Matt’s Bar

Matt’s bar is a Minneapolis classic. I love the dive bar look and feel. It feels like a «cheers» type of place where everyone knows your name. On my first visit there I got the Juicy Lucy– I mean, what else would you get at the HOME of the Juicy Lucy? It was a delicious, simple burger. No frills and nothing mind blowing, just a tasty burger. I enjoyed every bite and the experience. The only downside is the wait time. Doesn’t matter the day or time, you’ll probably have a longer than usual wait time. I.e. This place is popular.

(8.2.15) My first Jucy Lucy did not disappoint. Greasy, juicy, quick, cash-​only. Something that oozes cheese is definitely good for you. Can’t wait to go back.

I have to say, after all the hype over this place-​I was expecting something way, way better than what I got!
A friend was back visiting after moving away from the twin cities, and this was her top pick for dinner and all the more reason since I had never been here before either.
I have to say, I’ve never been so let down by a burger before! Just no flavor at all, greasy bun and basket (which I know is supposed to be part of the charm, but come on)
And what’s with not being able to order it made to order? That’s understandable but ridiculous at the same time. I think the hype is blown outrageously out of proportion for this place!
To quote Peter Griffin, «it insists upon itself»

The food is great but takes forever. I only come here with our of town guests who want a Juicy Lucy.
I would avoid.

This is definitely a small town bar atmosphere, not a lot of space, people are friendly and everything is priced well.
We sat at the bar next to the grill and got to chat with the cook which I recommend. Got the low down on the «original» controversy with a few other establishments, the president’s visit a few years ago and math problems to figure out in 62 years they have done almost 10 million burgers in that joint, impressive.
Can’t go wrong with the juicy Lucy

Trip #1:
No flavor even with the amount of cheese inside. I’ve heard from others through discussion that it’s a so called «hockey puck». If you order it with onions, you’ll simply be receiving a gourmet or glorified White Castle version of a juicy. I think they’re relying on the age of the flat top to cook flavoring into their juicy’s, but it’s not working…
Trip #2:
I dubbed my second trip, Second Chance Saturday (it was of course a Saturday) and thankfully, it’s cheap to eat here! Awards all over the place from MSP Mag for best burger and best juicy lucy and I just have one question… How? Who ever is voting for this place for these awards needs to spend some time exploring more than just 1 place, because it was still nothing to brag about! People wait in a line out the door for these and I could think of plenty of other places I would rather eat at over this place.
Trip #3:
Refuse to attempt trip #3, it’s disgusting food!

I can’t believe I forgot to write this review. I went to Minneapolis in October and I fell in love. A big part of my new love affair was because of the Juicy Lucy.
You can’t tell from looking at it, but this little piece of heaven is stuffed with cheese, gooey, delicious cheese. I ordered this with a side of skinny amazing crispy fries and a pitcher of Oktoberfest.
You should truly not visit Minneapolis without stopping to check out Matt’s Bar and the Juicy Lucy, I can’t stress this enough.

Everyone has said it and I’ll say it again, the juicy Lucy. The home of it. Love this place, awesome staff and has the family-​run, homemade feel to it. It’s been the same forever and keeps stating super busy.
A friend told me story once about this place and said that they came in a little too late and the kitchen was closing up for the night. My friend had brought an out of towner and just wanted them to get a taste of the burgers, wasn’t as concerned about her getting one. An employee noticed this and at once offered her burger that had been made only moments before the kitchen closed for them to take home with them. It seemed like the nicest gesture and I could not think of better customer service than that.
This place is awesome!

No plates.
No ice.
No liquor.
No parking.
No reservations.
No credit card — CASH ONLY
But the burgers are SO GOOD, it’s all worth it! Even the wait is worth it! I have been here twice. The first time we waited forever in line, we were squished into some seats, served quickly, and scooted out the door. The second time, one friend arrived early to save a place in line (Warning: they will not seat you until your whole party arrives, so timing in this tactic is important — or choose carefully the friends you plan to invite). It was also a Sunday afternoon at 2pm when the Vikings had a home afternoon game, and therefore, the wait was significantly shorter and they weren’t in such a hurry to get us out the door. It’s all about choosing the right date and time, people! But know that the point of coming here is for the burgers, not the experience, because it’s not about you. It’s about business.

Matt’s is worth the wait! This is the second time we’ve been here and we loved it! It’s warm and inviting. Love to see the cook working his magic! The hostess is great to offer anyone in line a beer or drink while they wait. One order of fries is enough for a table. Develop a technique for eating this deliciousity because it can get messy. Despite the long lines no one rushes you and it’s beyond enjoyable. No matter what you do when you come to the Twin Cities. .hit this gem up!

