matt's bar

i know one might hear some hype about st. paul jucy's, but matt's has the best jucy lucy anywhere. theplaceis brilliant; no ice, no plates, no silverware, just beers and burgers with respectable counterpart anywhere else in the twin cities.

juicy perfection aka "lucy". we got off the plane in minneapolis and the first thing we did after renting a car was go to matt's bar, and boy we were not disappointed. cozy little "hole in the wall" that felt warm. the waitress was friendly. the burger was warm and oozing with cheese, two of us split one burger and 1/2 basket of fries. that burger was just divine, absolutely stunningly tasty. the cheese just made the burger, we even scraped up what we could from the "cheese paper" (the wrapper). we will make sure that we visit thisplaceevery time we go back to mn.

first jucy lucy.. this was my first "jucy lucy" and i was not disappointed. when you walk in you get that distinct smell of fresh, not frozen patties on the grill. the burger was awesome and i enjoyed the large portion of shoestring fries. wish they made onion rings but i'll live. thisplaceis old school and i love it. didn't get to try the jukebox up front but i will be back.

minnesota food history 101. if you have never been to matt's you are not from minneapolis. thisplacewill take you back in time to ghost of minneapolis past. its like a museum, except here you can even eat the delicious greasy history.

the food is by far the most iconic american cuisine in the twin cities. huge baskets of fries, beer, and the holy grail of burgers, the jucy lucy. if you don't like biting into a meaty cheese waterfall of pure beefy goodness, then you are a vegetarian and i feel sadness in my heart for you.

head down on a perfect summer night, get some beer and get binge on this piece of americana.

the juicy lucy is your friend.. never mind that the cheese is scalding your chin while it oozes out of your mouth. thisplaceis a real old school burger joint that leaves you smelling like a burger the rest of the night. the coolest part about it.... the cheese injected into the center of the burger. this is quite an incredible way to experience a burger. we recommend you make it to matt's bar as soon as you can.

tasty "lucy". i of course had the jucy lucy, and the pervious posts weren't joking when they said to wait a few min before you take a bite. anyways, it's a seat yourself kindaplaceand it's small, so i would avoid it during peak times since you might be waiting for awhile. bring cash or have a check with you, but they have an atm just in case.

i thought the jucy lucy was very tasty, but i would die happy if lion's tap made those. oh, and the beer's cheap too :-)

best lucy in town. if you're looking for an awesome, standard jucy lucy, matt's is theplaceto go. the cheese oozes out like a miracle. other places try to get their recipe just right to recreate this blessing of a burger and can't just seem to get it right.

burgers are big, filling, full of cheese, and the fries are awesome. you'll be sated for the rest of the day.

simple meals and reasonable fares. goodplacefor a quick bite.

verdict ::

food :: 4.5/5
service :: 4.5/5
ambience :: 4/5
value for money :: 3.5/5
overall :: 4/5

decent food and largely inexpensive food. goodplacefor anyone looking for a quick bite .

verdict ::
food :: 3.5/5
service :: 4/5
ambience :: 4.5/5
value for money :: 3/5
overall :: 4/5

crowdedplaceand quite difficult to get a seat. has a lot of mcd style fries that hit the spot.

food: 4/5
service: 4.5/5
ambience: 4/5
value for money: 3.5/5
overall: 4/5

if you want a fancy meal in a quiet, intimate setting, thisplaceis not for you. if you want a no frills meal that is cheap, you've come to the right place. theplaceis crowded, so expect to wait. if you order the jucy lucy (yes, that is how they spell it), the wait will be worth it. thisplaceclaims to be the creator of the jucy (juicy) lucy, and it's so damn good, i'm not going to argue. a word of warning: when they tell you to take small bites, you best heed that advice. the cheese in the center is extremely hot, it will squirt onto your fingers, and it will hurt. but, it will not take away from the awesomeness that is a matt's bar jucy lucy.

while many new restaurants seem to believe mixing the most audacious combination of colors or gluttonous ingredients together on instagram is the key to success there are certain spots who’ve been dabbling in the world of #yolkporn and #cheesepulls for decades, perhaps first and foremost amongst them matt’s bar where the “jucy lucy” has been tempting minnesotans since 1954.

originally opened in 1950 but only becoming a local landmark after its purchase by matt bristol, a local man with previous restaurant experience who decided he’d rather own a bar, matt’s bar occupies an unassuming space at 3500 cedar avenue south yet from 11am until midnight or later each day one can rest assured there will likely be a wait.

probably best termed a “dive bar” in the most praiseful way possible, an obituary to the late-owner found amidst shirts and photos on the wall, it was only five minutes after servers unlocked doors on sunday that a booth was occupied in the back-right corner, only one other group of six already present as nfl pre-game played prominently on televisions at the bar.

prominently displaying “cash only” signs around the brief menu of burgers, fries, grilled cheese and chicken, though all anyone seemed to be ordering was the first two plus beer, it was investing $7.50 plus tax and tip that one of the misspelled classics was requested, the forty-five minute wait admittedly unexpected and spent watching the room fill as tunes from journey and johnny cash filled the air.

perplexed by the delay but with noplaceelse to be on the last day of vacation it was finally without explanation or excuse that the jucy lucy arrived wrapped in paper, the bun no better than one might find at their locally grocery store while beef was slightly charred and not particularly noteworthy save for the cheese core that appears to be cheddar tinged pink with blood.

the politics and attitudes around getting a seat in thisplacebrought my rating down a bit. the jucy lucy was great and the mcd's style fries hit the spot.

thisplacewas pretty terrible. i had eaten at the 5-8 club many times, and tried matts bar for comparison with a friend. we could not fathom why anyone argues withplacehas the better juicy lucy. very disappointed.

this is my 2nd favoriteplacefor a "jucy lucy". i always end up getting 2 because they are kind of small. you sometimes have to wait but it's good food.