Lucille’s

Great place for a low key happy hour or southern meal. It’s been several years since I’ve been here, but decided to stop in yesterday for a few drinks with a friend who was staying nearby. We decided to try two different drinks each, which were $ 3 off regular prices. All were delicious! We then split a plate of fried green tomatoes, which have a perfect kick to them! Unfortunately I had dinner plans, but will definitely return soon for dinner!

I was quite surprised to find this restaurant tucked away in the museum district. Upon arriving, the place seems very small, and I immediately assumed parking would be an issue, but there’s a parking lot located right across from the restaurant. Once I entered, I immediately fell in love with this spot. It is very intimidate on the inside, and felt very cozy. We asked to be seated outside, and to my surprise again they have a beautiful, backyard feel outdoors area. It’s very simple, but it was nice. We ordered the fried green tomatoes as a starter, and they were delicious!!! I ordered the duck, and my friend ordered the ox tails and grits as entrees. I sampled the grits from the ox tails, and they were amazing. The duck was accompanied by sweet potatoes, bacon wrapped asparagus, and a blue berry sauce. The sides were very tasty, however the duck was prepared not to my liking. It was very tender, and did not have that «game» taste, but I would’ve preferred pan seared. They also had an amazing Pinot Noir. The waiter informs is that their brunch on Saturday and Sunday are amazing. I will definitely give them a try for brunch.

Came with a large party of ladies for brunch. We made a prior reservations. It wasn’t busy so they seated us promply. Service was wonderful. Food was amazing. Shocked by the portion sizes as well. All in all I would reccomend it to anyone in or near houston.

Everything we tried was good! Fried tomatoes were the best ever! I also had the oxtail sandwich, and it was delicious! The chef, who is the owner, came out to greet us. Super nice man!

Oh how I couldn’t wait to get my stubby lil fingers to the keyboard to light it up for a review. There is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said about the food. Its amazing. This review is strictly for service.
In a nutshell Ive never seen a server be a complete pester and inattentive at the same time.
It was down hill from the start. The two tops are very spacious and preset with glassware which we never used. They were never cleared so valuable table real estate was used up. Not a big deal at all but worth mentioning.
My cousin orders coffee which our server brings with cream and sugar but no spoon. Eh ok not the end of the world. Then we ordered the chili biscuits which she brings to the table with no app plates and walks off. Ok, so now we’re trying to resist the urge to eat them straight off the plate and out our hands like savages until we can find her and ask. We never did, so we asked another server who brought them.
Entrees come 2 seconds after the app. My cousin had the shrimp and grits which are set in a delicious soupy broth. There’s no way you can enjoy this dish without a spoon but do you think our server brought one? At this point any employee is our server, so we ask the first one who passed by our table for one. Our actual server seems to be too concerned with her large party than to be bother by having to give us utensils to eat with. As if!
I’m guessing someone pulled her coattail about us asking other servers for stuff so then she becomes the most pestering server I’ve ever had. Every 5 minutes she stopped by to asked if we’re OK. No seriously EVERY 5 minutes! I finally told her, we were OK and if we needed anything I would let her know. Until then, we’d like to be left alone to visit and eat.
There were a few other hiccups but Ill sum it up this way. At the end of the meal she returns my credit card slip with no pen. (Drops mic)
Lucile is surely turning over in her grave knowing that this server had such a lackluster and inadequate performance. I mean, there’s «Maybe she’s having a bad day» and there’s «You’re on the wrong career path.»
This is just a rant
I know the stigma that comes along with «Canadians» (what black people are called in the service industry). And I’ve waited tables long enough to say, sadly, its true. But it’s unfortunate because most times I get horrible service from the start simply because I’m prejudged. So what happens? Shitty service, shitty tip. It perpetuates the cycle. Servers– On the off chance you get a «Canadian» who actually knows how to tip, was once a server themselves or better yet, both. Give yourself a fighting change and serve us with dignity. I know what 20% is and I know how to leave it. IF YOU GIVE ME SERVICE THAT WARRANTS IT!

