The Juicy Lucy Showdown: Matt's Bar vs. the 5-8 Club

The Juicy Lucy is a burger with the cheese sealed inside the patty, and two south Minneapolis bars on Cedar Avenue both claim they invented it: Matt's Bar, which says it created the "Jucy Lucy" in 1954, and the 5-8 Club, which says it developed its "Juicy Lucy" in the 1950s. Nobody has settled the argument, so the best way to pick a side is to eat at both. Here's how to plan the showdown, what to order at each stop and how to eat a molten-cheese burger without burning your mouth.

What makes a Juicy Lucy different

A regular cheeseburger has cheese melted on top. A Juicy Lucy hides the cheese in the middle: a slice is sealed between two thin patties, and the edges are pinched shut before the burger hits the griddle. As it cooks, the cheese turns into a molten core that spills out on the first bite. The style is closely tied to the Twin Cities. For more on how it fits with other regional burgers, see our American burger styles guide.

The rivalry in a nutshell

The two contenders sit about three miles apart on Cedar Avenue, and each tells its own origin story:

• Matt's Bar says a regular customer in 1954 asked the cook to seal cheese between two patties, then bit in and said, "That's one juicy Lucy!" That account comes from the founder's daughter, Cheryl Bristol, and Matt's has kept the "Jucy" spelling ever since.
• The 5-8 Club says it developed the cheese-stuffed burger in the 1950s too, and it uses the conventional "Juicy" spelling. Its staff shirts famously read "If it's spelled right, it's done right."

Neither claim has written records from the time to back it up, so treat both as local lore. The rivalry is half the fun, and it has been featured on food TV shows over the years.

Round 1: Matt's Bar

Matt's Bar is at 3500 Cedar Avenue South in south Minneapolis. It opened as Matt's in 1954 under Matt Bristol, in a bar that had previously been called Nibs. It's a small, no-frills neighborhood bar, and that's the appeal: the Jucy Lucy is the main event, cooked on a griddle and served without much fuss.

What to know before you go:

• Order the Jucy Lucy as is for your first visit. The point is to taste the original version of the claim.
• It's a popular stop for visitors, including a well-known presidential visit in 2014, so expect a wait at peak times.
• In 2025, Matt's launched a food truck that serves its burgers around the Twin Cities, so you may also spot it at events.

Round 2: the 5-8 Club

Head south on Cedar Avenue to the 5-8 Club at 5800 Cedar Avenue South, in the Nokomis area. The building has its own history: it opened in 1928 as a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and the rear entrance is still the main way in.

Where Matt's keeps things simple, the 5-8 Club lets you customize. You can choose the cheese inside your Juicy Lucy, typically from American, Swiss, pepper jack and a blue cheese, and the menu has expanded over the years with variations such as the "Saucy Sally" and a buffalo chicken version. American is the traditional pick if you want a fair head-to-head comparison with Matt's.

• Order one with American cheese to compare directly, then share a second with a different cheese if you have room.
• It's a sit-down restaurant with a bigger menu, so it's the easier stop for groups and families.
• The 5-8 Club has other suburban locations, but the Cedar Avenue original is the one to visit for the showdown.

Bonus round: the Blue Door Pub

If you still have room, the Blue Door Pub in the Longfellow neighborhood, at 3448 42nd Avenue South, represents the modern take. The Blue Door first opened in St. Paul in 2008 and built its reputation on the "Blucy," a stuffed burger whose signature version has a blue cheese center. Other Blucys on the menu go further, such as one with a pepper cheese center topped with spicy bacon, fried avocado and a cilantro-lime sauce. Menus change, so check what's on offer before you go.

How to plan your Juicy Lucy crawl

1. Start at Matt's Bar. Taste the "Jucy" original first, before your palate is tired.
2. Drive south to the 5-8 Club. Order a classic American-cheese Juicy Lucy for a true side-by-side test.
3. Finish at the Blue Door Pub if you want to see where the style has gone since the 1950s.
4. Split everything. Even one stuffed burger is filling, and three is a lot for one person.
5. Check hours before you leave. Hours and kitchen times change, especially on holidays.

Judging criteria if you want to make it official: how well the cheese stays sealed, how hot and runny the center is, the crust on the outside of the patty, and how well the bun holds up to the cheese flood.

How to eat a Juicy Lucy without getting burned

• Wait a minute or two. The cheese inside is molten and holds heat far longer than the meat around it.
• Take a small first bite from the edge. That lets steam escape before you hit the center.
• Hold it over the plate. Expect cheese to run out once the patty is open.

Make a Juicy Lucy at home

Our Juicy Lucy recipe walks you through it step by step. A few tips:

• Use thin patties and a good seal. Form two thin patties, put the cheese in the middle, and pinch the edges firmly closed. Our guide on how to form burger patties covers the technique, and a stuffed burger press makes the seal more consistent. Not sure you need one? Read whether a stuffed burger press is worth it.
• Pick a cheese that melts well. American is classic, but pepper jack and Swiss work too. See our best cheese for burgers guide.
• Cook it through. USDA guidance is 160°F for ground beef. Check the meat, not the cheese pocket, with a thermometer; our burger temperature guide explains where to probe.
• Don't press it on the griddle. Squashing a stuffed patty is the fastest way to blow out the cheese.

For more places to eat in the Twin Cities, see our best burgers in Minneapolis guide and our statewide roundup of the best burgers in Minnesota.

FAQ

Who invented the Juicy Lucy?

It's disputed. Matt's Bar says a customer asked for cheese sealed between two patties in 1954, and the 5-8 Club says it developed the burger in the 1950s. Neither claim has been settled.

Why is it spelled "Jucy Lucy" at Matt's Bar?

Matt's Bar uses the "Jucy" spelling as part of its identity, while the 5-8 Club uses "Juicy." The spelling has become a shorthand for which side of the rivalry you're on.

How far apart are Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club?

Both are on Cedar Avenue South in Minneapolis, roughly three miles apart, so most people drive between them.

Is a Juicy Lucy safe to eat right away?

The burger itself is fine, but the cheese center can be extremely hot. Give it a minute or two and take a small first bite from the edge to let the steam out.

What cheese goes in a Juicy Lucy?

American cheese is the traditional choice. The 5-8 Club also offers options such as Swiss, pepper jack and blue cheese, and the Blue Door Pub's Blucy uses blue cheese.