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Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
190 reviews for Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
Review Highlights
"Biscuits with apple butter yumyumyum."
(in 26 reviews)
"The tri-tip was so tender and just melted in my mouth."
(in 42 reviews)
"My personal favorite meal are the fried green tomatoes."
(in 12 reviews)
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190 reviews in English
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Review from Soohwa N.
Mission Viejo, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
A place with a lot of personality
Has a New Orleans theme, it has so nice decorations, I loved it.
The service was good, the cocktails was great and the pork sandwich with sweet potato fries was yummy!
The only thing is that the place get sooo crowded in the bar area and it's kind of anoying that there's a bunch of people waiting for you to leave and asking for your table -
Review from Allison P.
Newport Beach, CA
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Our company came here for our Christmas luncheon.
They provided a very nice set-up for our group.
The food was buffet-style.
They had ribs, tri tip, bbq chicken, green salad, coleslaw, vegetable medley, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and red velvet cake for dessert.
I tried everything but the tri tip and liked everything.
The food was very flavorful and filling.
My favorite BBQ is still BC Broiler. -
Review from Rohlin A.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have been to this location a few times and the overall service has gone downhill since the initial visit.
I will start with the biscuits. They are good and usually come to the table hot, the apple butter is the star here. I feel without the apple butter, biscuits would be average.
There is a good selection of entrees: 3 types of ribs, chicken, brisket, tri tip and combination platters for all appetites. The menu also includes some Southern favorites: Catfish, shrimp and jambalaya to name a few. There are also some burgers and sandwiches available. There is plenty of food with most of the entrees.
The main weakness of the menu are the sides. Outside of the potato dishes, most the sides are sub par. I can't comment on the desserts, I am usually full before dessert.
Service can be real hit and miss. I have experienced really good service to really poor service.
We have also ordered their Thanksgiving turkey for a few years in a row and it is probably the best turkey I have had. The turkey is never dry and the smokey flavor is a huge plus. -
Review from Kristen M.
Mission Viejo, CA
2/8/2012
This place was sooo filing I really left in a soul food coma. If you want to destroy your diet go to lucille's it's ok to cheat once in a while. I love the biscuits with apple butterr
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Review from Cherrie H.
Laguna Woods, CA
2/5/2012
We love to order the 'Back Porch': Ribs, Chicken & Tri Tip Platter, the portions are generous and it is a great meal for two to share. As for the sides we have tried the mac & cheese, potato salad, and the honey peanut slaw, all are very good. Is the food amazing, authentic southern BBQ? No, we are in South ORANGE COUNTY but for a quickie BBQ fix, that is close to home, Lucille's will do.
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Review from Jason O.
Lake Forest, CA
1/28/2012
I'm suprised Lucille's is rated this highly. Must be due to a lot of people who don't really eat good BBQ who think its great here. But I return because in Lake Forest you only have 2 choices for BBQ, this place or Texas Pit BBQ, which actually has better food in my humble opinion than Lucille's, but my wife likes the non-BBQ dishes at Lucille's alot, so we return.
Its not terrible here, just not that good for the BBQ. Every BBQ restaurant I've ever been to besides this place is better than Lucille's. I agree with my wife, this place is good because of their non-BBQ plates, the Catfish plates are good, their jambalaya is good, and their gumbo bowl is very good. But their ribs, tri-tip, hot links, and shredded pork not so much.
To me, this location has great service. I don't think I've ever gotten such great service repeatedly at any one restaurant than this place. The waitresses are very young, you get the feeling this is their first job ever. But they are all so nice, and always check up on you constantly to get you whatever you need. Great service staff! -
Review from Randy S.
Honolulu, HI
1/22/2012
Over rated and over priced. The tri tip is pretty old but the links are below average. And again...way over priced for the quantity of food.
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Review from Laina A.
11/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hot, fresh and delicious biscuits. Good bbq, but I have thoughts that there is much better out there. The rest of the sides are only okay in opinion.
We got a smoked gobbler for Thanksgiving and it was good. I'm not a fan of turkey, so it probably was great, and it was just a personal thing for myself.
I find their prices is a bit high, the service is supposed to be that everybody helps out, and that doesn't seem to work well. I've found service to be lacking. -
Review from Michael M.
