When we invite you to email us with suggestions, such as for worthwhile burgers that did not make our massive annual guide, we aren’t kidding. We read them all.
After the guide was published last week, Eat editor Jess Fleming and I heard from readers about some newly opened places, old-school prices and beloved overlooked spots that sounded too good to pass up for another year.
(Keep sending ideas our way! We’re at eat@pioneerpress.com)
So with your recommendations, here’s an addendum to the 2025 Pioneer Press best burgers guide (a.k.a. Burgerin’ 2: Electric Burger-loo).
Animales Barbecue Co.
Animales, which started as a cult-fave barbecue food truck about eight years ago, has finally opened a permanent home for smoked meats and burgers in Minneapolis after years of planning. It’s a huge space — about 12,500 square feet, with plenty of seating, a full bar, live music stage and a kids’ play area — and Animales’ bold vibe fills it effortlessly.
Oh, and the food is great. The double smashburger (“wagyu butter burger, American cheese, dill pickles, dijonnaise, milk roll”) is like the best backyard-barbecue burger you’ve ever had. The crispy, peppery, slightly charcoal-fiery meat skirt is the highlight, and the slight sweetness of both the bun and white American cheese are nice, too. Vinegary pickles come on the side, so you can put them on the burger if you want, but I found them to be more enjoyable as a palate-cleanser between bites.
Yes, it’s a pricey burger — $20.40 with a service charge; the restaurant does not accept tips. Fries/sides are sold separately. Even if it’s hard to justify a place in your regular dinner rotation, it’s an experience worth having.
Animales Barbecue Co.: 241 Fremont Ave N., Minneapolis; 952-222-7427 (that’s 952-ABC-RIBS); animalesbbq.com
Lion’s Tap
The double California burger at the Lion’s Tap in Eden Prairie is served July 24, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)
Lion’s Tap in Eden Prairie, one of the original Twin Cities burger destinations, has been going strong for nearly seven decades. The menu is simple, and cheap: hamburger, cheeseburger, California (the classic fixings), bacon cheese or mushroom Swiss; and your call on single (starting at $5.45) or double (from $10.10), all hit with their in-house seasoned salt blend. Fries for $3.15. You love to see it.
And “double,” to be clear, is not just two patties — it’s double everything. The immense double California burger, which looked like a delightful cartoon satire of American cuisine, took three skewers to hold upright. (By height alone, this might be the top burger in the Twin Cities. *ba-dum-tss*) The seasoning salt accentuated but did not overpower the beefy flavor, which rocked. Be prepared with napkins, though, for the juices that’ll run down your hands.
Lion’s Tap: 16180 Flying Cloud Dr., Eden Prairie; 952-934-5299; lionstap.com
House of Coates
Readers say this small-town tavern, along U.S. 52 South between the edge of Rosemount and the start of farm country, punches above its weight when it comes to burgers, and I’m inclined to agree. Their signature burgers, like the Swanee (bacon, American cheese, fried onions; $8.25) come with a half-pound patty. That’s no city-slicker smashie; even the third-pound patties on the simpler burgers ($6.50–$7.50) have some serious girth. My patty was a skosh too dry on a recent visit, perhaps a bit overcooked, but this is a solid meat-lover’s burger at a price point that’s sadly becoming rarer.
House of Coates: 16300 E. Clayton Ave., Rosemount; 651-437-2232
Burger Moe’s
The Moe’s Original burger is served Oct. 27, 2025, at Burger Moe’s on West Seventh. The burger comes with caramelized onions and cheddar plus the classic fixings. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)
If nothing else, the West Seventh sports bar with an extensive burger list has something for everyone. In my case, since I’m eating for research purposes, I sprang for the Moe’s Original, which comes with caramelized onions and cheddar plus the classic fixings. And you know what? For a quick, easy meal, it was utilitarian, and that counted for something. The patty, while juicy, never quite reached the savory, beefy depths of the best burgers in town, but it got the job done.
And speaking of good prices: On Mondays after 3 p.m., almost every burger on the menu is just $7, and now that there’s no longer a giant sinkhole nor one of the city’s oldest remaining limestone houses to get in your way, that’s a great time to head to Burger Moe’s.
Burger Moe’s: 242 W. Seventh St.; 651-222-3100; burgermoes.com
328 Grill
The Fo’ Cheesy is served Oct. 24, 2025, at 328 Grill in St. Paul Park. The sandwich is a patty melt with American and cheddar cheeses and pepper jack Cheez Whiz on parmesan-crusted bread. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)
We already know chef Mik German slings some of the most creative burgers in town from inside the American Legion Post 98 in St. Paul Park, but don’t sleep on the Fo’ Cheezy, his version of a patty melt. The original is one of German’s classic short rib/brisket/chuck patties plus cheddar and American cheeses and pepper jack Cheez Whiz on parmesan-crusted bread (count ‘em, that’s fo’ cheeses), but any burger or sandwich on the menu can be made Fo’ Cheezy style.
In particular, the parmesan crust on the bread is a clever way to provide a rigid structure — which is vital, given the ooey-gooey-ness of what’s inside — without resorting to a thicker or too-tough slice that might take attention away from the beef and/or cheese.
In my opinion, the true soul of a patty melt is not actually a burger but a grilled cheese sandwich, and this is a phenomenal grilled cheese sandwich that happens to contain an equally phenomenal burger patty. It’s also so rich, you guys. I could barely even finish it. (I did, though, and am proud of it; thank you very much.)
328 Grill: 328 Broadway Ave., St. Paul Park; 651-459-8016; 328grill.com
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