Matt's Bar

The Juicy Lucy is a beloved Minneapolis specialty, and a heated local controversy: both Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club each claim to have invented the cheese-stuffed burger. Although the real answer may be lost to history, Matt’s Bar gets our vote for the nostalgia: they’re still serving them decades later in a narrow, memorabilia-lined space that hasn’t changed all that much since the restaurant opened in the 1950s. Be careful with your first bite: the molten cheese has burned many a tongue. Know that the restaurant only accepts cash and local checks—and insists on the spelling "Jucy Lucy"—but there’s an ATM on-site.

photo credit: Moonlit Road