San Clemente, CA
1/13/2012
When I was living in Virginia I had to give up on looking for good Mexican food, but because of Lucille's I don't have to give up on great BBQ when living in California, always a favorite, from the great quality of food to the wonderful serve provided from the hostess, server to the Manager, biscuits are always hot and plentiful, great selection of drinks, if your looking for the total experince, music, food, drinks and atmosphere Lucille's is that place.
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Review from Dave P.
Laguna Niguel, CA
11/21/2011
You dummies keep saying the ribs are smoky and that the ribs are "fall off the bone" at Lucilles.
Fall off the bone is desirable if you are an infant or toothless elderly person. It is a dumb and mistaken cliche that you think is relevant. You think you are communicating that the ribs are good by saying they are fall off the bone, but what you probably mean to describe is tenderness. Tenderness is good, but fall off the bone is tenderness in the extreme, and indication of over-cookedness or worse, boiling the ribs! Now if you knew that, a full half of you probably would stop saying "fall off the bone."
As for smoky: I think you are trying to communicate "tasty" or "flavorful" and not the actual flavor of wood smoke imparted to the meat during the smoking process. I think you are tasting the rub on the rib, or the bottled sauce, or your upper lip. If a rib is smoked over wood it should have a pink smoke ring.
The ribs I ordered at Lucilles were indeed fall off the bone, but were not "smoky." No smoke ring. No smoke flavor. The ribs did have flavor: cooked pork, rub, bbq sauce flavors. Those are not special flavors in my opinion. Ribs that don't have smoke flavor from a wood fire are lacking. God only knows how they were cooked.
I also ordered some overcooked sliced brisket that had a nice beefy flavor and tasted okay. This 2 meat combo was $28!! Jesus, Lucilles!
Service was good. Biscuits and sides were delicious. Portions are large. Menu is large enough for different tastes. Barbequed meats are lacking. Way overpriced! Judged in its entirety, I've always found Lucilles moderately enjoyable. -
Review from Kimberley H.
Laguna Hills, CA
Updated - 11/16/2011
Once again, we hit up Lucille's for my birthday dinner with my parents.
We opted to wait for a table that was not right by the entrance and we waited, oh I dunno, 2 minutes? If that? We'd barely sat down and there was already a table ready for us.
Our server (Daniel) was awesome. Very attentive, but not annoying in the slightest.
Food - awesome as always! Restaurant - clean as always! And the hosts up front thanked us for dining there as we were leaving. I don't know why that matters to me, but it really says that I am appreciated and valued as a patron.3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/13/2011
I have to update my previous Yelp - the one about us accidentally getting the wrong dessert.
You… Read more »
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Review from KevinandDawn T.
Riverside, CA
10/18/2011
We love the Temecula location, so we thought this would be great when visiting family! We were sort of right.
Because of our large party (7) we called ahead for reservations at 6. We arrived ten minutes early and checked in. The young girls at the hostess counter need a little more customer service training. It was a Sunday night, so they were not slammed with customers, but they were busy.
At 6:15 we asked how much longer. It was explained that they have "no control" over how long it takes people to eat. ????? Isn't that the point of RESERVATIONS? We asked how much longer because we had a five year-old in our party. "Soon." SOON? That's the best you can do?
At 6:20 we asked if it was of any benefit to make a reservation when we had been there for 30 minutes. "No, not really, it's first-come, first-served." They really need more training, and some tips on what NOT to say to customers.
We were seated at our table at 6:35. By now, the five year-old is starving. When we sat down, they didn't give her anything to color or keep her occupied Her mom went back to the front and picked up a set of crayons and a maze/puzzle paper.
Our orders were placed quickly and the service from that point seemed to do well, with one upset. They brought the five year-old's food...LAST. We were all sitting looking at our food, and the five year-old tearing up. Yeah, it was another three minutes for her food.
Since all she ordered was mac and cheese...and the rest of us had steaks and tri-tip that didn't make any sense to us. We just shook our heads.
The food at this place is amazing, it always is. The smells that great you in the parking lot reel you right in. Once you are there, smelling everything and your mouth is watering you are sort of committed to the end. It was unfortunate that the young staff in their inexperience missed several opportunities to make things right. Especially after we bragged to everyone about how great Lucille's is.
Pros
Awesome food
Great prices (two meals for $39.99)
Fun atmosphere
Fast service
Nothing beats that Snicker Bar Pie!!!!
Cons
Hostesses have no idea how to run the seating
Reservations are MEANINGLESS
Children can be overlooked
Children's food not brought out early (many restaurants ask now days)
Will we be back? Probably...but we'll skip the fake reservations, bring our own child activities...and maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the little one. -
Review from B D.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
11/23/2011
Went there tonight for dinner, as my wife and I had a gift card for them and wanted a night out.
Long story short - hot food, cold drinks, and awesome service with a smile! Our waiter was very helpful on suggesting items on the menu that were the best to get, and super speedy with the service. Food was DELICIOUS. Healthy portions and big-ol mason jars for the iced tea!
The music definitely fit the theming... hard old school blues straight up. No annoying Top 40 crap or elevator music you hear in most restaurants.
We didn't have room for dessert because the food was so satisfying and filling but we definitely will go back there to get our sweet tooth on. Awesome place, highly recommend. -
Review from chelsea m.
Anaheim, CA
10/24/2011
Lucille's Onion Straws is a mountain of irresistible buttermilk battered fresh onions, seasoned and deep-fried and served with their own BBQ ranch dipping sauce. These onion straws are amazing! These are fried like a good fried chicken - salt, pepper, flour. If you can get the right combination, the flavor is addictive. The portion is just right for 2 people to share while your barbeque plates are being prepared. Thumbs up, way up!
The BBQ Two Meat Combo Platter is your choice of two of Lucille's best meats: BBQ tri tip, BBQ half chicken, baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs, beef ribs, spicy hot link, pulled pork, rib tips or beef brisket. In this case, BBQ tri tip and beef brisket were chosen along with creamy cheese grits and shoestring fries. The tri tip was very smoky and tender. You can tell that the tri-tip was smoked to perfection by the smoke ring on the meat. The brisket was extremely tender and juicy, turning into almost pot roast level consistency. The flavor had just the right amounts of smoke and salt. The cheese grits were fantastic - creamy, cheesy, and a bit of a kick from the jalapenos! The shoestring fries were okay. The coating on the fries tasted a little weird, almost metallic. Thumbs up!
St. Louis Spare Ribs are lean, juicy pork ribs, seasoned with Lucille's special rub, slowly smoked, then grilled and basted with their homemade BBQ sauce. Southern braised greens and sweet potato fries were chosen as the sides. The ribs had a rich, smoky flavor with a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce. The ribs were a little tough - maybe cooked too long or too hot making them dry. But the sweet potato fries were cooked just right with a nice combo of sweet and salty. The greens had all the bitterness cooked out of them leaving only the base flavor of the leaves. Thumbs up!
The Snickers Ice Cream Pie is chopped Snickers bars mixed with vanilla bean ice cream in a crisp, chocolate cookie crust and served with homemade caramel and chocolate sauces. This dessert was like a Cold Stone creation in a pie crust. The chopped up snickers bars were minced and blended perfectly into the ice cream. The chocolate cookie crust helps keep the pie together and helps you scrape up the caramel and chocolate sauce. Thumbs up, way up! -
Review from Gary L.
Atascadero, CA
12/25/2011
Went last Friday with friends. We had reservations, and were seated after about 10-15 minutes. Could have been better, but could have been a whole lot worse. The service from Justin was sharp, and he was on the ball. The prices were not cheap, but certainly not over the top. We had everything from Brisket, to Baby back pork ribs, to Beef ribs, everything was tender, and delicious. The sides could have been a little more plentiful, but hey, not much room on that huge plate when you get that much meat! The drinks appeared with no fuss, and were as advertised, beer was cold, wine was excellent, Justin took a break during the service, and we were helped by another server who also did an awesome job. In summary, great food, great service, adequate pricing. I certainly plan on going again!
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Review from Cindy C.
San Diego, CA
12/31/2011
Please see our comments on:
http://vegetarianandth.../ -
Review from Tanya D.
9/18/2011 1 photo
Eating bar b cue twice in one year is what I consider a BBQ bender. That being said, I really enjoyed the decor and atmosphere of my first trip to Lucille's and I had some really excellent service. I had the ribs and tri tip lunch special with braised Southern veggies as my side. Also tried the mac n cheese and grits, as well as a bite of the brisket. Although my St Louis ribs weren't fall-off-the-bone perfection, they were on their way there, and very flavorful; the same can be said for my tri tip. Good BBQ sauce, I tried all 3 they had on the table (if it's there, I'll dip something in it!) and overall a good experience.
