Went to the famous 5-8 Club for my Birthday dinner. I appreciated the sign letting us know to seat ourselves (I'm usually the guy giving a blank stare to a waiter or waitress at the front of the restaurant wanting to know if it's OK to sit anywhere). I of course do what you are suppose to do and ordered the infamous Juicy Lucy plus some french fries and my G.F. ordered the same with onion rings. The french fries had a great crunch to them but I found myself needing to dunk them in ketchup or wash them down with beer since they were so dry. They onion ring's breading was great -- it had a beautiful crunch to it. The Juicy Lucy was a good size and came with a fair amount of cheese stuffed in the middle, but like the fries I had to wash it down with a beer or add ketchup. I was surprised that a burger with so much cheese in it would run my mouth dry. Overall not bad food.
Review Source:If you know Twin Cities food then you likely know the Juicy Lucy. Â If you know the Juicy Lucy then you likely know the 5-8 Club and that other establishment just up the Cedar and their rivalry for who created the Juicy Lucy and who has the best. Â I've been to both and honestly, I don't have strong opinions on which has the best and really don't care who created it first. Â
Today was my first visit to the 5-8 Club, which is somewhat surprising considering it's within reasonable lunch driving distance from work. Â We arrived pretty much at the peak of the lunch hour on a Friday and the place was packed. Â Despite that, we were seated promptly. Â 3 of us ordered the blue cheese lucy and the other two had the regular lucy. Â Food was delivered to us very quickly which, considering how busy they were was impressive. Â Everyone liked their burger and fries. Â My burger was cooked perfectly and stuffed with lovely melty blue cheese. Â Fries were hot and crispy.
I'll definitely be back here for lunch again. Â Probably not some place I'd go to for happy hour or dinner though since it looked like their beer selection was pretty much macro-brews.
I was shocked that a vegan would be able to eat here. This is my brother's favorite burger place so he wanted to take my family. I was skeptical. They do, however, have a veggie burger on the menu. Our server was very nice and was happy to go check whether the patty was vegan or not. It was! it is a Cisco brand black bean patty. Not the greatest veggie burger in the world, but it was good.
I had fried onions on my burger which was very good. The burgers do not come with any veggies though. I have never had a burger that did not come with lettuce, tomato, and onions standard. I missed them quite a bit.
The fries were quite good too. They finished off my meal well.
I'm sure my brother will take me back at some point. I will be less concerned next time since I know that vegans and vegetarians can eat something here. It won't be the best veggie burger you have had, but you will be able to eat.
On our last day to eat in Twin Cities, we decided to hit up a bunch of places before going back to Vegas. One of the places had to be 5-8 Club for their Juicy Lucy.
I've had the Jucy Lucy at Matt's Bar a couple of years ago while visiting twin cities. Finally got a chance to do the taste test at 5-8 Club. 5-8 blows Matt's bar out of the sky. Fellow yelper and girlfriend agreed also. EYE LIKA CHU PEOPLES!!!
We got the regular Juicy Lucy with raw onions on the side. Their burger really stood out compared to the other place. When we had the one at Matt's Bar, we all said that it was AIGHT. After finishing the Juicy Lucy at 5-8 Club, we both wanted to eat more. Unfortunately we had to skidaddle and inhale other dishes at other eateries.
5-8 Club is a definite come back the next time I'm visiting.
YAY! I'M A FAN!!!
Yep, saw this on TV, the Juicy Lucy war. Â Very Very unique Burger. Â Hard to judge, this place - i need a special category for these burgers. Â Very nice place, more family friendly. Â The cheese filled burger was as good as it sounds and looks. Â The bun was good, but not as good as Matt's. I liked the fries here better than Matt's, both were awesome and to die for, and a MUST Do when in MSP. Â Family liked this one best overall - i leaned more towards Matt's if i had two of them.
--Ribchamp
The moment my husband saw Juicy Lucy in Man vs. Food, he promised to himself that he'd go there when he had a chance. So when their department was sent to Minneapolis for a conference, he brought me and my 18 month old son with him and 5-8 Club  was in our "MUST VISIT" list.
