Red Cow Minneapolis: Menu, Prices and Locations
Who founded Red Cow, what to order from the 60/40 to the Double Barrel, where its five locations are in 2026, and why Isaac Becker is not part of the story.
Photo: m01229, CC BY-SA 2.0
Red Cow is a Minnesota burger restaurant group founded by Luke Shimp and his family. The first Red Cow opened in Minneapolis in early 2013, and five locations are open as of November 2, 2026: 50th & France and the North Loop in Minneapolis, Cathedral Hill in St. Paul, Rochester and Wayzata. Go for the 60/40, a patty of beef and ground bacon ($15.75), or the Double Barrel, a smashed double that won Best in Show at the 2016 Twin Cities Burger Battle ($16.50). Red Cow Uptown closed on June 1, 2026.
One correction first. Red Cow often gets paired online with chef Isaac Becker, and that pairing is wrong. Becker is the James Beard Award-winning chef behind 112 Eatery and Bar La Grassa. None of the sources I went through, from Red Cow’s own history page to thirteen years of Twin Cities press, ties him to Red Cow. Red Cow is Luke Shimp’s. Becker still gets a short section below, because his burger deserves one.
Red Cow Minneapolis at a glance
Red Cow is a family-owned ‘modern tavern’ that pairs burgers with wine and beer, with five Minnesota locations in 2026.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founder and owner | Luke Shimp, with his wife Tracy Bachul and sons Michael and Peter |
| Concept | ‘Modern tavern’: burgers and wine |
| First location | 50th & France, Minneapolis, opened in early 2013 |
| Open locations (Nov 2026) | 5: 50th & France, North Loop, St. Paul, Rochester, Wayzata |
| Closed | Uptown, 2626 Hennepin Ave, on June 1, 2026 |
| Signature burgers | 60/40 ($15.75), Double Barrel ($16.50) |
| Culinary team | Trevis Langley (Culinary Director), Adam Lerner (Corporate Chef) |
| Closed day | Monday, at every location |
| Brunch | Sat–Sun, 10am–2pm |
| Happy hour | Tue–Fri, 2–5:30pm |
Prices come from Red Cow’s official lunch and dinner menu, before tax and tip. I checked locations, hours and prices on redcowmn.com on November 2, 2026.
Red Cow Minneapolis at a glance: founder Luke Shimp and family, the ‘modern tavern’ concept, first location at 50th & France in early 2013, five open locations in November 2026, Uptown closed June 1, 2026, the 60/40 ($15.75) and the Double Barrel ($16.50), closed Mondays (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from redcowmn.com, Heavy Table, TCB Magazine and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine (checked 2026-11-02))
Who founded Red Cow? Luke Shimp and the Shimp family
Luke Shimp founded Red Cow after nearly a decade as a minority partner in Blue Plate Restaurant Co., one of the Twin Cities’ best-known neighborhood restaurant groups.
At Blue Plate, Shimp worked alongside co-founder David Burley and his own sister, Stephanie Shimp. The group ran neighborhood spots such as Highland Grill, Edina Grill and Longfellow Grill. Shimp left in 2012 to launch his own concept, a split TCB Magazine covered in June 2013 as a family affair (TCB Magazine, June 3, 2013).
According to Red Cow’s own history page, the concept was born at the Shimp family kitchen table: Luke, his wife Tracy, and their sons Michael and Peter. The name was Tracy’s idea. ‘Red’ stands for wine, ‘Cow’ for burgers.
Growth has been deliberate. Shimp opened Red Rabbit, an Italian concept, in 2016, and when TCB Magazine named him to its TCB 100 in 2024, he called his plan ‘slow, methodical growth’ (TCB Magazine, 2024). The record backs him up: six Red Cows opened in thirteen years, one closed.
West 50th Street looking east toward France Avenue in October 2017, the 50th & France shopping district on the Edina–Minneapolis line, near Red Cow’s first location at 3624 W 50th St. Neighborhood photo; the restaurant is not in the frame. (3456×2304) (Photo: Thomson200, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:50th\_Street,\_Edina,\_MN\_Oct\_2017\_2.jpg)
What makes a Red Cow burger different
Red Cow sits between a neighborhood bar and a sit-down restaurant: burgers on fresh-baked buns with house-made sauces, served with a full bar and a long wine list.
When Heavy Table reviewed the first location in February 2013, it described flat 6 to 8 oz patties, not crispy-smashed ones, on a bun enriched with milk and butter. The opening menu had 15 burgers, including elk, bison, lamb and salmon, and every price was ‘north of $10’ (Heavy Table, Feb 25, 2013). That patty weight is a 2013 figure. Red Cow does not publish a current weight, so I won’t give one.
