Wayback Burgers — Restaurant in Woodbury

Wayback Burgers – A Love Letter to the American Dream on a Bun

This wasn't just lunch. This was a pilgrimage. On Independence Weekend, no less. While the fireworks were prepping to light up the sky, something brighter lit up our souls in a little corner of Minnesota: Wayback Burgers.

You don't just walk into a place like this. You arrive like a weary traveler stumbling upon a neon-lit mirage of all-American comfort—one dripping in cheddar, sizzling on the flat top, and whispering through a milkshake straw, "You made it."

My mission? Find one of the best burgers in the world. Not "best fast food," not "best for the price." One of the absolute best. That glorious dream every American secretly harbors: the perfect bite that makes life make sense again. And Wayback delivered.

Let's start at the window. The LOADED FRIES were plastered like a promise from above. That's how good the signage was. We were sold before we even touched the door.

Then we stepped inside—and it felt like walking into the best parts of your childhood. That one diner where your grandpa took you after Little League. That summer joint where the grease hits the air just right. Except better. Because this time, Gemma and her dream team weren't just going through the motions—they were creating magic through seared beef and scratch-made fries.

I don't say this lightly: this was an oasis of culinary patriotism. Every single item we ordered was an 11 out of 10. The grilled double cheeseburgers? Monumental. The bourbon burger? Juicy, refined, a little indulgent. The fries? Hand-cut masterpieces with just the right crackle of salt and oil—none of that freezer-burned corporate sadness. And then... the red velvet shake. A direct line to heaven. With whipped topping that didn't taste like chemicals—just pure joy.

They even had vegan options. In the Midwest. That's a beautiful stand against mediocrity.

But what really got me? It wasn't just the food. It was the feeling. The reminder that the American Dream isn't dead—it's just hiding in places like this. In the hands of people who give a darn. In every customer who walks out grinning, burger juice on their fingers, heart a little fuller than when they came in.

Wayback doesn't just serve food. It serves a vision. That you can build something beautiful from scratch. That excellence is still possible in a world running on autopilot. That flavor—when done right—is a kind of freedom.

I came here looking for one of the best burgers in the world. I left remembering why I ever dared to dream in the first place.

Wayback Burgers, Minnesota. 11/10. A holy site for the hungry, the hopeful, and the...

I’ve been to this Wayback burger two times and both times have been awful experiences. The first time I came in was because there was a poster on the window advertising a burger that looked good. When I went in and ordered it the manager told me “we don’t have that” I pointed to the poster on their own window and said you are advertising it. He stated they didn’t have the ingredients so they couldn’t make it. I ordered something else which must not have been memorable because I don’t remember it. Anyway I decided to give them a try again this week. As I was walking in they had a sign on their window with a QR Code stating if you sign up for their rewards program you can get a free classic burger with a $10 purchase, since I was with my son figured it was a good deal. I scanned the QR code which opened up a website and I spent the next 5 minutes plugging in all the required information. They then sent me a code for the free burger to my email and I went up to the counter and ordered my son a kids cheeseburger meal and a shake so I would hit the $10 requirement. The girl at the counter ( who was very kind) then asked for the code, as I read it to her the manager came running up telling her to stop and that I needed to download the app to get the free burger. I pointed to his sign on the window and explained i downloaded the QR code from them which sent me to a website not an app request. His response was “I believe you, but they want you to download the app.” He told the girl ringing me up to not help me until I download the app. I was in a rush and had already spent 5 minutes filling out the info on the website so I said forget it and left. The manager or franchise owner whoever he is is extremely rude, this is two times where I have been mislead by his own signage and he doesn’t even apologize for the inconveniences he causes. I won’t be going back, not only because of his terrible customer service but it also stunk in there so I’m probably not missing much. Hopefully you all have...

So on Fridays my co-workers and I order food as a usual thing, this week we decided to go to Wayback Burgers. We ordered our food at 7:10PM and ETA for pickup was 7:30, so I make my way down to Wayback and it was SUPER busy (Because their food is AMAZING!) I told them that I was picking up 4 online orders and they told me that 2 of them were done, I was like cool I will just wait to get the rest of the food. Around 7:40 I still haven't received the last 2 orders so I ask the staff member that was making the shakes if those orders were completed, He tells me that the one is done and proceeds to had me the bag (of wonderful food) and I take that and put it in our Cub box (for large orders) I then ask about the last order and they never received an order for the last one. I then look at the order form that was printed out and saw that it was supposed to be picked up at 7/6/18 but was printed out today! Looks like my co-worker printed an old form but the staff proceeds to make the food.I called my co-worker and asked him to place another order and they will make it right away. He then orders the food and they were able to make the food. In the mean time there was another customer that came in at 7:50 and she had placed an online order and the staff told her that it would be ready soon, by 7:55 the lady came back up the counter and said "I have been waiting here for 10 min" while yelling at the staff(Paige). People just need to chill out and relax, Paige (employee) came out and gave me the last order and I thanked her for her help and I said sorry for issues. 10/10 would recommend this place to anyone who has never had it!! Also if Paige is not a manager or a shift leader I would recommend that she gets promoted, she handled the...