Hoo hoooo! What an experience!
1952(?)!!!
Upon being in Mn for my birthday, and never had tried a JucyLucy before, Matts became our first stop.
Upon parking, the aroma of carmelized onions assaults your senses. Your mouth will now begin watering like you have never seen before.
The restaurant itself is quite cozy. We got there at a perfect time, seeing that 20 minutes after we sat down and got our amazing BlondeBrew there was a line out the door.
I cannot explain the need to close your eyes while taking bites of this masterpiece. Felt like heaven’s gift, hidden in this small corner of this Amazing city.
The cheese is very Very tasty, but very hot. Small bites, and keep the burger facing upwards :)!
I hope I get the opportunity to come back — Real Soon

Fine dining this is not. Amazing dining… this is. Be patient and expect things to be very very messy. This place is a classic for a good reason. Our food was served in wax paper with no plates. Awesome. No complaints. :)
If you’re getting the Juicy Lucy, give it some time to cool and settle OR grab a bite as soon as it’s handed your way and BE PREPARED to burn some part of your face as you lose the majority of the cheese filling. (It’s part of the fun)
For two people, two Lucy’s and a ½ order of fries is more than enough food and salt. Regardless of how hungry you are, Matt’s Bar is a «must experience» in Minneapolis.

Yas honey! Please note this review could very well change since this is the only Jucy Lucy I’ve ever known as I’ve never been to a rival spot. A Jucy Lucy is a mythical creature. It’s a precious beef patty with the cheese of liquified Angels on the inside. (No, I don’t do drugs.) As the home of my first, I’m sold.
I’ve heard of the waits before so we came about 10 mins early on a Sunday. Parked the truck and stood outside with a group of about half a dozen already. I’m glad we got there when we did! We grabbed seats at the bar seats and placed our orders. I could already see a dozen meat patties sizzling and the aroma had my empty tummy on the fritz. The JL took a bit and the seats were filling rather quickly. We waited about 15 – 20 mins but it was well worth it. I can honestly say this may be the best sammich I’ve ever had in my life. And I never thought I’d find the perfect burger before the perfect man. The fries were alright but the Lucy was the superstar.
On a side note, I get its a dive and small but the bathroom is definitely on the scary side. I found the stair steps are rather short as well.

I don’t give two shits who invented the Juicy/​Jucy Lucy. All that matters is that it’s here at Matt’s and it is gawd damn delicious. I first heard of this legendary sandwich on Travel Channel’s Food Wars show. It also was in several searches when planning a recent Minneapolis trip. On a Saturday afternoon at around 4:30pm my girlfriend and stopped in. We were able to find street parking just around the corner. A short five minute wait to be seated. We each ordered a Jucy Lucy. No fries. I ordered a Grain Belt beer.
The sandwiches arrived within ten minutes and our waitress warned us about the «hot molten lava» known as molten cheese that could squirt on your unready face. (There’s gotta be a joke here folks but I’m not going near it.) The sandwich arrives simply wrapped in wax paper. It’s bun is white and simple. No fancy fux toasted brioche here. These are the kind of buns you buy for camping with two dollars.
TASTE: So much better than I ever expected. I was expecting a greasy fatty salty bomb. The Jucy Lucy is actually very complex in flavor. The cheese is great. I’m guessing the grill that’s been in service for several decades is the secret to this amazing beefy flavor. It’s warm, it’s gooey, it’s beefy. It’s a perfect burger for the setting.
CHANCE OF RETURN: ¹⁰⁄₁₀

Grab the famous Jucy Lucy! Just remember to wait a bit unless you want to burn your mouth with the cheese lava that flows out with each bite. Fries are huge! Wait is a bit long.
Street parking and bar looks a bit shady but well worth it. Cash only!

This was my first time eating here but unfortunately for me, the hype was bigger than the burger! I knew what to expect with the place itself; it’s small and dingy so that wasn’t an issue. I also looked past the fact that the person behind the bar was handling money and all other things and touching the burgers without gloves cos I understand it is somewhat of a bar (even though they don’t serve hard alcohol).
My problem was that this burger that got so much hype that Obama had to make his way here for, was just lacking in flavor! It was just a plain old burger with American cheese on the inside. And that would have been perfectly fine if it had good flavor but it didn’t. It wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t good either. It tasted like a burger from a fast food chain. Matt’s (or 5 – 8 Club) may claim the Lucy but that doesn’t mean they do it the best. Blue Door’s Blucy’s are much more flavorful and so are The Nook’s Lucys but I guess for the $ 7 that Matt’s charge, I shouldn’t expect too much or any type of good flavor. The friends who were with me also had Lucys and didn’t think too much of them either. We did have the fries which were nothing special either.
I left feeling unsatisfied and still hungry. I actually went home and ate something else!
Of course if you’re gonna try it, you’re gonna try it no matter what anyone says; this is just my opinion. Two stars for the price being right! Fries not included!

