The Juicy Lucy started on Cedar Avenue and the spelling still marks which bar you are loyal to. This list runs from the original stuffed-cheese counters to the burger rooms and dive bars around Minneapolis that built their own version of the same idea, plus the neighborhood bars that just do a good burger honestly.
№ 01
Red Cow 50th & France
$$
3624 W 50th St, Minneapolis, MN 55410 · +16127674411
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The Mediterranean bowl, built with fresh mint and dill, gets mentioned as often as the burger here, which says something about a room that could coast on beef alone. Reservations move fast on weekend nights near the theater crowd, but Red Cow seats larger groups without much trouble. A dependable stop for a quick lunch or a casual dinner, not a Juicy Lucy shrine, just a good burger done straight.
What to orderburger, Mediterranean bowl, fries
№ 02
Francis Burger Joint
$$
2422 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418 · +16122086870
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Francis Burger Joint built a vegan Juicy Lucy that holds its own against the meat version, oozing cheese the same way the original does, and the room serves both camps at the same table without treating either as an afterthought. The fries and sauces get equal credit. A rare case where a plant-based stuffed burger reads as a genuine alternative rather than a compromise.
What to ordervegan juicy Lucy, burger, fries
№ 03
Maxwell's American Pub
$$
1201 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415 · +16123547085
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Maxwell's runs as a neighborhood bar first, a burger destination second, with pub fries and wings that keep regulars coming back on weeknights. The happy hour crowd arrives before shows and clears out fast, and service holds up even when the room fills. Nothing fussy here, just a good burger and a quiet, reliable bar behind it.
What to orderburgers, pub fries, wings
№ 04
The Patty Wagon
$$
6042 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55419 · +16128615500
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The Patty Wagon sits beside a sports bar with shared parking, a strip-mall setup that trades polish for speed. The turkey burger draws as much attention as the standard patty, and fries round out a menu built for a fast stop rather than a lingering meal. Reports on pricing consistency vary, worth confirming before ordering.
What to orderburger, turkey burger, fries
№ 05
Hamburguesas El Gordo #1
$$
4157 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16127221087
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In Powderhorn, Hamburguesas El Gordo #1 stays open past midnight on weekends, drawing a late crowd for tacos and loaded fries that outshine the hamburguesa itself by most accounts. Street parking covers the lot. The churro takes patience, so diners chasing a fast bite should stick to the tacos and fries and plan accordingly.
What to orderhamburguesa, tacos, loaded fries
№ 06
Dusty's Bar
$
1319 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 · +16123789831
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Dusty's Bar pairs a burger and the Dago sandwich with live music, drawing groups for the sets as much as the food. Bar prices run lower than expected for the room, and the potato salad shows up as a side worth ordering. The sandwich itself gets mixed marks, but the atmosphere and value carry the visit.
What to orderburger, Dago sandwich, potato salad
№ 07
Tom's Watch Bar
$$
609 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · +16124306113
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Tom's Watch Bar sits close enough to Target Center and the Twins' downtown footprint to pull a pregame crowd, with screens inside and on the patio. Chicken nachos and wings lead the order alongside the burgers, built for groups settling in before tipoff or first pitch. Busy nights mean a wait, but seating turns over.
What to orderchicken nachos, wings, burgers
3500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55407 · +16127227072
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Matt's Bar, on Cedar Avenue since the 1950s, spells it the Jucy Lucy and keeps the menu narrow: onions or no onions, cheese sealed inside the patty. The dive bar setting is the point, not a drawback. A food truck version travels to festivals, but the original counter remains the pilgrimage stop for the burger that started the rivalry.
What to orderJuicy Lucy, cheeseburger, burger with onions
№ 09
Red Cow North Loop
$$
208 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · +16122380050
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The North Loop location of Red Cow leans into brunch, with a shaded patio and a dining room built for a Saturday crowd rather than a quick stop. Burgers, fries, and milkshakes anchor the menu, and reservations through OpenTable smooth out weekend waits. Service recoveries after a seating delay have earned real loyalty here.
What to orderburgers, fries, milkshakes
5800 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55417 · +16128235858
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The 5-8 Club, on Cedar Avenue since the 1950s, spells its version the Juicy Lucy and claims the other half of the rivalry with Matt's down the street. The cheese runs looser and richer by most accounts, spilling out with the first cut. A stuffed cheeseburger built on reputation and delivering on it.
What to orderJuicy Lucy, Classic Burger, Fries
Longfellow $$
3448 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55406 · +16123152470
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Blue Door Pub's Longfellow room built its name on the Blucy, the modern variant on the stuffed cheeseburger, and keeps a loyal neighborhood following that treats it as the default choice for a family dinner or a low-key date. Boneless wings round out the order. A newer entry into the Lucy story, but a durable one.
What to orderBlucy, boneless wings, burger
№ 12
The Lowbrow
$$
4244 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409 · +16122080720
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The Lowbrow serves a dive bar burger built on grass-fed beef, tender enough that regulars order it two ways in the same week without complaint. A vegetarian burger gets real praise too, unusual for a room this committed to beef. Gluten-free buns are available on request. A straightforward pick for a casual night out.
What to orderThe Lowbrow, grass fed beef burger, vegetarian burger
Frequently asked
What is a Juicy Lucy and where did it start?
It is a cheeseburger with the cheese sealed inside the patty rather than melted on top, invented on Cedar Avenue in south Minneapolis in the 1950s. Matt's Bar spells it the Jucy Lucy and the 5-8 Club spells it the Juicy Lucy, and both still dispute which one actually invented it. Neither spelling is wrong.
Are there Juicy Lucy places near me outside of south Minneapolis?
Yes. Blue Door Pub's Longfellow location carries the Blucy variant, and Francis Burger Joint has a vegan version elsewhere in Minneapolis. This guide sticks to restaurants actually operating in Minneapolis proper; none of the rooms listed here are in St. Paul or the suburbs.
How are these restaurants ranked?
Each restaurant carries an Insider Score based on the volume and substance of its review record, not a paid placement. No restaurant pays to appear on this list or to rank higher on it.
Is the 5-8 Club or Matt's Bar better for a Juicy Lucy?
Both are on Cedar Avenue and both are originals; the difference is mostly cheese texture and how loose it runs when cut open. The review record shows strong loyalty to both, and picking one over the other comes down to preference, not a quality gap.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Marit Solheim
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Marit Solheim is the Food Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born and raised in the Longfellow neighborhood of south Minneapolis, she spent six years on the line in downtown kitchens before she started writing. She covers the institutions and the chef tier in both downtowns and holds the desk to one standard: know which city you are standing in.
