Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
The Jucy Lucy is Minneapolis's defining burger: two ground-beef patties pressed around a cube of American cheese, then griddled until the centre melts into a molten core that scalds the unwary on first bite.
Two south Minneapolis bars on Cedar Avenue and 35th Street both claim the patent. Matt's Bar opened in 1954 and spells it Jucy Lucy without the second i, swearing a customer asked for the cheese inside the meat in 1954 and the bartender called it a juicy lucy. The 5-8 Club spells it Juicy Lucy and dates the dish to a regular who built it in their kitchen in the early 1950s. Both insist they invented it. The dispute has run on local news for decades. Either way, the burger is fully grown-in-Minneapolis: griddled flat, no bun toast, American cheese only, served with chips and a pickle spear.
3 editor picks for Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis, ranked by editorial score. All Minneapolis signature dishes · Jucy Lucy across every city.
Matt's Bar on Cedar Avenue has poured the Jucy Lucy in South Minneapolis since 1954. The original cheese-stuffed burger; Anthony Bourdain ate here in 2009.
OrderThe Jucy Lucy with American cheese and grilled onions, fries on the side.
TipCash and cards both accepted. Note the spelling on the sign: Jucy Lucy, no 'i' in Jucy. Be patient with the molten cheese.
The 5-8 Club on Cedar Avenue South claims the original Juicy Lucy in Minneapolis, contested with Matt's Bar. The other side of the cheese-burger debate.
OrderThe original Juicy Lucy with the Juicy Lucy Sampler if dining as a group.
TipLunch crowd thins after 13:00. The patio in summer makes the cheese-burn waiting easier.
Blue Door Pub on 42nd Avenue has run a stuffed-burger pub in South Minneapolis since 2008. Located in Longfellow Powderhorn. Kitchen leans american pub.
OrderThe Blucy with blue cheese and bacon, tater tots on the side.
TipWeekends pull a wait; sit at the bar for faster service. Six other Twin Cities locations.
Jucy Lucy makes more sense with someone from Minneapolis explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Minneapolis’s Mill District and St Anthony on Main on a guided food tour. Sample food at Minnesota’s first Thai restaurant, enjoy homemade ice cream, and sip l...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Taste your way through Minneapolis’s North Loop and St. Anthony with 6 delicious dishes, from pizza and pierogies to cheese curds while uncovering the city’s stories, ...
2 hours
Join a hands-on cooking class with a talented chef and learn how to make sushi rolls. Master the art of rolling sushi and create delicious California and spicy salmon rolls.
