Lucy (45 points possible)
1. The Nook - St. Paul, MN - Juicy Nooky - 37 Points
2. Cardinal Bar - Minneapolis, MN - Juicy Lucy - 35 Points
3. The Blue Door Pub - St. Paul, MN - Blucy - 34 Points
4. Adrian's Bar and Grill - Minneapolis, MN - Juicy Lucy - 30 Points
Specialty (45 points possible)
1. Red Cow - Edina, MN - Bison Burger - 36 Points
2. Sweeney's Saloon - St. Paul, MN - Santa Fe Burger - 34 Points
3. Convention Grill - Edina, MN - Plazaburger - 28 Points
This week we decided to visit The Blue Door Pub in Saint Paul, MN. I was joined by Chelsea Jordan, Brian Wallenfelt, Nate Pischke and Eric Prose. First thoughts upon approaching The Blue Door Pub were that this place must be good. Patrons were jammed in every open space and even spilling out the front door. There was neither a hostess nor a waiting area. Once again Prose saved us by getting their early and putting our name in with the waitress just ahead of several other parties. We stood in a cramped corner for about 20 minutes . Our target was a nice-looking family of St. Thomas boosters with an interesting basket of deep fried, battered green stuff. Are they french fries? Asparagus? Edamame? These were a few of the guesses thrown out there. We would later discover quite deliciously that they were actually beer battered green beans.
We were lead to a large and stylish booth in the back corner of the restaurant. A particularly nice decorative touch was the chalkboard wall. We plotted the elevation of Minneapolis and other ski destinations like Park City and Denver. The menu was two-sided and highly focused on burgers and fried appetizers. They also have an item called pie bites for dessert. They are mini made-from-scratch cheesecake bites with a graham cracker crust and then deep fried with a coating of powdered sugar. We saw the waitress bring them past and they looked amazing. We will have to try them next time we go. We skimmed past the "Best Burger" award winner the "Jiffy Burger". It won for best burger in the Twin Cities by City Pages. It consists of peanut butter, mayo, pepper jack cheese, bacon and pickles. Maybe in the future we'll try it, but for now we are in the Juicy Lucy phase of our quest. We focused on choosing one of the 10 signature Juicy Blucys from the menu. You can get a punch card from the server, and punch out each burger once you have tried it. When you finish all 10 you get an awesome t-shirt and a burger on the house. One of my main goals for the trip was to acquire one of these punch cards. Unfortunately, I remembered that this was one of my main goals when I got home empty handed . Hopefully we can sweet talk the server into punching two burgers next time. That is if we remember! Chelsea, Nate and I ordered The Blucy ($6.50) which is blue cheese and garlic stuffed between two pattys of meat. Prose ordered The Classic ($6.50) which is stuffed with cheddar cheese. Wally settled on The Frenchy ($7.00) which is a Swiss cheese and fried onion stuffed burger served with a side of au jus. We also split an orders of cheese curds ($7.50) and beer-battered green beans ($6.50). There was a nice beer list on a chalkboard on the wall that featured micro-brews and imports.
Pictured to the left is The Blucy. The appetizers arrived quickly, and it was clear that they know how to use a deep fryer. The cheese curds were soft, bite-sized and delicious. They were served with a side of marinara sauce. The small serving of sauce required sparing use from the five of us. Fortunately, the cheese curds were satisfying on there own. The Blue Door Pub deserves an award for creating an unhealthy version of green beans. The green beans arrived deeply covered in beer batter and deeply fried. A trend emerged as the accompanying dish of ranch dressing was also disappointingly small. When consumed with copious amounts of ranch dressing, the green beans were delicious. On their own the green beans were a little bland. I will have to purchase a deep fryer when I become a parent so that I can get my kids to eat their veggies. The arrival of the burgers were perfectly timed with the completion of the appetizers. The burgers were presented in small colorful baskets. So far these hamburgers had the best bun of the three places we have visited. They were crisp and delicious from a quick toasting. The hamburger meat was average, and it was closer to being over done on the outside. Brian commented that he had expected an explosion of molten cheese like when he bit into a Juicy Lucy. Swiss cheese apparently does not have the same melting characteristics of the typical Juicy Lucy that is made with cheddar or American cheese. The same can be said for blue cheese. While it melted more than Brian's Swiss cheese, it was still not completely melted and was stringy. Prose's classic burger on the other hand was melted and gooey like a typical Juicy Lucy. This is the first place that I have seen that serves a side of au-jus with a hamburger. Brian commented that the au-jus made up for the unexceptional juiciness, and when the burger was dipped into it it became quite satisfactory.
