Lucky Restaurant — Restaurant in Roanoke

Lucky is an absolute gem in the Star City. From the minute you walk in the door, you’re treated like family. I don’t often go out solo, but I’ve now done that multiple times at Lucky and not only did I find amazing company and conversation with Hunter, Kent, and Taylor, behind the bar - but the regulars you meet quickly become friends, too! This really is that kind of place - you may walk in as a stranger, but you’ll leave as part of the fam.

Now let’s get into the food… while I’ve got plenty of the menu to explore yet, everything I’ve had each time I’ve been in has been top notch. Jeremy is the chef here, and you may even meet him while you’re in. If you do, be sure to chat food with him and you’ll immediately see that it isn’t just his career, it’s a passion of his to feed folks and to provide that meal that brings people together at a table. He takes his craft seriously, and that will come through in anything you choose to order. I do have to say, try the comeback sauce. They don’t call it that for nothing!

I haven’t taken food pictures as of yet, but let’s chat about the bar! Look at the selection an and that’s just pictures of the allocated/hard to get bourbons! They’ve got plenty more! Here’s the thing to know here - they don’t have good bartenders. They have expert level mixologists who pride themselves in creating exquisite craft cocktails. Whether you’re favorite is something straightforward like an old fashioned - or maybe you just give some tasting notes you like and let them get creative in making you something - you’ll be wowed. We’ve got to mention THE Lucky Cube here, it’s phenomenal! A flavored and infused cube that slowly marries into the drink it’s in, creating a beautiful cocktail that can be sipped slowly and paired with amazing conversation. Now let’s circle back to that bourbon selection… because I know you’re thinking “but I bet it’s priced to sit” and that’s where you’re wrong! That is common, yes. But these guys know bourbons and love em. They want others to get to try this stuff, they don’t just want bar decorations. They believe in healthy 2oz pours, and everything they’ve got is priced to drink, not to admire. Come try that bottle you’ve been chasing and see if the hunt is worth it! Come work through tons of amazing stuff a few at a time, and make some awesome friends along the way.

This place is unlike anywhere else in the valley I’ve found. Lucky is a reminder of how amazing a dining/bar experience should be, a window into everything the food service industry had RIGHT pre Covid. The ambiance/atmosphere are just on point, the place is beautiful, everything they’re going to put in front of you is absolute top notch, and the human beings involved in that process are stellar. If it gets better than Lucky in the Roanoke Valley, I haven’t found it in my...

I've reviewed Lucky before, but I was recently moved to reiterate how AMAZING and GROUNDBREAKING Roanoke's Premier Restaurant and Mixologist Incubator truly is...

After enjoying a truly overwhelming(ly positive) large birthday party experience at another of our local favs (Stock), a small group of our closest & oldest friends and family came to Lucky for afterparty snacks and drinks. OF COURSE several of us had "The Cube" a Signature Lucky Classic cocktail that uses a select bourbon shot poured over a cider & local herb-infused ice cube; that evolves over time as the cube melts into the bourbon. Pro-tip: Get a "re-pour" of bourbon when your drink gets shallow. As always the wine selection is UNPARALLELED. I am never disappointed and often surprised by the mainstays and new wines from all over the world, INCLUDING high-quality Virginia Wines on occasion.

We needed a special late-evening snack, so we ordered several of the Roasted Marrow Bone appetizers. They were HUGE and so rich & creamy!!!!!! The salad included is always refreshing and a perfect green-note contrast to the literally melt-in-your-mouth roasted beef marrow, as well as the perfect accoutrement of thin crusty bread slices. But the secret highlight of this dish is the "Marrow Luge" or "Marrow Shot" after the delicate marrow is all consumed and a hollowed out beef bone remains; a bonding ritual where a trusted friend pours a full shot of your chosen bourbon down the bone hollow as you catch it in your mouth at the base. It's not extremely easy to pour the bourbon at the right rate and it's not always easy to drink it smoothly at the end. However, the flavor of aerated bourbon sliding down and absorbing the marrow juice on the way to your palate is SUBLIME and the experience of sharing it with a friend is a "Life Tile" for both of you.

Lucky (GOD BLESS Hunter, JP & Co.) has led the way for Roanoke's Restaurant & Cocktail Revolution for a very long time, and they remain the lead dog. Always innovating, always challenging themselves, always responding to the community, always delicious, always cozy and stylish. Lucky and its INCREDIBLE STAFF has become our "Go-To" for a consistently satisfying meal, a late-night cocktail, a wind-down drink at the end of a hard day, and a place "where everybody knows your name" when you walk in.

Rising Mixologists Taylor and Kenton are literal alchemists following in Hunter's line of Sorcerer's Apprentices at the bar. The kitchen staff know exactly what they are doing to make each dish memorable and delectable. The waitstaff is responsive, brilliant, and effortlessly graceful under pressure. The decor is impossible to pigeonhole yet opulent and relaxing at the same time.

JUST MAKE A RESERVATION & EXPERIENCE IT FOR...

This place is now in my top 3 to 5 Restaurants... Lucky offers an incredible meal experience that is on par with the massively expensive super-restaurants in larger cities. The Atmosphere is soft, personal, and romantic. The 4 course meal is modestly priced given what you receive ($55/person) and the quality and flavor is stellar. First Course - The bread and honey-butter - need I say more. Second Course - I had the salad which was fresh, crisp, and delightfully light. My wife had the vegi-chilli which I would never have known was vegi had my wife not told me. Third Course I had the Trout Cakes - only two of them, but delicious. The caviar on top was nice. Very flavorful and delicate. My wife had the sweet potatoes - worth the trip themselves. We also ordered the bone marrow to try. If you like that part of the prime rib that transitions from pure meat to pure fat, you'll like this. Very well prepared and the garnish is a wonderful addition. I personally won't order it again, but not because I didn't like it - it was kind of a bucket list kind of thing. Fourth Course I got the Trout Filet. The seasoning on the plate was exquisite. I only wish the filet was larger (about 1.5" x 3.0"). This I would order again, though I was very tempted to try the smoked meatloaf. My wife got the shrimp and grits; she loved it. It was absolutely loaded with tender freshly shipped in shrimp. We ended with the Bourbon Chocolate Ice cream which my wife described as a frozen Bourbon Ball... nicely salted and rich. The mixed drinks were awesome. I had their Old Fashion - loved the frozen apple juice and cinnamon ice cube. My wife had the Glamour Shot, which had flavors that reminded her of black licorice. A delightful drink... service was impeccable, quick, and exceptionally helpful. Read my other reviews and you'll see I don't often rave about restaurants. Lucky is among my favorites and I will be...