We went to the "other" jucy lucy and found that it was more of a bar than a restaurant and was not that kid-friendly so we went to 5-8 club with high hopes that it'd reach my husband's expectation (more of his excitement and "dream"). When we were asked of our orders we didn't have to think twice, we ordered what's the restaurant was known for...Juicy Lucy! Our eyes met on our first bite and we were both speechless, just enjoyed the moment. It was so delicious and juicy! The melted cheese inside the juicy burger patty was just to die for. The meal has fries and coleslaw.
We arrived there at around 10-ish pm on a Sunday night so there were only a few customers there and we were able to find a booth. There's also plenty of parking space. Very nice server, too.
Never felt the love for this place. Â I am into the dive burger type of places, but the food just didn't stand-up to the general strangeness of this place.
Tables are close together and there is a front and back part. Â On weekends it gets busy early. Â Service was on the slow side.
The Juicy Lucy was OK, but nothing better than others around town. Â Fries were really boring. Â Pretty mediocre overall.
Too many great burgers around town for us to return.
My brother lives a few blocks away from here so I'd always been dying to try this place out. Â Wow! Â The burgers here... well I can't say anything that hasn't been said before. Â My girlfriend loved her burger as much as I did and we both like the huge onion rings. Â So handy having this great little place so close to the airport after I pick her up. Â Love it!
Review Source:Being from California, I'd heard of the Juicy Lucy and had to give it a try when I was in Minneapolis. Â The Juicy Lucy, in case you're wondering, is a burger where the patty is stuffed with cheese as opposed to the cheese laying on top. Â Yum!
It's sort of hidden in a neighborhood-y area, and frankly, I was looking for Matt's Bar (by foot) and ran across 5-8 Club on accident when I was on the wrong path. Â
Very nice servers. Â Quick, too. Â I ordered with the addition of grilled onions. Â It comes with fries. Â If you order the Juicy Lucy, you have the choice of what type of cheese you would like to have in the center. Â I went with American, because that just says good ol' fashioned cheeseburger to me. :) Â I'm sure it would be great with any cheese! Â I'd try blue next time. Â
First bite, and it was heavenly! Â The cheese is super hot as it comes oozing out when you bite into the burger, but oh so good. Â The bun was great, too. Â Fries! Â Tasty! Â It also comes with a tiny cup of cole slaw. Â Just your classic cole slaw - slightly sweet but not too watery. Â Very good. Â
I'd definitely come here again. Â For less than $9, you get a big cheeseburger, fries, cole slaw, and it all comes out very quickly. Â It's not a gourmet burger by any means, but it's a thick patty and it does the word "cheeseburger", justice.
I have to say, I saw this place on the Food Network. Â When I was there for work, there's no way that I wasn't going to try a Juicy Lucy. Â
I have to say, I was impressed and almost ordered a second one. Â
Now, the place is SMALL...so if you want to get right in, get there early or hope that there's a seat to sit down. Â We were lucky and found a two top in the bar area. Â So we sat right down.
The service was very good...and she was very helpful for a new person to the Jucy Lucy. Â Got it with grilled onions...and I would say do the same.
If I'm back in the area....I'm going back for another one.
Had our first outing at the 5 8 Club last weekend with some friends. Had to wait for about 20 minutes for a table (9:00 on a Saturday night) but well worth the wait. My son had the Juicy Lucy and loved it. I had the Saucy Sally and loved it although just a bit too much 1000 island for me but still delish. My wife had the turkey burger and was not impressed. The patty was real small and thin and had little to no taste. She claims she was trying to "be good" and ordering on the healthy side, just goes to show you it doesn't always work.
Highly recommend the 5 8 club. Great service and great burgers.
I've lived in Minneapolis now for several years and actually have never had a Juicy Lucy. Â So, thought I'd go to the originator and give it a try. Â Not really sure what the hubbub is all about...even though the price is right (8.99 for a burger, fries, and slaw) I think you can get better burgers in the cities even if the cheese doesn't happen to be in the middle. Â If the Juicy Lucy is the Twin Cities food institution, we need to step up our game a little.
