After quickly checking Burger Jones’ website and realizing that their new location in Burnsville was open, I made mention to The Wife that we needed to get over there. After a long day she was in agreement as there was nothing in the house ready to be made and the sound of a burger and a milkshake were just too much for her and so off we went. Opening just on Monday of this week and with us arriving on day three we expected the worst as far as service went but were looking forward to the Burnsville location besting the poor reviews and claims of high prices evident throughout much of the local blogosphere and on review sites such as Urbanspoon for their original location.
We arrived a little before 5 PM and found the bar hopping but the majority of the restaurant fairly empty. A few tables were occupied here and there both inside and out. We were seated in the rear of the restaurant in front of a table to ceiling display of tallboy PBR cans stacked three deep which I affectionately named the Hipster Trophy Case (believe me, that picture does it no justice). There were plenty of servers on hand running around today but based on comments from our server and the group piled in front of the kitchen, it was apparent that this was day one for approximately 10 of those on the floor.
We were seated promptly and waited on by a day-one server who thought Surly and Furious were two different beers. After placing an order for beer we took a look over the menu. We were informed that the burgers are ala carte and thus if we wanted any sides with our insanely expensive burgers (~$10/ea) we’d have to order them separate.
After much decision on The Wife’s part we placed our orders for a Baby Field Greens side salad ($6.99 for greens and carrots entree size), a Southwest Salsa Veggie Burger (no mayo and no cheese), an order of the Tri-Fry Tasting Tower with ranch, chipotle aioli, and avocado mayo dipping sauces ($7.99), a kid’s cheeseburger meal which included apples and organic milk ($5), a s’more milkshake ($5.99), and the Hangover Burger ordered “pink” ($9.99).
We placed our orders at 4:59 PM and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited as the restaurant and patio began to fill up and the line started to head out the door. Eventually, nearly 50 minutes later our items arrived at the table with mayo on the veggie burger. With a 10 minute trip back to the kitchen for that, we were finally able to eat our food.
The Hangover Burger, described on the menu as including bacon, cheddar, hot sauce, and a fried egg was a beefy burger. While Burger Jones only offers two cooking options (pink and not pink) and this one was ordered “pink”, it came out “not pink”. Please note the cute little pink cow stuck in the bun which notes, “M. Rare”. While “M. Rare” has a whole different meaning in Minnesota, this burger was “M. Well” even by Minnesota standards and thus we really should have sent it back. In any case, even with their less-than-squeamish options for cooking meat they are more than happy to offer a runny over-easy egg on top of the sandwich. Odd priorities IMO. While I did not try the hangover, The Wife informed me that the burger was good and one that she’d order again.
My Southwest Salsa Veggie Burger was decent even without the cheese or avocado mayo. While I am currently on a three week vegan diet and this patty probably wasn’t vegan, the server did say she believed they cooked it separately from the meat burgers. While she said she’d check to verify and never did get back to me, I ate it anyway and played, “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and hoped for the best. That said, I was expecting a tasteless, charbroiled mess from hell, what I got was something that could definitely pass off as a hamburger even if it came only with salsa and sprouts per my request. The salad was large but came only with dressing and carrots. While it sufficed for what I needed it to do, I was a little disappointed that they didn’t offer just a bit more for the $7 price tag.
The fries were nothing particularly special, especially not at $8 but The Wife said that she enjoyed the three dipping sauces. When pressed she noted that the chipotle aioli was her favorite, ranch was ranch, and the avocado mayo definitely tasted like avocado. Although I was dipping mine only in the ketchup on the table, I enjoyed the sweet potato fries while wishing they offered something on their menu more appropriate for that type of fry and a pile of fries that was more worthy of $8 (you know, like about 16 lbs of fried potatoes).
The Wife’s S’mores milkshake was large and thankfully came with the stainless mixing cup as well. Adorned with some Hershey’s chocolate bar pieces, a toasted marshmallow and a piece of graham cracker in a pile of whipped cream, it definitely looked like a s’more but according to The Wife it was basically just a chocolate milkshake.
The Rooster’s cheeseburger was more of a slider and came with a sliced apple that still had seeds in it. The organic milk never arrived but we didn’t bother to complain as he was way more interested in throwing his food around than eating it. It was a nice touch that they try to offset their kids’ menu items with healthier sides but it would have been nice to receive what we paid for the first time around.
Before tip our total came out to be $59.60. Just for a frame of reference, the meal we had at Morgan’s on Nicollet, had we paid full price, would have been $55.65 before tip. While our meal at Burger Jones included $8 in beer (Furious and a Fulton Sweet Child of Vine), a milkshake, and a $5 hamburger for The Rooman, I have to say that for 2.5 burgers and some fries Burger Jones is way overpriced and just can’t survive in a market where you can eat a $30 steak plus a full meal for two, including appetizers and soup, and still pay less for dinner than we did at Burger Jones last night. [Fun fact: Burger Jones was the most expensive review we have done in 2011 so far and beats out not only Morgan's but Andiamo in Eagan as well. You know, for burgers...]
Overall the food was fine but was priced so ridiculously high that if you’re willing to pay for it after reading this review then it’s pretty obvious that you have money to burn and no clue where to go for a decent burger in town. That said, I was very impressed with the happy hour prices for the two beers and will definitely return for those but $10 for ala carte burgers is just wrong on so many levels. You’re much, much, much, much, much better off just about anywhere else for your money. But even so, an incredibly expensive burger joint ripping people off is way better than an empty Blockbuster which had been ripping people off for decades prior.
Have you ever eaten at Burger Jones in Burnsville or at their original location? If so what did you think of their burgers and their prices? What about their 20+ beers on tap and the happy hour prices they offer? Do you have plans on eating at the Burger Jones in Burnsville after reading this review? Do you think that $60 for 2.5 people is out of line? Whatever you have to say go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Address:
Burger Jones
1617 County Road 42 W
Burnsville, MN 55306
Phone:
952-885-2289
Hours:
Sunday – Saturday: 11 AM – 11 PM
See all the pictures from Burger Jones in Burnsville on Flickr here.
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April 14th, 2011 at 7:40 am
I plan on giving it a try. I guess I disagree that there are any number of places in the south metro to get a good burger. Certainly I can drive into Minneapolis or St Paul and find a great burger, but in the south metro I have to drive over to House of Coats or all the way down to Kings Place.
I dont really have high hopes for Burger Jones, but I have a feeling they are going to be busy.
April 14th, 2011 at 7:42 am
Chad, I never said anything about the burgers being good.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:05 am
I’ll be giving it a try for the beer selection, not the burgers.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:18 am
I’ll get over there.
Chad, the burgers at Lucky’s 13 in Mendota Heights are pretty good, as is most of the other food. Give them a shot if you’re over that way.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:19 am
I’ve been to the MPLS location a few times. I prefer my burgers “overcooked” so NBD. I like it. Although, I guess I’ve only been there when the father-in-law is paying, so that might have something to do with it. The burgers aren’t noteworthy, but the fries have always been pretty good.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:32 am
MSPD have you been to Lucky’s in Bloomington? I agree with your take on the one in Mendota Heights but have yet to try the other one.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:51 am
I prefer my burgers medium well. Eating raw ground beef just doesn’t appeal to me. I won’t take chances with such a highly processed food product. I’ll pass on the E. Coli.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html?_r=2&th&emc=th
April 14th, 2011 at 8:52 am
Since I live in Eagan, I am fortunate to basically be about the same distance from many of the places we have all discussed on the Burger Time thread. The Nook, Shamrocks for now, even Groveland Tap makes a credible burger at a fair price with atmosphere much more to my liking than anything Parasole can provide me.
As well, in less than two months, college child is moving to a home that is literally steps from the Blue Door’s door. All of these options mean I will never go to Burger Jones.
@encore. What do you know about the beer selection? I am unaware of any Parasole places that have a good beer selection. Even Manny’s best beer is Summit EPA, which ranks in my top 25 at best in my personal beer rankings. I can see a picture of the taps on one of their website pictures and it looks like the same old crap you would see at Applebees (perhaps Bill can run off the Applebees tap list).
