Lucille's is an absolute treat. It is the perfect mixture of authentic southern b.b.q. with fabulous ambiance. For those who want the quality and taste of a true southern b.b.q. shack, with the atmosphere of a stylish and semi-fancy restaurant, Lucille's is the place to go.
The atmosphere is a southern blues joint. Black and white photographs of old-time blues singers and bands adorn the walls, while live jazz and blues bands play music from the main dining area. The place-mats are red and white checkered picnic-print, and the drinks are served in giant glass jam and jelly jars. Every table gets a basket of fresh baked corn bread with a special sweet honey butter. When at Lucille's, you feel as though you're in a warm, cozy, romantic blues bar in Louisiana, listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Bessie Smith. The atmosphere itself won me over.
And, ohhhh, the food. If the prices were a little less steep (yes, it's a semi-pricey restaurant,) I would have wanted to order everything on the menu. Alas, we had to narrow ourselves down to a few choices. We started off with Dixie Rolls. They were a take-off of egg-rolls, but were stuffed with b.b.q. chicken, andouille sausage, corn, and all sorts of spices. They were crispy, tangy, spicy and absolutely fabulous. I had never heard of a Southern egg-roll, but it was an interesting change of appetizer.
For our entrees, my boyfriend ordered the Front Porch Special (St. Louis style spare ribs, half chicken and grilled spicy hot links) and chose Southern Sweet Potatoes and B.B.Q Baked Beans for his sides. This meal was made for a champ! The St. Louis style ribs are my favorite at Lucille's. The spare ribs areslow cooked with sweet hickory smoke, and then grilled and basted with Lucille's signature sauce. The Southern Sweet potatoes are traditional, and delightful. The b.b.q. baked beans tasted of Lucille's signature sauce, and tasted really good when mixed with the Sweet Potatoes and put on corn bread. The chicken was moist, tender and b.b.q-ed to perfection. I don't think we could have been more impressed. I loved their homemade sauces. They offered Lucille's Regular, Lucille's Spicy and Lucille's Memphis style sauce, which was much tangier and sweeter than the other two. I actually mixed the spicy and Memphis-style sauces together, the spicy/tangy combination tasted really good!
I ordered a half rack of St. Louis style ribs, and chose flame-roasted sweet corn and mac n' cheese for my sides. The ribs, as said above, were phenomenal. The meat fell off the bone, and was cooked to perfection. The ribs were tangy and sweet, and dripping in sauce. I couldn't get enough of these ribs, but had to pause on the meat when they brought out a basket of biscuits. The biscuits were warm,
doughy, and baked to perfection.
And, of course, a true Southern meal wouldn't be complete without an apple cobbler, a la mode. As expected, the dessert was fabulous.
I was too full to even think about fruity, alcoholic drinks, but those who are looking for a place with a great bar would be pleased with Lucille's selection. They have a full bar, and they also have a unique selection of their own concoctions served in giant jam jars, with a special smoker inside the drink, creating smoke.
As you can probably tell by my review, Lucille's is a fabulous smokehouse. For those looking for true-to-the-South b.b.q., and an attractive and pleasant ambiance, Lucille's is a place for you. Even if you're not looking for ribs, they have a great selection of burgers, sandwiches, salads and grilled fishes.
Lucille's Smokehouse
21420 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA, 90503
Tel: (310) 370-RIBS