Luci's Ristorante Italiano — Restaurant in Alpharetta

I think steakhouses deserve a thorough review since they aim to give the most complete experience from start to finish.. from service, environment, and of course food. My wife and I really enjoy food and have been to several of the top restaurants in the north Atlanta area so here is the best review feedback I can give. I’ll start by pointing out the positives and then end with what I think we’re the negatives. Positives - 1) great drinks. The old fashion I had was one of the better ones I’ve had . I also had a blue cheese martini that met all expectations. 2) phenomenal apps and sides. The french onion soup was 10/10. you can tell they put their own spin on it and it really was a differentiator. The cream spinach and wild mushrooms also were a highlight - really enjoyed both. 3) dessert was also special. Our cream brûlée was spot on. Great outer shell with a perfectly set center. Now for the negatives… 1) our reservation was for 8:30 but we didn’t get seated until 8:50. Very frustrating. I know a later reservation has its risk but 20 minutes past time is unacceptable. 2) the service seemed super JV to me. I felt like the waiters really struggled to capture any kind of exclusivity.. if I’m paying high dollar for a meal I want to feel like I’m the only one there and the service fell far short. I looked around at other waiters and wasn’t impressed with any of their offerings from what I could tell. 3) the steak…. Perhaps the most disappointing steak I’ve ever had. To start, it was extremely overpriced. $75 for a ribeye? Unreal. But ok, I can get on board with that if it’s really good…. But unfortunately my steak was virtually tasteless. I had to put table salt on it to get any flavor??? Which is insane. I would honestly compare this steak to something you’d get at Texas longhorn which should shame any cook who sees this. It was cooked well but when I say it was tasteless I mean it… like zero flavor. How can you be a steakhouse and the main course be so bad? It’s really disappointing because honestly I enjoyed a lot of other aspects of the restaurant but unfortunately a tasteless $75 steak is a game changer for me.

For the Alpharetta area this steakhouse falls in 3rd place. Cabernet is by far the best, Rays comes in at 2nd, and then Lucis has 3rd.

Lucis does some things well but they really need to prioritize their main dish to capture...

We live in the area and have visited several times since the opening. We always sit at the bar to eat and drink because there are only two of us. We have always had a great experience so we decided to invite our friends to join us for some holiday cheer on 12/16/22. We were sat in a room that was over crowded and extremely loud. It may have even violated fire code. In fact, we were so close to the surrounding tables and were constantly bumped by servers trying to get to them, that we asked to be moved. We were moved to a table in the corner next to a booth full of other guests. We were so close that my guest had to get up from her chair amidst her dinner so that the other guest could be excused to the restroom. Additionally the food was subpar; the special which I ordered, dover sole, was like rubber and I had to send it back. Because my guests were not satisfied with their meals either I didn’t bother to ask for a replacement. They got steak and tuna and were very disappointed. I filled up on bread which I rarely eat. The singer was obnoxiously loud and overly invasive for a fine dinning experience. Lastly, I felt really bad for the servers. They were very poised but obviously pressed, stretched and stressed. I can’t imagine how they must’ve felt having to deal with trying to maneuver through the tightness of the setting, the complaints and food being sent back (guests behind us sent their special back as well). The intensions may have been to accommodate everyone, however, this was a perfect example that quantity over quality never works in anyone’s favor. This holiday season was a great opportunity for you to show Alpharetta who you are and you ruined it for us, and from the rumbling I witnessed that evening, for a lot of others. To add insult to injury, I had to apologize to my guests who suggested they have had better food and better experiences at Mellow Mushroom. I wish I had a better experience and could write about it, but I’m being 100% honest and if improvement of guests experiences are desired it needs to be heard; good, bad and indifferent. I truly hope they can figure out how to actually deliver on the commitment to quality and service....

Finally made it to Luci's on Windward as I make my way to all the great steak places around me. The atmosphere was great and lots of tables filled for a Sunday night. As much as I wanted to try an app, I was alone and afraid of ordering too much food. Decided to start with a wedge salad. It was a salad, and ranch dressing was buttermilk and the way I like it, but it was a huge salad two wedges, blue cheese and tomatoes and nothing special. Wouldn't order that again. I had an 8oz filet ($52) with an 8 buck butter sauce that was recommended but it tasted like melted butter. So so pricey and It didn't enhance the steak. The steak was nothing special either. Wish I had done the Bernaise. I also ordered potato au gratin (12) which was a huge serving and probs for sharing and it was great, hot and lots of cheese. Finished with some Gelato which they only had vanilla and chocolate. For 3.50 it came with 2 scoops which was perfect. I wanted the coconut cake but at 25 bucks and it is a huge piece, I wasn't going to pay that since I was alone. Kind of silly. I can get an 8 buck huge slice at a bakery in Alpharetta. I also had a glass of dauo cab for 16 which was fine. I had a nice time and the steak was fine. It was medium well and had the perfect amount of pink. My total check was 113.00 before tax. Kind of pricey to me. I would try again but might change up some items. This was supposed to be a fancy steak house and the food was good but the food presentation was so not to perfection. The steak was just on a huge plate and no decor, sauce or anything on it. I just was disappointed. When you pay that much you want...