Can we ever have enough burger joints?
I say no! We cannot! Because we love burgers. And we love to argue about burgers. And while many of our better chef-operated restaurants have perfected the $8-$12 gourmet burger, most of us are getting our everyday burgers from chain restaurants. Luckily, we've taken quite a leap from the days of the Quarter Pounder and the Whopper to the days of the Culver's butter burger, the delicious fresh beef at Five Guys, and now Freddy's Steakburger joins the fray in Maple Grove and Savage.
Is it worth adding to your fast-casual burger rotation?
THE VIBE
Freddy's feels like a 1950s malt shop inside. Order at the counter, someone calls your number, and you bring your food to your table.
THE FOOD
The Freddy's steakburger is a super-thin patty, just 2 ounces. It's smashed on the grill, and it develops a serious, delicious crust. I really liked this! It's well-seasoned and crusty, but not burnt. Get the double—it has American cheese, onions, pickles, and mustard. We also ordered a patty melt, and you definitely need the double burger in it so you don't just have a giant marble rye sandwich. The fries are shoestring thin. My 9-year-old Seth said, 'Everything about this place is skinny!'
Have you ever been to Steak N Shake? This is like that. I would skip the onion rings, our order was over-fried and almost burnt. Freddy's also has a Chicago-style hot dog, but ours had way too much celery salt on it, and the relish wasn't bright green like a traditional Chicago dog, but in Maple Grove and Savage this Vienna Beef dog is as good as you'll find.
THE CUSTARD
I love frozen custard. Love it. Whenever I visit Milwaukee, I visit Kopp's, and so nothing compares to that. Freddy's custard is on the level of Culver's, maybe a tiny notch below, which is to say it's just a little thicker and creamier than traditional soft serve. But they do serve those Blizzard-like shakes known as concretes as well as sundaes. We really liked the Hawaiian Delight concrete with pineapple, strawberry, coconut, and macadamia nuts.
THE PRICE
Combo meals range from $7-$8, the custard ranges from $2-$4.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I like Freddy's! Among burger chains, I'd rank it quite highly. And the Maple Grove and Savage locations are just the beginning. Franchise owner/operator Paul Bruggeman lives in Eden Prairie, and is planning on ultimately having around 15 of them in the Twin Cities. The restaurant was founded in Wichita, Kansas in 2002 and first franchised in 2004, but I think it will be a nice addition to the local burger scene.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, 11600 Fountains Dr., Maple Grove, 763-600-6713, freddysusa.com
