Lucky’s Restaurant
Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Lucky’s Restaurant is the newest onsite eatery of The Brook (319 New Zealand Road, Seabrook, 474-3065, livefreeandplay.com), the 70-acre charitable gambling casino and entertainment complex that opened at the site of the former Seabrook Greyhound Park on Route 107 a few years ago. In 2019, the facility was purchased by the Mesquite, Nevada,-based and 100 percent employee-owned Eureka Casino Resort — it’s led by Greg Lee and Andre Carrier, both of whom happen to have New Hampshire ties. “Lucky’s … is really designed to give you the comfort foods that you love, and then provide a new twist on some of them to challenge you just a little bit,” Carrier said of the 85-seat restaurant, which opened in May following a few other neighboring concepts on the property, such as the tailgate menu of Victory’s Kitchen and the casual quick-service offerings of Charlie’s. “As much as I like to give people the steak tips or the mac and cheese that they love and are comfortable with, I love to give it to them … in a way that’s not too far outside of their comfort zone, but just different enough.” Lucky’s opens daily at 8 a.m. and boasts a diverse menu of breakfast items available all day, in addition to burgers, sandwiches, plated steak and seafood entrees. There is also a full bar, as well as different daily “early bird specials” featuring full meals served at a discounted price from 3 to 5 p.m. The Scene recently caught up with Carrier to talk about Lucky’s, which is open to the general public as well as casino gamblers, about some of his favorite menu items and what diners can expect when they visit.
How long has Lucky’s Restaurant been around?
Interestingly, we had the opportunity to open the Saturday of the Kentucky Derby [May 6]. We kind of did an intro, a debut, on Kentucky Derby Saturday, and then we opened for good the following Thursday.
What makes Lucky’s Restaurant unique?
I think our restaurants are about visiting more than once. It’s about developing a sense of place and relationships, so things get very easy for you there. I think it’s about ritual, [and] having a food server or servers that you know and like. … When you need an event in your life, we’re there for you, and that’s what I hope Lucky’s is — that kind of relationship that you know will stand the test of time.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
I’ve been working on my own menus probably since I was 14 years old. And so when you’re building a new menu and you’re trying to find the personality of the restaurant through the food, you try some things. … There was one sandwich that we were trying, and the first time we made it, we tasted it, looked at one another and went, ‘That’s not it.’ Then one person said, ‘Yeah, but what if we did this,’ and so we tried that, tasted it and said ‘That’s better, but it’s not it.’ … Then another person said, ‘What if we did this and this,’ and we made it again, we ate it … and we all looked at each other and said, ‘That’s the best thing on the menu,’ and that’s the Pot O’ Gold Reuben. … We toss the pastrami in Irish gold barbecue sauce, and then we make an apple slaw [with] a flavor profile that complements that sandwich. Those things combined, as well as how you toast the bread — I mean, you’ve just got to try it for yourself.
What is one thing that everyone should try?
If you’re someone that steps up to a menu and asks what is interesting and different about what they do here, then I’d say the burger. … We do a smash burger patty [and] we also source and season and our own bacon. … The other thing I’d say is breakfast all day. If you want to eat breakfast at 6 o’clock at night, this is the spot to come to.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at Lucky’s Restaurant?
That’s a good one. … You know what, I’m going to geek out and just be a total New England childhood fan guy. … [Former Boston Red Sox] captain Jason Varitek. If I can sit down over some steak tips and eggs with the Captain, I would probably cry after it happened, to be honest. That’s probably the way it would go down — I’d shake his hand firmly, say thank you for coming in, and then walk away and cry like a child, after I got my selfie.
What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?
I am of a mindset where details matter. I really think that to do these things well, you have to be into the details, you have to listen to your people about what’s going well [and] what’s not going well, and you have to listen to your customer about what they like [and] what they don’t like. … You almost have to be able to feel what you want your customer to feel while they’re there. … And you get a lot of it wrong early on, so you’ve got to be able to hang in there, listen, not take things personally and react quickly to the changes that are necessary.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
Having spent my adult life predominantly in Las Vegas … nothing looks, feels and smells like New England. … There is a convenience and a comfort there that is offered in very few places in the world. Don’t ever take it for granted!
— Matt Ingersoll
Photo courtesy of Lucky’s Restaurant in The Brook in Seabrook, NH.