A friend and I decided to try Lucille’s for dinner since it is located half way between where we each live (midtown and medical center).
Upon arrival, there was plenty of FREE parking in the lot across the street which I appreciated. The «curb appeal» of the restaurant needed some work. It felt like I was about to walk into a mom and pop restaurant or some sort of dive bar which is fine, if the prices reflected that. Once I was inside, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a charming, quaint house that had been repurposed into a restaurant. The hostess addressed me even though she was busy with other customers and was accommodating (I had baby in tow).
Once my friend and I were both seated, the waitress immediately came up and asked us if we had looked at the drink menu. I decided to go with a cocktail (some sort of tea with vodka in it) while my friend stuck to a glass of wine. After trying the cocktail, I wished I had done the same. If there was any alcohol in the tea, it was VERY weak. It tasted like regular iced tea to me.
The waitress was very prompt — almost too prompt — which soon became a theme throughout the night. My friend ordered the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer to buy us some time to catch up and look at the menu. The tomatoes were good. I especially loved how they were topped with goat cheese. There weren’t really any vegetarian options which was disappointing. So I ended up getting the Lobster Cobb Salad while my friend got the Crab Cakes Beignets with a side of Mac n cheese. My salad was good albeit small. The crab cakes looked pretty fancy. There was a bubbly foam surrounding the cakes which seemed odd to both of us. My friend said the foam tasted like apples (the crab cakes were topped with skinny apple sticks) but looked like soap. The portions were small except for the side of Mac n cheese. I’m pretty sure I could have made a meal of the Mac n cheese and been satisfied.
I thought the restaurant was overpriced. I honestly felt like the restaurant concept was a little confusing. It’s located in a quant house with no real curb appeal on a side street. The inside is cute but we sat next to an open kitchen. The portions are small to go with the higher price range yet it is supposed to be southern comfort food? Huh? The food was decent and I liked the quant house atmosphere but I won’t be back anytime soon. It was just too pricy for what you get in my opinion.

Made reservations and checked in at correct time and was told it would be at least 15 mins to prepare table.
Reservations do not work, do not waste time. People without reservations got sat immediately.

I absolutely loved Lucille’s. The restaurant was located in the museum district of Houston right down the street from the children’s museum.
There is street parking in front. Not many spots. But there is also a parking lot across the street.
It’s not a very large restaurant; so I would imagine that there would be a long wait during busier days and times.
When you walk up there is a small house-​like porch. As soon as you enter the restaurant, the host stand is right at the door. The ambiance is pretty nice. Bar to the left seating around it. And more in the back. I hear there is outdoor seating as well. I went on a weekday, so I didn’t even see where it would have been. The restroom was very clean. And the automatic paper towel machine actually gives out enough paper on the first dispense. How great is that? Lol
Okay our lunch… for an appetizer we had the tuna tartare. Our entrees were shrimp and grits w/​sausage, and the oyster BLT. Both were delicious.
The service was great as well.

I’m not sure how to rate my experience at Lucille’s. Unlike some reviews the service was actually wonderful. We came here today as a belated Mother’s Day celebration since some of our schedules were too hectic on the actual Hallmark day to celebrate.
I do give major kudos to this place because they do know how to make a pretty good Old Fashion. Thumbs Up!
For apps we ordered some rolls and Fried Green Tomatoes. Rolls were great, but why did we get a ¼ teaspoon of butter for a table of 6? Awkward. And we all agreed that certain things were somewhat bland (i.e. the Fried Green Tomatoes and the grits}. I truly appreciate the Lucille’s experience, but there is a method of appreciating food without it coming across as geriatricdiet base. IMHO…

I came here for lunch one day with a coworker during a lazy afternoon where we couldn’t decide what to eat so we decided to have Lucille’s. Lucille’s is located in the heart of the Museum District very close to MF Sushi. This restaurant serves up some great meals with a southern flare to them. There was a server in training when we went there so the server that was training the trainee was very detailed and was being a good preceptor to the orientee. Kudos for patience. My friend had a question about the menu but she asked the server in training about it who was naturally not well versed about the menu but the waiter who was training her should not left her alone at our table even if it was for a split second. Our question was answered by another server who was attending to another table nearby.
For lunch we started with the fried green tomatoes. This was my first time having these but my lunch companion was raving about how great these usually are but these were not seasoned properly. I was one of those people that had to ask for salt at the restaurant. Other than the seasoning they were fried to a golden brown crisp on the outside and fresh green tomatoes on the inside. My friend ordered the duck which was sous vide and I got the hot chicken. Considering that the name has the word «HOT» in it, I should have deduced that this would be spicy but I just thought this was a play on word for fried hot chicken as in warm NOT hot as in spicy. This was my biggest mistake. Other than the flaming hot sauce that was served on top of the chicken everything was amazing. My order was basically perfection minus the little hot sauce that I did not like. The de-​boned chicken thigh/​leg part was served on top of a bed of creamy just the right amount of butter — buttery mashed potatoes and green beans which I think were fried in what tasted to be animal fat (tallow or lard). I tried a piece of my friend’s duck and it was cooked to perfection. But the mind blowing part about this whole experience was their mac & cheese. Now anyone who knows me knows that mac & cheese is the last thing that I would ever order but oh my lanta — this was everything that I have been waiting for in a bowl of mac and cheese. It was cheesy, flavorful, and either had a slight dash of truffle oil or some very aromatic cheese that reminded me of truffle oil (see photo).
Overall, I will definitely be coming back to Lucille’s and trying it out during dinner time for some cocktails to compliment the food here. Hopefully I won’t run into the parking issue as indicated in Olivia K’s review.

