The Experience: When I first moved to NOLA and mentioned that I contribute to a burger blog, I was immediately met with several dozen recommendations. Upon recruiting a fellow Burgermeister and listing these options, she was intent on trying out Ms. Juicy Lucy’s, a New Orleans staple.

This charming locale is made even more charming by the history provided on the menu, chronicling how the birth of larger cheeseburgers (as opposed to then-traditional sliders) coincided with the use of bomber aircrafts circa World War II. These aircrafts would typically include a picture of a pinup girl on the nose of the plane. Cheeseburgers would soon adopt the name “bomber” as well, thus inspiring a pinup girl image for the restaurant logo. As a lover of kitsch and and retro memorabilia, I was already largely won over by Ms. Juicy Lucy’s. But would the burger experience hold up?

Ms. Juicy Lucy’s offers 8 different specialty stuffed burgers, including the Juicy Lucy Original and Juicy of the Day. While there are a variety of options, the caveat is that you must order the burgers as is; you cannot add or subtract from the ingredients with which the meat is stuffed, only those which top the burger. In the name of sticking with a classic I went with the original, but added caramelized onions on top at the recommendation of our waitress. My co-Burgermeister, a lover of bacon, went with the Juicy 9th Ward Blues, stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, onions, garlic, and aged bleu cheese, as well as extra bleu cheese, jalapeños, and bacon on top (also at the waitress’s recommendation).

Burgers Ordered: The Juicy Lucy Original and the Juicy 9th Ward Blues

The Taste: Both of us prefer our burgers rare or medium rare, but still were impressed by the juiciness of the burgers despite the need to cook the patty enough to be able to house the molten core of cheese. I had the unfortunate experience of having a lot of cheese squirt out all over my face in the first bite; this was unfortunate not because I didn’t enjoy that bite, but because I ran out of cheese by the end of the burger. This allowed for a drier burger experience at the end of the meal as compared to the delicious beginning and middle. But…at least it made for a funny picture.

We each ordered Ms. Juicy Fries on the side, which come with melted sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, and bacon. I found them to be delicious; my co-Burgermeister enjoyed them, but felt that there should be more fries and less veggies, and that the tomatoes were unnecessary.

The most notable part of the experience was our phenomenal waitress, who evoked a classic diner-style personality. Not only was she cracking jokes the entire time and making us laugh, but she was extremely helpful in making suggestions about the menu, which included an insistence that we order brownie bites for dessert. Who were we to refuse, despite our food comas?

The Verdict: We loved every aspect of our Ms. Juicy Lucy’s experience, from the food to the locale to the service. Check out one of their two locations, but don’t make any plans afterwards. You’re gonna need a food nap.

Ms. Juicy Lucy’s is located at 133 North Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana.