Minneapolis is known to be the home of the Juicy Lucy. A Juicy Lucy is a hamburger that has molten cheese inside of it so that when you bite into it, the hot cheese pours out.

But which restaurant is responsible for creating the iconic burger? Which has the best?

The Juicy Lucy was born in 1954 at Matt’s Bar in south Minneapolis. Matt’s Bar is a local burger joint that is recognized all over the country. According to Matt’s Bar’s website, a local customer wanted two hamburger patties with a slice of cheese between, and from there the Jucy Lucy, as they call it at Matt’s, was born.

The 5-8 Club, another Minneapolis burger restaurant, originally opened in 1928 as a “speakeasy” and was known as the 58th Street Club. It is also known as the creator of the Juicy Lucy and claims to offer a “genuine Juicy Lucy experience.” The 5-8 Club has four locations around the Twin Cities.

I have tried a Juicy Lucy from both restaurants, and I think Matt’s Bar offers the better burger. Both burgers were delicious, but Matt’s had more flavor. However, I had to wait a bit for the burger to cool down before I ate it, which is typical of a Juicy Lucy given that the cheese inside is incredibly hot.

Matt’s has had some big names come and try their delicious burger.

Barack Obama tried the Jucy Lucy at Matt’s on June 26, 2014 when he visited Minneapolis.

Travel Channel’s “Food Wars” did an episode determining which Juicy Lucy was better between Matt’s Bar and The 5-8 Cub. Matt’s Jucy Lucy won in a blind taste test.

Other restaurants around the Twin Cities have their own versions of the Juicy Lucy. At this point, the burger has become a Midwestern masterpiece.

Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine has Matt’s Bar at the top of their list for the best Juicy Lucy restaurant. The Nook, The 5-8 Club, The Cooper and Blue Door Pub are also listed.

The Nook is close to St. Thomas, located at 492 Hamline Ave in St. Paul. Titled after the restaurant, the Juicy Nookie burger is their take on the classic. I recently tried it, and it was very good. But, it was not as good as Matt’s Jucy Lucy.

I would recommend going out to Matt’s, The 5-8 Club and The Nook to try all the burgers for yourself. It is fun to see which restaurant has the best Juicy Lucy!

Rae Beaner can be reached at rnbeaner696@stkate.edu.