A couple hours before the end of the road immortalized by Bob Dylan, US Highway 61 takes you through Two Harbors, a burg of 3500 that saw its rise (and decline) parallel Minnesota’s mining industry.
You’ll run into the Grand Superior Lodge and Splashing Rock Restaurant a few miles out of Two Harbors, but before Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse. It sits on the shores of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee.
Kawika and the Minnesota Burger posse headed to Splashing Rock to sample the burgers, of course.
They started with the appetizer sampler, bruschetta, artichoke crab cheese bake with pita points, beer battered whitefish and a wild game satay. The satay is duck breast, boar sausage and wapiti in a soy/citrus marinade, and grilled.
On to the burgers, Kawika went with the Rock Burger, one half-pound (ground in-house) burger topped with apple wood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and our celebrated Kentucky Bourbon BBQ sauce, served on an onion bun. Sides are your choice of fries, house-made kettle chips, or tots.
His companion went with the wild mushroom burger, sauteed criminis smothered with thick sliced melted swiss.
They both opted for the tots on the side. They described everything as “very fresh” and were especially happy with the in house grind of beef. No word on what the restaurant uses for their grind.
They’ll return for sure, they said. The restaurant has a full menu, including pizza (carry out only). Menus here: