Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen

Reviews 6

ZA

Zac Goldstein

I wanted to make my last meal of 2010 a steak. After balking at the crowds at two steakhouses, I ended up at Lucky 32. Had I known what I was in for, I would have made it my first choice rather than my third. Owned by the Quaintance-Weaver group (the folks responsible for the Green Valley Grill and Print Works), Lucky 32 offers top-notch food at fairly reasonable prices. The Southern-influenced menu offers dressed-up versions of regional favorites. Shrimp and grits, chicken and dumplings, and pulled pork all make an appearance, but nobody will be mistaking the presentation for Cracker Barrel. There were enough enticing options that I nearly abandoned my planned steak. In the end, I stuck to my guns and was richly rewarded: the blue cheese and herb crusted sirloin was tender and flavorful. Creamy mashed potatoes and a crunchy grit cake provided a good balance of textures and flavors. For upscale dining, Lucky 32 is remarkably wallet-friendly. My steak and three sides cost only $21, and most of the entrees run under $20. That’s decidedly cheaper than Print Works or Green Valley, and the food compares favorably. Ambience, however, is a different story. While Print Works is known for its bright, open atmosphere and Green Valley exudes stately and cavernous, Lucky 32 is a darker, more intimate space. There is plenty of seating, but space between tables is at a premium. Service during my visit was prompt – a pleasant surprise given the New Year’s Eve crowds. Servers were courteous, though not the chatty sort. Questions regarding the menu were quickly answered. Refined yet affordable, Lucky 32 is a must for anyone who wants to savor Southern cooking done right. It hasn’t edged Print Works as far as I’m concerned, but it still merits several return engagements.

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FR

Fred Black

What better way to celebrate gaining an hour of sleep than having a nice brunch meal, and as to the actual breakfast items available at the various brunches around town, Lucky 32 is far superior, imo. The interior is beautifully decorated for fall, with small pumpkins on each table adding a nice finishing touch. This remains an elegant restaurant, though Country Music blasting away at 10 AM does remove some of the ambiance, and hinder soft conversation. We tried the French Toast ($9) with a side of bacon, and the Creamy Grit Casserole ($10) with a side of hash browns. Our waitress brought the usual complimentary pieces of Cornbread, which were excellent. Time for our order out of the kitchen was excellent. The French Toast, consisting of 3 well sized piece of excellent French bread, was very good, though a little less cinnamon would make it better. The bacon was very under-cooked, no crispiness at all. The Grit Casserole was very nice, as well (though a tad greasy) - plenty of cheese and a nice amount of bacon, this bacon was crispy. The accompanying Scrambled Eggs were nicely cooked, on the soft scrambled side. The Hash Browns side was nice too, cooked well with some crispiness to them. The portions on both dishes are more than adequate, and the service on this visit was exceptional. This restaurant is one that is always solid, but just never seems to blow us away. There rarely are major problems, but then again, rarely are there exceptional dining experiences - the sense we get is a cool, detached professionalism - "lets get this done" kind of place, with a dash of complacency thrown in. Well be back from time to time. The menu does change fairly often and this keeps things interesting here.

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WE

Wendy Schneider

First time dining at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen last evening and we were excited to try their Summer menu! We started with fried okra with voodoo sauce (delicious) and ranch for dipping. The seasoning on the okra was delicious and the sauces made it even better. I settled on a Red Sky at Night cocktail. It was so good I had three. For dinner I chose the Texas Pete Fried Shrimp with a salad, mashed potatoes, and green beens. The shrimp were spicy, but oh so tasty. Very nice salad. Mashed potatoes and green beans were good. My fiancé had the Kentucky Ribeye, which is a steak marinated in bourbon. He had pimento Mac and cheese and green beans. For dessert we tried the sampler, which included lemon bars with blueberry ice cream, buttermilk pie, and peanut butter pie. All delicious. I would have given this restaurant a five star rating except our service was lacking. Our server disappeared for long periods of time and when we needed something, like another cocktail or the cocktail sauce that was supposed to come with my dinner, he was nowhere to be found. Once he came back to our table we got what we asked for rather quickly, but better service would have made this a five star review. We were in Greensboro, but there is another Lucky 32 located in Cary, NC, close to Raleigh where we live. We will definitely be trying the Cary, NC location next! Excellent food, just kick up the service a notch!

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GA

Gabriel Molina

We visited on Fathers Day. I made reservations online but could not find an opening for a party of 12. I decided to make the reservation for 10 people which I could do online then call to ask about changing it to 12. I was told that they could seat us in the private room which would be fine for 12 people at 3:30 pm. We arrived on time and we were immediately seated at our table. The waiter took our order for drinks quickly and it seemed like he was going to be good. Unfortunately, after the first quick visit he did not return often. Our small drink glasses were usually empty. The food was brought out with two missing orders... one was a childs chicken tenders and the other was the soup appetizer. We decided to cancel the soup appetizer. We were never offered an apology for the mistake. The waiter accidentally spilled iced tea on the table and lap of a guest.. again no apology or offer to help to clean. The food tasted fine. Everyone ordered something different and most of us were happy with the food. This place could have some potential. Unfortunately, the wait staff was not up to par and is not representing the restaurant well. Oh and the espresso was horrible, tasted like they used regular coffee grounds.

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JE

Jeff Taylor

Had a large group dinner (about 14 of us) here on a Friday night for a high school graduation. The restaurant look very nice from both the outside and inside. The landscaping and outdoor seating area is beautiful, they even have a little vegetable stand in front where you can buy fresh vegetables on the honor system. The inside has a very nice bar off to the right, completely separate from the restaurant, which is a great place to get a drink before you eat or while waiting for your table. The food, however, was underwhelming. I wanted to like this place since they have a rotating/changing menu which is locally/NC-inspired, but the food was just ok. I had the brisket, and it could have used a little more fat (for flavor) or sauce on the side or something. It was bland and lean. I also had a grit cake side, it was too thick IMO. I think most everyone else felt the same way, food was ok but not great. Positives: Nicely laid-out and decorated restaurant both inside and out. Rotating menu with local/NC inpsiration. Negatives: Food was under-whelming, just ok. For the price, not worth it.

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HE

Hemant Tiwari

The menu has sections which change with season. So, you might get to try something new every 2 months or so. You can change some dishes a bit (for example low sodium, gluten free, etc.) The server was great at suggesting some dishes and tried everything she recommended. Gumbo cup - 5 Black beans cake - 10 (w/grits and home fries) Cream grits - 3 Grilled chicken sandwich - 12 (hand cut fries) Sausage scramble - 10 (w/ link sausage and pinto beans) I didnt know whats a Gumbo, so no reference to compare, but I liked it. Black beans cake was good and the grits too. Grilled chicken sandwich was very good. The bun was soaking up the sauce from the chicken and bacon which made it awesome. The chicken was juicy, the bacon was crisp and the fried onion rings were lost in the mix. The sausage scramble was a under seasoned and the pinto beans were bland. I didnt like the link sausage (again, I dont have a reference to compare) Overall, this was a great lunch. Wed definitely be coming back for more.

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