Matt's Bar
Best Original Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis · MN
Fear the cheese since 1954
Matt's Bar, a South Minneapolis dive since 1954, is home of the original 'Jucy Lucy' — spelled without the 'i' — the molten-cheese-stuffed burger it claims to have invented when a customer asked for cheese inside the patty. It's flat-topped, wax-paper-wrapped, and best after it cools a minute.
Cash-only and gloriously unglamorous, Matt's has drawn presidents and food-TV crews to its cramped booths, feeding the friendly rivalry with the 5-8 Club over who made the first Lucy.
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Matt's Bar met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Minneapolis since 1954 — 71 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Minneapolis.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Minneapolis has kept Matt's Bar busy for 71 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Minneapolis regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best original Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis for 2025 for the molten cheese-stuffed burger that made a Cedar Avenue bar a pilgrimage site.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Original Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Matt's Bar
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Matt's Bar.
- Legal / trading name
- Matt's Bar
- Category
- Bar
- Founded
- 1954, Minneapolis, MN
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
- Centurion Award
- Best Original Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Matt's Bar against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Matt's Bar?
Matt's Bar has grilled its Jucy Lucy on Cedar Avenue since 1954, misspelling and all, drawing everyone from locals to presidents.
Is Matt's Bar award-winning?
Yes — Matt's Bar is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Original Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best original Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis for 2025 for the molten cheese-stuffed burger that made a Cedar Avenue bar a pilgrimage site.
Where is Matt's Bar?
Matt's Bar is in Minneapolis, MN.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.