In addition to being a beloved Minneapolis specialty, the juicy lucy is a heated local controversy, with Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club each claiming to be the originator of the cheese-stuffed burger. Although the real answer may be lost to history, Matt’s Bar gets our vote for the nostalgia: they’re still serving them decades later in a narrow, memorabilia-lined space that hasn’t changed much since the restaurant opened in the 1950s. They also insist on the spelling “Jucy Lucy.”

The other spot that lays claim to the juicy lucy’s invention insists that the juicy-lucy-with-an-i spelling is the proper one, and they’ve also branched out from the 1950s version. Today, you can pick your own cheese from a lineup that includes american, swiss, pepper jack, or Minnesota-made Amablu. The so-weird-it’s-fabulous PB&J burger is the perfect balance of salty peanut butter and cheese with strawberry jam, but they also do a buffalo chicken juicy featuring a melty pepper jack center.

This neighborhood pub has their own take on the juicy lucy: instead of american, the signature Blucy stays true to its name literally by swapping in a pungent center of melted blue cheese. Another option is the Mount Blucuvious—grab some napkins and a glass of water before tackling the burger’s pepper cheese center and toppings of spicy bacon, fried avocado strips, and a lava-like flow of cilantro-lime sauce. Definitely get some beer-battered pickle chips served with garlic aioli on the side.

Why settle for a cheese-stuffed burger when you can get one topped with even more cheese? Don’t let the extra slice of cheese fool you into thinking that they’re skimping on the main event, though, since the burger has the densest, cheesiest center in town. The fries are good, but we like to mix things up by pairing a lucy with a side of tortilla chips and freshly-made salsa—in addition to burgers, Tex-Mex cuisine is a house specialty.

Uncle Franky’s might seem like the place to come for a Chicago-style dog, but this hot dog joint that tries to make a weiner joke wherever possible has also perfected the hometown burger. The tiny restaurant takes a maximalist approach to the juicy lucy, with a melted pepper jack cheese and onion center and a generous amount of toppings, including ketchup, mustard, pickles, and raw onions. Go classic with the accompaniments by ordering the onion rings and a chocolate malt.

This is not Gordon Ramsay’s venture into the Minneapolis burger scene. Rather, it’s a Downtown spot that’s all about giving the juicy lucy a spicy twist. Their Juicy Lucifer comes with a sweet and pleasantly spicy red pepper jelly, and if that’s not hot enough for you, try Lucifer’s Inferno, a burger stuffed with pepperjack cheese and habanero and fresno peppers. The best time to come here is weekend brunch, since you can pair your burger with a build-your-own Bloody Mary.

Yes, this is a juicy lucy guide and most of the notable ones around town are made with beef. However, the all-vegan menu at Francis includes a great juicy lucy made with your choice of an Impossible or housemade black bean patty stuffed with vegan cheese and loaded with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and their pub sauce on a plant-based bun. Be sure to order some francy sauce for fry-dipping: it’s a plant-based riff on thousand island dressing that even non-vegans will prefer to the original.

Venture beyond the bun at Wendy’s House of Soul, where the Mogul Burger checks all the boxes for a juicy lucy (even if it’s not labeled as such): perfectly cooked patties, a four-cheese filling, peppers, onions, and bacon. The whole thing is encased in a gluten-free egg roll wrapper and then deep-fried for a sandwich that’s as gloriously juicy and cheesy as it is unique. Note that Wendy’s House of Soul is tucked inside North Market, a non-profit grocery store and community hub.