Matt's Bar

I had heard about Minnesota's state burger for the past few years.  I have heard them called inside out burgers, stuffed burgers, but we I think we all know them as a Juicy Lucy.  The spelling and varieties differ from place to place but you get the point!  It’s a burger with all the topping stuffed inside.  Back in the day, my mother and I went to the Taste of Minnesota on Harriet Island in St. Paul.  It was there I had my first ‘stuffed burger’.  This was before the TV was full of shows dedicated to the local hot spots.  The stuffed burger I had there did not come close to the one I enjoyed at Matt's Bar in Minneapolis.  I’m not going to get into a debacle  about who created the first Jucy Lucy; Matt's Bar or the 5:8 Club (the final answer is still up in the air).  Both are located about a mile apart on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis.  

Business:  Matt’s Bar

Location:  3500 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407   

Surroundings:  Matt's bar is located in a residential neighborhood and believe me, it’s a true neighborhood joint.  As I walked up to the front door, a line of people waiting to get in greeted me.  As you can imagine, I was concerned that I would have to wait forever to try a Minnesota icon.  As I talked to a man and his wife outside, it was apparent that the line was there because Matt's didn't open until 11:00am.  Fear not, I only had about five minutes before it opened.  

Walking through the doorway was like walking back in time.  The walls were dark brown paneling and the booths were showing their wear.  There was even a sign that discouraged the smoking of pipes and clove cigarettes.  We all know that Minnesota outlawed smoking in public places about eight years ago.  It looked like the newest thing in the bar were the rope lights above the bar.  

Some people might be turned away by the looks of Matt's but don’t.  Just think of it as your local small town place that you can go to for a casual and unique experience.  Matt's Bar is a small town, local joint that the city has grown up around.

Atmosphere:  Being at Matt's when they opened for the day, I was able to get a table right away but it didn’t take long for the place to fill up.  The staff consisted of a waitress, a bartender (who yelled over the bar to take our order), and a cook (more on the cook in a bit), and they all looked like they enjoyed doing their jobs.  The customers were all very talkative and the ones standing in line didn’t seem to mind the wait.  After a few bites I could understand why.  

Not to take anything away from the other two workers, but the cook definitely knew what he was doing behind that six foot flat top.  From the time we walked in, the cook was busy loading up the griddle with burgers and it was never empty.  He also had to work the fryers and plate the food.  I use the term “plate” loosely as the burgers come on a piece of wax paper and the fries in a basket.  He had cooking, frying, and “plating” down to a science.  Where a lesser cook would have crumbled under the pressure of the order, he didn’t so much as bat an eyelash.    

Food:  As I stated before, the burger was cooked on a flat top griddle so that means there is a nice, flavorful crust.  I have had other flat top burgers but none that had this much crunch and flavor.  Once I was able to pierce the crust, I could taste a classic beef taste.  The meat is pattied fresh every morning.  I know this because the burgers were sitting on the bar as we walked into the place.  From there, my teeth punctured the molten hot, liquid cheese.  What a feeling!  Is there anything better than the mixture of hot melted cheese and natural beef juices?  I don’t think so!  The bun brought the whole thing together.  Freshly baked at a nearby bakery; classic white and pillowy soft.  

If you are looking for a great burger without a lot of unnecessary extras, Matt’s Bar is the place to go.  The whole place is classic and you feel like you belong as soon as you walk in the door.  While it may not be the fanciest or newest place on the market, there is definitely a reason it has been open since 1954.  Great food and even better service are the reasons that a place like Matt’s continues to pack people in on a daily basis.  The waitress told me that there is a line out the door until 9:30 pm every Saturday.  Now that’s good business.        

Price:  $ out of $$$$

Rating:  5 out of 5