Matt’s Bar
Jucy Lucy, Grilled Onions
While many new Restaurants seem to believe mixing the most audacious combination of colors or gluttonous ingredients together on Instagram is the key to success there are certain spots who’ve been dabbling in the world of #yolkporn and #cheesepulls for decades, perhaps first and foremost amongst them Matt’s Bar where the “Jucy Lucy” has been tempting Minnesotans since 1954.
Originally opened in 1950 but only becoming a local landmark after its purchase by Matt Bristol, a local man with previous Restaurant experience who decided he’d rather own a Bar, Matt’s Bar occupies an unassuming space at 3500 Cedar Avenue South yet from 11am until midnight or later each day one can rest assured there will likely be a wait.
Probably best termed a “Dive Bar” in the most praiseful way possible, an obituary to the late-owner found amidst shirts and photos on the wall, it was only five minutes after servers unlocked doors on Sunday that a booth was occupied in the back-right corner, only one other group of six already present as NFL Pre-Game played prominently on televisions at the Bar.
Prominently displaying “Cash Only” signs around the brief menu of Burgers, Fries, Grilled Cheese and Chicken, though all anyone seemed to be ordering was the first two plus Beer, it was investing $7.50 plus tax and tip that one of the misspelled classics was requested, the forty-five minute wait admittedly unexpected and spent watching the room fill as tunes from Journey and Johnny Cash filled the air.
Perplexed by the delay but with no place else to be on the last day of vacation it was finally without explanation or excuse that the Jucy Lucy arrived wrapped in Paper, the Bun no better than one might find at their locally grocery store while Beef was slightly charred and not particularly noteworthy save for the Cheese core that appears to be Cheddar tinged pink with Blood.
www.mattsbar.com