Something about the sugary biscuits was off-putting (I guess sweet things don't do much to prepare my palate) although the butter was pretty delicious. It also helps that they pour a really strong drink - after all these yelp reviews I perused, I guess I should stop by the bar area. From the Formica tables to the Mason jars, I could really just come sit here on a hot day and enjoy myself. I'm pleased that I finally gave the neighborhood Lucille's a try! -
Review from David G.
Yorba Linda, CA
10/27/2011
What can I say Lucille's? I really want to like you!
I went here with the family for lunch with high hopes. The restaurant came highly recommended by EVERYONE I came in contact with. The decor was Roadhouse inspired and true to the BBQ steakhouse mold. The staff was helpful and at the top of their game. Seating and drink orders were done quickly and efficiently but not hurried. Our greeter and waitress were professional and courteous.
The food selection was ample with all of the BBQ faves listed. The food came expeditiously and was....jesus! I sound like a fricken robot!
Honestly folks, I don't know what was off with this place.
It didn't hook me in or WOW me.
I really wanted to experience the magic that everyone shared with me but to be honest, I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe I was PMS'ing or something but for the high prices I paid, I expected to have my socks knocked off and handed back to me in a gift wrapped doggy bag.
I can't quite put a finger on what turned me off about this place but I fear that whatever it is has put Lucille's in a perpetual 'number two spot' on my top BBQ picks for dinner out.
I'll give it another try someday in a different location. -
Review from Miguel M.
Placentia, CA
12/27/2011
Great food and good service here. I highly recommend it for bbq..
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Review from Kate B.
Laguna Hills, CA
12/11/2011
Good food - although I doubt any of it is very healthy, but if you don't care about that it does taste good. Good service. And they call your cell phone when your table is ready if you choose that option so you don't have to worry about the buzzer being out of range.
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Review from A M.
Irvine, CA
11/26/2011
Best part is the complimentary biscuits, which are served warm with apple-cinnamon butter. Flaky, flavorful, and delicious! The rest of the meal is just ok. The BBQ brisket, tri-tip, and ribs aren't really authentic to the south; however, when wanting a quick fix without a plane ride, this will do. Seriously though, biscuits are awesome!
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Review from Darlene J.
San Diego, CA
12/5/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Good service, good food no complaints! We always enjoy the food & this time we sat in the bar so the boy's were really happy!
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Review from Sukhraj B.
Lake Forest, CA
6/21/2011 2 photos
Our Tuesday went a little like this:
Me: Are you hungry?
Him: Yeah, been waiting for you to get off the phone.
Me: Oh. What do you want to eat? (thinking: there's nothing in the fridge)
Him: Well, you don't have anything in the fridge
Duh..
Him: BBQ
Me: Huh?
Him: Yeah, I'm in the mood for BBQ
Me: Why? (I want breakfast like I always do)
Him: Yeah, let's get BBQ. Are you ready?
Me: Yeah..sure..
So we head up the street to Lucille's. Why? Because I can't think of any other place that serves BBQ and it's right up the street plus I don't want to drive anywhere else. I work from home so I need to get back so I can continue working from home.
We arrive around 11am. The parking lot is empty and so is the restaurant. We're seated quickly and we have the whole wait staff at our disposal. It's our first time here and I wish I hadn't mentioned that because our waiter (very polite but talkative) went on and on about the sauce, the hickory chips, and how they BBQ. I don't care. I just want my drink and the damn complimentary biscuits with apple butter.
Sadly, despite it being empty, it still takes forever for drinks to arrive, to get our biscuits, and our food. Really? Did they have to go out and kill the meat before it was served to us? The boyfriend ordered the lunch special meat platter. He loved it and the wet naps that came with it. I got the smoked chicken pasta. I really should know better about restaurant pasta. It's never any good and it's always too much. However, my cup of corn chowder and the biscuit were quite lovely. Sadly my dish wasn't memorable. Oh well. Maybe next time... -
Review from Eralyn S.
Tarzana, CA
9/23/2011
My "yay" list for this place:
1. Pulled Pork
2. Tri tip
3. Rib Tips
4. Strawberry Lemonade
They're in SoCal but they offer authentic Southern style barbeque. -
Review from shannon g.
Aliso Viejo, CA
Went here for a birthday celebration. We started with the fried pickles and onion straws. The pickles were spears, I was disappointed with them, they didn't have much breading and what they did have fell right off.
