Burgers and Beers -- 'Groveland Tap' Restaurant Review

The Twin Cities area is home to many great and diverse restaurants and bars, sometimes making it difficult to choose which one to hit up on any given day. While Minneapolis is more known for their foodie culture, St. Paul has some terrific offerings as well. One of the biggest highlights for me is Groveland Tap, a neighborhood pub/restaurant located on St. Clair Avenue. Why should you go here? I’ll give you three reasons: beer, burgers, and cheese curds. Groveland Tap boasts over 40 beers to choose from, 34 of which are on tap. They offer flights so you don’t have to limit yourself to one beer, which is awesome because there are so many amazing (and local) brews to try. I usually like to drink pale ales and Belgian styles, sometimes throwing in a random beer because I like its name. From their current menu, my ideal flight would be Big Wood Jack Savage, Steel Toe Size 7, Boom Island Thoprock IPA, and Lift Bridge Farm Girl (simply because I live in Duluth and have a soft spot for the Aerial Lift Bridge). Next, Groveland Tap has a large list of burgers including, wait for it: Jucy Lucy’s! Yes, they do call it the Jucy Lucy, which might piss off some people over at Matt’s Bar. However, this doesn’t matter because Groveland (dare I say it) does the Lucy better. I usually go with the classic Lucy with American cheese, which never disappoints. The cheese-to-burger ratio is perfect, and the flavors are insane. They have a new Ellsworth Lucy that includes cheese curds; I might just have to try this if I make sure not to eat for a couple days prior. Since I mentioned cheese curds, I have to say that this is my favorite thing on the Groveland Tap menu. They are cheesy, they are greasy, and they are melt-in-your-mouth goodness. No, seriously. They melt in your mouth. Pair them with Groveland’s homemade chipotle ketchup and you will be in cheese curd heaven. The fact that Groveland makes their own dipping sauces gives them some major cool points. The one thing that can stop me from going to a restaurant I love is parking. Fortunately, there are no worries here because Groveland has a large parking lot adjacent to the building. The atmosphere is friendly, and it’s usually pretty easy to find a table. However, I’d recommend not coming to Groveland at night if you prefer to avoid the college crowd. This is a local hangout for the St. Paul students who take advantage of the after 10pm happy hour deals. If college kids don’t bug you, I can guarantee you’ll have a fantastic time and will leave full and happy. Groveland Tap is definitely worth the trip.