Burger Night: The Jucy Lucy Story

By Don Hazelwood

October 23, 2o25

If you know me, you know I love a good burger. I’m not sure what it is about seasoned ground beef cooked just right, tucked into a soft bun with the perfect toppings, but it might just be the best meal ever created. Whenever I travel, I make a point to hunt down the best burger in the area. It’s part of the adventure. Before every trip, I do a little research, read a few reviews, and pick one spot known for serving a memorable burger.

Tonight, I want to talk about one of the best burgers I’ve ever had, the legendary Jucy Lucy.

The Jucy Lucy isn’t your typical cheeseburger. Instead of cheese sitting on top of the patty, it’s sealed inside, waiting to burst out in a molten, gooey wave the moment you take that first bite. It’s one of those burgers that makes you stop, chew slowly, and think, “Who came up with this idea?”

Like most great food stories, the Jucy Lucy comes with a bit of friendly rivalry. Both Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club in Minneapolis claim to be the birthplace of this iconic burger. According to one version of the story, sometime in the 1950s, a customer at Matt’s Bar asked for two patties with a slice of cheese in between. When he bit into it and the hot cheese came pouring out, he shouted, “That’s one juicy Lucy!” Another version says Matt Bristol, the owner himself, came up with the idea while making a double cheeseburger for a customer. However it started, it caught on fast.

Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club are only about three miles apart, and their rivalry has been going strong ever since. Each claims to make the real deal. Matt’s spells it “Jucy” with the missing vowel, which, according to legend, was a typo on the original menu. The 5-8 Club stuck with the traditional spelling, “Juicy Lucy.” Personally, I think there might be a bit of marketing going on by removing the vowel to attract attention while differentiating at the same time.

No matter which bar truly invented it, the Jucy Lucy is a work of burger genius. The secret is in the seal. You have to press the edges of the patty just right so the cheese stays inside while it cooks. Too thin, and the cheese leaks out. Too thick, and the outside burns before the center melts. When you nail it, the result is pure magic, rich, savory, and dangerously cheesy. It’s the kind of burger that makes you forget you even ordered fries.

Tonight, in honor of the Minnesota Vikings playing on Thursday Night Football, I cooked up my version of the Jucy Lucy for October’s Burger Night. The key is simple: season your ground beef well and cook it slow. Each burger starts as a little bit more two eighth-pound patties with a quarter slice of cheese tucked in the middle. Let them cook patiently, no pressing, then give them a little time to rest before serving.

My version has a bit of a twist with a bit of “shredduce,” and a touch of Russian dressing added to the standard pickle and onion on the original. It’s messy, it’s melty, and it’s spot-on for Burger Night.

If you decide to make one yourself, have plenty of napkins ready. You’ll definitely need them