Burger Dive is the new name of the kitchen operation at Tony Jaros Rivergarden, similar to how Smack Shack runs the kitchen at 1029 (another Northeast gem), Smack Shack chef, Josh Thoma partnered with chef Nick O’Leary (Borough, Coup d-etat, and Travail) to rejuvenate the food at this classic Northeast dive bars.

You can read the full Tony Jaros Rivergarden Hipster Hack HERE. It also looks like a second Burger Dive location will be opening up in Rosedale Center’s second attempt at a Food Hall so stay tuned there!

Food:

The Burger Dive menu is 1950’s simplicity with 2019 flavor profiles. They seem to be going by the mantra – keep it simple and do it well.

Jalapeno Cheese Curds

These added a little heat, but it wasn’t too much for my weak “Minnesota Hot” taste buds. I would probably skip these next time and try one of the other apps instead, but cheese is always my default.

Nacho Burger: Tortilla chips, pico, guacamole, sour cream & jalapenos

I love tacos in all forms so naturally I was a fan of the taco burger option. There were three of us and we got 2 burgers to split so that we could all try a little of both. That was definitely the smart play.

Wedge Burger: American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato & blue cheese dressing

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this, because I’m not a big blue cheese person, but this was actually really amazing. A lot of burgers can feel really greasy which weigh you down (especially when you’re still trying to drink more after), but the flavors and ingredient combination here really added a lightness and freshness to the burger. Definitely my favorite thing of the night.

SEE THE FULL MENU

Drinks:

You can read the Tony Jaros Hipster Hack for my drink tips!

Service/Atmosphere:

The vibe hasn’t really changed inside since the addition of Burger Dive. It’s still cash only and still has the same bartenders and servers, same seating, and same faint smell of port-a-potty, but like I said, it’s a classic Northeast dive bar and it’s never NOT busy.

I’m also obsessed with these bar shelf tables they provide. How clever!

The burgers are definitely worth a try so I suggest using this as an excuse to your next Marshall Street Bar Crawl!

Burger Dive @ Tony Jaros Rivergarden
2500 NE Marshall Street
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Monday – Saturday: 11AM – MIDNIGHT