Your Trip to Minneapolis: The Complete Guide SEE FULL GUIDE prev next The Best Chicken Wings Gluten Free in Minneapolis The Best Craft Beer Bars The Best Live Music Venues Downtown St. Paul Neighborhoods in St. Paul Shopping Districts & Streets Xcel Energy Center Minnehaha Park Beaches in Minneapolis The Cathedral of St. Paul Lake Harriet Frank Lloyd Wright Around Minneapolis Summit Hill, St. Paul Weekend Getaways The Best Road Trips Skiing & Snowboarding River Tubing Nearby Spring Break Spots The Best Minneapolis Hotels Weather in Minneapolis What to Expect in Winter Getting to Downtown From the Airport Airport Parking Getting Between Minneapolis & Chicago The Minneapolis Skyway System The St. Paul Skyway System The Metro Blue Line Parking at Target Field Parking at Target Center The Top Things to Do in Minneapolis 48 Hours in Minneapolis: The Perfect Itinerary Unique Things to Do in Minneapolis Free Things to Do in Minneapolis Free Things to Do With Kids Things to Do in the Snow Planetariums in Minneapolis Ice Skating in Minneapolis Rock Climbing in Minneapolis Free Entertainment in Minneapolis What to Eat on Eat Street The Best Juicy Lucy Burgers Your Trip to Minneapolis: The Complete Guide close Overview United States Minnesota The Best Juicy Lucy Burger in Minneapolis Who Makes the Best Juicy Lucy Burger in Minneapolis? By Clara James Clara James Clara James is a St. Paul-based writer with more than 10 years of experience. She covers kid-friendly attractions in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities region. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 05/21/19 Courtesy of 5-8 Club The Juicy Lucy, or Juicy Lucy burger, is Minneapolis' contribution to world cuisine. It's a cheeseburger with the cheese inside the meat, such that the cheese melts to a molten core when cooked. It is served with a warning against scalding yourself with liquid cheese. The Juicy Lucy burger was invented in a south Minneapolis bar sometime in the 1950s, and depending on who you talk to, that was either the 5-8 Club, where they serve the "Juicy Lucy", or Matt's Bar, where they make the "Jucy Lucy", and let customers know that "if it's spelled correctly, you're at the wrong place". We'll never know who did it first. But, who does it best? 01 of 04 Matt's Bar and the Jucy Lucy Courtesy of Matt's Bar View Map Address 3500 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407, USA Get directions Phone +1 612-722-7072 Web Visit website Matt's Bar claims to be the home of the original Jucy Lucy, and if it's spelled like that, you can't argue with them. But, we don't care who did it first, we care who does it best. Matt's Bar has changed little since the invention of the Jucy Lucy in the 1950s, and the burgers are cooked right behind the bar. Cheesy, fatty, comforting goodness and cheap beer. The Jucy Lucy from Matt's Bar experience will taste like heaven. The meat is cooked until almost charred on the outside, but the burger is tender inside from the almost vaporized cheese. There's not much cheese visible inside but that's ok, it has boiled off into the meat and the meat is all the better for it. The bun is nothing special, but the portions of fries are enormous. Unless you are beyond ravenous, you'll only need a half-portion. You'll get your burger quick, served with a warning against burning your mouth on the molten cheese, and you can accompany it with a pint of Grain Belt or something similar. If you can deal with the dive bar atmosphere at Matt's Bar, then Matt's Bar Jucy Lucy burgers are the best in Minneapolis. The 5-8 Club has better bread for their Juicy Lucy buns, but the burgers are better at Matt's Bar. 02 of 04 The 5-8 Club and the Juicy Lucy Burger Courtesy of 5-8 Club View Map Address 5800 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417-2648, USA Get directions Phone +1 612-823-5858 Web Visit website The 5-8 Club is much more proactive about defending the home of the original Juicy Lucy than the laissez-faire attitude of Matt's Bar. The Juicy Lucy at the 5-8 Club is made with American cheese and served on freshly baked buns. The buns are what stand out over Matt's Bar. The 5-8 Juicy Lucy burgers retain more super-heated cheese than Matt's Bar. Much of the cheese seems to boil into the meat and the rest floods out almost scalding your fingers when you bite, leaving a void in the burger. The meat in the 5-8 burger, however, isn't quite as tasty as Matt's. The 5-8 Club's modern renovations have removed any speakeasy style the bar once had, taking away the 1950's ambience that is an integral part of this 1950s' burger. the 5-8 Club is more family-friendly restaurant than a bar. The 5-8 Club has much more than just the Juicy Lucy on the menu if you are dining with non-burger eaters. The 5-8 Club Juicy Lucy burger may be second best but it is still a fine burger and worthy of being a Minneapolis food icon. 03 of 04 The Nook Bar, St. Paul, and the Nookie Burger Courtesy of The Nook View Map Address 492 Hamline Ave S, St Paul, MN 55116, USA Get directions Phone +1 651-698-4347 Web Visit website The main competition to the veteran Minneapolis bars are newcomers in St. Paul. But is it really worth driving to the Twin City less well known for restaurants for a burger? Are they contenders for the best Juicy Lucy crown? The first Juicy Lucy across the Mississippi was from the Nook Bar, a tiny sports bar in St. Paul's Highland Park. The Nook Bar has won well-deserved local press awards for their basic burgers for some years, and there is a Juicy Lucy on the menu too, known as the Nookie Burger. It's as good as the Nook's other burgers, which is to say it is worth driving from Minneapolis for. 04 of 04 The Blue Door Pub and the Blucy Burger Courtesy of The Blue Door Pub View Map Address 3448 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406-2811, USA Get directions Phone +1 612-315-2470 Web Visit website While other bars have kept their cheese options conservative (cheddar, American), the Blue Door Pub in Longfellow and St. Paul have the Blucy Burger, a Juicy Lucy made with blue cheese and garlic. As well as the blue cheese Blucy, the Blue Door Pub offers nine other versions of cheese-stuffed burgers with various cheeses, and toppings inspired by Bangkok, Hawaii, and hangovers. The last one has bacon and a fried egg, which, if you'll consider the opinion of one who doesn't like blue cheese, is one of the best things to put on a burger. The Best Chicken Wings Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Share Pin Email