The best burgers: 3 iconic burgers

On By Yukito

These are the burgers people are willing to wait for – sometimes an hour or two. And they are worth the hype.

New or updated entries are marked with an asterisk.

We deal with new burgers and those that have been on the market for some time. Did I miss your favorite? Let us know at [email protected].

Bebe Zito

Can a burger become a cult phenomenon in less than four years? In this case, yes. During the pandemic, the people behind the Uptown Minneapolis ice cream shop started offering the affordable burger, and lines started forming almost immediately. It was only available on weekends, which was part of its charm.

But lucky for us, they now have a counter at The Market at Malcolm Yards and Eat Street Crossing, and a shiny new eatery in Woodbury in the Woodbury Lakes shopping district, so we can all get our hands on this thinly smashed, appropriately bacon-crumbled cheese burger, which gains additional flavor thanks to spicy marinated cutlets and onions. Folks, it’s an iconic burger for a reason. The ice cream is amazing too.

  • Bebe Zito: 704 22nd St. W., Minneapolis (Friday-Sunday only); Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Ave. SE, Minneapolis; Eat Street Crossing, 2819 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 9000 Hudson Road, No. 620, Woodbury; bebezitomn.com

Casper and Runyon’s Corner and Shamrocks’ Irish Corner

The original Nook and its larger counterpart, Shamrocks, make arguably the best Juicy Lucy (called Juicy Nookie) in town, but the burger that makes meat lovers cry with joy is the Nookie Supreme. The burger is two giant patties made from Angus’ signature chuck, separated by half a bun and plenty of dripping American cheese. The whole thing is sprinkled with lettuce, onion and a spicy, special sauce that ties the whole thing together. It’s a burger you can’t put down, but good luck with those beautifully browned fries sitting there, probably covered in sauce and dots of cheese. Two patties is definitely too much for me, but a waiter recently revealed a valuable secret: order a cheeseburger with lettuce and special sauce and — presto! — a single version of a burger that you can wait for hours for.

  • Casper and Runyon’s Corner: 492 S. Hamline Ave., St. Paul; 651-698-4347; crnook.com

  • Shamrocks Irish Corner: 995 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-228-9925; crnook.com

Matt

The menu features a completely unusual Jucy (their spelling, not ours) Lucy on a completely unfancy roll in a quirky neighborhood tavern. But the burger is very Minnesotan and everyone should eat it at least once. Many famous people have visited it, including President Barack Obama in 2014. The fries are fast food quality, but there are plenty of them, and you can get a tasty charred burger in a well-used pan.

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