Matt's Bar

The overview

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.

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Google Maps
Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Matt's Bar cleared every one.

✓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 full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Original Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Matt's Bar →

Visit Matt's Bar

Websitemattsbar.com ↗

Location3500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407

In business since1954

Find them onFacebook · Tripadvisor · Yelp

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Matt's Bar — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

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 Matt's Bar cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

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.