Great To Be Lucky And Good

Eat It: Lucky Luke’s BBQ

Luke’s tickles your ribs craving

By Rachel Birdsell
TFW Contributing Writer

Preamble Ramble

The other day I was craving barbecue. More particularly, I was craving ribs.

Lucky Luke’s has been on my “to review” list for a while so I thought I’d give them a try. When I went, not only was I served some great barbecue, but I was also entertained by what looked to be the restaurant’s regulars. For those of you who don’t know, Lucky Luke’s sits in Oak Plaza Shopping Center across from the Harps on Garland Avenue.

Food For Thought

I bellied up to the bar and ordered the small rib dinner with a side of fried pickles and potato salad. Actually, I just bellied up to a booth, but that doesn’t fit the old adage, does it?

The small rib dinner was only supposed to have four ribs, but I lucked out and got five. They were thick and extra smoky. There were a couple of places on them that were a little dry, but for the most part, they had just enough fat on them to keep them juicy. I may or may not have growled at people who dared to even look at my ribs. They were good.

The barbecue sauce offerings were mild, hot and hot too. I mixed some of the mild and hot together, being a little heavier handed with the hot. I think it was the perfect combination. The sauce was the thin, vinegar-based variety rather than thick and sweet. It also had a lot of black pepper in it. It was dangerously close to being too much, but it sat well against the heavy smoke of the ribs.
I loved the fried dill pickles. They were slices, which is how I think all pickles should be fried. The batter was very light and crispy. It was almost like a tempura batter. They came with a side of ranch dressing (or ranch sauce depending on how far down South you’re from).

The potato salad was a little too mashed for my preference and was saltier than a longshoreman. Most of it stayed in the dish it came in.

The Sporkcast

(1-5 sporks)

Atmosphere: 3.75 aluminum sporks handles shaped like a beer keg. Lucky Luke’s has somehow managed to make the restaurant feel as though it’s been in the same location for the past 65 years or so. It really has the feel of a neighborhood bar/diner that happens to serve great barbecue. The atmosphere and decor is exactly what you’d expect of a little barbecue joint.

Food: 4.35 smoke-infused sporks. The fried pickles and ribs were great. I wouldn’t order the potato salad again, but there are plenty of other sides to choose from. There’s also a wide variety of meats to choose from.

Staff: 4.75 very patient sporks. Our server had a rather difficult booth in front of mine, and I felt really bad for her. She was great, though, and just kept smiling.

Dollars spent: My dinner was $11 and included a large sweet tea.

Chance of returning: I used to live just around the corner from Lucky Luke’s, and if I still did, I’d be a regular. Now, I’ll definitely go when I’m in need of some good barbecue and fried pickles.

If you know of a great eating place, drop me a line at rabirdsell@gmail.com. I’ll check it out and let you know what I think.