On the plus side, the outdoor patio is really nice and great for groups. Â Our server was incredibly fast - "can I have another beer? Â Blam! Â There it was"
To be fair, I'd probably have enjoyed 5-8 much more had it not been for the whole rivalry with Matt's. Frankly, if you're comparing the Ju(i)cy Lucy's at both establishments... there's really no comparison. Matt's has those amazing tiny caramelized onions; at 5-8 you get a large, slimy piece of sweated onion. The crispy brown bits from all the Maillard reaction action that happens at Matt's... it's just not existent here.
So let's remove the rivalry from the equation. When you do that, 5-8 is not bad. It's a cool little pub, with an interesting history, a decent amount of seating, a varied menu, and the food is not too shabby. It's true that the service is a little slow, and perhaps they could hire a few more servers to handle the consistently full house of customers. But I wouldn't be opposed to coming back to try a Saucy Sally, or a Big Jim... it's just not the go-to place for a Jucy Lucy, in my opinion.
So my last review went on about how I find this location frustrating with its slow service and how their softball sponsorship was difficult and downright frustrating as I had never received the check that was promised.
A manager from the restaurant messaged me promptly asking for details and was tactfully apologetic for my experience. They then looked into their records and found that $212.50 was still due to me and sent me the check THE next day.
I work at a place where without customer service, there is no business and that can make me a tough critic. But I have to say that I commend the 5-8 for not giving up on an upset customer and resurrecting that experience into a positive memorable one.
Thanks 5-8 for not giving up on me. Therefore, I will not give up on you and we will see you soon. :-)
In the Matt's Bar vs. 5-8 Club Juicy Lucy Challenge... My vote is for 5-8 Club. Â Reasons:
1. Â Fresh Baked Buns from a local bakery
2. Â You get to choose your cheese filling (american, pepper jack, or bleu)
3. Â Onion rings are on the menu (not much of a french fry kinda girl)
4. Â The cheese is gooey and delicious, but less runny than Matt's Juicy Lucy which means more cheesy bites than Matt's
I'd come back. Â My friend had the Saucy Sally - he said it might be the best burger he's ever had. Â That's a bold statement. Â Dont know if I agree, but they're definitely tasty.
See pics of the Juicy Lucy & the Saucy Sally
It's as usual, seat yourself service. The tables and chairs in the restaurant are placed so tightly together, it's difficult to walk through to get to the patio or to go to the restroom nearby. I didn't like all the squeezing between tables, people and chairs, it was claustrophobic.
The patio area is more spacious with large picnic benches and no crowd problems.
We tried the pizza jo's appetizers and pig pen wontons appetizers. The pizza jo's come in a huge basket and could be shared between 3 -4 people. It was very cheesy and tasty(but not very healthy!). The wontons were okay, pretty greasy, not too crunchy and was just okay.
I had the rueben sandwich which was tasty but not my favorite kind of meat. I thought it would have pastrami, but it was some other kind of meat. The bread itself is toasted and greasy.
You'd probably get a heart attack if you ate here everyday, but once in a while it's alright. Â I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but if you're starving and want some greasy food, this would be the place to be.
It is good and has a nice Juicy Lucy... It allows you to pick different cheeses which is fun. Â They have a full menu and nice onion strings. Â To be honest I was kind of meh on the place having already had the Jucy Lucy at Matt's which I though was better.
Still, the 5-8 club isn't a bad burger joint.
On our vacation to Minneapolis, we knew that we wanted to try a Juicy Lucy. We got there about 2pm but it was still pretty busy! But we grabbed a seat on their covered patio, which was nice considering there was a ton of cotton floating around.
I opted for a Saucy Sally while my fiance had the Juicy Lucy with American. I loved my burger, I liken it to a much better Big Mac, since it has the Thousand Island dressing on it. I had a bite of the Juicy Lucy as well, but I preferred mine because it had more flavor!
My family  is probably going to disown me for writing this next sentence: I thought the Juicy Lucy at 5-8 was better than Matt's. Let me explain myself. 58 seems to use a little more cheese and if there's one thing I like on my brger, it's more cheese. Also, the one at the 58 was cooked a bit more rare. I don't like my burgers overcooked and I overlook that fact at matt's because I do like their Jucy's, but I definitely prefer the less cooked burger.