I have not written a review on what has become my favorite Houston restaurant. Lucilles opened about the time we moved back to Houston. It is within easy walking distance of our apartment and Lucille was the cook where my wife went to camp more than a few years ago. We are very careful about trying new places but Lucilles was an immediate hit.
We ate there again last night with a family group of six. Reservations are becoming necessary and we were seated on time and where requested. Service was attentive and effective. Our group ranged in age from 13 (boy) to 74 (me) and good service is not easy.
Appetizers included fried green tomatoes (wonderful) and chili biscuits (2 orders). Entrees included yard bird (fried chicken), pork and beans (ham shank with garden-​fresh beans), lobster cobb salad and shrimp and grits.
Side dishes were also plentiful. We had collard greens (3 orders, indescribably delicious), mac and cheese (all gone).
I am a dessert-​freak. At Lucilles, I always order the bread pudding. Happily, others at our table do not have my appetite and I was able to share the lemon merinque pie. The dark-​chocolate, bourbon and bacon bunt cake was not shared (by the 13 year old, of course).
I am a non-​drinker, but apparently the wine selection is way above adequate.
I want you to know, this was one great family dinner and we will be back and back and back.

I went here with a group to support Black Restaurant Week. I’d read the Unilocal reviews so I was prepared for less than stellar service.
We were a party of 7 and while we were seated promptly and drink and orders were taken quickly, actually getting them took forever. It took 20 minutes for everyone to get their drink. This was also true for the food… nothing was brought out at the same time.
As we waited for our appetizers and entrées, other people’s food was brought to our table. This happened at least 3 times. I did hear one of the servers say they were overwhelmed. That was an understatement.
I ordered the fried green tomatoes and the lobster Cobb salad. The tomatoes were ok; they needed a tad more salt. The lobster salad was tasty, but small. It was more appropriate as an appetizer.
They also automatically added 20% gratuity to the bill. I understand why it’s done but I didn’t see it mentioned on the menu. A heads up BEFORE the bill is brought out would have been nice. More importantly, I expect that with 20% gratuity comes excellent service and Lucille’s just didn’t cut it.
I won’t be coming back.

Lucille’s has a certain southern rustic charm, accompanied by outrageously priced comfort food. I stopped in for a light dinner around 5 PM and ended up spending 70 dollars for an app, salad, and dinner entrée.
The appetizer was a chili cornbread fiasco which consisted of 5 bite size corn meal nuggets with cheddar cheese on top.
The lobster salad had a generous portion of lobster but would hardly qualify as a meal for an individual
The beef shank with grits was quite good but at the cost of 40 or so dollars.
Although the food wasn’t bad (except for the exceptionally terrible appetizer) I could think of many more restaurants with better food at half the cost.

I get it you heard the historic story LBJ, chili biscuits, and all. But the service is not worth it and they are not ashamed of it. Nor is service taken seriously by the owner. Matter of fact he makes excuses and lack compassion.
Simple story… Long wait with a reservation. Parties off the street seated before us. Never apologized. Told me to be patient when I waited an hour and half. Are you kidding!!! If I was Ms. Lucille I would be disappointed in the behavior and unprofessional displayed today. No excuses for poor service and long wait with reservation when your plates are 20 plus for brunch.
Do better!

Loved the history and recipes. You really need to look up something about Lucille to appreciate it even more. Her grandson brought the recipes back to life with his own touches and found this wonderful hidden old house for the restaurant. Notice the old typed index recipe cards on the back wall near the kitchen under the Lucille’s sign. Nice touch.
Lucille’s chili biscuits are nice but they were a little too dry.
The fried green tomatoes were absolutely wonderful!!! Some of the best I’ve had. Easily an appetizer to be split among friends.
I had the shrimp and grits … yummy. My daughter had the red snapper that was flakey and favorable.
Waitstaff was wonderful and shared more information about the building, outdoor patio and history.

