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The Angus Superior Burger with fruit plate, one of three specialty burgers
offered by the
Zeitgeist Arts Cafe in Duluth Minnesota
DULUTH-SUPERIOR TWIN PORTS
Dining and Burger Reviews
- BEST BURGERS DULUTH MN, page 2
- BEST BURGERS DULUTH MN, page 3
- BEST BURGERS & PIZZA SUPERIOR WI
- SUPERIOR WI BURGERS, page 2
- DULUTH EVENTS & ATTRACTIONS
A few years ago we began searching the bars and pubs in Superior Wisconsin for the best burgers and pizza in town (see our articles on Superior, Wisconsin best burgers & pizza and Superior WI best burgers and pizza reviews). We thought Anchor Bar took top honors but found a few other Superior hangouts put out worthy burgers as well.
While we haven't exhausted our search in Superior, we decided it was time to extend our hunt for best burgers from Superior Wisconsin to across the bridge to its twin port neighbor - Duluth Minnesota. We had heard good things about the Zeitgeist Art Café so that was our first stop. Zeitgeist is in the downtown area on east Superior Street and is part of the Zimena movie theater complex.
Zeitgeist Art Café - Burger Review
Zeigeist Café offers quite a different atmosphere-ambience than our favorite Superior burger places like Anchor Bar. In Superior you get neighborhood tavern with a touch of funky (or more than a touch in the case of Anchor), whereas this Duluth best burger place is ultra-modern, well lighted, crisp and tastefully appointed. Its top-of-the-line burger is also a few bucks more expensive than across the bridge in Superior. But you get good quality for the price and the service is excellent (a 5 out of 5).
Jo gave her burger (see picture at the top of this page) four to four 1/2 stars, her main deduction was that the half-pound Angus Superior Burger (w/ Gruyere cheese, carameled onions, and mushroom) was too big for her mouth to handle w/o squirting out the contents. But big eaters with larger mouths would likely give it 5 stars!
Whitefish Sandwich Review
Jo is our resident "burger expert" so I elected to try a Whitefish Sandwich as it is the house specialty at many places around Lake Superior. My sandwich was very tasty, served on a toasted baquette with roasted red peppers, shallots, argula, and caper tartar sauce. The flavors of the baguette and the complementary toppings tended to dominate the taste of the whitefish. So while I liked the sandwich, because the taste of the whitefish itself was masked I can’t rate it above the Grand Marais Angry Trout whitefish sandwich or the whitefish sandwich I had at Fitzgeralds in Eagle River in the Keweenaw, both of which are 5 stars for Lake Superior Whitefish.
In summary the Zeitgeist offers a quality upscale dining experience for burgers, sandwiches, and dinner with local craft beers on tap and very prompt and friendly service. 4+ stars burger, 5 stars service and atmosphere.
Clyde Iron Works - Burger Review
Our next stop on our best burger hunt was Clyde Iron Works, a place others have said they put out a good burger. In the past, we’ve had their wood-fired oven pizza but not their burgers. As the name suggests the restaurant is in an old foundry and machine shop. The interior retains some of the original factory architecture plus has several large murals depicting the place in its heyday. We ate upstairs in the dining area adjacent to the bar.
One of the things Jo liked right off the bat was the choice she had in her burger toppings. At Zeigeist they offer three different burgers, two Angus with different dressing combos plus a bison burger with a given array of toppings. At Clyde their half-pound burger is offered in a fashion similar to a pizza. You are given about 5 - 8 cheese choices + a choice of numerous veggie amendments to the topping. So you can literally customize your burger. So she selected swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion as her combo. Jo ordered hers medium well-done and yet it remained quite moist and meaty. She gave it four and half stars, again because the sandwich was a large half-pounder she couldn’t give it five stars. She wished both Zeitgeist and Clyde offered a one-third pound burger - still bigger than MickeyD’s but easier to eat with less mess. The other element that gave the nod over Zeitgeist was price. Clyde’s was about 20% less so on pure food you get a better value. 4 1/2 stars burger, 4 stars service, 4 stars atmosphere.
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Comparing the two top rated Duluth Burger places. Clyde Iron Works is more suitable for families as it has some games for kids and lots of space to handle larger groups or larger families. Affordable prices for families too. And several TVs tuned to sporting events. The Zeitgeist Cafe is more upscale - offering top notch service, a “cultured” ambience, and a specialized and somewhat more exotic menu. Great place to impress a date or if you’ve got the money to pay a bit more, you get something more in terms of the complete dining experience.
The Hunt for the Best Burger in Duluth Continues
We'll be continuing our hunt for best burges in Duluth Minnesota Twin Ports community as we get an opportunity to sample other Duluth and Superior establishments putting out a good burger. On our Duluth short list to try is the Duluth Grill, Sara's Table, and the Dubh Linn Irish Brew Pub. These will be reviewed in subsequent review articles.
The leader so far - see our Dubh Linn Burger Review
Dining & Burger Reviews - Duluth Grill and Canal Park Brewery
The competition across the bridge in Superior:
Best Superior WI Burgers - Gronks and Anchor Bar
Best Superior WI Burgers - The Shack and Choo-Choo Bar & Grill
Duluth Travel-Visitor Directory
- Directory to Duluth Travel Pages & Events Calendar
- The Duluth Lakewalk
- Scenic Railroad & Museum
- Hawk Ridge Nature Area
- Duluth Rose Gardens
- Canal Park Dining & Shopping
- Enger Park & Tower
- Skyline Drive Parkway
- Duluth Tall Ships
- Things to see and do in Canal Park -
- Rose Garden Pictures Photos -
Visitor Information Duluth, Mn
Continuing your Travel & Trekking
Around Lake Superior
Superior Trails Lake Superior Circle Tour
SuperiorTrails.com - Reinhold Development - 2023
Lake Superior Camping
& Campground Directory
Best Camping along Lake Superior. Camping along the Lake Superior Circle Drive.
Duluth's Enger Park and Enger Park Tower.
Duluth's Beautiful Rose Garden overlooks Lake Superior.
Things to Do and See in Duluth, Minnesota
Enjoying lake breezes and views at the Canal Park Brewery Beer Garden - Canal Park.
Hiking and Camping Guides & Books