The Juicy Lucy

The Twin Cities’ homegrown charmer, the Juicy Lucy is served in a limited number of taverns, many with some claim on its invention. What surprised us in this segment was that bigger is not necessarily better. This is also the burger that holds up best to overcooking. Our two winners:

1. 5•8 Club 
91.33 points
5800 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls., 612-823-5858, plus Maplewood and Champlin, 
5-8club.com

The 5•8 calls itself the home of the Juicy Lucy, and this freeway-side tavern at Minneapolis’s south end seems to have perfected it. Juicys are a growth industry and joints are experimenting with them, but we found that too much meat, or trying to cook them babies medium or rarer, produces a gross mess. 5•8 serves a Juicy that combines moist, modestly seasoned meat, a well-caramelized exterior, and a molten cheese interior that is neither too runny nor too thick. The vibe inside the place isn’t especially evocative or fun, particularly near the pull-tab lady, but 5•8 offers a broader menu and a bit more service than our other winner. Hail the champion. 

2. Matt’s Bar
89.67 points
3500 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls., 612-722-7072, mattsbar.com

What is it about Cedar Avenue? We all know Matt’s, the retro south Minneapolis tavern with a tiny menu and the claim to having invented the “Jucy Lucy.” It is clearly the most atmospheric of Juicy joints, though don’t come here expecting iced tea or a club sandwich. Matt’s Juicy is the king of char and seasoning, sitting for interminable periods on the flat-top, earning a crust that bites back. The flipside is a well-done burger with a liquidy, scalding cheese eruption that permeates every bite of the meat. Matt’s yellowed walls stand in tribute to the bar’s great yellow-filled burger.