For the same reason I don’t understand why people go to chains, I suppose that is how Parasole keeps opening up shop everywhere. I think they have found a niche for the Chili’s crowd for when they want to “go to a nice place”. Then they are so entranced by the concept and admittedly good service, they don’t realize the food is crappy and they just spent 125 bucks a head for 7 dollars worth of food. Phil Roberts is our home grown PT Barnum.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:55 am
Dan N, I prefer to be able to taste burger. If I wanted to eat charcoal I could go to Walmart and buy a 25lb bag of the stuff for less than Burger Jones would charge.
lefty, they have Surly Abrasive (cans), Surly Furious, Surly Coffee Bender, Surly Bender, and Surly CynicAle on tap. They stopped offering anything else noting that their customers were so accustomed to bland food that they had to spice up their beer offerings to get people to taste things again. You may want to steer clear of the place being that you only like Bud.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:56 am
I haven’t been to the original, but based on the reviews I’ve read, Burnsville seems like an odd choice for a second location. Uptown and Burnsville are completely different markets, and something that works in the former won’t necessarily work in the latter.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:58 am
Mmmmm…Lucky’s. I love their burgers! Plus, free popcorn and salted in the shell peanuts! It’s in Mendota, though, not Mendota Heights.
They’ve openend another Lucky’s 13 in the old Bennigan’s next to Southtown.
I’ll probably try BJ once it opens, but as someone who prefers burgers closer to medium, it sounds like I may have some disappointment in that area…
April 14th, 2011 at 9:09 am
Patti, thank you re: Mendota.
Tearitup, I haven’t tried the one in Bloomington. I assume they are essentially the same.
Dan N, why not post the odds of getting struck by lightning or in a fatal car crash on your way to a restaurant? Same basic thing. There’s a NYT or similar article for just about any miniscule risk out there.
April 14th, 2011 at 9:13 am
I have had good experiences at Lucky’s as well, which is surprising because it is owned by Axel’s where every one of their other places is crap. Bonfire in Eagan may be the worst restaurant in the city.
April 14th, 2011 at 9:14 am
Worse than Chianti Grill? I find that hard to believe even coming from you!
April 14th, 2011 at 9:19 am
Isn’t Chianti Grill in Burnsville?
Oh, and for the record, I don’t drink Bud, but you are on record as a frequent Applebee’s patron.
April 14th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Applebees…ruh roh. Make sure you check the Rooster’s ‘apple juice’ before he drinks!
April 14th, 2011 at 10:27 am
I can’t bring myself to pay top dollar for something that can be made easily at home. May stop in for a beer if the selection is good.
As for doneness, I like my burger “a lot pink”. But a burger with “no pink” does not equal charcoal. The main problem I find is that lean meat is used which results in a dry “no pink” burger. However, using the higher fat content meat will require more vigilance to avoid flare ups.
April 14th, 2011 at 10:47 am
MPSD, you’re missing the point, E. Coli is preventable by cooking your meat to the recommended internal temp. Lightning or a car crash, come on.
There’s plenty of taste in a burger cooked medium well if prepared with onions and sauce (BBQ/Heinz 57). Not sure why anyone would prefer the taste of raw ground up beef parts.
Ground beef shouldn’t be cooked based on color anyway. Since there are so many different variants of it, some will look brown at 160 degrees and some will still have pink.
Question for you Bill, how do you cook your sausages/brats/links? The same way you cook your burgers?
April 14th, 2011 at 10:52 am
Dan, I like the taste of beef, particularly good beef such as what is sourced from local farmers and is grass fed/organic. You wouldn’t know what a good burger tastes like because you’re busy soaking it in sauce and overcooking it until it is devoid of all fat/flavor.
I boil my brats in beer and onions (for flavor and to remove a lot of the salts) and then cook them on the grill with beer and sauerkraut juice until they’re browned. They’re not comparable items IMO but hey, whatever.
April 14th, 2011 at 11:08 am
Luckys 13 in Bloomington is ok i have been there about 3 times, i have never been to the mendota site, i wouldnt go out of my way and find the burgers to be about the same as Champps more or less. the beer selection is also similar to Champps if i remember. But Lucky’s in Bloomington is more of a family/28years and up type of place… i havent been there in a year but it didnt seem like a 21-28 year old type place.
I will give Burger Jones a try. I am not as hard on Parasole as others. Manny’s does well, service is good and the steaks are good, but unless you are on expense account its hard to be there often and really if i spend that much i expect more than a piece of beef and an oversized baked potato(the hash browns are sinfully good though). would rather spend that money at Corner Table or Piccolo for some inventive food. (and i can never get over the worshipful description of the plastic wrapped cuts of beef before ordering… just me i guess). I think Muffuleta in St Paul is also pretty good, and Salut is ok, i have been to the Edina location at least 8 times and my impression is the quality has gone down from its first year or two. Uptown Cafeteria is also ok, been once, had a good jerk chicken sandwich but the service was less than impressive and the food results were uneven.
I like to frequent locally owned non chains, but some of them suck too.
anyone know what happened to the plans for a bar/restaurant at the Burnsville Holiday inn which is becoming a best western or something?
April 14th, 2011 at 11:16 am
mulch, see here: http://www.lazylightning.org/morgans-new-world-tavern-burnsville-mn#comment-97110
April 14th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
considering my overall lack of interest in going places that far west of my home and the general negative reviews on food quality, i’m not sure if I’d ever trek over that direction. But I never know what my wife might decide I need to try.
For burgers at restaurants, I’m used to sub-par food, and prefer to pay the least amount possible for such. Probably the better burger I’ve had at a chain has been at Red Robin. When they ask (at least at the AV location) if you want some pink or no pink, they are serious. Some pink will leave you with a nice pink center generally still plenty warm but not overheated. no pink leaves you just past that point so that there is no pink and it is still moist and not over cooked. Only downside has been sometimes some pink ends up being pink. No worries though, I avoid antibacterial stuff, and my immune system loves a challenge (though if you have immune system deficiencies, I recommend no pink).
I find that for me, the key to a good burger is don’t dry it out, and top it with a nice slice of cheese, maybe some bacon, for sure a slice of tomato and some lettuce. Notice I said top it. Places that put the lettuce and tomato on the bottom of the burger get 5 points deducted before I even take a bite.
April 14th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
The odds of getting sick from eColi are somewhere in the middle of the two. It’s a legitimate correlation. I would be much, much more “worried” about getting salmonella from a cook with poor food handling skills messing with raw chicken, then cross-contaminating the other foods. But, it wouldn’t make for as good a news article.
Bill stole my thunder. No thanks.
Three of the best tastes of food I’ve had this year so far were raw beef or beef served almost raw. The tartare appetizer (raw) at the Strip Club in St. Paul on January 13 and Kifto (raw) at Dukem Restaurant (Ethiopian) in Washington D.C. on March 11, as well as the kobe beef shabu shabu course (served raw, dipped for about 10 seconds in broth…shabu shabu is like a Japanese fondue) at Makoto, also in Washington, D.C. in late February.
Funny….I’m still alive to tell about it.
April 14th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Eh, not worth my time to argue anymore.
I’m with O.B.B., rarely do I ever go out for a burger. Easy enough to prepare and cook and much cheaper to do it yourself.
April 14th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
I really want to like Lucky’s 13 so I’ve given it way more chances than I should have and I just don’t like it. I’ve had one good meal there and the rest were mediocre at best. I’m surprised to read all the positive comments.
As some of you know, Junior’s Grill in Eagan has good burgers.
April 14th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Nope, because it’s no “In-N-Out!!!!” Sucka!!!
April 14th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
I have been to Lucky’s 13 a few times. Overpriced and just not that great.
April 14th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
I just want to know when Uptown was expanded to include the area west of the lakes???? (Bill, I know the Strib article said Burger Jones is in Uptown – this is news to me!)
