The 5-8 Club

The 5-8 Club, located in Minneapolis, MN, is one of two well-known establishments in Minneapolis that claim to have the best "Juicy Lucy" in the state. A "Juicy Lucy" is basically cheese (usually American) stuck between two all-beef patties, crimped together to form a "cheese-stuffed" larger burger, then cooked on the flattop. The result: a cheeseburger with gooey cheese oozing out of the middle.

5-8 Club has won several awards...rightfully so!

They also had a "challenge" there: finish all five of their special Juicy Lucy burgers and become part of their "5-8 Free the Cheese Squad." It doesn't matter how long it takes you, just eat them all at some point. It's really not much of a challenge, since it doesn't involve really spicy food or quantity (unless you want to eat them all at once). I'm not counting it as an official challenge anyway.

I ordered their traditional Juicy Lucy with American cheese, plus one of their special burgers, the "Pig Pen" (bacon-cheddar cheese, and bacon crumbles). Why? Because everything is better with bacon.

Yes, they look the same, but the Pig Pen is in front and the traditional Juicy Lucy  is in the back.

Look at the cheese inside this Juicy Lucy!

When 5-8 Club says they "Free the Cheese," they really mean it. The cheese quotient is amped up big time here. Cheeseburger lovers will definitely enjoy this place. Although I did not have any fries with my two burgers (again, I am not a fries person), my friends enjoyed the tasty spuds.

Since I went on a Sunday with two good friends, it was an ideal time to watch the Vikings play (unfortunately, they lost to the Bears that day). More positives...the friendly staff and comfortable seating (although I did have to twist around to see the nearest TV, that's fine with me).

For me, I wasn't really digging the decor that much. Too many signs and stuff like this:

I don't mind it if the place has a few vintage items on the wall, but this is basically treading into overkill. This was just one part of a wall -- and it had a bunch more on it. This really detracted from the selling point of the place, in my book (let the food do the talking, not these vintage pictures!).

Despite what I feel is a horrendous attempt at decor, 5-8 Club serves a good Juicy Lucy. I did want to try Matt's Bar to see which one is best, but unfortunately, Matt's was closed that day (the power had gone out from the snow).

A place that mainly serves burgers and fries will have a hard time getting a good rating from me, since I prefer to eat non-fast food products. Even if 5-8 Club is not a fast food joint, it's still a place with a signature cheeseburger item -- usually synonymous with the term "fast food."

I'll say this in closing: If I'm ever in Minneapolis again, I will see if I can hit up both places and decide for myself which establishment has the best Juicy Lucy. Or, according to Matt's Bar, a "Jucy Lucy." 6.25/10