A Jucy Lucy at Matt’s Bar

Wherever I’m traveling, I have to check out those must-try dishes and iconic eats. In Philadelphia, you have your cheesesteaks. In Chicago, you gotta have deep dish pizza. In Nashville, it’s all about the hot chicken. Well, in Minneapolis, you can’t leave without having a Jucy Lucy! I headed to Matt’s Bar which prides itself for being the “Home of the Original Jucy Lucy”.

A Jucy Lucy (or Juicy Lucy) is a cheeseburger in which the cheese is stuffed inside the beef patty so it oozes melted cheese with every bite. Take my money!

It was a Tuesday afternoon and it wasn’t busy at all. Apparently it can get very crowded and people have waited well over an hour to indulge in a Jucy Lucy, so I was relieved to walk right in and grab a seat at the bar.

Ah yes, some of you may have seen Matt’s Bar featured on Travel Channel’s Food Wars a while back where they had a battle of the best Jucy Lucy with their competitor 5-8 Club. Both bars claim to be the creator of the infamous burger, but I’m just gonna stay out of that.

As soon as you walk into the super casual bar, you’ll hear and smell the burger and fries being cooked on the small griddle and deep fryer near the entrance.

You’ll find the simple menu on the wall and a few scattered around on the bar and tables.

I ordered a beer and a Jucy Lucy of course. You can get it with fried or raw onions and pickles. I went with the fried onions. It didn’t take long before the burger was placed in front of me wrapped in parchment paper. There are no plates, just unwrap and enjoy.

You can see some melted cheese and grease on the wrapper and that was just fine. It was time to have my very first Jucy Lucy! Newbies are warned to wait a few minutes before digging in to avoid being burned by the hot melted core of American cheese.

This burger hit the spot! And it went so nicely with a cold beer. The beef patties are simply seasoned with salt and pepper. You got some of that ooey gooey cheese with every bite.

I could have easily had another one, but I fought the urge. I did get one to-go though with a bag of Old Dutch potato chips for that possible late-night craving. No regrets.

I’m glad I stopped by Matt’s Bar and really enjoyed my Jucy Lucy. It’s a divey joint and I like that. It’s a casual laid back place to hang out, drink a few beers, and have a burger. Don’t hesitate to stop by and remember to bring cash.

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Matt’s Bar
3500 Cedar Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 722-7072

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