The onion straws were pretty good i ate a few and I don't like onions at all. I ordered the hot link sandwich. The hot links were spicy and tasted good but over all the sandwich was seriously lacking in flavor. The cheese grits side was the savior of my meal it was wonderful. Our server was also very very kind and attentive a real sweet heart. -
Review from Steven N.
I've grown less fond of this chain over the years. Now it is just a place to go to when I crave bbq and go to because there is no real good bbq place in South OC.
Here's the low down on my last lunch visit. I ordered the baby back ribs and tri-tip with garlic mash potatoes (my choice of side) lunch special. $12.99. An ice tea to wash this down $2.99. Pricey ice teas like this makes me drink as much as I can and end up making several trips to the restroom back at the office.
Complimentary biscuits and apple butter arrive at my table fairly quickly. The biscuits are warm and the apple butter is the perfect amount of sweetness. 4 Stars
My plate arrives minutes later. 3 bones of baby back ribs, 3 slices of tri-tip, garlic mash and a watermelon slice are on this plate. The garlic mash is smooth with chunks of skin here and there and quite tasty. 4 Stars
The tri-tip is on the dry side and the sauce they put on it is not very flavorful. 2.75 Stars
The baby back ribs was lightly coated with their watery bbq sauce. It had moments of goodness but dryness comes up here and there. 3 Stars.
The watermelon was fresh, juicy and refreshing though. 4 Stars
Total after tax was $17.38. An even $21.00 with a 20 plus % tip for good service makes it kind of a pricey lunch for just okay bbq.
This isn't horrible bbq, it just isn't that good to me anymore. I've had better for sure and it will do if I really need to get my bbq fix.Listed in: Dinning At The Y, BBQs of the World
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Review from Jennifer L.
Orange County, CA
4/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
If everyone ate their biscuits with apple butter.... the world would be a better place.
I rarely smear butter on my bread but Lucille's is a MUST.
There is no need to rant about anything else. I LOVE THEIR BISCUITS WITH APPLE BUTTTTAAAAA!!!!! Yatta!Listed in: fatass foodie
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Review from Kunney T.
Costa Mesa, CA
6/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
If someone suggested to me that Lucilles is a pretty dang cool place to hang out at nighttime - I would agree with them . . . when pigs fly!
But dang - this place was pretty good! Roll up in here around 9PM during any day, and it's happy hour. 4 dollar drinks. Food from 1.99 to 6.99. And there's a rocking blues band. The dude was awesome and rolled up guitar solos like he was slash!
If my advice means anything, stick with the meats and avoid the Irish Nachos at all costs. Irish nachos = fries with sour cream and onions on top. Good for your wallet (1.99) but no bueno for your stomach (priceless). The wings are nothing to write home about either.
If value is what you're looking for, get a plate of rib tips (about 10 pieces worth) and keep on asking for biscuits. Those are the two best things there anyway.
BTW, the bar area is aptly called - you guessed it - the Flying Pig Lounge. -
Review from Ben V.
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
We went to Lucille's to celebrate Father's day.
Beer alert: The house amber was very basic and bland, but they have Sea Dog Blue Paw on tap!!! This is one if the best fruit beers in the country! Worth a try! Also, my fiancé tried the Peach Moon which was pretty good.
We started off with the Lucille's sampler platter which actually was pretty good, if you can get over the fact that everything is fried short of the plate it is served on. Loved the fried okra and the fried green tomatoes in particular!
They were a little late on the famous biscuits and apple butter but they finally came and were decent. Fluffy and warm.
The tri-tip was was good, but nothing to write home about. It was even better when paired with the Memphis BBQ sauce! We were disappointed with their garlic mashed potatoes... Tasteless and sad. Also, the southern braised greens were absolutely HORRIBLE! Over-cooked salty mess that looked like a dirty diaper. For a southern BBQ we were very sad!
Our waiter, Jeff, was phenomenal though and saved the day. Loved the service!
Overall: it's a bit pricey but it's still decent BBQ. Loved a few of the beer choices... Much better than the crap most restaurants (and commercials with "cold as the Rockies" blue strips or baywatch-esque life guards or random beach parties or Keith Stone) want to try to sell you.
3 stars but they get a fourth for Jeff's service, having banana flavored tootsie roll pops and having Sea Dog. -
Review from christy l.
San Jose, CA
5/28/2011
Ordered food from here to serve at a party. The staff was super helpful. I had brought in gift cards, which wasn't a big deal for them at all. There was a itty bitty balance and the girl suggested getting an individual serving, which was a good idea.