The menu has moved since. Thin smashed patties arrived with the Double Barrel, and today’s lineup mixes tavern classics with French-leaning builds like Le Shroom.
Red Cow burger menu and prices in 2026
A burger at Red Cow costs between $14.25 and $18.50 on the official menu as of November 2026, before tax and tip.
| Burger | What’s on it | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 60/40 | 60% Certified Angus beef and 40% ground bacon patty, Wisconsin-aged cheddar, beer mustard, candied bacon | $15.75 |
| Double Barrel | Two thin smashed patties, white American cheese, grilled onion, special sauce | $16.50 |
| Ultimate | Cheddar, Red Cow sauce | $14.50 |
| Patty Melt | American and cheddar, caramelized onion, garlic mayo, sourdough | $16.50 |
| Blues 2.0 | Blue cheese, bacon, shallot jam, arugula, garlic mayo, French roll | $17.25 |
| Le Shroom | Roasted mushroom, gruyère, bordelaise, truffle aioli, baguette | $18.50 |
| Turkey | Turkey and avocado patty | $15.75 |
| Veggie | Bean and cashew patty | $14.25 |
| So Cal | Vegan, Impossible patty | $17.25 |
Red Cow burger prices in November 2026, before tax and tip, as a horizontal bar chart from cheapest to most expensive: Veggie $14.25, Ultimate $14.50, 60/40 $15.75, Turkey $15.75, Double Barrel $16.50, Patty Melt $16.50, Blues 2.0 $17.25, So Cal $17.25, Le Shroom $18.50 (Chart: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from redcowmn.com/menus/lunch (checked 2026-11-03). Horizontal bar chart, full width on mobile; to generate)
Ordering platforms charge more. Toast lists the Double Barrel at $16.75 at 50th St, and delivery apps add more on top. The table above uses the menu on Red Cow’s own site.
Older articles and Red Cow’s about page still mention the Barcelona Burger, the Manhattan and the Manhattan 2.0. None of them is on the current lunch and dinner menu, so don’t plan your visit around them.
The Red Cow 60/40 burger: beef and ground bacon
The 60/40 is Red Cow’s signature burger: a patty that is 60% Certified Angus beef and 40% ground bacon, topped with Wisconsin-aged cheddar, beer mustard and candied bacon, for $15.75.
The bacon is ground into the meat, not laid on top. That’s the whole idea, and the candied bacon on top doubles down on it. If you order one burger at Red Cow, make it this one. It’s the dish the restaurant built its name on, and to my eye the one thing on the menu you can’t get at the next tavern down the street.
The Red Cow Double Barrel: the 2016 Burger Battle winner
The Double Barrel is two thinly smashed patties with white American cheese, grilled onion and special sauce, and it won Best in Show at the 2016 Twin Cities Burger Battle.
The Star Tribune gave it a Burger Friday column that year (Star Tribune, 2016). Ten years later it’s still on the menu, at $16.50. My take: if you’d rather have a classic smash-style double than a thick tavern patty, this is the better order, and it costs only 75 cents more than the 60/40.
Red Cow 60/40 vs. Double Barrel, side by side: one patty of 60% Certified Angus beef and 40% ground bacon with Wisconsin-aged cheddar, beer mustard and candied bacon ($15.75), against two thin smashed patties with white American cheese, grilled onion and special sauce, the 2016 Twin Cities Burger Battle Best in Show ($16.50) (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from redcowmn.com/menus/lunch and Star Tribune Burger Friday 2016 (checked 2026-11-02). Original side-by-side photo of both burgers still needed)
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free burgers at Red Cow
Red Cow serves one vegetarian burger, one vegan burger and gluten-free substitutes on request.
The Veggie uses a bean and cashew patty ($14.25). The So Cal is vegan, built on an Impossible patty ($17.25). For a lighter meat option there’s the Turkey, a turkey and avocado patty ($15.75). Ask your server for a gluten-free substitute.