April 14th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Doesn’t Valley Diner fit in this discussion somewhere? I thought their burger was credible.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Tim wrote: “I haven’t been to the original, but based on the reviews I’ve read, Burnsville seems like an odd choice for a second location. Uptown and Burnsville are completely different markets, and something that works in the former won’t necessarily work in the latter.”
I agree completely. Demographic is completely different. I give this location less than a year.
April 14th, 2011 at 10:48 pm
I’ve been to the Mpls location. The burgers are nothing special, and way overpriced along with everything else on the menu.
For my money: Blue Door, Nook, 5 Guys, and okay I’ll include King’s even though it’s a hike.
April 15th, 2011 at 9:45 am
Uptown isn’t an official neighborhood designation. I’ve heard it applied to a vast area of that part of Minneapolis.
April 15th, 2011 at 10:08 am
Dan N,
Do you buy your beef at Holiday gas station? If not, you should.
April 15th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
BK, when I lived in Calhoun Towers, I did not live in Uptown.
April 16th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Uptown or not , I still say the area it’s in (having been in it several times for events) is quite different from Burnsville.
April 16th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Have to agree with a few others about Lucky 13′s. I really want to like the place, but to me its just a fancy Applebees or Champs really.
April 18th, 2011 at 9:26 am
Had a burger at the Buffalo Tap in Savage Saturday night. The burger was adequate as usual, people say their Juicy Lucy’s are very good, but i am not a fan of that presentation so i had a buffalo tap bison burger. The place is always mobbed on weekend nights, normally we dont have to wait but had about 15 mins this time. they have Surly Furious and Bells Two Hearted Ale on draft now… both at $6.25 per pint, they also have Guinness but i tend to only order the dark angel at establishments that serve alot of it. I made the mistake at Champps recently and they rushed the pour and delivered to me, when the foam subsided i had 2/3 of pint, i went up to the bar and asked them to top it off properly.
April 18th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Mulch, I stop by the Buffalo Tap from time to time. Love the atmosphere. The food is always, as you noted, adequate. Not sure what is off about the place, but it always falls just a little short of what I am hoping for.
April 18th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Chad, we go there on weekend when its last minute as I prefer it to the chains in Burnsville and as noted even on a really busy evening the wait is short and 95% we get right in. Its not overly priced, and has decent food… a decent 7 to 8 out of 10 consistently. the service is always nice despite ridiculously crowded atmosphere and you feel comfortable with a family of small kids or just two empty nesters. They should improve their outside seating toward the creek on the East side but my guess is they cannot due to regulations ….we sit outside alot as it always seems to be open but it really is not the nicest outside area…
was by the Burger Jones and they are working along… the outside seating is on the West side of the building as they built up from the sidewalk… when the kids were young back in the 90′s i spent alot of $$ at the Blockbusters there.
April 18th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
On a better food note, went to dinner on Thursday at Trattoria Tosca in Linden hills… have wanted to for quite a while. The Heavy Table blog had recently reviewed it well. We did like it alot but also shared the lament of the HT reviewer that it simply had not enough business…. Thursday night between 6:30 and 9pm and i would say 4 to 5 tables only had customers. i would recommend it for very creative italian food and friendly service, and plenty of free parking ….they have a nice wine list, they had beer too but i didnt look at it as we went for wine that evening.
April 19th, 2011 at 4:18 am
[...] dark, news of a Seattle restaurant specializing in Upper Midwestern food (including jucy lucys), meditations on the upcoming Burnsville location of Burger Jones, Chowhounds savagely debate whether Heartland is truly great or grossly overrated (for what [...]
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:27 am
Thanks to reader Travis for the awesome photo now adorning the top of the post. Permission has been granted by him for this use.
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:49 am
I know you’re just f-ing around with the Sysco truck photo, but before clueless people jump all over this as though it’s an ominous sign, where would you suggest they procure their napkins, forks, knives, spoons, styrofoam containers, 200 lb. bags of onions/potatoes, salt, pepper, kids’ crayons, cooking oil, and million other things that have nothing to do with the actual food on the plate?
Now….if the place opens and the food sucks, this photo will take on a whole other meaning.
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:53 am
We already know the food isn’t all that great based on their other location. *shrug*.
April 22nd, 2011 at 11:23 am
I still have hopes that it will be good. I dont think you are going to find a single restaurant in the entire city that does not have Sysco or another big vendor that supplies at least of portion of what they provide.
Probalby doubly so for a Parasol place, but really, they seem to know how to open places that people enjoy eating at.
On a tangent, why on earth cant they get a cool place to move into the space across from Nicollet Commons Park, overlooking the BPAC?
April 23rd, 2011 at 11:17 am
Case in point, I’ve seen a Sysco truck parked at Sea Salt. While I haven’t been there myself (on the to-do list for summer), from all of the good things I’ve heard about it, it doesn’t seem to be hurting their quality any.
April 23rd, 2011 at 9:30 pm
I agree. Sysco must sell some things that are O.K. It’s all in the ordering.
April 23rd, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Restaurants, even the BEST ones, can’t operate without companies like Sysco. Aside from Angry Trout in Grand Marais where local artisans make everything from the food ingredients to the tables and chairs, every restaurant I know needs things like (copying from above) napkins, forks, knives, spoons, styrofoam containers, 200 lb. bags of onions/potatoes, salt, pepper, other basic seasonings, kids’ crayons, cooking oil, and million other things that have nothing to do with the actual food on the plate.
Sea Salt gets its main ingredients (fish) via outfits like Coastal Seafoods. But who cares where their cooking oil, styrofoam containers, sugar packets, lemons, garnishes, etc. come from?
(FWIW…disclosure: back in my college summers, I temped for Sysco in their warehouse)
April 24th, 2011 at 5:09 am
Junior’s in Eagan and Burnsville probably has as good a burger as you’ll find down here. That shit is righteous, along with them seasoned fries and a beverage big enough that you don’t have to bug the server for a bunch of refills.
What about Doolittle’s? I wouldn’t know.
You’ll laugh, but Culver’s ain’t half bad, and the burger is cheap.
Buff Tap seems like a wings-y place. I’m not too impressed with the burgers or the service, but it has that rustic, wood-grained thing and overfilled parking lot that entice people but are more hat than cattle.
As long as we’re on that end of town, how about reviews of the Windmill Cafe?
April 24th, 2011 at 6:45 am
Cripes: http://www.lazylightning.org/windmill-cafe-savage-mn
They are only open for breakfast and lunch so burgers, while probably available, aren’t available at the times when most people are in that area to have them.
May 12th, 2011 at 6:24 am
I have moved all the comments from the preview post under this one for historical purposes.
May 12th, 2011 at 7:10 am
We were there Tuesday night and will probably not return although I agree that it was fun to try the happy hour beers. Our waitress was extremely overly attentive, came back every few minutes to interrupt the conversation we were trying to have. She kept having to go ask the answer to any questions we asked. I ordered the signature Burger Jones “pink” and it was what I would consider rare, charred on the outside, which I like, and really rare inside, which I also like so it was fine but not what a Minnesotan would consider pink. They charged 50 cents for a couple slices of tomato but onion and lettuce and pickle were included. We just had burgers, one side, and a beer and for the two of us we paid 40 dollars with tip. My husband ordered a side of the hickory ketchup and got about a tablespoon for 50 cents.
May 12th, 2011 at 8:19 am
I’ve never eaten at burger jones, but I’ve heard that the people who own it are the kindest most conscientious, loving people on the planet, and that they wear only organic cotton underwear.
The food is all hand made from scratch using the finest ingredients, I’ve heard the owners pick out their meat at the stockyards, giving their cherished customers the only finest selection of choice ground beef.
The prices may seem a bit high but that’s only because you’re not from New York, in New York City you can expect to pay twice as much for this quality of food. So, if it feels expensive just remember that you’re supporting a local community based ripoff. It may an overpriced burger joint, but it’s OUR overpriced burger joint, so you should be nice.
