Lucille B. Smith was a pioneering Black entrepreneur and food innovator who created the first commercial hot roll mix and served her chili biscuits at the White House. Her great-grandsons, Chris and Ben Williams, opened Lucille's in 2012 in a 1920s mission-style house a block off the museums, and those biscuits still open most meals here. Chef Chris Williams, a James Beard Award finalist, cooks Southern food with polish: oxtails braised until they collapse, shrimp and grits with real depth, vegetables from the family's own 1913 Farms. Brunch runs Friday through Sunday with live entertainment on weekends and a happy hour that halves the price of signature cocktails. The old house setting makes it feel like Sunday dinner at a relative's, if the relative could really cook.
What to expect
- The old house spreads over two floors: a dark-wood bar downstairs, family photos upstairs.
- A shaded back patio adds tables, and weekend brunch music often plays out there.
What to order
- Famous Chili Biscuits
- Shrimp and grits
- Braised oxtails
- 2012Since
- Chris Williams, James Beard Award finalistChef
- Lucille B. Smith (1892-1985), the founders' great-grandmotherNamed for
- 1913 FarmsFarm