Lucky J’s

Chicken + Waffles + Bacon + Maple Syrup = a match made in heaven. I tried one of their waffle tacos, and it was incredibly delicious. It also only cost $ 5. That is a bargain when you consider the complete meal you’re getting wrapped up in that waffle. The service was great and the people were immensely friendly. I felt this was a true Austin establishment. Sad to hear that it closed.

WHY!!!

When my boyfriend told me that he found a place that made the best fried chicken he’s ever had, of course I was skeptical. My mom’s fried chicken is the best i’ve ever had — crispy, juicy, and tender. But I held my tongue (and was actually kind of excited) and let him take me in for a tasty waffle and the best fried chicken ever. I’ll never regret keeping my opinion to myself because my mom’s fried chicken is a close second to Lucky J’s — close, but STILL second.
I ordered the Ms. M with a side of their macaroni and cheese and immediately sank into what I thought was Eden. The chicken was perfect — boneless, juicy, tender, smothered in hot sauce with perfectly crispy skin.
Now, I’m from California, and in Cali we have Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles. Roscoe’s waffles are THE SHIT. But Lucky J’s my give Roscoe a run for his money with the crispy, chewy, sweet, and sultry waffle that was wrapped around my chicken. I almost ordered a second one!
I like my mac to be a little cheesier than theirs was, but the tasty bread crumbs they sprinkled on top made up for it. With my own bottle of hot sauce on the table and enough delectable maple syrup to go around, I’d say Lucky J’s made me the best lunch I’ve ever had the pleasure of devouring.
I’d go back every damn day if I could — and I’m starting to think that maybe I can…

Fried Green Beans with Jerk Jam Aioli uses the same coating as the fried chicken and fried to a golden brown. The coating gave the beans a great flavor and you just can’t stop at having one. The Jerk Jam Aioli was cool, creamy and slightly sweet, but the green beans held their own in the flavor department. But if you need a dip, this was perfect. Thumbs up, way up!
The brick and mortar location is the only place you can get the bone-​in Fried Chicken and Waffles. The chicken was fried to a perfect golden brown with a moist and juicy interior. The secret is in the spices on the coating which makes you want to take bite after bite. This is definitely «crack» for the fried chicken lover! The waffle was soft yet sturdy to hold up to the chicken with a beautiful golden brown color. Everything is made fresh to order so you are getting chicken and waffles at their peak flavor and temperature. Thumbs up, way up!
Collard Greens made the home-​style Southern way. They were cooked to perfection keeping their green flavor intact. The seasonings and bacon just make you want more. The perfect side dish to fried chicken! Thumbs up, way up!
Mac and Cheese was fantastic! The mac and cheese craze has lasted a few years now and I really have not had any that have made me want to write home about. They are either tasteless or they resemble the cheap mac & cheese dry mix box from the supermarket. Lucky J’s makes a cheese sauce made from real cheese and uses fusilli bucati pasta, corkscrew shaped pasta that is hollow like elbow macaroni. The fusilli grips the sauce really well and the gooey cheese just makes you smile. It’s the best mac and cheese I’ve had in a LONG time. It pairs superbly with the fried chicken. Thumbs up, way up!
Ms. M Waffle Taco (as seen on Eat St.) is a boneless fried chicken strip, bacon, and Swiss cheese wrapped in a waffle. It’s a sandwich that ties it all up its own package — savory, perfectly fried chicken tenders, creamy and slightly bitter swiss cheese, crunchy, salty, smoky bacon, and the tender, fresh waffle. Drizzle on some honey and/​or siracha sauce for a spicy kick and you’re good to go. Thumbs up, way up!

Most amazeballs encounter of a freshy and tasty chicken and a waffle I’ve found in Austin.
Tasty chicken and perfect waffle with just the right amount of butter and syrup.
Lucky J’s makes everything to order and so super tasty and yum delicious. Go there if you haven’t been. insane goodness.

We went for our 1^st experience of Chicken and Waffles.
The best thing about the place was the genuinely friendly counter guy, and the Art Work on the building. We really didn’t even mind that the music was coming from a jam box and the seating was limited.
Two things that could have been better —
1) serve on a real plate, even plastic would have been better. Not a paper lined small basket. The paper gets wet with syrup and hot sauce and sticks to the food.
2) Make sure the waffles are done. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Ours were soft and chewy in the middle as if it was rewarmed.
Sorry, probably won’t give it another chance.

Food was good but after doing to-​go here on two occasions, with both times an extremely long wait, I don’t know if I’ll ever be back. The last time I called, placed my order, he said to «give him 15 minutes», I arrived exactly 15 minutes later to find an empty dining room, no one calling in or arriving to pick up food, and yet my food was still being prepared — in fact he was just putting chicken in the fryer. When the food was finally ready after waiting 25 minutes (40 minutes after my original order) and I said something about the time, the worker (who also was the owner) said «well, the chicken doesn’t cook itself».
The attitude and the slowness sure was a disappointment. I actually would not have minded a 40 minute turnaround, if he hadn’t told me 15 minutes. Maybe this explains why the business was empty at 6pm on a Friday night.