At home, the food was a hit. If you need plates and utensils, they'll stock you up. They even have serving utensils, which was convenient. I just wish they had Lucille's up north! -
Review from mahsa m.
Laguna Niguel, CA
I'm on a hunt to find authentic Southern BBQ. That being said, I'm not sure about the authenticity of Lucille's Southern BBQ, but if you ask me, it's is a wee bit over-hyped. Yes, it's decent barbecue with pretty good portions, & somewhat fair prices. However, I wasn't really impressed :/ And dear God almighty, do NOT order the sweet tea, unless you really really REALLY want it to live up to it's name: Their sweet tea is INCONCEIVABLY sweet. If you value your health enough to not want to give yourself diabetes, avoid it like the plague! Overall though, I didn't hate Lucille's, but I wasn't wowed. 3 stars, no more, no less! The search for authentic BBQ continues...
I did enjoy their fried pickles though!! -
Review from Phil C.
4/4/2011 1 photo
Saaaaaahhweeet tea!! Mmm! So refreshing! So cool that it comes in a mason jar. The biscuits are amazing especially with the apple butter! More please.
Last visit here I shared the Back Porch with a friend and we barely finished it. Granted we also got a couple appetizers. The BBQ was really tasty as usual. Love the chicken and the ribs. Love to add the extra spicy bbq sauce to for that extra kick.
Favorite appetizers: fried pickles, rib tips and onion straws.
Atmosphere is pretty cool. Can get really busy at peak times. Love the smoker in the restaurant. Service has always been friendly and attentive.
I've experienced the bbq being a little on the dry side on rare occasions, but majority of the time it's been great. My taste buds always wanting more but my belly tends to tap out. :)Listed in: America! Eff Yeah!
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Review from Candice B.
Santa Ana, CA
3/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
OM to the NOMS!
I got a gift card for Lucille's during Christmas, and finally one night after work my coworkers and I decided we needed a drink and a shiz ton of food. And honestly, from what I can tell about Lake Forest, this place has a great late night happy hour.
Even though they were about to close in 30 minutes, they still let us order a ton of food, and didn't pester us to leave after they closed at 10pm. You can get a huge mug of beer during HH for around $4. And I opted for the spinach dip and the spicy sausage. The sausage was honestly almost too spicy to eat, but with enough beer I managed.
The bread with apple butter is almost reason enough to go!
And the servers in the bar area are always nice and prompt with whatever you need.
If I was still working in the area I'd definitely come back. -
Review from Tony R.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
4/12/2011
Mmmm....mmmmm...good!
This is one of those guilty pleasures you just have to fill once in a while. The food is expensive but worth it. The BBQ sauce alone is worth the trip. I got the tri-tip and pulled pork and both were outstanding. The side dishes I chose were the baked beans and garlic mashed. The beans stole the show on the side dish battle! Spicy and full of flavor...tough to beat. The rolls with the apple butter are another little slice of heaven.
Probably one of the better BBQ joints you will find. -
Review from Jocelyn K.
Orange, CA
7/19/2011
The truth is, the barbeque is pretty darn good. The biscuits. YUM. The service? *eh*
My husband and I went in with 4 hungry kids. Our waiter took FOREVER to get us our drinks and even longer to take our order. Anyone with kids can relate that, that spells trouble. We immediately had the loud table and our waiter didn't seem to care. I would have been more patient if they were packed but the restaurant wasn't even that busy at the time.
The lack of service would usually send us packing but option of leaving at that point would have been more difficult to tackle.
As a consumer, I was annoyed. As a parent, I found it disappointing. This was our 2nd visit to this location. We may hit the Tustin location next time. -
Review from AJ I.
Spring Valley, CA
6/17/2011
I LOVE this Place! Best sauces, best honey butter and biscuits, best Sweat Tea, and of course Best BBQ!
Friendly employees and great atmosphere.
I always get the big sampler which fills me up.
And I get a lolipop in the end! -
Review from Mollie N.
Chula Vista, CA
5/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
There aren't many barbecue restaurants here on the West Coast that I consider to be as good as Southern BBQ restaurants (dreaming back to Kentucky and North Carolina BBQ) but I am proud to say that Lucille's was kick-ass.
My husband and I were seated in less than five minutes on May 8th which is Mother's Day. The place was packed so it wasn't like there were empty seats all over the place. It's just that the staff is very efficient.
