Restaurants Revisited: Lions Tap

Jason and Joy revisit the burgers at the Lions Tap in Eden Prairie
Lions Tap, Eden Prairie
California Cheese with French Fries at Lions Tap. Photo by TJ Turner.

Meet our new food critics: Jason DeRusha and Joy Summers

Restaurant Revisited: Lions Tap

Still serving great, simple burgers at Lions Tap

JD: Confession time, Joy.

JS: I didn’t know where Eden Prairie was. I know, it’s embarrassing and snobby all rolled into one.

JD: I also had never been to Lions Tap. It’s all the way past Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. Old school, rural Eden Prairie, not new-school Vikings player mansion EP.

JS: The menu is a one-pager best summarized as: You’re Getting a Burger.

JD: Your main choice is single or double. I was a little worried the current chef obsession over hamburgers might have ruined me. But no!

JS: This baby hit all the right nostalgia points for me—reminds me of the small family-run restaurant burgers of my country girl roots. I want a squishy bun, melty cheese, skinny-crisp bacon, and unadulterated beef. Plus, I want real ketchup. I harbor a deep, sincere disdain of that house-made chef-i-fied stuff.

JD: Me too! There’s nothing wrong with Heinz 57! And the famous Lions Tap seasoning was perfect. You can get that on the burgers on Sun Country flights now.

JS: I clearly need to get out more.

JD: OK, can I be a food critic for a second? The thick slice of tomato on the California burger was clearly of the industrial variety. Heirloom season is over, but still.

JS: I pull out the tomato and the lettuce. This is just about the burger, fluffy bun, and my industrial ketchup. I do hate an out-of-season tomato. Why hold up the artifice? Lose it.

JD: There’s a reason they’ve been slinging burgers for nearly 60 years. Lions Tap reminded me that executing something simple can be great.

Lions Tap, Eden Prairie
Lions Tap. Photo by TJ Turner.


Quick Tips:

When to go: After the soccer match
Don’t miss dish: You’re gonna get a burger
Where to sit: By the fireplace
Kid friendly: Absolutely, if they like burgers

Lions Tap • 16180 Flying Cloud Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 • (952) 934-5299, lionstap.com