If you have a group of friends, you can get a heaping amount of waffles and chicken on the cheap. Ordering individually though, gets quite pricey for a 1×1 or 2×2.
Some people got the Ms. M? It’s an interesting taco and that chicken tender is pretty big, but most people said the taste was from the cheese and bacon. I got a 1×1 and its a pretty huge chicken thigh, but it tasted a bit burnt and the waffle wasn’t very crisp. Didn’t impress me much. I tried someone’s less burnt chicken and I feel all I got was a mouthful of sodium laden breading. Sure its fresh I guess but I’ve had better chicken and better waffles. While it might be a novel concept, this type of place wouldn’t be the first place I would come for a dinner and I think after coming here that pre-​conception will remain.

Any business that’s cool enough to have a painting of a woman with a plateful of waffles riding a rooster on the outside of its building is cool enough to be the recipient of my business. The painting on the side of the building was equally as cool… a painting of a gal eating a drumstick giving a waffle eating rooster some love (no worries, I’ve shared pics of both).
I saw the word «dive» in one of the reviews I read before arriving. Not sure what that was referring to. This place was clean, nicely decorated and had one of the largest collections of Shep Fairey prints on the walls I’ve ever seen.
As for the food, I opted to order the Ms. M Taco (a boneless fried chicken strip, bacon and Swiss cheese wrapped in a waffle). I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely the flavors worked together and one didn’t overwhelm the other, The chicken was cooked perfectly and juicier than a ripe melon. The bacon and swiss complimented, but didn’t fight the sweetness of the waffle. I took it easy on the syrup, which was probably the best idea I had all afternoon.
I will be returning, Luck J’s!

I bought a groupon and I am so glad I did.
Yes it is a little «divey»
But the food was soooooo good.
And so many things I wanted to try I couldnt decide.
I went with the «chicken taco» aka Waffle folded like a taco stuffed with perfectly cooked thick bacon, tons of chicken tenders prefectly seasoned and yummmy goooeeey swiss cheese. served with hot sauce and syrup. Just typing this review makes me want to go and get food right now!
IT is totally worth the trip even if it is a little out of the way.
Warning when you walk in it is not a 5 star spot in apperance. But it is 5 star on your taste buds!

A-​ok.
Just like the rating suggests. We ate here about two weeks ago and the overall experience was good. I ordered the Chicken and Mac and the bf ordered the special of the day (but I don’t remember what it was called) and… something else (my memory sucks). I thought it was a little strange that they didn’t have a soda fountain machine so that forces you to purchase a bottled beverage. (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.) This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as I ordered a strawberry tea and my bf ordered a blueberry tea to drink. I’d never even seen these bottled teas before but they were very flavorful and made in Texas; an added bonus for sure!
Our food came out and looked awesome. The bf ordered two of their chicken and waffles tacos and after finishing one, he realized the error of his ways. One was plenty of food! My chicken and mac was good. The chicken looked like no other fried chicken I’d seen before. It was dark and not overly battered. Definitely not your typical KFC or Popeye’s kinda friend chicken. The mac and cheese itself was very good. I wish I would have asked what kind of cheeses they used but it was good. I drizzled some Cholula and honey; man, I felt like such a fat kid eating all that fried, cheesy, spicy-​sweet goodness.
The only real complaint I have about this place is their plating. My chicken and mac was served in two separate little side dish sized bowls. It was a little awkward cutting the chicken.
Three stars… I know, it sounds like I should be leaving more but I just left this establishment wanting for something. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe more selection? I understand that chicken and waffles are their forte but that almost made up the whole menu. Maybe just a little more variety would be good? More side veggie dishes? They do have collard greens on the menu which I heard the next table over raving about. *Shrugs shoulders*
I’ll be back to give this place another chance.

Ate here for the first time today with my husband and left pleasantly satisfied. My husband had the classic waffle with a piece of chicken on top and I had the Ms. M (a waffle taco with a fried chicken tender, bacon, and Swiss cheese). Mine was definitely the winner! The waffle taco is hands down the way to go! The food was greasy, but when is fried chicken not? The service was good and atmosphere was fun (who doesn’t enjoy listening to a little throw back Whitney, Michael, and Boyz II Men?)
Overall… Would I go back? Yes
Will I dream about my waffle taco? Probably not
Is it worth a visit? Yes! Give it a shot.

I waited for Lucky Js to open a few Saturdays ago.
I had to wait a bit for the food, but it was the best fried chicken I’ve had in along time. I’m not sure I was as much a fan of the waffle, but the chicken more than made up for it. I also just may be one of those people who can’t handle the chicken/​waffle combo. Either way… will return.
I recommend going the «taco» route, one waffle and a chicken strip inside, if you want the chicken and waffle experience without the mass quantity and mess.