Actually, thanks for the heads up, I will not be going there anytime soon I assure you based on your review. Thanks Bill, Lazylightning once again helps me keep money in my wallet while enjoying the best the South Metro has to offer. You remain my hero.
May 12th, 2011 at 8:26 am
We were out in Vegas and spent $50 at a burger place in the Venetian. We had similar options (sweet potato fries, a shake, a salad, two burgers–including one which was organic Colorado raised bison) and it was still only $51 before tip.
If Vegas can almost beat Burger Jones with better fare, I just can’t see how they are going to make it in Burnsville.
May 12th, 2011 at 8:53 am
I went with Dave & his 4-year old for lunch yesterday. I had a Surly ($6) because I could, dammit! We also got the sides, and the dipping sauce (not free, by the way) because it was the first time there, and you gotta try these things at least once.
Total bill with tip was $50, which is too much for lunch. That being said, there were a couple of specials that would have been good choices for lunch (a cheeseburger and fries combo for $7.99, for instance).
Amazing job with the location, which was a Blockbuster Video store in its former life. Happy Hour specials looked decent, and there was a late-night happy hour with a cheaper burger deal, too.
All in all, a nice option for Burnsville, I’d have to say. I don’t think I’ll be a regular, but it would be an option to consider when looking for something a bit different for lunch/dinner (different than Mickey D’s, etc.).
May 12th, 2011 at 10:04 am
From my very little understanding on the subject, e coli comes from beef that is mishandled in the butchering process (not to go into details.) Beef coming from an ethical and local source would be less likely to have it. But since Bill’s question about how his veggie burger was prepared went unanswered, I probably wouldn’t take the risk of eating pink at Burger Jones.
I agree that we take more health risks when wait/restaurant staff do not observe food health guidelines.
Ten dollars for a burger? This reminds me of an old saying about a certain population group and its birth rate.
And Bill, your photographs have crossed over from photographic journalism to food porn. I’m craving a burger at ten in the morning!
Thanks for the review.
May 12th, 2011 at 10:09 am
I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said about what I do here. Thank you. I just wish I could take pictures of The Rooster that turned out as well as my food photos do.
May 12th, 2011 at 10:27 am
Sank…quit slacking. You forgot a bunch of exclamation marks. Clearly your astroturfing skills need work.
May 12th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Have to agree with Michele regarding the pictures. Regardless of how the hangover burger tasted, that burger in the top picture should be on thier web site as an advertisement.
May 12th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Hey MSPD,
I took your advice and ordered The Good Day Cafe burger today for lunch. While I eat there regularly for lunch, it never occurred to me to try the burger.
Ordered Medium Rare, came out Medium Rare. Perfectly cooked and tasted fantastic. Juices oozing from it like you should expect but rarely get.
The fact that I can eat this for lunch pretty much any day I want to (it was about 10 bucks, mind you) means I don’t have to ever bother with BJ.
Thanks for the tip.
lefty
May 12th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
I have been involved in countless restaurant successes and failures and went to Burger Jones in Minneapolis early on and have not returned. It was a long wait, food was just o.k. and the prices were high. If you are a student of marketing it’s worth one trip.
Juniors is without a doubt the best value and food quality going…….and likely the best kept secret is the Shooters burger menu.
May 12th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
P.S. Not sure everybody is aware of this but my company owns the Towne & Country Shopping center where Juniors Burnsville and Shooters is located.
May 12th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Hey, I’m glad to hear that! That’s always been my experience. Thanks for “reporting back”.
May 12th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Great write up Bill! I never wanted to step foot into the Uptown location, and now I’ll for sure try to never set foot in the Burnsville location.
Oh and FYI after briefly flirting with Veganism last fall I was very bummed to find out Surly beers are not vegan, they use isinglass as a clarifier.
May 12th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
I seem to recall that the bowling alley in Eagan made a fairly good burger, but that was years ago.
May 12th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
As Greg mentioned, we went to Burger Jones for lunch yesterday.
As most have mentioned the prices are a bit high. Ten bucks for a burger that doesn’t come with any sides is a bit steep. Take a couple bucks off that price or even just throw some chips and a pickle spear on the plate and it would be a bit easier to accept.
I don’t remember the name of the burger I ordered, it was stuffed with cheddar and topped with cheddar. I thought the burger was quite good, and the parmesan waffle fries were very tasty as well. The chipotle aoili is very good.
The cost is my only complaint. Although It’s only a couple bucks more than what you would pay for a burger at any one of the big chain restaurants in Burnsville, add fries, a dipping sauce, and a beer and you are at $20.
I do appreciate that they have a great beer selection, something that so many places South of the river don’t do well.
I’ll be back, just not often.
May 12th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
SuburbanMPLS,
Yeah, I read earlier that Surly isn’t Vegan. I was so totally enamored with the tap beer selection as we passed it on our way in that I completely spaced it out when we got to the table and I ordered the Furious.
Barnivore (http://www.barnivore.com/) doesn’t list Fulton but being that I was already on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” mantra that evening that I figured what was the hurt in it?
I could have ordered a Summit and been fine (for those of you that care).
May 12th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
It sounds like the owners are really nice folks, but it appears they have grossly miscalculated the demographics and clientele of the area.
The Uptown crowd may really be into the organic stuff, and be willing to pay (much) higher prices for that sort of product. However, here in middle-class suburbia it is a whole different story.
There is no way a family with kids will go in to dine here and drop a hundred bucks on a “burger and fries meal” when they can check off the dinner box at places like Culvers, Burger Time, or Smashburger for a fraction of the cost. Especially in THIS economy. There just aren’t enough people in BJ’s target demographic in this area to make them a going concern. Add poor service and/or quality issues into the mix and it will only hasten their demise.
Sorry for the forensic analysis, but some things just make me wonder WTF were they thinking?
May 12th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Sean L., I have to agree. Just check out the carts in the checkout lanes at Target or Cub. LOTS of convenience foods. Being busy is a status symbol in today’s burbs, and “who has TIME for a sit down meal?”
Thanks to this article, my husband answered my hamburger craving with a home-made wild rice burger tonight. Nobody cooks beef like he does. Thanks, Bill.
May 13th, 2011 at 4:35 am
[...] is the Wedge Co-op’s 3rd annual plant and garden sale, Bill Roehl buries Burger Jones in Burnsville with faint praise (“an incredibly expensive burger joint ripping people off is way better than an empty [...]
May 13th, 2011 at 6:53 am
While I will try Burger Jones, the prices sound a bit too high.
While I enjoy Luckys 13 in Mendota (not the Bloomington location), Champps in Burnsville has been my favorite place to go on this side of the metro for a long time. It seems their prices have dropped over the recent years. I know they have extended their weeknight happy hours until 7, which really makes the final bill a lot cheaper.
If we don’t mind spending the gas, we go over to Hudson, WI, for the best burgers and fries on the planet. Barker’s Bar and Grill on Main Street has a fantastic selection of burgers, beers, skin-on fries, and other offerings. They also have free popcorn while you wait. Excellent!
May 13th, 2011 at 8:24 am
where in the hell in this thread did you pick up that the Parasole corporation “are really nice folks”.
If the definition of hoodwinking diners into paying way too much for mediocre food is “really nice folks”, then color me ignorant.
Charging the most certainly does not make you the best.
May 13th, 2011 at 8:30 am
I know I am willing to pay more to buy things or service from a local business before I’ll spend my money online or with other businesses that are not local. I can’t imagine it is much different for people that would prefer an organically raised hunk of beef vs any other type.
For sure there is a market for that price range in the area. If they can keep the quality up we’ll get to find out if that market is big enough.
May 13th, 2011 at 8:36 am
I am not aware of Burger Jones selling any organic meats.
