Au Cheval
Is there a region of the United States that more in love with the burger than the Midwest? The endless, snowy winters mixed with summers that demand plenty of “make hay while the sun shines” indulgence combine to create the perfect year-round atmosphere for burgers to dominate the scene.
The Midwest is where burgers met their crazy, overblown, and delectable potential as a medium for getting calories into the body at the highest rates possible. As a result, the region is home to some of the cheesiest, heart-stoppingest,gargantuann riffs on the genre ever created. So let’s dive headfirst into a whole pile of great burgers where the blasphemous words “too much” are never uttered.
These are our picks for the best burgers in the Midwest.
NORTH DAKOTA: JL Beers, Fargo, Minot, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Watford City
Okay, we know JL Beers is a chain with spots in Minnesota and South Dakota too. But, goddamn if their burgers aren’t the best around in their home state of North Dakota. Pillory us for choosing a chain all you want but we dare you not to love the burgers at JL Beers.
JL prides itself that “all of our ingredients come from someone’s backyard.” That care and localvore attitude translates to a great burger. The meat is freshly ground. They buns are a house recipe. The bacon comes from around the corner.
The Humpty Dumpty burger is their award winner — with an excellently cooked runny egg on the classic cheeseburger. The real star, for us anyway, is the Not Just A Nutter Burger with a healthy smear of peanut butter accompanied by local red pepper jelly, diced jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, and locally smoked bacon. It’s a spicy, umami, cheesy, crunchy mess of a burger that hits you deep in the far-reaches of your burger-loving soul.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Dakotah Steakhouse, Rapid City
Rapid City is a hidden gem of a city amongst the sea of grass that makes up the Great Plains. This is the heart of cattle and bison country. So getting a great steak or a great burger is always easy (just like Sunday mornin’). Dakotah Steakhouse greets hungry guests with a life-size welded steel buffalo out front. Inside is probably the most quintessential looking American steakhouses you can image (yes, the steak knives have antler handles).
The burger at Dakotah is bold, huge, and freakin’ delicious. The meat is the star of the show here. It’s a mix of local cuts of beef from down the road and ground in the kitchen (you can also substitute the beef for local bison). It’s grilled to almost unbelievable perfection with a great outer sear encapsulating a succulent interior. Then there’s the cheese. The double dose of sharp cheddar melts into a wonderfully gooey mess that accents the burger perfectly. It’s rare that we’d recommend ordering a burger in a steakhouse, but this is, by far, the exception.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, try the Dakotah Burger. This one eschews the Tuscan bun for two pieces of expertly made fry bread. The fried dough adds a whole new dimension to the ground beef or bison. There’s a nice crunch that leads to a soft, slightly sweet dough that works wonders as a burger. It also has melted cheddar and Monterey Jack which is a big win for the cheese lovers out there.
MINNESOTA: Matt’s Bar, Minneapolis
Sometimes you have to go classic. There’s no more classic burger in Minnesota than the famed Juicy Lucy from Matt’s Bar. This burger might feel like a throwback, but its inventiveness still influences burger chefs around the world. The innovation? The cheese is in the burger when it’s grilled and oozes out as you eat. It’s fantastic.
Matt’s Bar is more than the novelty. The burgers are legit. The tangy sauce, crunchy pickle, and diced grilled onions are top notch. There’s also a sense of history here that makes this burger a bucket list meal for burger aficionados.
The only thing that seems off is that the bun isn’t toasted. But then you bite into the burger and all that cheesy goodness comes pouring out and you realize that the bun doesn’t need that buttery toasted feel.
MICHIGAN: Schuberg’s Bar & Grill, Big Rapids
Michigan has a lot of options when it comes to a great burger. Picking just one feels like a fool’s errand and here we are being that fool. We have to go with the friendly dive bar that makes some of the most seriously delicious burgers in the whole state, Schuberg’s Bar & Grill.