We ordered a plate of fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and two sweet teas. The teas came in HUGE mason jars with a fresh mint leaf. The tea was just like Southern sweet tea and it went down smooth, making me a little homesick for the South. The tomatoes were coated in cornmeal. I'm not too fond of cornmeal breading and prefer flour breading. Nonetheless, I scraped off the cornmeal and the tomatoes were firm and steak-like. The tomatoes came out on a plate with the sauce underneath. I would have liked it better if it was on the side but no worries, I'll ask for it on the side the next time. The complimentary biscuits were more like yeast rolls and had a thin coat of white sugar on the top. The apple butter wasn't like the Southern apple butter and can throw off a purist apple butter lover. It was ok, but the apple flavor was a little weak.
We ordered the lunch special (yea, lunch specials exist on the weekends!) which included three meats and one side. We chose the baby back pork ribs, the pulled pork and the quarter smoked chicken. The mashed sweet potatoes and an extra side of macaroni and cheese rounded it out. Three different BBQ sauces sit on the table. A Memphis sauce has more mustard and vinegar and this was my favorite. The second is a classic ketchup and vinegar sauce and the third was a classic but with a spicy zing to it.
All three meats were superb, juicy and flavorful. The chicken keeps it's skin, so I just pulled it off. The sweet potatoes have brown sugar mixed in but they weren't overly sweet. The macaroni and cheese was creamy and just a little gooey - not too thick and not overly cheesy. The cheese was baked on the top as well as being mixed in with the macaroni - the top cheese wasn't crusty or overcooked and was still creamy as was the cheese all the way through. The plate garnish was a big slice of seedless watermelon.
A small order of peach cobbler was a beautiful and warm crumb topping with just as much peach as it was crust. The crust was thin and crumbly, not overly thick and gummy as a lot of cobbler crusts can be. It was very very good.
The restaurant was clean, bustling with happy noise of Mother's Day. The restrooms were spotless. The restaurant is located in the outer corner of an upscale-looking supermarket shopping center so parking is abundant. It's location is perhaps a quarter mile east of the I-5 and is very easy to find, just off a major intersection.
I highly recommend it for parties, large gatherings, families, first dates and late night eats. The bar is large with seating at the actual bar and table/booth seating inside the bar area. There is also a covered patio area that is quite large and is next to the parking area. Good handicapped parking and three close spots for order pick-up. -
Review from Sylvia A.
Laguna Beach, CA
5/11/2011
I love going to Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. The Southern food is absolutely delicious and their specialty - the ribs - are to die for. The meat just falls off the bone...and it is very tender and full of flavor. I also love the apple butter offered for the biscuits. I can never get enough of those! My personal favorite meal are the fried green tomatoes. They are breaded and fried to perfection and taste absolutely divine.
I love this restaurant so much and I don't go there enough. The atmosphere is friendly and great with families. My only complaint is that the restaurant's themed music is played too loud. Thus, everyone has to sort of shout to have a conversation. I experience tinnitus (ringing in the ears) for a few days after eating at Lucille's because of the loud music...which explains why I don't go to eat there that often. -
Review from sybril s.
3/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Went twice because we had to use the gift cards someone got for us...
Fire roasted artichoke was pretty pathetic looking. Small and flavorless.
The BBQ meat were pretty dry and they were cold by the time they got to the table. Collard greens was a mess, soggy mushy slop.
The second time we tried other stuff on the menu... jambalaya was not a "jambalaya", it's spicy tomato sauce. Top sirloin was alright but tendony and flavorless. The server at the bar was overly energized, he probably just use the same "script" over and over again with everyone. He asked me in that perky tone if I'd like a Chardonnay to start with twice when I already have one on the table. He asked us if we need a box, we said no and he brought us 2 boxes anyway... ?!?!?
Enough said, glad to have used up the gift cards and we won't have to go back again. -
Review from Alex S.
Mission Viejo, CA
5/19/2011
This was my first experience with BBQ in California. Everyone I spoke with raved about it except my cousin, who lives in Lake Forest and is also originally from Dallas. I was not impressed. I got a to-go order that included a pulled pork sandwich that had creole mustard on it. I didn't order it that way, it just came that way... sacrilegious behavior for a BBQ restaurant to put that on pork. The pork itself was not as tender or as good in quality as many other places I have been. Major disappointment.
I will try it again eventually because BBQ in any form is scarce in Orange County, but haven't been desperate enough yet.