May 13th, 2011 at 9:58 am
I honestly usually don’t pay attention to prices at restaurants too much, but these sound astronomical. The photos you took are amazing (and I hope you are happy that I am commenting on THIS POST versus the actual flickr photos ;), I’m now especially craving that malt. Yum. Very frustrating about not getting the milk, and also I hate that there aren’t many good, healthy options of sides for kids before they are really able to chew crunchy food like apples or carrots. What’s up with the vegan diet? Just giving it a whirl to see how you feel? Did you write about it elsewhere and I missed it?
May 13th, 2011 at 10:03 am
Erin,
The vegan thing is a bet with a “non-vegan vegan” (he prefers to call it a “plant-based diet” but he’s, in effect, a vegan who doesn’t like what people generally think of the vegans of the world) who told me I wouldn’t last three days.
I’ll write about it at the end of my time doing this but so far I’m down 8.5lbs, I’m not exhausted when I leave work, and I generally feel better. Basically the only difference between my usual diet and this one is that I’m not eating meat or dairy. My mix of vegetables and grains hasn’t changed all that much–just the amount.
May 13th, 2011 at 10:12 am
From Chad: “Regardless of how the hangover burger tasted, that burger in the top picture should be on thier web site as an advertisement.”
Oh don’t worry, it likely will be, whether they get permission or not!! ;)
May 13th, 2011 at 10:13 am
Ha.
May 13th, 2011 at 11:10 am
We stopped in last night to try it out. The burgers were good, but expensive. The wings were ok, nothing you could not get at a dozen other places. The waffle fries and dip were very good, but the regular fries and sweet potatoe fries were nothing special.
Looked to be a great selection of beers, and the place was packed. I have to wonder what it will be like in two months. Will people in the burbs pay these prices?
While its easy to say Parasole is not a good local company, you would be hard pressed to make a case that they dont know how to run a financially successful restaurant. While I doubt I will frequent this place, I will be very interested to see what course the place runs.
May 13th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Sean L., I don’t see anything about “organic” on their website.
May 16th, 2011 at 7:09 am
One more log (or a cord) for the fire.
Feedlot beef is about as ethical as a name referring to drug addiction is wholesome.
People care, and at that price they should care.
50 minutes for hamburgers. Add 10 minutes for mayo. This meal should have been free.
Pink and not pink. Lame and more lame. The law may be coming down on this, and then I’ll be forced to eat burgers at home. E-coli will probably not get you unless you’re a child, immune compromised, pregnant, or elderly. Order burgers well done is you fall into one of these categories, or if you’re just paranoid.
Parasole. Yeah that says it. Make a pretty restaurant. Hire cheap labor. Hire Tim McKee when you’re on the ropes. Rinse and repeat all the way to the bank.
May 16th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Yeah. Parasole. All glitter and merchandising and little to no substance. Their restaurants always look kind of interesting until you get burned a few times and become wary.
May 16th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
I got “Parasoled” by Oceanaire on Friday. Though I remember that their roots started in that camp (but then split off, I think), never before have I eaten there and left feeling like I was robbed like I did last weekend. In the past, the food was outstanding, it was very average, very “Parasole”.
May 16th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Perhaps there has been a change in the Parasole mantra? I remember when we first moved to the cities 10 years ago, places like Chino Latino and Mannys were the first place anyone ever told us to visit. If they were not considered the best, they were at least in the conversation for their respective dining classes. I have not eaten at Oceanaire, but I also sort of thought the same held true for them.
For the last few years though I continue to see and hear that these places are, to steal Sandys words “All glitter and merchandising and little to no substance.”
I guess I always sort of thought they were simply doing a good job of providing what people want instead of trying to impress food snobs, but maybe they have strayed a bit from the mark, and are no longer impressing anyone?
May 16th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Chad,
I think many of the regulars here have been influenced greatly by the different experiences provided by the knowledge sharing which happens here. I know I have grown from the first reviews I did in 2005 and certainly even since the I Nonni review I posted in 2009.
Perhaps experiences we’ve had at some other places (from the low end to the high) have reshaped our expectations and the places which were definitely above what can be expected by the national chains, just aren’t that great when compared to some of the best of the best?
May 16th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
I think Bill hit it on the head there. I have not been to Oceanaire for a year or so, and we went last Friday with my 4 person family to celebrate a birthday.
My daughters barely weigh 200 pounds added together and they like crab legs. I expected them to order crab and they did. Once it came time to eat, the waiter brought them each a POUND of crab meat. Not pre-shelled, but he presented 2 pounds of crab meat to them along with a couple of sides, we also had oysters and another appetizer. Our other entrees were pretty good, but not great.
I paid 60 dollars per pound for that crab, 75% of it is sitting in my fridge and I am planning on making the most expensive crab cakes in world history for dinner tonight.
Point being. I get that places overcharge for what is usually really good service in a spot that is decorated expensively, but they need to serve excellent food for the right. Also, perhaps suggest that they share. Not that big of a stretch to assume that they would have been fine eating 8 oz. of meat instead of 16 (and they actually ate 4).
I realize the subject is Parasole, but it is really the same deal. Look pretty, have snappy servers and hope they we notice that the food is not as good as it looks.
There are too many places out there that are earning our business by starting in the kitchen and offering product at a fair price as it relates to the atmosphere. Parasole does not do that.
May 16th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I guess I would love to hear from MSPD or Lefty or someone who has been around the cities for awhile. Was Mannys one of the best of the best for steak houses in the late 90′s? Was Oceanaire the best seafood in town? Etc…….. Or has it all been hype from the beginning.
May 16th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
I think there was a day in which Manny’s and Oceanaire were probably first or near first in class for Steak and Seafood respectively. I am sure there are those that will argue that they still are.
Personally, I am of the belief that the quality has gone down. I used to eat at Oceanaire 5 or 6 times per year and was never disappointed. The past few times I think things have been not as good, and I may be done.
I mentioned that I had some people from Montana visit me on an expense account last week. We could have gone anywhere, and I didn’t even think of Manny’s. Fogo has better food by a wide margin, and it is more fun (not that Manny’s isn’t a little fun).
But…most of Parasole’s places are mostly packed all the time. Manny’s is booked solid most every night last I heard and when I go by the uptown eateries they have, they seem pretty busy then too…just like Chili’s is.
Take a gander at the prices at the Cafeteria place sometime. Clip joint city.
May 16th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Manny’s was AMAZING in the eighties. I’m guessing I’ve been around longer than Lefty or MSPD!?!?! I moved here in 1981 to work for the Hyatt.
May 16th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Sorry Sandy, did not mean to leave you out!
I guess that just sort of confirms the idea that they may have had a planned shift in strategy since their early days.
May 16th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
“Sorry Sandy, did not mean to leave you out!”
Oops! Didn’t mean to imply that I felt left out!!!! I guess it does look that way, though, doesn’t it? I was just commenting on my advanced age!
And, yeah, Parasole was a good name back in the day. I think that for the most part a food business gets worse when it multiplies. This is probably why Lucia’s has remained at the top of their game for so long; she hasn’t been tempted to open a bunch of other outposts.
May 16th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
I don’t think Manny’s or Oceanaire have gotten any better or worse, but the fine(r) dining landscape has changed so much around them and with it, the perception of price, value, and quality. It’s also much, much easier for small restaurant chefs and even all of us to source top-notch beef.
IMO, Manny’s has always been the best of the core MSP steak “institutions” (Morton’s, Murray’s, Mancini’s, St. Paul Grill). But I can’t make that claim any more with any confidence since I haven’t tried Ruth’s Chris or Capital Grill. High-end steakhouses just aren’t my thing. Even the last time I was taken to one on an expense account (Fleming’s in Miami) I ordered the lamb chops (which were spectacular).
I’ve never liked Oceanaire from day one. I won’t bore everyone with the “why”.
May 16th, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Parasole employee astroturfs right as the Social Media Marketing Manager for Parasole Restaurant Holdings tries to make it right (note the IPs):
Oops. Loops like Sarah has some work to do to make sure people within Parasole don’t make the same stupid mistake again in the future.
