Cedar Avenue south of 35th is the corridor that gave the metro its defining burger fight, and the strip around it never stopped feeding people well. This stretch mixes the Jucy Lucy at its own bar of origin with pizza rooms, a Powderhorn taco counter, and an Ethiopian kitchen doing its own steady business a few blocks over.
3500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55407 · +16127227072
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The cheeseburger with the cheese sealed inside the patty was invented on this stretch of Cedar Avenue, and Matt's spells it the Jucy Lucy, its own claim in a rivalry that runs three miles north to the 5-8 Club. The room stays a dive bar on purpose: a short counter, onions as the only real customization, and a burger that draws people who have never otherwise had reason to stop in south Minneapolis.
What to orderJuicy Lucy, cheeseburger, burger with onions
the Cedar Avenue Burger Mile $$
5600 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55417 · +16128222040
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The pizza here runs a distinctive crust, thick with sauce and cheese and built to hold a long list of toppings, alongside a sandwich menu with fresh bread and a cocktail list that pushes the room past a basic red-sauce stop. It reads as a step up in price from the burger joints nearby, which some diners weigh against a menu built for a sit-down Italian dinner rather than a quick bite.
What to orderpizza, sandwich, gelato
№ 03
ie - Italian Eatery
$$
4724 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16122008397
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Pasta carbonara and risotto anchor a menu built for a table of friends rather than a solo counter stop, with tiramisu closing things out. The room reads as a steady neighborhood option that regulars return to across years, not seasons, with service built around group tables and a setting people describe as comfortable rather than showy.
What to orderpasta carbonara, risotto, tiramisu
№ 04
Carbone's Pizza & Pub Minneapolis
$$
4705 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16127240063
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The draw here is the slice, especially at the three-dollar happy hour price, alongside pepperoni and cheese pies built for a fast lunch or an outdoor table on a good afternoon. It runs as a casual pizza pub rather than a destination sit-down, the kind of spot locals forget is close by until they are already on this side of the city.
What to orderpizza slice, pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza
№ 05
Hamburguesas El Gordo #1
$$
4157 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16127221087
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The tacos and loaded fries draw the strongest praise on this Powderhorn corner, alongside the hamburguesa that gives the counter its name, and the kitchen keeps serving into the late hours on weekends. Street parking runs easy around the block. Patience helps at the counter, particularly for the churros, where the wait has drawn complaints even from otherwise satisfied regulars.
What to orderhamburguesa, tacos, loaded fries
№ 06
Cedar Inn
$
4155 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16127299785
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The F'd Up wings, tossed in a sauce that splits the difference between Asian glaze and buffalo heat, are the reason regulars land at this Minneapolis sports bar rather than any chain nearby. The wings run crispy and fresh with a strong sauce, the kind of order that rewards fans who came specifically for wings and a game on the screen over anyone chasing a wider menu.
What to orderF'd Up wings, crispy wings with Asian/Buffalo sauce, bar wings
№ 07
Lucy's Market & Carry-Out (Ethiopian Restaurant)
$$
3749 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16128863748
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Shiro wot draws the strongest recommendation on the menu, with doro wot and a veggie sampler rounding out orders built for two or more at this Minneapolis carryout counter. Regulars return for the combination plates rather than single dishes, and the kitchen has also run injera-making lessons alongside its regular carryout and dine-in business.
What to ordershiro wot, doro wot, veggie sampler
Frequently asked
What is the best Jucy Lucy near me on Cedar Avenue?
Matt's Bar holds the origin claim on this stretch of Cedar Avenue and spells it the Jucy Lucy, its own long-running spelling in a rivalry with the 5-8 Club further north. It is the top-ranked burger stop in this guide by Insider Score. No restaurant pays to be listed here or ranked higher.
Which restaurant in this guide has the highest Insider Score?
Rankings and scores are shown next to each listing and are based on the review record, not on any payment or advertising relationship. No restaurant on this list paid for placement or for a better score.
Is Cedar Inn a good spot to watch a game?
Yes. It runs as a sports bar built around wings, particularly the F'd Up wings in a sauce that splits Asian glaze and buffalo heat, and it is sized and priced for a casual night watching a game rather than a sit-down dinner.
Is there good Ethiopian food on this stretch of Cedar Avenue?
Lucy's Market & Carry-Out serves shiro wot, doro wot, and a veggie sampler out of a casual Minneapolis counter built for takeout or a group dine-in order. It holds a solid Insider Score in this guide, earned the same way as every other listing: from the review record, with no paid placement.
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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.