The “Schu” burgers at this famed spot are like mini temples to the cult of the burger. The brioche buns are buttery toasted masterpieces. The meat is expertly ground and seasoned — always juicy and lush. Then the toppings come and you know you’re in good hands at Schuberg’s. The lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles are just a smidge on the thicker side and that amps up both the textural crunch and counterpoint to the fatty butter, cheese, and meat.
If you order your burger with the “works,” expect the lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayo, mustard, pickles, onion, and green olives. This little ripple in the burger toppings world is a nice surprise that’ll have you putting green olives on your burger for years to come.
WISCONSIN: Wedl’s Hamburger Stand, Jefferson
Wedl’s in smalltown Wisconsin is just a shack on the side of the road that slings damn near perfect burgers. They’re so good, they had to expand into the building on the street to make a dining room. That’s always a strong sign.
Wedl’s burgers have three things going for them. It’s a perfectly constructed burger. The ingredients are fresh, largely local, and prepped with exactness. Lastly, it’s straightforward. You walk up to a window, order your burger however you want it (you want it with a lot of cheese, pickles, and grilled onions), and, then, a few minutes later you’re eating. There’s no fuss and any hint of pretention is far, far away.
Wedl’s is another place that doesn’t toast their buns. Yet, the beauty of the juicy meat, melty cheese, and sweet grilled onions (seriously, get the burger with grilled onions) mean that the bun still works like a charm without the toasting. We’re starting to think this “un-toasted” bun is a Midwest thing.
ILLINOIS: Au Cheval, Chicago
If there is perfection in the burger world, Au Cheval has found it. The expertly appointed classic American diner in Chicago is a bucket list food destination without its burger. But it’s their limited menu cheeseburgers that have come to define the eatery. It might just be the best burger in America. Seriously. The burger is so popular that it spawned the Au Cheval sibling Small Cheval to deal with how good and in demand their burgers are.
Maybe it’s the atmosphere of Au Cheval, maybe it’s the expertly crafted bar menu, but Au Cheval is that hair above Small Cheval. The burger is so exact without feeling overwrought it’s almost unbelievable. The meat is cooked exactly. The cheese is melted just so. The bun is buttered and toasted to a point of precision that feels almost supernatural. One bite of this burger and you’ll never be the same.
Then you can add an expertly executed runny fried egg and some thick cut bacon that feels like succulent pork belly by way of a Kentucky hickory forest and, just… wow. Is your mouth watering yet? Look, hyperbole aside, this burger is the mountaintop of great American burgers. Next time you’re in the City by the Lake, make sure to hit Au Cheval at least twice. Or, hit up Small Cheval at the very least.
INDIANA: The Workingman’s Friend, Indianapolis
Indianapolis has a strong burger scene that hits a lot of sweet spots. The Workingman’s Friend is old school spot (it’s officially been around 100 years) that also offers a wholly unique burger. This place is a no-frills, working-class burger joint that has an amazingly welcoming staff. Their grill top flattened burger is a thin patty masterpiece.
Their method of smashing the burger into the grill to flatten it out adds a wonderful crispiness. Almost miraculously, the burger patties are thin and crispy while still being juicy and soft. You definitely want to order a double though — especially if you’re used to thick cut burgers. The melted American cheese is put on just at the right moment for maximum meltiness. The shredded iceberg, white onion, tomato, and pickle are classicly prepped and add a nice crunch, spice, and tang. The buns are toasted off on the grill delivering an umami flavor bomb right into the soft bread.
You can add some bacon if you want, but it’s not really necessary here. The thin patties are already amped to eleven when it comes to savory flavor. You can also order a double with an extra bun bottom in the middle of the burger a la a Bob’s Big Boy or BigMac. Seriously, this is a great burger, people.
OHIO: The Thurman Cafe, Columbus
The grandiosity of the burgers at Columbus’ The Thurman Cafe is wonderous. These burgers are so big they’re a straight up mess to eat. And, while that can be a dealbreaker for a great burger, the burgers at Thurman at just too good to care about the mess.
