Tavern on the Avenue: Juicy Lucy

One of my favorite foodie adventures is going to any place that that has a juicy lucy on their menu. What's a juicy lucy, you ask? A juicy lucy is a decadent hamburger that holds the cheese inside the patty instead of on top of the burger. Any good juicy lucy should come with a side of anticipation because when you take that first bite of the burger, molten-hot, lava-like cheese should immediately come flowing out of the burger threatening to burn your mouth should you linger too long on that first bite. 


I recently ventured to Tavern on the Avenue:

825 Jefferson Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55102

651-227-6315

www.tavontheave.com

One awesome thing about Tavern on the Avenue (better known as Tav on the Ave) is that they have some awesome daily specials. Being that it was a Thursday evening and all hamburgers were only $5.00 (with a side of fries too!) - I decided to give their juicy lucy a go. The menu claimed that this burger was stuffed with bacon, onion, and havarti cheese. I was super excited for this burger! I was a little concerned when the waitress asked how I wanted my burger cooked - any foodie knows that a good juicy lucy really can't go much past medium in order to keep the cheese perfect and the burger moist. Regardless, I still went ahead and ordered it (medium, of course). 

The order came and the burger, at first glance, looked great! The anticipation built as I prepared for that oozing cheese to come rushing out of my first bite.... but then... nothing! 

(Where on earth is the so-called cheese)

I'm not quite certain that Tav on the Ave is familiar with what a juicy lucy is supposed to be! There was way too much meat in the center of this burger for there to be the necessary amount of cheese required for a juicy lucy (read: a lot of cheese). Overall, this was a good burger, but a terrible juicy lucy. I ended up pulling the burger apart to inspect further and found that there were indeed the bacon and onion as stated, but the cheese was rather non-existent. 

Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not saying that the Tav on the Ave is a bad place. The atmosphere is really welcoming and friendly, and their patio is really nice in the spring and summer.  Their beer list could use a little help, but they make a damn good dirty martini! And no one can argue with the fact that on Wednesday nights they offer a 16 oz ribeye and pint of beer for only $9.95, and they always have cooked my steak to perfection. But when it comes to their juicy lucy, I won't be back for that.