Why This Minnesota Burger Stand’s Double Cheeseburger Outsells Every Other Item On The Menu
I’ve driven past countless roadside burger joints, but nothing prepared me for the scene at Gordy’s Hi-Hat on a sunny spring Saturday.
Cars lined up, families chatted in the grass, and nearly every tray I saw carried the same thing: a double cheeseburger wrapped in red-and-white paper. This seasonal walk-up stand in Cloquet has been slinging burgers since 1960, and one menu item outsells everything else by a mile.
Curious what makes it so legendary? I dug into the story behind the double that keeps Minnesota coming back, season after season.
Meet the Stand: Gordy’s Hi-Hat, Cloquet
Gordy’s Hi-Hat sits at 415 Sunnyside Drive in Cloquet, and it looks exactly like a burger stand should: bright, compact, and buzzing with hungry people.
The family-run operation opened in 1960 and has stayed in the same hands ever since, serving up classic American burgers, fries, and shakes through spring and summer.
Guy Fieri rolled through for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which put Gordy’s on the national map. But locals already knew.
This place is a seasonal tradition, the kind you plan your road trips around and mark on your calendar every March.
The Double That Outsells Everything
Walk up to the window and listen. Order after order, you’ll hear the same thing: double cheeseburger.
Local media have tracked this for years, noting that the double is the runaway favorite at Gordy’s, especially on opening weekends when the grill fires up for the first time each spring.
That demand isn’t hype or marketing. It’s pure word-of-mouth momentum built over decades.
The double cheeseburger is the heartbeat of the line, the order that regulars recite without looking at the menu, and the reason first-timers feel confident pointing and saying, I’ll have what they’re having.
Why It Hits: Simple Build, Perfect Balance
Two thin patties meet American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard. That’s it. No secret sauce, no artisan bun, no confusion.
Gordy’s menu lists single and double options across their classic burgers, keeping choices simple and the flavors dialed in.
The magic is in the balance. Each bite delivers beef, tang, crunch, and creaminess in equal measure. Nothing overpowers, nothing hides.
It’s the kind of burger you crave on a Tuesday afternoon, the kind that tastes exactly how you remember it, every single time you go back.
Flat-Top Technique You Can Taste
Gordy’s cooks don’t assemble burgers. They build them right on the griddle. Patties hit the flat-top, get seasoned, then cheese, onions, and condiments land on top while the beef is still sizzling.
Everything melts together, creating layers of flavor that a cold-assembled burger can’t match. It’s hamburger 101, executed with repetition and care. On TV and in person, the move is the same: simple technique, serious results.
You can taste the difference in the first bite, and you understand why people drive an hour for it.
Price, Portion, and Value
Gordy’s keeps the double cheeseburger firmly in everyday-treat territory. It’s listed on their online ordering page alongside the heftier Big G double, but the classic double hits the sweet spot for price, portion, and satisfaction.
You’re not breaking the bank, and you’re not leaving hungry. That value equation helps explain why the double is the go-to order for families, road-trippers, and regulars who swing by twice a week.
It’s affordable enough to be a habit, satisfying enough to be worth the drive, and delicious enough to keep the line moving all season long.
Lines That Move, Crowds That Smile
When Gordy’s opens for the season, the line stretches. Radio stations mention it, local blogs cover it, and regulars show up ready to wait. But the line moves faster than you expect, and nobody seems to mind.
There’s a spring ritual vibe to the whole scene. Families catch up, kids run around, and nearly everyone points to the same thing when they reach the window: the double with fried onions.
It’s not just a meal. It’s a seasonal reunion, a shared craving, and a reminder that some things are worth the wait.
Seasonal Rhythm, Year-Round Cravings
Gordy’s opens in spring and closes in fall. That seasonal schedule sharpens demand like nothing else. Off-season, the website plainly notes when the stand is closed, and locals start counting down the days until the grill fires up again.
The rhythm creates anticipation. You can’t grab a double in January, so when March rolls around and the window opens, people show up. That first sizzle of the season tastes different.
It’s nostalgia, relief, and hunger all wrapped in red-and-white paper, and it’s exactly why the double cheeseburger outsells everything else on the menu.