Lucky's Burger and Brew

First Impression

John: When I walked through the doors at Lucky's, the first thing I noticed were the booths. The booths are huge. I'm pretty sure the Duggar family from TLC could comfortably fit all 19 of their children into one of Lucky's booths with room to spare. Here's the other thing; Tim and I have agreed on two things over the past year: that The Situation won't win Dancing with the Stars and that Roswell needs a nice burger and beer joint near downtown. Lucky's fills the burger and beer joint niche. Hopefully on Tuesday, America will take care of the other thing. 

Tim: Lucky's is named after someone's dog, so the restaurant and the menu have an overarching dog theme. Normally you wouldn't want dogs and hamburgers that closely associated together because someone might erroneously connect the two. But the idea that a dog named Lucky inspired someone to start a restaurant is actually quite charming.

John: 7.5

Tim: 8

Appetizers

John: Every time I walk into a restaurant, I secretly wish one thing: that they'll have tater tots on the menu. Potatoes can be served in many different ways: fries, soup, mashed, baked, hashed, but the only one that matters is tater tots. Tater Tots are the pinnacle of potato making. Unfortunately, every restaurant in the world has given up on them, except for Lucky's that is. When I picked up the menu, my heart skipped two and a half beats when I saw my three favorite words in the English language right next to each other (for full effect, say each word and then pause two seconds): Chili Cheese Tots. Obviously I ordered them. If you're tired of the French fry scene or the baked potato scene, then I suggest tater tots. And Lucky's even adds to their tastiness by adding jalapenos, shredded cheese and chili. Someone in the Lucky's kitchen was on their 'A' game when they came up with the idea to put tater tots on the menu. Tim ordered some giant pimento cheese balls, but I didn't really touch them, I just ate the tater tots.

Tim: I hardly got to eat any of the tater tots because Breech drooled all over 90 percent of the plate. Then Mel and I got into a deep discussion about what exactly pimentos are and how they can be those little red things inside olives and still be made into pink cheese. Is pimento cheese actually cheese, or is it some kind of creamy spread made up of mashed up pimentos? Someone needs to get to the bottom of this. Either way, the fried pimento cheese balls were fantastic. You used to only see pimento cheese on those pre-made crustless white bread sandwiches, but nowadays you can get it in grits and fried balls. It's a good role expansion for this mysterious food. 

Chili Tots: John 8.5, Tim 8

Cheese Balls: John 7, Tim 8

Entrées

John: If you eat at Lucky's, there's a 97 percent chance that you're going to eat a burger. You'll smell them cooking when you walk in, it's in the name of the restaurant and it's what they do best. Really, there is no reason not to get one. Unless of course you're a vegetarian. In that case, I can only recommend the Piedmont salad. Anyway, back to the burgers and people who eat meat. I ordered something called the Undertaker. Is it named after the wrestler? Is it called the Undertaker because it might kill you? I can't answer either of those questions. The only question I can answer is this one: is it good? Yes. It’s a burger topped with cheese, bacon, onion rings and a fried egg. If that sounds like a lot, it is. The burger will barely fit in your mouth, so make sure to do some jaw exercises before you show up at Lucky's. If you don't know any jaw exercises, invent them, just make sure you do them before you get there. Tim had something called the Chihuahua, I'll let him explain.

Tim: The Undertaker is the only burger on the menu not named after a dog. The Chihuahua, as you would imagine, is a Mexican-themed burger with chipotle mayo, guacamole and chopped green chilis. It was exceedingly bueno, and not as grande as your casa like the Undertaker. 

We also had the French Poodle chicken sandwich. It was a fried chicken breast with brie cheese, Granny Smith apples and dijon mustard. It too was tres bon, even if it was a departure from the normally juvenile food selections (like tater tots) that we normally order. 

Undertaker: John 8, Tim 8

Chihuahua: John 7, Tim 8

French Poodle: John 7, Tim 6.5

Dessert

John: Two of my favorite foods in the world are buttermilk pancakes and buttermilk waffles. To me, buttermilk only makes things better. If it were the least bit healthy, I would mix buttermilk with more buttermilk and drink that and then make more of it and then drink that. So when I saw buttermilk pie on the dessert menu, I was all over it. The pie is shaped like a regular piece of pie, but there is one big difference, it has a burnt sugar crème brulee topping. Just when I thought buttermilk couldn't get any better, Lucky's goes and makes this pie.

Tim: Lucky's owner Ted Lerner is the mastermind behind the buttermilk pie. It's an item that is generally unfamiliar to his guests, so he tells them to order it and if they don't like it they don't have to pay for it. He says he's never had anyone send it back. We didn't send it back either, so his record is still perfect.

Buttermilk Pie: John 8, Tim 7.5

Final Impression

John: The last time I saw tater tots and Pabst Blue Ribbon offered at the same restaurant, I was a freshman in college. I loved that restaurant and I ate there at least once a week. But that restaurant is in Oxford, Ohio, and I'm in Roswell, so its kind of tough to get back more than once every three years. Now I have Lucky's. Not only are their burgers great, but I have a new place to get tater tots. And I should also mention that I think Tim fell in love with their beer menu. He ordered a bunch of beers that came in a can, that is impressive.

Tim: Lucky's offers Stroh's, Black Label, Old Milwaukee and PBR, all in a can and all for a very reasonable price.  It' like Lucky's raided my dad's refrigerator from 1984. It's the only place in the metro area that you can order tater tots and drink cheap beer from a can. This distinction makes Lucky's a must-visit.

John: 8

Tim: 8