We had a noticeable delay between the completion of our meal and the arrival of the check. We split the bill each contributing a reasonable $14. Prose and Nate ordered Orange soda and the rest of us had water. I don't know what drinks cost so if you choose to imbibe in a few adult beverages it will be a little more. We took care of our check quickly to make room for the other hovering patrons that were no doubt guessing what the fried green things on our table were.
Overall the burgers were filling and with the appetizers made for a very complete meal. They were good, but not on the same level as The Nook. Those that ordered fries were unable to finish them and commented that they were slightly overcooked and unnecessary with the appetizers. I will be back to claim my punch card and sample the 9 remaining Juicy Blucys and the award winning Jiffy Burger. This is a great place to go with two to four people but there is not much room for a party bigger than that. They did have one table that was larger but who knows how long you would have to wait for that one.
Next up is a trip to Adrian's Bar & Grill. Also home to a Juicy Lucy.
Special thanks to Brian Wallenfelt for writing the majority of this blog entry. It was a quite detailed review. Also to Chelsea for taking the photos. Next time we will have to have somebody else take the photos so you can be in them.
THE BLUE DOOR PUB
1811 SELBY AVE
ST. PAUL, MN 55104
Phone: 651-493-1865
Email: contact@thebdp.com
Website: http://www.thebdp.com/
Juicy Lucy Rating: 1-5
Atmosphere (4)
Presentation (3)
Bun (4)
Flavor (4)Juiciness (4)
Cheesiness (4)
Value (4)
Side items (4)
Wait time (3)
Total Score 34 out of a possible 45
Stop #2 brought us to Casper and Runyon's Nook in Saint Paul. This week I was joined by Jason Rice, Leena Haugland, Alice Snorteland and Eric Prose. The plan was to meet at The Nook at 6pm. Jason and I got there a few minutes early and were able to get our names on the waiting list. The Nook is a small little restaurant on the corner of Randolph and Hamline Ave. When we walked in we were immediately swallowed up by a sea of waiting customers. We were able to slither our way threw and get up to the bar area. Jason and I waited there for a few minutes until the rest of the gang got there. We were able to stand in a narrow path between the tables behind us and the bar in front of us. No matter where we moved we were in the way of a customer, server or bartender. Prose was able to flag down the bartender and get us a round of beers. I got Flat Earth Brewery's Curly Tail Ale which was pretty good. I am excited whoever to go to the brewery in a few weeks and take the tour. I guess they have a tour twice a month at 4pm on Saturdays. I have listed their info below if you want to check them out. After about a 30 minute wait we were seated. The Nook is famous for their Juicy Nookie Burger which is what I decided to go with. They have a few burgers named after local athletes who went pro like Paul Molitor, Matt Birk and Joe Mauer. Joe's is called the Double Play Burger and consists of two hamburgers and one order of fries. The Juicy Nookie cost $7.95 and comes with a side of fries. I first heard of The Nook on Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives which is on of my favorite shows. I had wanted to check the place out ever since I watched the show. The food was delivered to our table pretty quick. Not quite as fast as Lions Tap but probably within 15 minutes. I took my first bite and liquid cheddar cheese poured out of the burger all over the fries beneath. This was one of the most amazing burgers I have ever had. It was perfectly cooked and perfectly juicy. I have a feeling that The Nook is going to be hard to beat but we shall press on. I will definitely be back to retry the Nookie. As for the place its self it is small but has lots of charm. There are photos of famous athletes and celebrities all over the walls that have eaten there. They also have won their fair share of awards and have them posted around the restaurant. Some of which include Best Burgers in Minnesota by Minnesota Monthly, Best Juicy Lucy and Best Burger by Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine and Best Fries by several magazines. The fries were pretty amazing, especially covered in molten cheese sauce that dripped out of the burger. I thought the fries at Lions Tap were a little better but it was very close.
