My husband is a burger connoisseur. Wherever we travel, he scopes out the best burgers around. Of course, this means that on any given trip, we'll eat burgers a few times. But!! On a trip to Minnesota, a burger lover is rewarded by a Juicy Lucy.

Do you know the Juicy Lucy? It's a hamburger with molten cheese inside. YUM.   A Juicy Lucy is a Minnesota Institution. It is a large hamburger, formed around a big chunk of cheese.

Be Careful! A Juicy Lucy tongue burn will leave you tasting nothing for a week.  The molten cheese oozes out and, I have to say, is Incredibly Delicious.

We've previously eaten them at Matt's Bar (one creator of the Jucy Lucy) and loved them (Note the spelling - Matt's leaves out the I in juicy). A neighborhood bar, Matt's is a Minneapolis tradition. It's also a dive bar with spotty service. The Jucy Lucy? Delicious.
 

We've tried the Juicy Lucy at Adrian's Tavern, in Minneapolis. Also delicious (with an extra slice of cheese on top), but the atmosphere is a dive like Matt's, and not so family-friendly. We were looking for a Great Juicy Lucy, at a restaurant where we could take our 7yo daughter. 

Let's see who has the best Juicy Lucy burger in Minneapolis...
 

Here are 2 Best Juicy Lucy Burgers in the Cities

Shamrock's Nook

They don't call it a Juicy Lucy, but it's still a burger with molten cheese at the core - the Juicy Nookie Burger. The Nook's Juicy Lucy was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Barbra Streisand noted that "I had the best Juicy Lucjy I've ever had at Casper & Runyon's Nook on Hamline Ave in St. Paul."

This one was recommended to us by our friend Chuck, at Explore Minnesota. BOY he gets points for this one! Ed loved his burger, and the onion rings were thick and juicy. I ordered a fish sandwich because I was tired of burgers by this time. Also delicious. Go for the Paul Molitor Burger, a Juicy Nookie burger stuffed with Pepper Cheese.

Juicy Nookie Burger

Bar atmosphere with international decorations (but mostly Irish). Our daughter loved that the walls had huge murals - and some paint that glowed in blue lights. We went at lunch and it was perfectly family-friendly. There were plenty of office people at lunch, groups of older folks, and a few families.

Shamrock's Nook has won local awards - including from Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, Minnesota Monthly, and City Pages.

Juicy Nookie Burger - $7.95

Casper & Runyon's Shamrock's Nook: A Small place with big burgers
419 Hamline Ave. S, in St. Paul, MN
651-698-4347

crnook.com

The 5-8 Club

Another place that claims to have created the Juicy Lucy (along with Matt's Bar), the 5-8 Club is a family-friendly restaurant. Fresh-made coleslaw, fresh baked buns, fresh ground hamburger - and, of course, the Juicy Lucy. They also have a cousin to the half-pound Juicy Lucy, the Saucy Sally. The Saucy Sally is a half-pound burger stuffed with secret sauce, topped with cheese, lettuce, onions, and a smear of Thousand Island Dressing.  Delicious!

Saucy Sally

In addition, they had the best onion rings I've ever had. You get a HUGE basket (don't worry, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to eat them all) of very thin and crispy onion straws. Magnifique!

Onion Straws

This year is their 81st Anniversary. The 5-8 Club has been awarded Best Juicy Lucy in many contests, incluing Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, AOL City Guide, City Pages, and Best of Citysearch Top 10. They have three locations in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. We went to the main one on South Cedar.

Juicy Lucy burger - $4.95
Biggest basket of crazy good onion straws you've ever eaten: $5.25

The 5-8 Club
5800 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55417

5-8club.com

As always with a juicy lucy burger, wait a little bit before biting in! You don't want to burn your tongue on the molten cheese.
 

So, Who has the Best Juicy Lucy in Minneapolis?

Our factors? Taste! Menu. Family-friendly restaurant. Prompt service with a smile. And, Onion Rings.  

The Best Juicy Lucy in the Twin Cities belongs to...the 5-8 Club...

with Shamrock's Nook coming in a close 2nd. If the service had been a bit better there, the contest would have been closer!

Congrats to both restaurants for serving GREAT meals! We can't wait to go back...