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Lucky's Cafe

Greetings,

     I have been watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives for a number of years now. I'd say at least 10 years. I keep a little notebook of all the places I want to try and the food Guy Fieri ordered. I love finding locations when I'm traveling and trying them out. I even have a scrapbook of the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and Man vs. Food places I've gone to. I feel that it is time to honor my absolute favorite location so far-Lucky's Cafe in Cleveland, Ohio.


     This restaurant is pretty small, but when the weather is nice you can sit at the picnic tables outside next to the garden. The food is farm-to-table. The vegetables, herbs, and fruits are grown in the garden or bought from local farmers along with the meat and eggs. There is a seasonal house-made jam that I ALWAYS buy a jar to take home for $6.50. (The jar is small, but seriously, just do it.)



     They're only open for breakfast and lunch. Beware of the weekends, the wait times can get pretty long, especially when Indians and Browns games are happening. The average wait time on a Sunday that I've experienced is 25 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on how many people are in your party. You can also order ahead or to-go at the front counter.


     I've only had positive experiences with the staff. They're always friendly and ask if you've been there before. If you haven't, they'll tell you about the food being from the garden and local farmers. I've never felt rushed, even with a long wait time and a lot of people waiting outside the restaurant.

     They have a full coffee and espresso bar. It's kind of pricey, but I love the fact that the speciality espresso drinks don't taste like sugar. They use local honey to sweeten them. The mocha here (pictured below) is the best one I've ever had. (Here's the coffee list.)


     I am not the only one who is a huge fan of this restaurant. Chef Michael Symon accompanied Guy Fieri on that particular episode of Triple D, and he's also featured them on The Best Thing I Ever Ate. His favorite? The biscuits and gravy, which is also my favorite. (Top picture below.) I've never had a dish that I didn't like. Everything is just so fresh and full of flavor. There's always a few seasonal dishes, and I suggest you try them. I recently strayed from my beloved biscuits for the seasonal Ratatouille, and it was AMAZING. (Bottom picture below.) The pesto sauce is nut-free (YAY!), and the veggies are served over a bed of perfectly cooked grits with two sunny-side up eggs. My mom loves anything that comes with Como Toast that they make fresh and serve with the home-made jam. (Check out the menu.)




     This is the one restaurant that any time I travel home to Cleveland, I HAVE to go. Whenever I move back, I'll be there almost weekly for sure. Now I will say our resident Debbie-Downer thinks it's too expensive and would rather go to Bob Evans, but I value quality over quantity in this case. 100%.

   

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