In conclusion The Nook made one of the best burgers I have ever eaten. Its an awesome neighborhood bar and restaurant. I am sure their legend will continue to grow and will only become more busy as time goes by. Luckily the have started up a second location in St. Paul called Shamrocks which has the same menu. The Nook was a little more than Lions Tap price wise but they included fries where the Lions Tap did not. I recommend going in groups of no more than 5 people or the wait could be hours.
Next week we venture to The Blue Door Pub which is just a few miles North of The Nook.
CASPER AND RUNYON'S NOOK
419 HAMLINE AVE S
SAINT PAUL, MN 55116
Phone: 651-698-4347
Email: None Available
Website: http://www.crshamrocks.com/
FLAT EARTH BREWING COMPANY
2035 BENSON AVE
SAINT PAUL, MN 55116
Phone: 651-698-1945
Email: info@flatearthbrewing.com
Website: http://www.flatearthbrewing.com/
Juicy Lucy Rating: 1-5
Atmosphere (4)
Presentation (3)
Bun (4)
Flavor (4)
Juiciness (5)
Cheesiness (5)
Value (4)
Side items (4)
Wait time (4)
Total Score 37 out of a possible 45
Our first stop on this quest for the best was the Lions Tap in Eden Prairie, MN. We went on Saturday January 30th, 2010. I was joined by Chelsea Jordan, Eric Prose, Lynn Hamer, and Nate and Brooke Pischke. We got to the Lions Tap about 6:00pm. Prose was already there and had gotten our name in which was lucky because he was about 10 people ahead of us in line. The place was like a beehive. There were people standing everywhere waiting to be seated. We had to make a tough decision at about 6:20pm. Lions Tap will only seat your party once everyone has arrived which is a good tip to remember if your going with a large group. Alice Snorteland and Leena Haugland were supposed to meet us there at 6pm. They called at 6:20pm from Alice's town home in Minneapolis. We were up next and would have had to wait who knows how long to get a table again. They decided to stay home and we were then ready to be seated. The six of us sat down and prepared to order. The menu at the Lions Tap is extremely simple. You have the choice between 6 hamburgers. That's it, that's the entire menu! You then have the choice of making it a double which means two patties of beef. Finally you can add fried or raw onions. You can also add a basket of french fries for $2.00. This is my kind of place. Simple yet delicious. I ordered two single cheeseburgers with fried onions and split a basket of fries with Chelsea. The single Cheeseburger cost $3.65 which is hard to beat. Prices range from $3.00 for a single hamburger to $4.95 for a single California Cheeseburger. If you make it a double they range from $5.75 to $9.35. I also had a River Valley Red beer that they have brewed for them by the Cold Spring Brewery in Cold Spring, MN. The burgers like the menu are simple. They have perfected the art of cooking burgers and getting them out fast to your table. It took under 10 minutes for our order to be delivered to the table.
In conclusion Lions Tap is a right of passage as a Minnesotan. Everybody needs to experience the joint at least once in their lifetime. They have won several awards in Minnesota including best hamburgers by Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine, Minnesota Monthly, Twin Cities Live and City Search. They were also named one of the nations top 500 restaurants. Its hard to beat the atmosphere and the burgers at The Lions Tap. I can't wait to go back again which I need to since I forgot to take photos! Lions Tap has two levels and lots of seating for larger groups. We had six people but they could have accommodated up to 10 people without a problem.
Next week we visit Casper and Runyon's Nook in St. Paul.