Red Cow locations, addresses and hours
Red Cow has five open locations as of November 2, 2026, all closed on Mondays.
| Location | Address | Phone | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50th & France (Fulton), Minneapolis | 3624 W 50th St, Minneapolis, MN 55410 | 612-767-4411 | Early 2013 |
| St. Paul (Cathedral Hill) | 393 Selby Ave, St. Paul, MN 55102 | 651-789-0545 | 2014 |
| North Loop, Minneapolis | 208 1st Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401 | 612-238-0050 | 2015 |
| Rochester | 217 14th Ave SW, Suite 100, Rochester, MN 55902 | See redcowmn.com | August 2022 |
| Wayzata | 881 Lake St N, Wayzata, MN 55391 | See redcowmn.com | October 2023 |
Red Cow locations, addresses, phone numbers and opening dates in November 2026: 50th & France (early 2013), St. Paul Cathedral Hill (2014), North Loop (2015), Rochester (August 2022) and Wayzata (October 2023), all closed Mondays (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from redcowmn.com, Star Tribune, MedCity Beat and Minnesota Monthly (checked 2026-11-02))
Hours at both Minneapolis locations, 50th & France and North Loop:
- Tuesday to Thursday: 11am–10pm
- Friday: 11am–11pm
- Saturday: 10am–11pm
- Sunday: 10am–10pm
- Monday: closed
Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm, and happy hour runs Tuesday to Friday from 2 to 5:30pm. For hours at St. Paul, Rochester and Wayzata, check each location’s page on redcowmn.com.
Map of the five open Red Cow locations in Minnesota: 50th & France (3624 W 50th St, Minneapolis), North Loop (208 1st Ave N, Minneapolis), Cathedral Hill (393 Selby Ave, St. Paul), Wayzata (881 Lake St N) and Rochester (217 14th Ave SW), about 80 miles south of Minneapolis; the closed Uptown site at 2626 Hennepin Ave is greyed out (iframe 800×600) (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (markers geocoded via Nominatim: 50th & France 44.9128, -93.3261; Rochester 44.0211, -92.4847; Wayzata 44.9685, -93.5062))
Red Cow North Loop: the downtown pick
Red Cow North Loop, at 208 1st Ave N, is the closest location to downtown Minneapolis and the easiest stop for visitors.
It opened in 2015 as the third Red Cow and keeps the same hours as 50th & France. Translation: it still serves at 10:30 on a Friday night, and it does weekend brunch.
A restored brick warehouse with a painted ‘Commutator Foundry Co.’ sign at N 1st St and 2nd Ave N in Minneapolis’s North Loop, the warehouse district a few blocks from Red Cow North Loop at 208 1st Ave N. Neighborhood photo, not the restaurant. (3251×2631) (Photo: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Minneapolis\_warehouses\_17.jpg)
Rochester and Wayzata: Red Cow beyond Minneapolis
Rochester was Red Cow’s first location outside the Twin Cities metro, and Wayzata was its first suburban one.
The Rochester restaurant sits in the 14-story Berkman building next to St. Marys Hospital. It covers about 6,000 sq ft, with 130 seats inside and 50 on the patio. MedCity Beat reported in July 2021 that it was planned for February 2022 (MedCity Beat, July 29, 2021); it opened in August 2022.
Wayzata opened in October 2023 at 881 Lake St N. It covers about 5,000 sq ft, with 18 bar seats, 20 sidewalk patio seats, 30 taps and 28 wines by the glass (Minnesota Monthly, May 2, 2023).
Why Red Cow Uptown closed in June 2026
Red Cow Uptown, at 2626 Hennepin Ave, closed on June 1, 2026, after the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction cut its sales by 60 to 70%.
The location opened in 2016 in the former Green Mill space. Sales collapsed during the 2024–2025 road work, and Shimp chose not to sign a new five-year lease. Staff were offered jobs at the other locations (Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, May 18, 2026).
Hennepin Avenue torn up in Uptown Minneapolis on April 21, 2024, with ‘Road Closed’ barricades during the reconstruction that added bus and bike lanes. Red Cow Uptown, at 2626 Hennepin Ave, says the project cut its sales by 60 to 70% before it closed on June 1, 2026. The restaurant is not in the frame. (4096×2731) (Photo: Chad Davis, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hennepin\_Avenue\_Construction\_(53672797767).jpg)
Shimp didn’t soften it for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine: “I don’t think there’s a business in the world that can take a 60 percent sales cut for two years—it took hundreds of thousands of dollars to prop the restaurant up.”
Red Cow timeline, 2013 to 2026: 50th & France (early 2013), St. Paul (2014), North Loop (2015), Uptown (2016, the year the Double Barrel won the Twin Cities Burger Battle), Rochester (August 2022), Wayzata (October 2023) and the Uptown closure on June 1, 2026 (Chart: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from redcowmn.com, Heavy Table, Star Tribune, MedCity Beat, Minnesota Monthly and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine (checked 2026-11-02). Horizontal timeline on desktop, vertical on mobile, with Uptown marked as closed; to generate)
Isaac Becker and the 112 Eatery cheeseburger: a different Minneapolis burger
Isaac Becker has no connection to Red Cow; his Minneapolis burger is the brie-topped cheeseburger at 112 Eatery, served since 2005.