What I didn't like about the 5-8 was their fries. Matt's fries blow theirs out of the water. Also, 5-8 is NOT the original home of the Jucy Lucy
I was in the Twin Cities for the fourth time and I still hadn't had a Juicy Lucy there (I had had stuffed burgers in Nola). So when I got picked up at the airport, I told my local friend that I needed to go to a good spot for Juicy Lucys. He recalled going to this place with his brother and off we were.
Thank goodness for GPS systems because we had to drive through not-so-well-lit neighborhood streets to get there.
Once we were there, everything went smoothly. We must have beat the dinner crowd, because we were able to sit down right away. We each ordered a beer and a Juicy Lucy. I got the original with American cheese and my buddy J got one with Swiss. We both made ours baskets, me with onion rings and J with fries.
The burger was good, but it was a little bit too dry, not doing justice to part of its name "juicy." Onion rings were delicious. And I was stuffed by the time I emptied my basket into my tummy. J, wiser than I, didn't have very many of his fries, but I think he enjoyed his burger.
Our server kept checking in with us to make sure we had everything we needed.
I think we each spent about $13 for a burger and a beer + tax and tip. Not bad.
I kinda wish I could've gone to other places that serve the Juicy Lucy while in the Twin Cities so I can make a fair comparison, but it was a 48-hour trip and I didn't really want another burger. Next time...
I decided to check out this place with a friend that was visiting from Iowa, who never had a juicy lucy or even heard of it before. Â I have had juicy lucys before at the Nook and Blue Door pub, and I wanted to check out this place as it was supposed to be one the places that was considered the birth place of the juicy lucy. Â
Overall, I would say my burger was good, but I have had more flavorful juicy lucys at the Blue Door Pub and the Nook. The bun just seemed to taste stale to me which threw off the taste of the burger. Â I will say at a half pound, the burger is on the cheaper side for the size of the burger; however, I want quality of quantity.
The service was a little on the lacking side which is why this is a 3 star instead of a 4 star review. Â My friend and I were seated at the bar since there was not a table open which is fine. Â What was not cool, was the fact that we were promptly ignored for about 10 minutes before we were asked if we wanted a beer. Â Once we got our beers, it took about another 10 minutes before the bartender came back to take our order. Â Yes, the bar was busy, but not when we first arrived at around 4:30pm and there were a couple other servers that were standing at the bar that could have helped out the bartender. Â
Overall, the price was reasonable. Â For 4 Nordeast, 2 Juicy Lucy's and an order of fries, our total to about $30. Â Based on the level of service and not being wowed by the burger, I wouldn't make a special trip there again, but I would go back if I was in the area.
5-8 Club has to be the reason why Minnesota is one of the top state to live in. Â Best 6 dollars, I've ever spent on a hamburger. Â Why? The answer is quite simple, they give you a half pound patty stuffed with all the things that make you stomach worship you. Gluttony, might be sin, and I would risk purgatory for these hamburgers any day. Â Out of the five days I spent in Minnesota, 2 of them were at 5-8 club, standing in line, while it was raining, hoping to get a seat in this homey restaurant, so I can get my hands on these succulent burgers. Â A must try, if you ever come to Minnesota.
Must Haves:
1. SENORITA LUCITA: half pound patty, chipotle sauce, jack cheese, chipotle pepper, and pico de gallo
2. JUICY LUIGI: half pound patty, mozzarella cheese, marinara
3. PHILLY CHEESE STEAK: was delicious
The 5-8 Club was our last stop to compare Juicy Lucy's and it did not disappoint. Â The hardest part for us was finding the place. Â Not from this part of the city, I found it to be a little challenging to find but it was worth it.
The wait was about a half hour but they really keep things moving and you can tell the people working here are more than likely long time employees.
We ordered the extreme jojos for an appetizer and they were delicious. Â JoJo's topped with cheese, chili, jalapenos, and served with sour cream. Â Whats not to like right? Â We gobbled those down and waited patiently for our Lucy's to arrive.
Our Lucy's came and they were perfect. Â No pink for me and that's exactly what i got. Â The cheese was plentiful and oozed out nice and slow. Â My vote is in and I vote the 5-8 as the best Lucy for me. Â My daughter still has not given me her final vote yet; I think she is debating between 5-8 and Blue Door pub.