We stopped into this yummy little place for brunch today. I never heard about it, but it had some good reviews on Unilocal and it was just a short walk away from the MFAH, where we were seeing an exhibit, so we went for it.
It’s really charming inside, but it was so beautiful outside we opted for seats in the back. It is Fido friendly, in case you want to bring your four legged friend along too. There were plenty of seats out back — some in the sun, some in the shade, so you could take your pick. They even had some raised beds they were growing some goodness in, that I suspect they use when at their peak.
The service team worked well together, so drinks and food came out swift and fresh from the kitchen. Our waiter was really pleasant and made sure everything was just as we had ordered.
And just so you know — the Mimosas and Sangrias are $ 15.00 all you can drink for brunch — what??? You read that right! But we opted to order drinks off the menu. I picked the refreshing Garden Gin and Tonic, my man got the Islander. My gin & tonic was a great, easy drinking cocktail. The Islander my man enjoyed, but I found it too sugary for my taste. We got the FGT to start and man oh man did they take me back to my childhood. Grandma in the kitchen, fresh green tomatoes from the garden and that crisp, light cornmeal crust! So scrumptious these little delights were. As for brunch, I had the chicken fried egg Benedict. I opted for the veggie version by subbing out bacon for hash. I added a dash of the hot sauce they make and it was brilliant. A true southern take on this dish! The greens were perfectly cooked and the salad was so fresh! I’m still amazed how they got such a perfect poached egg deep fried without ruining it! My man got the catfish. I had a bite and it took me right back to fishing at the lake with my grandpa and frying up those filets as soon as we got home. The cornmeal batter was spot on! I wouldn’t hesitate to get any of these dishes again.
I really enjoyed this spot and will unquestionably be back when we go to another event at the museum! Or need to be around that area for any other reason really. Good southern cooking right there!

I guess that Lucille’s during summer is not the same as during winter. We went to this restaurant while visiting Houston to find our new apartment (moving from DC).
The food was pretty good and the wine selection, although small, was interesting.
I was disappointed by the service which was «too good»: what I mean by that is that Lucille’s waiters are too present, taking your plate as soon as you’re done with the last bite, prompting you into ordering your next plate or drink. This, to me, doesn’t invite the customer to linger and enjoy the moment.
Overall good restaurant but I may not come back.

HRW #5 — GNO edition
First of all, I’m a southern food junkie. So a place that is supposed to be known for things like fried chicken and mac (see my last meal on earth?!) has piqued my interest by just existing.
We 4 girls tried a few variations of the HRW menu and some extras off the regular menu to get all our bases covered. This is some LEGIT southern food! My whole person was doing the mac and cheese happy dance. I would come back just for this! The yardbird (fried chicken) was crispy and moist and flavorful. Shrimp and grits — on point! Pork chop was huge! Scallops were perfect.
The only thing anyone mentioned wasn’t great was the bread pudding — there’s an anise type flavor in there that doesn’t sit well with everyone. We sat right by the kitchen and could see a bit of the action. Notably, sitting there also tends to get warm. The service was good for the most part. The bar did get overwhelmed at one point (they should have had another bartender, esp during HRW!) and some of our drinks came out very late. Otherwise our visit was fantastically satisfying.

This was a great experience. Leaving from a football game we were a bit underdressed however the service was exceptional and everyone had a great attitude and was a pleasant experience.
It was packed and we had no reservations so we just took for sitting at a bar, order drinks and started from the Restaurant Week menu with appetizer entrée and dessert. I ordered the appetizer: fried green tomatoes, entrée: shrimp and grits and for the for the dessert I ordered the lemon tart. Everything was prepared nice, after one plate was taken away another one was presented in front of us within a timely manner. Upon each presentation they make sure that they explained how they prepare their food and the love that they put into what they do.
Overall I would like to come back, sit at a table with friends to enjoy a nice evening with good food

Came here with friends to try out HRW lunch.
1. Grilled chicken with greens — decent
2. Fried green tomatoes– okay, nothing special
3. Shrimps & grits — decent but executed differently from what we’re used to
4. Watermelon — okay, we had much better elsewhere
5. Oysters BLT… the oysters tasted milky and mealy
Service was okay. I’m glad we tried it since it’s been on my list but we will not come back.