May 16th, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Manny’s used to serve prime beef. They stopped doing this some time ago.
May 16th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Dumbasses. Just cost them a lot of business & respect.
That being said, I’ve sat in the other side of the table within the last year, where someone suggested that employees go to various “local blogs” [as if there were tons of them] to ‘talk up’ the business. Some people don’t understand how much harm that can cause when found out. And trust me, people like Bill will find it out, it’s not that hard.
May 16th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Hopefully Sarah comes back and apologizes. Maybe she will take some time to read other threads here that have similar incidents.
May 16th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Not to be a pain, but I’m not sure that makes too much of a difference. I would bet that very few people could discern the difference between USDA Prime and Choice with well selected, butchered, aged, and prepared meats. The source of the beef and breed matter as well.
Now, at $50 a steak (a la Manny’s) you should probably be getting the “best of the best” INCLUDING sizzle, not just steak.
May 16th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
You are right, generally speaking. But also generally speaking, prime cuts SHOULD have quite a bit more marbling, and IF the system is working, most of the prime cuts should be tastier and juicier than the choice ones. I was raised by a VERY picky steak guy. I was polishing off 16-oz. prime steaks when I weighed 30 lbs!!!! Yes, I eat quite a lot less beef these days, but I sure crave the steaks of old. Seared fat – umami. yum
May 17th, 2011 at 7:18 am
I’ve never been to Oceanaire and probably never will, but the word on the street is the place got noticeably worse after the ownership changed hands last year. Zimmern ripped it last September also and claims that the new owner’s messed with the winning formula, for whatever that’s worth:
http://blogs.mspmag.com/chowandagain/2010/09/oceanaire-then.html
May 17th, 2011 at 8:19 am
Greg, yeah, you would think a company with a long history and a social media marketing manager would definitely know better than to tolerate an employee astroturfing a blog. I mean, it’s obvious why they did it being that I’m top 5 for Burger Jones on Google, but welcoming me back for more expensive burgers without fixing their expensive menus and basically misleading the public is offensive to say the least.
Hey Sarah, couple of hints:
1. You should provide everyone a free burger at your Burnsville location on a specific day for your mistake. You owe the public that because I’m 100% positive that this wasn’t a one time occurrence.
2. While giving away that burger and losing money for lying to the people you should apologize for purposefully misleading people and admit to every single blog your staff has astroturfed on.
3. You should then come up with a reasonable social media policy where you will promise never, ever, ever to do something like this again and if you do and are caught you will donate your proceeds from an ever increasing number of days worth of your entire company’s revenue to charity of the public’s choice via a Facebook poll.
I think that sounds fair and reasonable and should definitely make you a leader in the local restaurant world–like your friendly employee claims you are.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:40 am
Dear Bill, you are correct, my co-worker did write the praise of Burger Jones. They should have provided disclosure and I will make sure that doesn’t happen, again. Please note, again, we take your feedback seriously. I’m not trying to bribe you, I just want to make sure that 1. your voice is heard and 2. changes are made within our restuarant to improve based on your feedback. I can tell you that additional training has taken place ensuring that our staff are knowledgable about beers and our entire menu for that matter. From our restuarant waitstaff to our CEO and All of our staff were required to go through weeks of intensive training to prepare them for working at Burger Jones. Again, please no that I only want to make things better. I hope that you can understand that. Please contact me directly via email if you have any further questions or feedback. Thanks, Sarah
Thanks again,
Sarah Nerison
May 17th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Sarah,
Thanks for admitting your company uses subversive techniques to alter the public’s perception of your restaurants. I find that utterly disgusting–especially that you won’t admit that you’ll never do it again.
Boo on Burger Jones.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:53 am
Its nice that they made an effort to address your less than pleasing visit.
Does not really change the fact that its still pretty expensive.
May 17th, 2011 at 9:12 am
Bill,
Parasole does have a social media policy in our employee handbooks, along with a set of best practices. Employees are not supposed to respond or comment anywhere online without full disclosure. This is our policy. This is a single isolated occurance.
Thank you again for your feedback,
Sarah
May 17th, 2011 at 10:27 am
There should be a Television show called Astroturf Wars. Bill is at his best when people try to fool him but fail.
Actually, that could probably be a whole network.
Sarah should be apologizing for trying to fool the public into thinking that Parasole’s overpriced crap is worth the money they ask you to pay for it.
May 17th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
We ate at Burger Jones for my husband’s birthday last week.
We had a good meal. He really loved his burger, and they brought out a dessert with a sparkler in it.
It was fun and honestly felt like a great atmosphere.
Im surprised by how hard everyone is being on here honestly. As a Burnsville resident, I am always so happy to see new businesses come into our city. We will definitely go there again, and I really look forward to the Happy Hour.
BTW- Bill accused me of “astroturfing” once, and it was completely untrue. :) Just saying, so I don’t get somehow torn apart on here again for saying something nice… Oh, and Bill, as far as I know Burger Jones is also not a hockey sponsor. LOL
May 17th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
KRock,
They admitted that one of their employees lied to the public. It’s different.
May 17th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
I get it, I don’t think its right either, but lets be honest… these are waiters and waitresses who are trying to survive on tips; not to mention investing their careers in a company they hope is going to work out.
I just think its really easy to jump on a bandwagon of negativity, and I want people to know we actually had a good time, and will be back.
No outside reason for me.
May 17th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Which is precisely why it is so important for any business to deal with the public in a clear and up front manner. Not attempting to sway the public perception with false and deceptive information. Parasole has clearly been in business long enough to know precisely what they are doing.
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Meh.
We ate here on Monday evening. No waiting to get in. Long wait to get served and get our food, unacceptably so. Burgers were, as most have pointed out, on the pricey side. Quality was mediocre, at best. A decidedly average or even below-average hunk of meat prepared with no imagination or spice, very plain and not in a good way. We ordered two pink and one not-pink; all came out labeled “medium rare” with the two pink ones very much on the well done side and the one ordered non-pink the closest to medium rare of the bunch. Flavor was bland at best, close to being unacceptable.
Try-Fry Tower was underwhelming. Didn’t appreciate being charged extra for EVERYTHING, from tomatoes to ketchup to you name it. Only good thing was the shakes, but I wouldn’t come back just for them. If I want a better bigger burger, I’ll go to Fuddruckers. If I want a really gourmet burger with great meat, I’ll go do the Dakota.
I will not be coming back to this place. Overpriced, mediocre food, slow service — a real hat trick of a restaurant we have here.
May 24th, 2011 at 7:53 am
The Dakota?
May 24th, 2011 at 11:41 am
Yep, best burger in town that I’ve found is at the Dakota Jazz Club, downtown Minneapolis. Real gourmet thing, great beef, cooked perfectly. For an even better burger, order the Cobb Burger (not always on the menu), an open-faced concoction with everything imaginable on it, from guacamole to hard boiled eggs to whatever, it’s a real treat.
May 24th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Here’s how Minnesota Monthly described the Dakota’s Cobb burger; their regular burger is just as good (and about 1000 times better than the tasteless slab of meat we had at Burger Jones):
“If there is one burger in Minnesota that could be called the Chef’s Chef’s burger, it would be the Cobb Salad burger at the Dakota. Jack Riebel is one of those chefs who every chef in town knows and respects, but he doesn’t get a lot of public recognition. He ran the lunch at the dearly departed Goodfellow’s for 10 years, and while there, he created a burger to honor his fellow chefs: The Cobb Salad burger. He would take the trim from various high-end cuts—strip loins, rib eyes, and such—blend those with chuck, and cook it. Then he would top the burger with Goodfellow’s famous pico de gallo tomato relish, a special guacamole created by one of his Latino line cooks, and an onion relish that he credits to Isaac Becker, who is now chef and co-owner at 112 Eatery. He added smoked bacon, hard-cooked egg, and—because it’s a burger—some buttermilk battered onion rings. It became the off-the-menu sensation that every chef in town was clamoring for. “When Tim McKee [of La Belle Vie] was opening Solera, he’d call ahead: ‘I’m bringing in eight cooks, we need eight Cobb burgers. Can you do that?’” Riebel told me. McKee made Riebel promise that if he ever opened his own place he’d put the Cobb burger on the menu. Since Riebel took over the kitchen at the Dakota three years ago, his Cobb burger has been on the menu. It’s magnificent: A sturdy, beefy, gorgeously charred patty is rested on a slab of grilled Pugliese bread and surrounded by everything mentioned above, as well as a chiffonade of thinly cut Bibb lettuce leaves. All the various relishes and toppings come together to make every bite lively, fresh, and vibrant, but they never obscure the basic campfire meatiness of the burger at the core. The Dakota serves a mean basket of fries, too. If you want to know how five-star chefs make burgers for other five-star chefs, look no further.”