LIONS TAP 16180
FLYING CLOUD DR
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55347
Phone: 952-934-5299
Email: info@lionstap.com
Website: www.lionstap.com
Hamburger/Cheeseburger Rating: 1-5
1. Atmosphere (4)
2. Wait time (5)
3. Presentation (2)
4. Bun (3)
5. Juiciness (5)
6. Flavor (5)
7. Value (5)
8. Side Items (4)
Total score 33 out of 40
Definitions
1. Atmosphere - We are looking for a fun place that is inherently Minnesotan.
2. Bun - For the bun we are judging on the quality of the bun, kind of bun and how it was prepared such as being toasted.
3. Cheesiness - This is under the Juicy Lucy Category. We are looking for the amount of cheese on the burger, how well the cheese is melted and the amount of cheese that gushes out when you take a bite.
4. Flavor - We are judging the burger on its taste. Is it overcooked, undercooked, or cooked to perfection? Do the toppings go with the burger or overpower it?
5. Juiciness - We are looking for the amount of juice that comes out of the burger with each bite. Is the burger to dry or is it mouthwatering?
6. Order time - This is the amount of time it take between the placement of our order and the arrival of the burgers to the table.
7. Originality - This is under the specialty burger category. We are looking for something new that stands out from the normal burger. (i.e. Goober Burger, or Cobb Salad Burger)
8. Presentation - We are judging on how appetizing the plate looks when it is presented and the way it is presented such as in a basket, on a plate, or something different that sets it apart.
9. Side items - We are looking for the quality of the items that come with the burger as well as unique appetizers that the restaurant may offer.
10. Value - For value we are judging on the amount of food you get for the amount of money you pay. Are you being gouged, does it seem like it is about right or is it a great deal?
Here is the list of burger joints that we plan on visiting or have already been to. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
1. Lions Tap - Eden Prairie, MN 01/30/10. Cheeseburger w/ Fried Onions & Fries.
2. Casper & Runyon's Nook - St. Paul, MN 02/06/10. Juicy Nookie w/ Fried Onions & Fries.
3. The Blue Door Pub - St. Paul, MN 02/13/10. Blucy with Beer-Battered Green Beans and Cheese Curds.
4. Adrians Bar & Grill - South Minneapolis, MN 02/20/10. Juicy Lucy with Fries, Onion Rings, Cheese Curds and Buffalo Chicken tenders.
5. Sweeney's Saloon - St. Paul, MN 02/27/10. Santa Fe Burger & Fries.
6. Convention Grill & Fountain - Edina, MN 03/21/10. Plazaburger with smokey cheddar cheese, fries and a strawberry malt with banana.
7. Cardinal Bar - Minneapolis, MN 03/27/10. Juicy Lucy with fried onions & Onion Rings.
8. Red Cow - Edina, MN 03/16/13. Bison Burger with carmalized onions, fig and goat cheese.
Matt's Bar - South Minneapolis
5/8 club - (Original Location) Minneapolis
Newt's - Rochester
Kings Place - Miesville
Buffalo Tap - Savage
Sandy's Tavern- Richfield
Val's Rapid Service - St. Cloud
Burger Jones - Minneapolis
Buster's on 28th - Minneapolis
The Black Forest Inn -Minneapolis (Lunch only)
The Bulldog N.E. - Minneapolis
Lyons Pub - Minneapolis
Britt's Pub - Minneapolis
Hi Ho Tavern - Dilworth
112 Eatery - Minneapolis
Target Field - Minneapolis
Vincent A Restaurant - Minneapolis
Gold Nugget Tavern & Grille -Minnetonka
My Sisters Place - Grand Marais
Dakota Jazz Club - Minneapolis
The Loop - Minneapolis
Snuffy's Malt Shop - Minneapolis
Shanty Town - Bloomington
The Burger Place - Minneapolis
Burger Moe's - St. Paul
Gordy's Hi Hat - Cloquet
Maple Tavern - Maple Grove
Tin Cup's - St. Paul