Every burger here is a 3/4 pound patty(!) — so, already, we’re talking big. They all come fully dressed with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickle, raw onion, and tangy mayo. From there, things get a little crazy. The standard Thurman Burger adds grilled ham, sautéed mushrooms and onions, mozzarella and American cheese, and banana peppers. Like we said, these are messy and delectable burgers.
You can customize your burger all you want. So add more cheese, more bacon, more peppers, more ham. Hell, add another massive burger patty if you think you can handle it. We won’t judge.
IOWA: Cafe Beaudelaire, Ames
This might sound a little crazy, but the best burger in Iowa is at a Brazilian restaurant that has four burgers on its menu. But, alas, it’s true. The Brazilian restaurant has mastered the art of the burger and slings them right alongside plates of feijoada.
The burger at Cafe Beaudelaire has a crispy and moist patty that hits the perfect mark between not-too-thin and not-too-thick. The buns are buttered and grill top toasted, soaking up all those grill-y flavors from the day. Their paprika mayo has a nice, earthy kick to it. The choice of Muenster and mozzarella cheese is another nice pick that makes their burgers rise above.
Add on grilled peppers, maybe some avo, and crisp lettuce, tomatoes, and onions and you have a winning burger. Also, don’t sleep on their potato wedges with a little of that spicy mayo. It’s the perfect side.
NEBRASKA: Honest Abe’s, Lincoln
Honest Abe’s in a modernist hole-in-the-wall in Lincoln. The decor may feel new but the food is classic. This a burger joint where the fundamentals of a great burger are celebrated right alongside a true love for innovation.
The Greatest Burger Ever is the perfect way to sample their craft. The patty is seared off nicely while maintaining its juiciness. The buns are buttery and just the right thickness to handle the bigger and messier burgers while not being too bready. The sweet grilled onion, chopped and crunchy bacon, and housemade “Awesome” sauce make this burger shine. American cheese, ketchup, and mellow romaine round this burger off wonderfully.
Next, try the 1809. It’s topped with piquant pickled apples, smoky honey mayo, melty Gouda, and plenty of chopped bacon. The pickled apple is an eye-opener of sweetness, tart, and umami. That innovation is what makes this burger joint so damn good. They also top burgers with sour blackberry compotes, sweet peach and pecan jams, and tomato chutneys. It’s unexpected and delightful.
KANSAS: The Burger Stand at the Casbah, Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas, is probably best known as the home base of Supernatural’s Sam and Dean Winchester at this point. Ghost hunting brothers aside, Lawrence is also home to one of the best burgers around thanks to The Burger Stand at the Casbah.
The Burger stand focuses in on local ingredients to make their burgers as tasty as humanly possible. Their menu varies greatly thanks to also focusing on what’s available seasonally. Their classic burger hits all the sweet spots with a great, thick burger patty cooked to perfection, a great bun for delivery, and local greens that add plenty of crunch.
Where the burger joint really shines in their detailed orientated sauces and accents. Their chipotle cocoa ketchup is a revelation. The habanero cactus jam on the Fire burger will have you tinkering in your kitchen trying to replicate it. These are ingenious, high-end burgers in a super casual hometown setting.
MISSOURI: Blueberry Hill, St. Louis
We have to go with a historical institution for Missouri. Blueberry Hill helped restore St. Louis’ famed Loop when it opened back in the 1970s. Their success allowed the spot to grow into St. Louis’ best burger restaurant and, eventually, one of the city’s most important music venues. Chuck Berry played 200 shows here. Through all of that Blueberry Hill has been slinging the best burgers in the state.
The burgers here aren’t about craft innovation or “cheffing things up.” The burgers at Blueberry Hill are about taking the classic components of a burger and executing them perfectly. The sesame seed bun is toasted just right. The burger patty is seasoned and grilled exactly the same, every time. The crunch of the lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle hit the sweet spot. The cheese choices are great melting cheeses (Pepper Jack, American, etc). The extra toppings are all you really need: bacon, jalapenos, grilled onions, queso, dope chili.
Grab a beer or an old fashioned, put a Chuck Berry tune on the jukebox, and enjoy the best burger in Missouri.
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