May 24th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Thanks for the Dakota advice Michael M. I would have never thought of that as a place to get a burger. I am guessing that the cost for this burger is more in line with the ridiculously expensive overpriced burgers at Burger Jones, but actually worth the money in this case?
May 24th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Yeah, the Dakota’s a little pricey, but well worth it. (Unlike Burger Jones.) You’ll pay $10.95 for a regular burger, $12.95 for the Cobb Burger. But they don’t nickel and dime you for pickles, ketchup, and the like, which BJ does. (I also think they include string fries at the price, but I might be mistaken.)
I haven’t found a better burger, for my money, in these parts. Seems like a crime to go to a fine dining establishment (which the Dakota is, in addition to being a world-class jazz club) and order a burger, but I just can’t resist.
May 24th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
I can’t believe they charge for ketchup. Insane, but since it’s Parasole, not surprising.
Michael M, we talked about this on another thread, but the Good Day Cafe is also the bomb for a 10 dollar burger. I just get it medium rare with a piece of cheddar and a little mustard. Simple and perfect. Since you seem to be around the mpls. area, you might want to give that a try as well.
May 25th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
I noticed that Burger Jones actively markets a “Late Night BJ”, which I think is just a burger and nothing more.
Well, I guess the prices are not very family friendly anyway, so why should their marketing be. They might as well start hiring some out of work Hooter’s waitresses and complete the charade.
May 25th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
The least they could do is have it come with something salty.
June 10th, 2011 at 7:16 am
[...] Overall I was astonished at how amazing The Nook’s burgers are. In fact, in one of my trademark single line reviews on Twitter following my visit I remarked, “The Nook: simply [f'in]* amazing.” If you have not been to The Nook, run. You, like me, have missed eating something which I consider a religious experience. If you haven’t been to The Nook since the fire, go back. It’s beautiful, somehow retains character, and the prices can’t be beat–especially when the competition is so very overpriced and mediocre. [...]
June 15th, 2011 at 8:58 am
[...] However true that statement may be to the various restaurants listed in the article, especially Burger Jones Burnsville location which is currently running at an astoundingly poor 50% rating on Urbanspoon, as you can [...]
June 21st, 2011 at 10:01 am
Went to B-Jones in B’ville last night with my kids at around 5pm (Monday night). The place had many open tables and we get seated at the back end by the bathrooms. Not a big deal. We each order a burger at $10 a piece and then they tack on $2 for fries?!?!?!? The burger tasted good but there was a lot more bun than meat. The fries were horrible. Soggy and greasy. The wait staff was very good – checking back often.
I told the waitress my feelings and she got the manager – I didn’t request to speak to him. He apologized and discounted the meal. The waitress seemed uneasy so I told her that it was no reflection on her and that she did a great job.
I left a tip for the original amount and wont’ be back there again.
July 24th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Met up with a friend at BJs last week. It was the first time for both of us. I can’t knock them anywhere when it came to food quality and customer service. It really was a nice din din. But the prices. Holy balls. If I would have 13 clams to spend on a burger, BJs vs. my Dad’s version on a charcoal grill with fresh veggies from Mom’s garden? No contest.
August 11th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Broke down and visited BJ for the first time tonight. Desperate for dinner after a grueling day and no prospects for dinner at home, so off we went.
We were seated before six but not waited on until after; thus happy hour was not allowed us. Mildly irritating. Took a long time to get water, too.
The food was OK. Not great. Now I have a major sodium/MSG overload. I’m so salted up I feel like I could drink a lake.
December 3rd, 2011 at 3:52 pm
I just ate at Burger Jones in Burnsville. I was disappointed.
I ordered the “Hangover” burger – a burger patty topped with cheddar cheese, a fried egg, bacon and hot sauce. I had carmelized onions and dill pickles added. As a side I ordered the “Maple Bacon Sweet Potato Fries”. I ordered a Vanilla Malt to drink.
First for the malt: 4 words – “Artificially Flavored Vanilla Extract”. It was bad and left a bad artificial vanilla extract aftertaste. The malt itself was thick, served with plenty of extra in the malt cup and very attractively garnished with a swirl of whipped cream, a cherry and a vanilla wafer. It looked so good when it arrived that I was STUNNED by the awful flavor of the artificial extract. It COMPLETELY overpowered the actual vanilla taste of the ice cream – yuck. Major disappointment #1.
Next came my burger. You can order it pink or not pink. I ordered it pink. It came scorched. What the burger lacked in rare, it made up for in oil. Yes it had bacon (which was good) and a fried egg (which was well prepared) on it, so expect grease – I get it. But this clearly had been fried on a grill that oil was applied to. I cut the burger in half only to find it cooked VERY well done and to be a patty that covered about 2/3 of the bun. The flavor was ok, but the oil was so offputting that it was basically forgettable (except for the lump currently sitting in my stomach). The “Hangover” burger was also supposed to have hot sauce on it. If there was any, I have NO idea where it was located because it was certainly nowhere to be found on my burger. Strike #2.
The Maple Bacon Sweet Potato fries. I guess I expected Maple Bacon, or some maple and some bacon. Instead cue over-cooked sweet potato fries with some mysterious bacon-ish flavoring that came from who knows where (I am guessing a similar source as the artifical vanilla extract in the malt). The were also dry and rather cold. Strike #3
Now, for $9.99 for my a la carte burger… even more for my malt… and even more for my mystery bacon-ish sweet potato fries, I am left disappointed. There aren’t enough walls of Pabst Blue Ribbon tall-boys in the place to make up for sub-standard food (not to mention the appetite suppressant value that hipsters have on me in general). Maybe I just hit a really REALLY off day, or maybe that is what Burger Jones is – overpriced bad food.
December 4th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
No, that definitely sums this place up pretty well. Horrible food and extremely overpriced.
Why didn’t you send the burger back? If I order pink and it’s well done, it’s going back immediately.
December 5th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Jeremy D hit the nail on the head imo.
December 5th, 2011 at 11:23 am
Sorry I didn’t follow up on my review right away. About an hour after I wrote it, I began throwing up furiously. Spent all of Sunday throwing up and having mad intestinal distress. All I ate on sat was that burgar at burgar jones. It seems it made me really REALLY sick (a dozen times throwing up and even nastier bathroom related stuff I don’t care to go into). I am only today able to keep liquids down (now it is Monday). One word on burgar jones: AVOID!!!
December 5th, 2011 at 11:28 am
Jeremy, if the burger was cooked as heavy as you said it was then it was either the milkshake or the egg. However, as much as I thought Burger Jones sucked, I doubt it was the burger. Probably coincidental.
December 5th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Or cross contamination. Not separating the cooked from the raw.
December 5th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
You may want to report this to MN dept. of health if it’s this bad. I don’t know if it’s the city or county that does restaurant inspections but you may want to let them know as well.
December 5th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
The MDH does inspections in Dakota County. You can find my posts about them here:
http://www.lazylightning.org/gsearch?cx=partner-pub-3021019276576826%3Aeixuwauc050&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22South+Metro+Restaurant+Inspections%22&sa=Search&siteurl=www.lazylightning.org%2Fsouth-metro-restaurant-inspections-post-1-of-3
December 5th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Wow, so a restaurant in Dakota county gets inspected about once every 5 years then?
