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After becoming fans of the “Juicy Lucy” specialty cheeseburger while living in Minneapolis, husband-and-wife restaurateurs Jay and Becky Douglas are making the sandwich—defined by cheese cooked inside the patty—the signature item at Mass & Belle Taphouse.
The duo, who grew up in Indianapolis and attended Ben Davis High School, opened Mass & Belle Taphouse in the former location of Rooster’s Kitchen, 888 Massachusetts Ave., a restaurant they purchased in February 2023.
“It wasn’t the food I was extremely passionate about,” Jay Douglas said of Rooster’s, which specialized in bacon and brisket offerings. “We decided during the second half of 2023 that we needed to go a different direction.”
Rooster’s closed at the end of the year, and a grand opening for Mass & Belle Taphouse is tentatively scheduled for March 9. The restaurant already is serving customers, with hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
The Mass & Belle Taphouse version of the stuffed cheeseburger is billed as a “Juicy Belle.” The primary version features cheddar cheese inside a hamburger patty. Variations include the Bacon Belle stuffed with bacon, cream cheese and chives and the Mushroom Belle stuffed with sauteed mushrooms, onions and Swiss cheese.
The Douglas family spent five years as residents of Minneapolis, where the “Juicy Lucy” is a local icon at spots such as Matt’s Bar, the 5-8 Club and Blue Door Pub.
“At home, I make those stuffed cheeseburgers quite often,” Douglas said. “I feel like we’ve perfected how to make them. It’s challenging to not have the cheese run out while you’re cooking.”
“Mass and Belle” refers to the nearby intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Bellefontaine Street. The “Taphouse” part of the business name is inspired by 16 beers on tap, and Douglas said he wants the restaurant to be a place for watching live sporting events on television.
Although the popular Bottleworks development is a neighbor of Mass and Belle Taphouse, Douglas said he believed customer activity at Rooster’s was hampered by construction of a five-story building at 820 Massachusetts Ave. that’s expected to open this year.
“Once this construction has finally passed and the office building associated with Bottleworks starts to fill up, we think that’s when everything is really going to pop on the east end of Mass Ave,” Douglas said.
The 3,800-square-foot restaurant was home to R. Bistro before Rooster’s opened in 2016.
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This will fail.
Other hamburger places seem to be making it here in town. There’s one right down the street on Mass avenue that does a booming business
Curmudgeon.
I’m excited for Jay and his family! They are very hands on and full of positive energy. I’m happy to see them bring a concept of their own design to our neighborhood. Can’t wait to catch a pacers game with a group of friends at the bar!