I’m really sad to report that the meal I received was not delicious. It was actually not very good. The chicken was a bit bland but had a serious fried crunch to it. After peeling off the biggest fattiest piece of skin I’ve ever experienced the remaining chicken was very small and a little pink. I passed what disappointing amount of chicken I had to my husband. He agreed it was bland and poured Frank’s red hot all over it.
The waffle was just a whole new level of sad. Waffles should be fat, almost crunchy and oh so good. This waffle was… limp. Sad. Thin. I felt bad for it. It did have good flavor but I’m pretty sure we just paid $ 13 plus tip for a seriously pathetic meal.
Lucky J’s, I really really reallyyyyy wanted to like you. Seriously. I wanted that chicken and waffle so bad. But, it was just bad. I can’t go back. It just didn’t have any indicators in my meal that next time would be different. So this is good bye :(
On a serious note, if you do «chicken and waffles» and you don’t do them well… how long will you be around? Come on guys.

I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love.
This place says take all the evil food groups, wrap a waffle around it, add syrup as necessary, eat.
And you can wrap a waffle around a lot more than fried chicken.
The most recent visit involved their chili cheese fries waffle.
The perfect fusion of sugar, fat, salt, meat and fire.
The five basic food groups — all covered.
Their fried pickles are also outstanding.
Lucky J’s knows totally how to work a fryer.
And my fundamental right as an American is to get my sugar fix with my main course.
my ancestors fought for the right to eat sweet and sour pork, ham with pineapple slices, and cranberry sauce on my roast turkey.
tacos served in a sweet waffle?
sign me up forever!
i hear their chicken is okay too.

I like Chicken. I also like Waffles. Yet I have never had the combo of the two. I can now say with confidence that I enjoy both together with a little hot sauce and some maple syrup.
Don’t go here looking for heath food for it does not exist in this location. Also, do not go here looking for ambiance of any kind, or space of any kind. The interior is enough to hold about 15 people comfortably, or 10 fat guys sitting elbow-​to-​elbow.
Do go here looking for a gut busting, and pretty tasty, savory morsel. Also go here for a relatively inexpensive lunch. It’s about $ 9 for a «Waffle Taco» (as I like to call it), a side of creamy Mac & Cheese, and a bottle of water. Which was way more than enough to fill me up.
Just look for the painting on the wall of the girl riding a giant Cock and swing in for a bite. You really can’t miss it.

«Serious drunk food.»
The husband says.
There is nothing here for me, the annoying vegan.
Took a trip here, and he ordered the Brady taco and the Ms M taco. No one was in the place at 8pm on saturday. Small dining area, nice guys working there, added a photo of the décor. Maybe a bit cheesy?
So, he likes the food. After a bottle and a half of wine, he loves it.
Not Me-​Friendly, but it’s a good place, according to the meat eater.

I had been to the trailer before, but was excited to see they had a brick and mortar location closer to home. The artwork on and in the building is super cool and really stands out on Burnet. Just be prepared for it to be tiny inside as there were only a few tables in the tight space.
The lady working the counter was AWESOME! We were the only people there and as she tidied the place up and did various prep work, she would poke her head out and chat with us.
Both the husband and I ordered a single piece of chicken and a single waffle. The fried chicken was perfectly cooked. Juicy with a dark, crunchy skin full of spices and tasty goodness. The waffle was a bit on the limp side, which is helpful if you like to fold up the waffle like a taco full of fried chicken. It was all steaming hot and I kept scalding my fingers due to impatience.
Weirdly enough, they had iced tea, but only bottled water. I hate to buy water in a bottle and was a bit disappointed by this.
Definitely good food, but you gotta be prepared for the cholesterol fest.

If I had the metabolism of Michael Phelps I’d eat here all the time, but since I’m a mere mortal, I’ll only go once in a while.
The combination of chicken and waffles may seem strange, but it’s really good. I’ve had chicken and waffles from several places, some places have either soft or crunchy waffles and some have thickly breaded chicken or chicken lightly tossed in flour then fried. This place has soft waffles and thickly breaded chicken. (If you’re in Houston, try The Breakfast Klub)
The breading on the chicken has a little bit of kick and a lot of flavor. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more than Tony Chachere’s going on in there. The chicken and waffles comes with pieces of chicken with the bone in them. I recommend the waffle tacos because they use chicken tenders instead. I enjoy mine with syrup and that Valentina hot sauce (I wouldn’t mind trying it with Tapatio). If you’re afraid of trying it with syrup and hot sauce, you all ready made it this far, at least try it on one bite!

I was really looking forward to try out Lucky J’s. My parents raised me up on chicken, grits, and fried catfish so I am a bit picky on what I consider good, great, and freaking fabulous comfort food. I got a 2X2 which is 2 pieces of chicken and 2 waffles. When my group and I got our order, the food was room temperature, not hot and steamy like it should be. The waffle was a-​okay. I was expecting the waffles to be fluffy and have the melt-​in-​your-​mouth effect but it was just squishy, for lack of a better word. It was alright. As for the chicken, the breading would have been great, if it wasn’t hard as a rock. You really had to push into the outer skin just to get to the meat which was a bit ehhh for me. I wanted the chicken to have that fall-​off-​and-​make-​me-​melt effect but it didn’t.
Again, everything was alright. Maybe I was expecting way too much from Lucky J’s but what can you expect from a comfort food lover? I can check this off of my list of restaurants to visit in Austin but I really doubt I’ll be returning. I much more prefer my mom’s chicken and waffles, and considering the fact she’s a little Asian woman, I find this hilarious.