Minneapolis’s Steakhouse with the Downstairs Pizzeria Will Not Reopen

Burch Steak and Pizza, the ambitious restaurant from lauded chef and successful restaurantuer Issac Becker will not reopen as the pandemic subsides, as fans once hoped. Yesterday he along with partner Nancy St. Pierre made the announcement. Burch was the boisterous steakhouse with a choose-your-own-cut and style steaks that also had a whole menu of dumplings and became famous for a sea bean and crab salad. As if that combination wasn’t enough of an oddball combination, in the basement of the restaurant was a pizzeria, with a wood hearth, white subway tile, and intimate lighting. Yet, this combination of one-of-everything style restaurant worked, drawing rave reviews and loyal fans since its 2013 opening.

Becker and St. Pierre are well-known in the hospitality community for running elegant and approachable eateries. Their first restaurant 112 Eatery in Minneapolis’ warehouse district was designed by a chef for chefs, with a decadent menu. The restaurant quickly became a go-to for fantastic late-night eats. Following that was Bar La Grassa, a pasta restaurant in the burgeoning North Loop neighborhood that grew to be a perennial favorite with the city’s diners. Before the pandemic, the two added one more restaurant, Snack Bar, across the hall from BLG, that looked to be another hit, until the pandemic shut everything down.

When the mass restaurant closure mandate of March 17 hit Minnesota, Becker and St. Pierre completely closed their restaurants, and none have re-opened for takeaway service. The remaining three remain dark, but so far no further plans to close any permanently have been announced.

Burch was loud, fun, and packed with perfect seats for first dates, large celebratory gatherings, or long, intimate conversations in the seclusion of the basement.