I found the atmosphere to be casual and comfortable and service to be exceptionally good considering how many tables this girl had.
We most definitely will be back.
I was recently introduced to the beauty that is a Jucy(Juicy) Lucy and was excited to try 5-8 Club's version. Â Let me just be blunt in saying that I was left thinking "not worth the wait in line".
We ordered the fried mushrooms to start and I will say their crunchy, crisp coating left me anticipating the main event. Â Sadly, two bites into the "Classic Juicy Lucy", I was left longing for Matt's. Â The beef itself was not seasoned well and frankly had kind of an off flavor overall to me. Â I did not get the beautiful gush of cheese that I pretty much live for out of the middle. Â The fries were also lackluster and in need of a dusting of salt.
I really thought there could be no such thing as a bad Lucy...but I was wrong. Â
Team Matt's!
Much has been said already so I will just chime in quickly.
Pros: lots of seating compared to Matt's, many varieties of burgers (including the modest but good GCB) and other stuff, yummy bountiful sides, pretty good service, lots of tradition.
Cons: burgers can sometimes be dry or just too big to eat when you get a basket full of fries, the extreme jojos are scary, can be so busy sometimes that you just turn around and leave, great first impression wears off after a while.
Note: I have freed the cheese.
The 5-8 is a Minnesota burger institution which is why it pains me to only rate this place three stars. Â I've been to both this location and the one in Champlin and have never had bad service at either place. Â My friend and I stopped here on our way back from the MOA and wanted to grab a quick lunch while we were in the area. Â
Although it was a Saturday afternoon we were seated relatively quickly and able to place our orders right away. Â Burgers are ordered separately from sides like fries and potato wedges which cost extra. Â Our Lucys arrived not too long after we placed our orders, which was amazing given how busy it was in the restaurant. Â
I ordered the standard Lucy with American cheese and a potato wedges to accompany my burger. Â Everything was cooked the way I liked it, but there was just something missing. Â I can't tell you exactly what was absent from my burger but I suppose a little seasoning might have helped. My potato wedges and coleslaw were pretty standard, but in all honestly it's not these food items that bring people back.
My rating is based on my experience with the 5-8 Club's Juicy Lucy.
Having tried the Juicy Lucy at Matt's, The Groveland Tap, and the 5-8 Club, I can say that this Lucy is a distant third.
The Lucy's at the 5-8 club are stunning example of quantity over quality. Â They offer a handful of variations to the classic Lucy. Â The patties larger and more filling but completely unsatisfying. Â The meat was dry and devoid of flavor, the cheese was not gooey or juicy, and the bun was stale. Â It is hard for me to believe that this is even compared to Matt's Lucy. Â I have a passion for spicy food and was delighted when I saw the Pepper Lucy on the menu. Â I'm not sure what their definition of "heat" and "pepper" are, but this was devoid of nearly all flavor. Â The Groveland Tap does it right with their Cajun Lucy.
Despite the sad excuse of a Lucy, the overall experience was pleasant. Â The service was expedient and the dining room was spacious, well lit, and clean. Â
For those interested, here is a little more comparison between the 5-8 Club and Matt's bar:
-Matt's is small, dark and understaffed. The 5-8 is larger, brighter, and the service is quick.
-Matt's is tight seating. Â The 5-8 is more spread out like a typical neighborhood bar and grill.
-You have to park on the street when you go to Matt's. Â The 5-8 has a private lot.
-Both places tend to have a line so if you don't want to wait, avoid anything near peak meal hours.
-Matt's menu could fit on a business card. Â The 5-8 has much more selection, including several variations on their Juicy Lucy.
-Both have a somewhat narrow beer selection (for Minneapolis standards, at least)
-The Lucy's at the 5-8 are bigger. However, the Lucy's at Matt's are much tastier in every way.
Went to Matt's bar and 5-8 club the same week. Overall we chose 5-8 club. Very different from Matt's Bar which is a DIVE, no other way to describe it. I am over going to dives, especailly with my kids.  5-8 club is totally family friendly and you have more then 4 options to eat. They have a full menu and  juicy lucy club.