Becker is the chef and co-owner of 112 Eatery and Bar La Grassa, which he runs with his wife, Nancy St. Pierre. He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest in 2011, on his fourth consecutive nomination (Star Tribune, 2011).
His cheeseburger grew out of a double burger he made famous at Bar Lurcat in the early 2000s. At 112 Eatery he turned it into one big burger under a generous layer of brie (Star Tribune, Burger Friday). If ‘Isaac Becker’ and ‘Red Cow’ got mixed up in your search, that brie burger is probably the one you were after.
Is Red Cow worth it?
Yes, if you want a sit-down burger with a real bar and a wine list in Minneapolis; order the 60/40 for the house style or the Double Barrel for the award winner.
A word on method: this verdict rests on the official menu, dated prices and local press, not a rated visit, which is why there’s no score on this page. The record still makes a strong case. A family business that has lasted more than 13 years. A signature burger that hasn’t left the menu. A prizewinning double still there a decade on. Where I’d push back is price. At $15 to $18 before tax and tip, you’re paying for the taps, the wine list and the room as much as for the burger, and if all you want is a burger and a soda, that premium is harder to justify.
Red Cow is not where you go for Minneapolis’s cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy. For that, start with our Minneapolis burger page on the Juicy Lucy rivalry. For more city guides and profiles, browse the Burger Breton restaurants section.
More Upper Midwest burger history
Red Cow is a 2013 newcomer next to the region’s oldest burger landmarks.
White Castle’s Building No. 8 stands in Minneapolis, a piece of fast-food history we cover in our history of the hamburger. Five hours east by car, Solly’s Grille and its Milwaukee butter burger is another Upper Midwest institution with a style all its own.
Red Cow Minneapolis FAQ
Who owns Red Cow in Minneapolis?
Luke Shimp owns Red Cow with his family: his wife Tracy Bachul and sons Michael and Peter. He founded it after leaving Blue Plate Restaurant Co. in 2012.
Is Isaac Becker connected to Red Cow?
No. Isaac Becker is the chef and co-owner of 112 Eatery and Bar La Grassa. No source links him to Red Cow, which was founded by Luke Shimp.
What is the 60/40 burger at Red Cow?
The 60/40 is a patty of 60% Certified Angus beef and 40% ground bacon, with Wisconsin-aged cheddar, beer mustard and candied bacon. It costs $15.75 on the official menu as of November 2026.
What is Red Cow’s best burger?
The 60/40 is the house signature, and the Double Barrel won Best in Show at the 2016 Twin Cities Burger Battle. Pick the 60/40 for bacon-rich flavor and the Double Barrel for a smash-style double.
How many Red Cow locations are there, and did Red Cow Uptown close?
Five Red Cow locations are open as of November 2, 2026: 50th & France, North Loop, St. Paul, Rochester and Wayzata. Red Cow Uptown closed on June 1, 2026.
Does Red Cow serve brunch, and what are its hours?
Yes. Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. The Minneapolis locations open Tuesday to Thursday 11am–10pm, Friday 11am–11pm, Saturday 10am–11pm and Sunday 10am–10pm, and every location is closed on Monday.
Does Red Cow have vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free burgers?
Yes. The So Cal is vegan with an Impossible patty ($17.25), the Veggie has a bean and cashew patty ($14.25), and gluten-free substitutes are available on request.
How much does a burger cost at Red Cow?
Burgers range from $14.25 (Veggie) to $18.50 (Le Shroom) on the official menu as of November 2026, before tax and tip. Delivery apps charge more.
Is Red Cow a Juicy Lucy place?
No. The current Red Cow menu has no cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy. Our Minneapolis burger page covers Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club, the two bars that claim it.
Why is the restaurant called Red Cow?
Tracy, Luke Shimp’s wife, came up with the name: ‘Red’ stands for wine and ‘Cow’ for burgers, matching the ‘modern tavern’ concept.
Sources: Red Cow official site, about page and lunch menu (redcowmn.com, checked November 2, 2026); Heavy Table (Feb 25, 2013); TCB Magazine (June 3, 2013, and TCB 100, 2024); Star Tribune Burger Friday (2016) and Best Chef: Midwest coverage (2011); Minnesota Monthly (May 2, 2023); MedCity Beat (July 29, 2021); Mpls.St.Paul Magazine (May 18, 2026).
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