Everything about Matt’s Bar is pretty straight-​forward. You walk in and the place screams, «We are small, divey, and popular AF so shut up and wait — it’ll be worth it» and most importantly, «our burgers are simple and greasy and you will love them, and you’re welcome».
Our group of 5 went on a weekday for dinner, and we totally lucked out because we only waited a few minutes to get seated at a booth. Fries, Newcastle, and Juicy Lucy’s for the table was a no-​brainer. I don’t have much to say about the fries, though I usually don’t unless they’re something extraordinary or straight-​up terrible. The burgers though. Like I said, super straight-​forward. They have very little components but they’re all you need. Greasy savory patty, gooey cheese, sweet and salty sautéed onions. I commend Matt fully, because even though my Lucy was leaky, it was still a well-​received sloppy mess. Tip: don’t make many plans after, unless they consist of minimal or no body movement.
PS — They’re cash only.

Ahhhh! Stars for the experience, but not for much else. This is the kind of place you visit once to try the original Jucy Lucy, and then go somewhere else for a version that is executed better and is, overall, more tasty.
The Jucy Lucy from Matt’s Bar was probably cool at the time it was created (Okay let’s be real, it’s still cool.) but it’s truly just a greasy disc of beef with melty cheese in the middle. I’ve enjoyed the creative versions of this classic from Blue Door Pub more… Drool. This one isn’t really worth the wait in line, and dealing with the sassy waitstaff. And don’t bother with the fries unless you’re into bland freezer matchsticks. The end.

Line out the door! I suspect it’s because this joint has been featured on Food Network. But besides that, it’s a great fucking burger. We sat at the bar so we could get outta line. Barkeeptress was friendly AND efficient. We ordered our drinks and Jucy Lucies and a half order fries is «enough for two people» as she suggested.
My beer, the Fulton Lonely Blonde, was the pissiest blonde I’ve ever had, so I won’t be ordering that again. But the burger was spectacular. If you don’t know what a Jucy Lucy is, it’s a two patties cooked about medium with melty cheese cooked in between them that holds the patties together so perfectly. Bun and MINCED onions (which is so freakin tasty, I’m gonna do that to all my onions on all my burgers from now on). A couple pickles. And that’s it. It’s no more than a half pound of meat, probably less — it’s a good portion size; not too big if you’re hungry. I added ketchup. Took a bite and OUCH the cheese burned my mouth, so be careful! Fries were tastilcious, too! Dude cooks all the burgers right behind the bar! He just keeps em comin! That part is cool, too. :)

Bucket list item checked off with mediocre results.
Chances are incredibly great that you have seen Matt’s Bar on Travel Channel, Food Network, or another from of food publication as not a single conversation about Burgers can be had without their Jucy Lucy being entered into it. Some say that they invented the renowned Burger, others say that is a «damn lie» (actually heard that in Minneapolis). At any rate everyone from Slug and Ant from Atmosphere to Derek Jeter have tried the Jucy Lucy as their walls of pictures openly profess. Even Obama Barack made a stop while in the Cities.
The interior is unabashedly rustic. Okay, it is a straight up dump without a single penny of reinvestment made into it since its opening in 1954 but that is supposed to be part of its midwestern charm. The lines are atrocious and if you are outside of the building while it is raining or snowing… Well, it sucks to be you. The menu is as basic as it gets but I didn’t hear a single person order anything but the Jucy Lucy, so it wouldn’t matter anyways. They do offer an impressive array of local microbrews, which I appreciated. After about 40 minutes I secured a table and ordered the Murderapolis legend.
You to me: «So, how was it?».
Me to you: «It was… alright». No frills doesn’t begin to describe the burger. A white Bread Bun is employed as a delivery mechanism for a pair of beef patties cooked to well regardless of how you order. The pair of patties have a thick puck of processed cheese (think Kraft singles) inserted in the middle so it melts into molten lava within the beef and the only other ingredient is tart pickle chips. The table offers ketchup and mustard but that ends the option list.
And that is about all you taste. White Bread, Beef, Processed Cheese, greasy Umami and little spikes of tart from the pickle here and there. Sound too basic? It probably is. You could make this at home. Easily even. I think my expectations get away from me on this one thanks to the hype surrounding the Burger but thanks to the history and wonderful craft beer selection, I can still salvage a 3 star review for Matt’s Bar.