The burgers are at least twice the size of Matt's and you can choose different cheeses. Â Having said that, those of us that got Bleu and pepperjack, agree that the juicy lucy should really only be eaten with American cheese. The taste is just not the same. We were stuffed where as we left hungry from Matt's Bar. We also got the Chili Cheese jo-jo's (potato wedges for us southerners) and they were fine, nothing to write home about. Â The onion rings and coleslaw were also good. I enjoyed the griddle taste of Matt's but the size of the burgers and the cleanliness and family friendliness of the 5-8 club pushed us over. Â
Plus they have a parking lot instead of street parking. Our waitress was very sweet. They DO take credit cards which was helpful since I rarely have cash and you can get ice in your drink! Â Can't do either of those at Matt's.
They may have invented the juicy lucy. Â They might not have either. Â But, if we are comparing apples to apples...this jucy lucy isn't my favorite. Â It's good. Â But, it's not as good as I have had at ...maybe a place down the street.
I think the bun is too thick. Â I also think it's not as greasy. Â None of this is bad...but I just didn't love it.
However, I will give props to the restaurant. Â Its pretty big and the bar is good too. Â I will come back to try the Saucy Sally.
Since I haven't found a review that doesn't talk Juicy Lucy, I'm going to talk a bit about their other food selections. Â I live in the area, and I go there often, so I've had a chance to mix it up.
They have the best classic cheese curds in the city. Â Hands down: they're state fair quality (and if you've been to the MN state fair, you know how good that is). Â Served with some delicious marinara. Â I don't think I've had better sauce served with curds!
Try their onion straws. Â They are so good I can't even describe them. Â Onion straws are a rarity for me, since I usually go with my husband - the serving is way too big for just two people!
The fries come out hot without a ton of salt: I don't like a ton of salt on my food, so it's nice to be able to put that on myself.
They have a few variations on the Juicy Lucy, so the complaints that it's "too plain" irk me a bit. Â If you want something more, get something more. Â It's not like they don't offer it. Â My husbands favorite non-Lucy is the Pig-Pen: it's basically a Juicy Lucy in bacon cheeseburger style. Â Delicious.
They had the Juicy Luigi for a while, and I have to say that was my favorite, but they mix up their variations, so it is discontinued for the moment.
The servers are great: some of the friendliest people I've ever met, and they'll always treat you well.
It can get bogged down, but I like the hands-off approach. Â It lends to the relaxed atmosphere, and the other patrons are generally courteous. Â I would suggest going at an off time: late dinner or lunch if you don't want to wait so long.
When my friends and I were deciding where to go today for lunch I finally made the decision we need to try 5-8 club since none of us have ever been there. I'm a burger fan and am always in the mood for a good burger. Plus I love Jucy Lucy's. (Juicy Lucy's) Whichever. But even with man vs food and food wars etc. I have to try things for myself before I make my opinion. But before I talk about the food I shall talk about the service. Today when we were there it was during lunch hour. Service from the get go was slow. Took about 10 mins or so for a server to even come ask us for a drink order. Food came out pretty quickly after it was ordered. When it came to the check it took the server at least 10-15 mins after we were done eating to even come near our table. No bueno. I know it's busy and all but need to make a better effort.
Ok and now to the food. I've tried Lucy's around the Mpls-St. Paul area including the big names like The Nook, Shamrock's (which is owned by The Nook of course), The Blue Door Pub, and Matt's Bar. I am actually going to place 5-8 club at the very bottom of this list for quality of the Lucy. It just didn't live up to the hype it's brought. It tasted like just plain ol burger with cheese in the middle instead of on top. I also thought they were suppose to use a lot more cheese in their burgers than most. Well not true with mine I guess. It wasn't juicy and there wasn't much flavor to it. Fries were eh. The Jojo potato wedges were good though.
My Lucy list:
1. Matt's Bar
2. The Nook
3. Shamrock's
4. Blue Door Pub
5. 5-8 Club
I was excited when a friend of mine said we would seek out the Juicy Lucy but a bit concerned it wouldn't live up to my expectations when I read the reviews here.
However, I loved my experience. I actually opted for the Saucy Sally with sautéed onions and it hit the spot. I had jojo's on the side but could not finish them as I was so full from the burger.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,607 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,306 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,904 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,983 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