Channel 5 Eyewitness news used to do monthly (or weekly) reports about license violations but those were mostly in Hennipen or Ramsey county though.
December 5th, 2011 at 2:38 pm
n52, those two counties conduct their own inspections. However don’t let the repeated inspections means the food is safe: http://www.lazylightning.org/most-unsanitary-restaurant-ever-in-st-paul-remains-open
It takes a very long time to shut a restaurant down.
December 5th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Since I hadn’t eaten anything prior and was the model of health (that day at least) and since it came on exactly as food poison did the one other time I have had it, it was unfortunately painfully clear what this was. I am also guessing cross contamination. I had lettuce on the burger, egg, bacon, mayo… could have simply taken 1 cook not washing their hands. I also don’t think it was the beef patty since they took the liberty of making it into a hockey puck by seemingly cooking it at a million or so degrees… My smart money would be on some cross contamination or else improperly stored toppings like the carmelized onions (which were clearly not freshly made).
December 6th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Ideally, a bad result from an inspection would change behavior and improve the restaurant. Unfortunately, if the person in charge of the kitchen doesn’t understand the basic cleanliness/safety concepts, things are probably not going to change at a dirty establishment. In order for things to change, usually an entirely new person needs to be put in charge who DOES understand how to correctly rotate food supplies, keep things sanitary, and not blend the raw with the cooked. There are stupid things done in restaurant kitchens all of the time. For example, many will chop a produce item for the day an put it in a plastic bin right on top of yesterday’s chopped stuff, without dumping and cleaning that container – this can go on indefinitely until said food bin becomes a chemistry experiment.
Our immune systems actually benefit from a little bit of a challenge bacteria-wise, and no doubt are most times we eat at restaurants. It’s when places are really stupid in the kitchen that things happen like happened to Jeremy D. Hope you are back to normal soon, Jeremy D.!!!!
December 6th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Except there’s no way of pinpointing general vomiting on one specific meal, even if the person “didn’t eat anything else” that day. All kinds of viruses have all sorts of incubation periods. Myself included, almost every family I know has had at least one person with the vomiting/stomach virus in the last 2 weeks. Three from our house so far, each separated by 48-hours of “perfect health” in between. It’s everywhere.
I’m not saying it’s not possible the burger was the cause (obviously), and I feel for Jeremy D., but the vomiting could have just as likely been from any number of 1,000 things he touched that day, or touched or ate in the 1-2 days prior.
December 10th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Well, my wife has been an RN for a long time and works in a hospital that deals heavily with intestinal issues. She told me should would bet money on food poisoning based on the fast onset and the severity (as well as the type) of symptoms. Based on some of the specific abdominal pains I had, it seems my liver had to jump into overdrive – a tell-tale sign of food poisoning. Took me a full 4 days to be back to 100%.
Bill, I see what you mean about the astroturfing that Parasol and Burger Jones employees partake in… I have seen some of it on other sites that I left a review about my experience. It is really painfully obvious when it happens too, that is what makes it so pathetic.
If you as a company need a “social media” program to try and combat the bad things about your company getting out to the general population – maybe, just maybe you had better take a closer look at your company. How about using that time and effort to do things like having the food prep people wash their hands or learn more about cross-contamination… Just sayin’
December 10th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
December 30th, 2011 at 11:49 am
[...] Burger Jones: Burnsville, MN [...]
January 10th, 2012 at 11:21 am
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January 10th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Jeremy D.
I am going with number 1.
You see, if I was a moron, I would not have such a deep grip on the evolution of the auto-car and it’s incredible opportunity to revolutionize this world in coming decades.
Calling me retarded is clearly an insult to mentally challenged people, and you sincerely owe them an apology.
Thus, #4 is also eliminated. Seriously, the economy is tough, and I have no idea what you did to get fired from there, but the job market keeps getting better. Maybe if you stick around and post on other topics than BurgAr Jones, we might have a better reason to believe what you said.
lefty
October 17th, 2012 at 7:02 am
[...] Working to benefit their club but mostly Burger Jones itself because its own in-house staff members prefer astroturfing and then lying about it and obviously can’t turn around the restaurant there in Burnsville without having a group of [...]
January 29th, 2013 at 11:06 am
More Parasole Astroturfing
How nice of Salut to “donate” a gift card for an event at Uptown Cafeteria. They really think their customers are stupid.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2174548&l=41aed3072e&id=111272058882809
February 26th, 2013 at 3:07 am
@Bill: You are legitimately one of the most negative and least understanding people I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. I can’t believe how readily you slam and pretentiously claim to know all about a restaurant you’ve only visited ONCE. I hope someday you try to open a business that needs employees, because perhaps then you will realize that it is impossible to make 100% certain that each individual retains the information you take the time to teach them in training. Yes, Burger Jones is overpriced. Sure, maybe the staff could have known their stuff better. BUT IT WAS THE FIRST WEEK OF OPENING! Give them a chance to get their game right! I frequented the Uptown BJ over thirty times while I lived in Minnesota, and I have had nothing but amazing experiences. It takes time to figure out exactly what you like there and how you like your food prepared. I’ve been to Lucky’s at least ten times in my life and I think their food is overrated, bland, and that I could make any of it in my own kitchen with better results. BUT I still appreciate Lucky’s as a great bar and for what they try to do; there would be no need to hit below the belt and be SO RUDE towards their parent company or their employees who are just trying to make a living.
Tips:
1. While they offer “pink” or “no pink” as part of their concept, you can of course order your burger rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well. They have a meat thermometer which dictates how they cook the meat. They have a temp chart just like every other steak or burger place, because without a meat thermometer they would not be in business. It’s a law.
2. Next time you’re on a random “3-week vegan diet” (which is completely pointless in my opinion), you might want to at least know what you’re doing. The veggie burgers at Burger Jones are Morningstar brand, which are NOT VEGAN; they contain egg and milk ingredients. As someone who has been vegan now for 4 months (yup, NOT as a fad diet), I can assure you that Burger Jones is probably not a place I’d feel good about judging if I couldn’t even partake in eating their main attraction.
3. @lefty: BJ offers amazing beers. I never realized that Applebee’s served Delerium Tremens or Surly Furious? Hoegaarden? Dragon’s Milk? And other amazing, unique bottled craft beers? Huh, weird.
Check your facts before you dish out the slams, people. It’s just ridiculous. And when you’re being fad-vegan for three weeks, don’t review a burger joint.
February 26th, 2013 at 6:32 am
Amie,
1. No one, and I mean no one, is going to support Burger Jones this much unless they’re somehow connected to the restaurant.
2. Don’t put a veggie burger on the menu if it’s not good and you don’t make it yourself.
3. I’m going to guess you worked there if you know what veggie burger they had.
4. For someone who wants to check facts before slamming, you should do some more research on why I did that vegan deal at the time; it certainly wasn’t a fad diet.
5. But hey, comment on a two year old post for a restaurant which receives incredibly shitty reviews from everyone which you’ve never been assume is the same as your beloved spot in Uptown, that’s your right.
February 26th, 2013 at 8:14 am
Amie,
I only know you from the words above, but I think you said everything we needed to know in the snippet above. You completely described all the reasons one would never return to a bar for by letting us know you have returned at least 9 times and you call it a “great bar”..
I could probably go on, but why bother.
Fucking clueless.
lefty
February 26th, 2013 at 9:36 am
Wait…are we talking about Burger Jones or Burger King here??
Moron.
February 26th, 2013 at 9:51 am
MSPD,
To be fair, she made it clear that she likes to go to restaurants that serve food that is almost as good as she could make at her home, so Morningstar frozen patties, which I assume both Amie and Burger Jones buy from Cub Foods fit right into her wheelhouse.
She is a restaurant’s dream. They don’t even have to try with customers like her.
lefty